The Pongo Blog
Tell Us about the 'Wrong Turns' in Your Career
May 13, 2010 (10:20AM) by Rick Saia, CPRW
Good hiring managers will always have their antennae up during job interviews for signs of a good or bad candidate. Recognizing the difference is a skill that comes from experience, gut feel, or both.
That's why they can reject you for any one of several reasons. Maybe they didn't like what you wore, or they didn't like your voice, or you reminded them of someone they knew - and didn't like - in the past. Or, on the rational side, it could be one of several reasons listed in a post this week at BNET.com titled "Danger! Bad Candidate! Run Away!" One of those reasons was: "The candidate struggles to answer the question, 'What wrong turns or tragic decisions have you made in your career?'"
"If you can't answer that honestly," writer Mark Jaffe says, "you're demonstrating that you can't do an honest, self-critical analysis." Owning up to mistakes and learning from them is a valued trait in many, if not all, workplaces.
I think it's a good question to toss out to you for a discussion:
What wrong turns have you made in your career? (And in the end, did it work out to your satisfaction?)
Tell us your story by posting a comment below.
RELATED LINKS
When Bosses Make Hotheaded Decisions
First Impressions Mean Everything in Your Job Search
Job Interview Basics: Prepare Well to Present Well
Explaining how you corrected, repaired, and evaluated and moved on is the most significant piece of this question which also show resilience as well as problem-solving through self reflection.
Search committees on which I served, we have asked: Tell us about an mistake you made and how you corrected it.
There are many versions of this inquiry - and reasons for asking it. It does separate the men from the boys. Not only does it show self reflection and whether or not that reflection is open to correction.
You can tell a lot about one's candidness not only on what is said but their reaction to the very question as well as tone or manner of answering.
Posted by: Edward Knopping | May 13, 2010 at 10:48 PM | Quote This Comment
I realized i made a wrong turn after shifting from my current employer to a new employer wherein i didn't find the work/culture anything interesting in just a couple of weeks. Fortunately i could move back to my previous company as i could convey the same to them and accepting before them that it was a wrong decision from my part. Not many will be willing to accept that, but my employer was good enough to me and they had some positive mind towards me during my working days there which made my comeback smoother
Posted by: Wise Step | May 14, 2010 at 9:38 AM | Quote This Comment
@ Edward -- You're so right. Self-reflection and self-awareness are two traits many value, yet I wonder if more managers need to realize this.
And yes, there's more to an answer than the mere words themselves.
@ Wise Step - Looks like your "wrong turn" was a small street with a cul de sac. Good thing the main road wasn't that far away and your employer was willing to take you back.
Posted by: Rick Saia, CPRW | May 14, 2010 at 1:37 PM | Quote This Comment
I once took a position without doing thorough due diligence on the company. A few months after beginning, I learned they were being bought by a company I once worked for and disliked. I later learned that the buyout was public knowledge at the time I interviewed for the position. I stayed with them about 18 months and am now with a company for 4 years that fits my philosphy to a "T".
Posted by: Brian Lessley | May 18, 2010 at 12:22 AM | Quote This Comment
@ Brian -- Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to appreciate ending up in a place that's a great fit. I've experienced that myself!
Posted by: Rick Saia, CPRW | May 18, 2010 at 1:34 PM | Quote This Comment
hello, I was stressed after stress courses since a close relative was dying fast and I felt too much language pressure since I'm only 2/3's bilingual in a French environment. So after 26-49 yrs old working they fired me. Yes I was acting strange but they weren't helping at all and as I met a man at an AA mtg and tried to get him to support my cause, counting on the people at work to guide me in this relationship in case he was a bad influence. He too turned on me. My relative died and I have only a resume left 6 yrs later; mostly from lack of guidance at work.
Posted by: Mutter | June 01, 2010 at 2:54 PM | Quote This Comment
I once resigned my position based on a verbal offer that was never formalized. Once I realized the position had fallen through, it was too late to retract my notice and I found myself unemployed and unable to collect benefits. (I'd resigned voluntarily.) It was by far the biggest career misstep I've ever taken and taught me a very valuable lesson. It may not make for a great job interview answer, but consider it a valuable tip! NEVER quit your job until you have the offer for your new position IN WRITING! Budget approval can fall through, decision-makers can disagree about the best candidate, the job requirements can be altered...all sorts of issues can materialize at the last minute.
Posted by: Bakerman | November 08, 2010 at 10:58 AM | Quote This Comment
@ Bakerman -- I agree! Get everything in writing first on the new job offer, and make sure everyone who has to sign off on it does indeed sign off.
Then you can give notice to your soon-to-be former employer.
Thanks for dropping in!
Posted by: Rick | November 09, 2010 at 5:05 PM | Quote This Comment