Question: Describe a professional or career goal that you have set for yourself but have not yet achieved. Why is this so and are you doing anything about it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Tell me about a professional goal that you set that you did not reach. How did it make you feel?
Do you have a goal that you created for yourself but have not yet achieved? How is that going for you?

Follow-up questions:

Why this goal?
What is your motivation here?
What are the obstacles in the way of achieving your goal?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Traditional

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Conscientiousness (Work Ethic),Motivation/Ambition/Aspiration,Personal Improvement (Growth),Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Developing Objectives and Strategies,Mental Processes – Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Job Structure – Freedom to Make Decisions,Job Structure – Work/Life Balance

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Humility,Persistence/Perseverance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking to understand the interviewee better in terms of their motivations and ambitions. You are also then looking for their level of ambition and their their work ethic in relation to their goals. Secondarily, you are also lookin at their humility in admitting why they have not reached the goals yet.

Red Flags to Watch For:

A red flag is if the interviewee has no set goal for themselves or if they have set unrealistic goals. If the interviewee gives poor excuses for not meeting their goals, that could potentialy be a red flag as well.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.zippia.com/employer/behavioural-interview-questions/