Let’s take a look at one

Let’s take a look at one of the “scariest” stress questions:
QUESTION: What was your greatest failure? You certainly are not obligated to recall your real greatest failure in front of a complete stranger. And actually, interviewers don’t expect you to. Instead, the interviewer is testing to see how you react under stress.

How do you beat it? First, take a deep breath and entertain one of these answers:
ANSWER: Perhaps my greatest failure was not going to college right after graduating from high school. Anyway, I waited until I got a few years of work under my belt and then I got a degree in physics, with highest honors. I guess it didn’t turn out so badly.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Well, you know, I was entered in a tricounty triathlon, and I trained for over 6 months for the race. I even hired a personal trainer and radically altered my diet and weight-training program. When the day of the race came, I was totally prepared and “psyched up” to win. I was sure I could place in the top three, if not take home the blue ribbon. I did the race in less that 1 hour, 32 minutes, 7 seconds. I gave it my best shot, but I came in fourth.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Once I decided to plant an elaborate vegetable garden in my backyard. I went to the hardware store to buy all the tools and seeds. I also bought a book on how to grow a vegetable garden, and I even took a county parks and recreation course on how to grow your own food. I followed all the directions I had learned, and I planted six kinds of vegetables, but the only thing that ever came up were the tomatoes.
I guess I’m really much more of a corporate executive than a gardener!

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job