Interview Prep · True or False
Is it true that when asked about your greatest failure, you should choose a time you accidentally deleted a file?
False. A minor slip-up looks evasive. Share a real project setback and how it shaped your later success.
A trivial slip reads as evasion, while a real project setback with a clear lesson shows the self-reflection the question is actually assessing.
Choosing the safest possible failure to protect your image, and signalling you are unwilling to reflect honestly.
This scenario is one of 500 in the Skillful Interview Prep track. Each card states a situation, you decide true or false, and the explanation follows immediately.
- Answer
- False
- Track
- Interview Prep
- Topics
- failure-and-learning, answer-framing
Also asked as
What example should i give for my biggest failure? Is a trivial mistake a safe failure answer? How do i choose a good failure story?
The scenario in full
When asked about your greatest failure, you should choose a time you accidentally deleted a file.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that when asked about your greatest failure, you should choose a time you accidentally deleted a file?
False. A minor slip-up looks evasive. Share a real project setback and how it shaped your later success.
What example should i give for my biggest failure?
False. A minor slip-up looks evasive. Share a real project setback and how it shaped your later success. A trivial slip reads as evasion, while a real project setback with a clear lesson shows the self-reflection the question is actually assessing.
Is a trivial mistake a safe failure answer?
False. A minor slip-up looks evasive. Share a real project setback and how it shaped your later success. A trivial slip reads as evasion, while a real project setback with a clear lesson shows the self-reflection the question is actually assessing.
How do i choose a good failure story?
False. A minor slip-up looks evasive. Share a real project setback and how it shaped your later success. A trivial slip reads as evasion, while a real project setback with a clear lesson shows the self-reflection the question is actually assessing.
Where does this interview prep question come from?
It is one of 500 scenarios in the Skillful Interview Prep track. Each card states a realistic situation, you decide true or false, and the explanation follows immediately.
How do I practise more questions like this?
Start the Interview Prep quiz. It runs about two minutes per session, the first 150 questions are free across every category, and your progress saves automatically.