To answer this question, don’t start by pretending as if you were never criticized at work. Let’s face it — Everyone has been criticized at some point in their working lives. Learning to accept criticism and what direction you’ll take when you do is crucial in the working world.
Here are some tips on how to answer this question like a pro:
Be positive. You can start by emphasizing the positive feedback you’ve received throughout your career. Highlighting your skills is the best way to overcome your fear of being criticized.
Start with the minor mistakes. Emphasize that you are welcome to suggestions that can improve your performance. You can provide an example of a not-so-damaging learning experience that helped you grow in your early career. This shows the recruiter that you are willing to learn from your mistakes in order to do a better job.
Share some of your criticisms. Quote a fairly trivial criticism you’ve gotten in the past that will not affect your performance. Expand on what you’ve learned from the experience and how you may have applied it to your career over the long term.
Be willing to grow.Share with the recruiter through a concrete example that you’re always willing to learn from new experiences.
Know the key. The key to answering this question is to focus on a skill or skills that are not essential to your performance. Choose what adds another dimension to your current knowledge and skills, and shows that you’re a great employee.
Do not be afraid of admitting how you’ve been criticized in the past. As long as you back it up with excellent skills and background, criticisms here and there won’t affect your overall image.
It’s more important to be honest. Employers prefer to work with sincere and genuine candidates.