Tell me about a recommendation you made that turned out to be wrong. What did you learn?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests coachability & learning agility. Learns new industries fast, seeks feedback, admits mistakes and visibly changes approach.
• What to bring out: Owns the mistake honestly, explains why it went wrong, how they addressed it and a concrete change in approach.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did you communicate that to the people affected?

Another way it may be asked: Think of advice you gave that did not work out. What happened, and what would you do differently?

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 & learning agility 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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