Interviewer: Tell about a time that you did not achieve your goal.
Sharon: When I was working as a salesperson for a car dealership, I did not meet one of the goals that I had set for myself. It was my third year in that position, and my goal was to increase my yearly sales by 15%. This was a high goal. Unfortunately, I was not able to reach it.
Interviewer: What happened?
Sharon: I tried my best and did everything I could to achieve it. I worked extra hours, I studied sales techniques in my free time, and I asked senior colleagues for advice. But in the end, I came up short. I ended up increasing my sales by 12%.
Interviewer: A 12% increase in sales is very high.
Sharon: Yes, it is, and I was proud of it. I set my original goal very high because I wanted to push myself to improve a lot. Even though I did not reach my goal, I think I improved a lot and had a really good year. So, I was only slightly disappointed that I did not achieve my goal.
Interviewer: That's great. Our company likes people who aim high.