How to answer “Tell me about a project that went wrong”
An interviewer asks you to describe a project that went wrong and how you handled it.
What they might say
- “Tell me about a time a project went wrong.”
- “What did you do when things fell behind?”
- “What would you do differently now?”
What's usually behind it
They want to see how you take responsibility and respond to problems. Choose a real example from work, coursework or a society, and focus on what you changed.
What you can say
- One example is [project], where [specific problem] happened.
- My part in that was [your responsibility], so I [action you took].
- The result was [outcome], and now I [what you do differently].
Try not to
- Blaming everyone else.
- Describing the problem without explaining your response.
How Earshot helps in the moment
Earshot listens live, shows one short card with a suggested line, and nudges you on pace.
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