Admitted

Tell me about a time you helped someone who was struggling.

Empathy in action, and whether your helping is about them or about you.

How to structure your answer

  1. 1Who was struggling and how you noticed
  2. 2What you did
  3. 3Their outcome
  4. 4What it taught you

A strong answer

What lands
I work the overnight counter at a pharmacy. There's a regular, Denise, who picks up insulin, and one night she asked me the copay twice and then just stood there. Turned out she'd been splitting doses for about a month. I couldn't fix that, I'm a tech. But I got the pharmacist over before she left and he found a manufacturer coupon that took most of it off. She still stretches it some months. I noticed because she asked the same question twice, and I pay attention to that now.

She has a name, a real problem, and an outcome that stayed imperfect.

A weak answer

What most people say
I've always been the person people come to when they're having a hard time. There was a student in my anatomy class who was falling behind and I could tell she was stressed, so I offered to study with her a few times. I think it really made a difference for her, and honestly, helping people is a big part of why I want to do this.

The person helped has no name, no words, and no outcome anyone can check.

The trap

⚠Making it a story about how generous you are. The tell is when the person you helped has no name, no details, and no voice in your telling.

Reading it isn't the same as saying it.

Most people can explain a good answer and still fall apart saying one out loud. Admitted asks you all 100 questions in a faculty voice, records you, and scores your pace and filler words.

Try one interview freeGet the guide

More behavioral questions