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Describe a time when you made a promise that you were unable to keep. You should say:
– what the promise was
– who you made the promise to
– why you couldn’t keep it
and explain how you felt about it.
One particular time I failed to keep a promise was about a year ago, when I told my younger brother that I would attend his school play. He had been rehearsing for weeks and was playing one of the lead roles in a production of The Lion King.
The promise was made to my younger brother. We’re quite close despite the fact I’m ten years older. I have always tried my best to be involved in his life because our parents work long hours.
Unfortunately, on the day of the play, something completely unexpected happened at work. I had recently started working at a marketing firm, and a client presentation that was scheduled for the following week got suddenly moved up. The entire team was called in for an emergency prep session, and I had no choice but to stay.
I felt terrible for breaking that promise. I could sense how disappointed my brother was when I called him to explain. He tried to brush it off and said it was okay, but I could hear the sadness in his voice. I felt like I had let him down, and it made me realise how fragile trust can be, especially with younger people who look up to you.
Since then, I’ve been much more careful about making promises. That experience taught me that it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.
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