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Writer's pictureJennifer Beech

Career Failures/Regrets/Mistakes

When’s the last time you talked about your career failures or regrets or mistakes (and it wasn’t during an interview)? In this social media age, we are good at celebrating our successes. And rightfully so. But we are quieter about our mistakes. Of course there is a balance here; if talking about failures and mistakes is going to cause you to spiral downward, then please, protect your mental health. It is good to acknowledge our failures because we all have them so may as well normalize it. It gives others permission to be themselves. It shows growth.


Here are some mistakes I have made in previous jobs:


  • I was an editor at a small company where I wrote and edited newsletters for donors of nonprofit organizations. I missed errors that my clients caught. I remember my boss not being happy that clients had to do my job.

  • I worked as a university admissions counselor. I admitted people who should have been denied. I denied people who should have been admitted.

  • I worked as a university graduation analyst, getting graduate students through their last semester to degree conferral. I have given students the wrong diplomas. I have conferred degrees to students who didn’t meet their degree requirements. I have not conferred degrees on students who have completed their degree requirements.

  • As an instructional designer, I can’t think of any failures, but some things I regret. I regret not asking more specific questions of my client about their goals and their communication style.



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