Tell me about a time an editor or stakeholder gave you feedback you disagreed with. What did you do?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests collaboration & openness to feedback. Takes edits gracefully, pushes back with reasons when needed and works smoothly with editors, designers and subject experts.
• What to bring out: Listening first, understanding the goal behind the feedback, explaining their view with reasons and finding a solution.
• Expect a follow-up like: Tell me about feedback that genuinely made your work better.

Another way it may be asked: Someone asked you to change your writing in a way you did not like. How did you handle it?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the collaboration & openness to feedback you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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