If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently? Before I advise on answering this question, I would like to state ‘Regret is a useless emotion’. An interviewer really doesn’t want to see regret or weakness in your answer to this question. Instead the best way to approach this question is from a ‘Learning curve’ angle. Try and fit personal and non-personal responses into each answer and always mention that you REGRET nothing but learned something. Here are some examples of how you can structure that:
Example Answers
#1
“If I could relive the last ten years I don’t think I would do anything differently. I believe that every choice I have made has led me to this conclusion. I do believe in life that you need to make some mistakes in order to know the correct way in which to behave, both professionally and personally. For example I left school instead of staying for A Levels like everyone said I should. I haven’t regretted that, because I have worked my way to the position I might have gotten a few years sooner if I had gotten A Levels, however, the experience gained in working my way up is something that cannot be learned from a book, or gifted upon you from a grade on paper. Growing up I also wanted to continue living with my parents as long as possible, but I am pleased that they encouraged me to move out when I was 18, as I became a lot more mature and self-dependent than my peers much quicker.”
#2
“I think looking back over the last ten years I can honestly say that everything I did, I would still do. I was always the first to ask questions and learn. I always performed my jobs to the best of my ability. Where it was possible to improve on myself I did so. I could say “I wish I had put myself forward for promotion” but I truly believe that regret is a useless emotion, and that if I had been ready for promotion at that point in my life I would have been given it. I prefer to look forwards in life, not backwards, so I would much rather be asked where I see myself in the next ten years.”
#3
“I lost a pet recently to diabetes that we didn’t know he had. By the time it was diagnosed it was quite progressed and hard to manage. I could say if I could relive my life I would go back and train to be a vet, and then I might have spotted the symptoms sooner. But then I might lose a relative to cancer, and wish I could go back and train to be a doctor. There are so many things that can and will go wrong and you can’t regret them, you just have to learn from them. After my dog passed I bought a book all about dog illness and how to spot signs of common illnesses. I’m nowhere near being a vet, but can be a little more confident that if I ever own another I might be better equipped to spot a problem.”
Good luck.
Photo by: HansKristian
