Made a mistake at an old job. Looking for work at an animal refuge centre where old boss works.?

Question

I used to work at a science centre. I had had no previous experience in working with wild animals. I was nervous to start but very passionate about doing well.
Unfortunately, one morning when I was misting some of the habitats and cleaning the water dishes, a small amount of bleach water had been left on the counter where I had placed one of the bowls. The following morning, one of the tree frogs had died. I understand that the gravity of one, tiny tree frog dying may not seem very bad to most of you, but where my job was concerned, I probably appeared to be unprofessional, maybe even "immature". The fact of the matter is that I took it upon myself to complete the morning tasks before everyone arrived and simply made a mistake. I was then transferred elsewhere to finish my credit.
I'm now looking to volunteer at an animal refuge centre where she also works. How should I approach this situation? What if she recognizes me and makes me look bad to everyone else? What if she mentions it?

Answer 1

If you really want the job, then just go for it. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone should have the opportunity to show that they have learned from the mistakes and have grown because of it. No one, not even your former boss, has had a perfect past history. When you interview for the job, make it clear that you are serious about doing a good job and that you are passionate about the goals of the animal refuge center. Then let your present and future habits verify this.