You should say:
- When it was
- What you forgot
- How you managed the situation
and explain how you felt about it.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
It was on the day of my formal interview at a multinational corporation for the post of Market Research Executive (MRE) when I forgot to take my interview invitation card.
I can exactly remember the day, December 23 in 2015. I was invited to appear on the formal written test for the post of MRE. As per the instructions, I applied for the position after collecting the advertisement from a daily newspaper. I applied following all the procedures instructed on the advertisement and accordingly they confirmed my candidature for the post after justifying my detailed curriculum vitae. They had sent me the invitation letter a week before the date. On the day fixed for the formal tests, I went there.
I work for a local corporation and I am also responsible for their entire market research. So, I had to be very busy most of the time and the interview was set on a working day. It was set at 12.00pm sharp and I have to be there (at the headquarters of the corporation) at least 20 minutes before the test begins. So, I hurried there. I was asked to bring all the relevant documents with me including the printed version of the invitation to prove my candidature on the entrance. I took everything except the printed copy of the invitation card. I had printed a copy and kept that on my office desk. With the tension to reach the place in due time, I forgot to take the printed copy with me which caused me a great trouble.
Managing the situations was so difficult for me. The security personnel did not allow me to enter the building as I could not show them the interview card. I tried to make them realise that it was my mistake and due to the rush I forgot to bring that with me. But they argued a lot and at the same time, I was racing against time. It was around 11.50 am and the security officials were arguing with me that why should they allow me to enter ins the building. I was a security threat to them as I did not have the interview invitation card. It was a great regret for me. I also did not have any contact number then to inform the authority about the delay and the situation. Finally, I showed them the e-mail version of the interview card from my email. When they allowed me to enter the building, it was nearly 12.00 pm.
The feelings were not so good at that time. Can you imagine that you are racing against the moments and someone is blocking your advancement? The feelings are terrible. I am lucky that I use a smartphone with an active internet connection. If I did not have the phone or the internet connection, I might not have been able to attend the interview. They took my written test, oral test, and I also had to present some ideas. Overall it was a fine interview but finally, I disagreed to occupy the position as they wanted to negotiate with me over the salary and other admissible benefits.
Model Answer 2:
It was really awkward for me when I forget to bring a pen drive just before an important meeting. Actually, it happens to me frequently and the experiences are not desirable at all. Thank you for this outstanding question. I will describe the event now in brief.
It was the board meeting and I was told to bring some necessary documents and presentation through a flash drive. Everything was okay and I inserted the necessary documents and information on the flash drive right before leaving the office. I was supposed to take the pen drive to the meeting venue where it will be presented to a selected group of people to make them aware of the next project of the company. I forgot to bring the pen drive and it created a mess there.
Actually, I prepared the pen drive and kept it beside the computer at my office. But when I went out, I was in a rush and thus forgot to take the drive. Amid the business, I completely forgot about the matter that I did not take the pen drive. And when I was asked to give the pen drive, I remembered that I did not bring it with me. I informed my immediate boss that the pen drive is missing. I did not tell him that I forgot to bring the pen drive.
My immediate boss was a man of letters and knew how to deal with situations. At first, he made a phone call to our office and asked an employee to check the pen drive. Luckily, the employee made the phone call with the good news that he recovered the pen drive and was on his way to deliver it here. Our office was a few blocks away from this meeting venue. When he reached, I thanked the man for his kind support.
I was feeling guilty. Such an irresponsible act from a senior official like me was entirely unwanted. On the other side, I was unable to tell that I made the mistake. If I admit my guilt, I might have to lose my job. It was an important meeting and everything was on the pen drive to be presented and make the audience agreed with the proposals. So, I was in a double-way trouble. But luckily, I was saved on that day. I forgot to take the flash drive with me as I made late to prepare all the necessary things. Besides, I also had to prepare some other presentations and documents. By the same time, the office was closed and everyone left the building. Then I also took the leave and to make hurry, I forgot about the pen drive. I really felt sorry for the event.
Idea Generation:
Cue Card Topic: Describe a time when you forgot something important.
1. Last Sunday, I was invited to a birthday party of a friend and I forgot to attend there. In fact, it was not intentional, rather, it was my hefty workload that made me forget the event. So, I was surprised when James phoned me to know about my location and how long it would take me to arrive at Sam’s home. I instantly replied that I was on my way and got stuck in traffic congestion. Actually, I had to lie right that moment. Later, I felt sad for the lie and disclosed everything after reaching the venue.
2. A pen is the most important thing for taking a written test. But I forgot to take that piece with me when I was invited for an interview at a local IT firm here in Hong Kong. As I was in a rush, the thought did not appear in my mind that I would need a pen to write answers in the test. After reaching the office, I asked for a pen to another candidate. Luckily, he had an extra pen that he lent me for the exam. It was a lesson for me.
3. It is really embarrassing when you forget to take the necessary documents that your boss needs to sign. I did the same thing last month. I was asked to meet him at his home with the documents. I went there but I forgot to take the documents from the office. Managing the situation was tough. Later, I explained that I forgot to bring the document as it was on his desk. He asked me to collect that which I could not do for some other assignments that he told me to complete before leaving office. It was really a terrible event for me.
4. I am conscious of everything but last week made a blunder. I forget to take my wallet with me. Usually, I check everything before getting out of the home. But I do not know why I did not check if the wallet was in pocket or not. So, I started for the office without my wallet. Managing everything was tough for me that day. I made a phone call to one of my colleagues and took a loan around 200 bucks. It was a great help to me. I really felt embarrassed when I failed to pay the bus fare and told the collector that I had forgot to bring my wallet. Since the man knew me, he gladly took me near my office.
5. A few weeks ago I forgot to take my textbook in the biology class. Though the class was not scheduled on that day, the teacher told the class that he would take an extra class as the exam was ahead. So, everyone brought the book and I did not. Later, when the teacher asked me about the book, I honestly replied that I forgot to bring it. Then the teacher smiled at me. And he suggested a friend of mine so that he shares his book with me for the class. He also warned me not to be so careless again. I felt ashamed.
