Tell me about a time a chef or manager corrected how you were doing something. How did you respond?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests coachability. Describes taking feedback from a chef without getting defensive, changing how they work, and asking questions to learn.
• What to bring out: Listening without arguing, asking how to do it right, making the change, and showing they kept doing it correctly.
• Expect a follow-up like: How do you ask questions when you are not sure how something should be done?

Another way it may be asked: Think of a time someone told you your dish or technique was wrong. What happened next?

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 coachability 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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