Please, I need help when answering the next fitting question: TELL ME ABOUT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK YOU HAVE RECEIVED?.

Tough question, but it comes more often than not (in various forms).

I recommend that you pick a situation where you received some constructive feedback. Focus on how you reacted to feedback, if you asked for clarifications and examples and how you made a concrete improvement plan to give yourself opportunities to improve.

Focus on how you tried to gain learnings from it and how it helped you improve your skills in the long run.

Hope that helps !
All the best,
Konstantinos

Hey! :) 

When answering this question, pick an example where you received constructive criticism, showed self-awareness, and took steps to improve. A strong structure is:

1️⃣ Context: Briefly set the scene (e.g., project, task, or role).
2️⃣ Feedback: Share the specific negative feedback you received.
3️⃣ Action: Explain how you processed the feedback and what steps you took to improve.
4️⃣ Outcome: Highlight the positive results from applying the feedback.

Example, which I give my mentees: 
"During my time at BCG, I worked on a project where I initially focused too much on details and struggled with time management. My manager pointed out that I needed to prioritize better and delegate tasks. I took this feedback seriously, started using structured planning tools, and sought guidance on prioritization. As a result, my efficiency improved, and I successfully managed a later project with tight deadlines. This experience taught me how to balance attention to detail with big-picture thinking."

This approach shows humility, growth, and adaptability—key traits consulting firms look for! 😊

Alessa

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

I would second the responses and add a few additional points.

The key things that the interviewer is looking for in the response is:

a. Whether you can share negative feedback about yourself without hesitating or hiding

b. How you handled the feedback  and what difference did it make. Being able to own your weaknesses is also a sign of strength. 

So outside of using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) framework, make sure that you articulate the takeaway and result very clearly, showing you came out as a stronger person due to the feedback. So the action and results matters more in this question vs. situation and task. Prioritize your time to respond accordingly.

Additionally, if you have to pick a feedback in an area crucial to your role, make sure you explain why that would not happen again. For example, if you apply for an analyst role and the feedback you received was you need to minimize calculation errors , that can be a concern. However, if you received that some time ago, and have never had that issue ever again, then that may mitigate the concern.

This is just an example. But the point is be thoughtful about what you want to share and how it may be perceived by your interviewer, ensuring you have addressed any lingering concerns.

Feel free to reach out if any questions.

Thanks,

Soh

Hi,

Some great answers already in terms of the structure to answer the question. A common follow-up question that coachees often ask is "is there a feedback that I shouldn't talk about? 

For me, I don't think its about the topic or ability, but rather the magnitude - its something you need to balance. What I mean by this is - if you describe your negative feedback as "I received the feedback that I was a poor communicator" , that's directly contradicting the traits firms are looking out for, and if you phrase it wrongly it can sound a little bit unbelievable or weird that you improved so vastly.

Rather, think of nuances - e.g. "I received feedback that my communication was not as effective because it was not as tailored enough to my audience", this makes the weakness more nuanced and so you can still have decent communication, just not perfect communication and therefore it is still negative.