WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS? (11 GOOD WEAKNESSES To Use In A JOB INTERVIEW!)
What Are Your Weaknesses? Here’s What You’re Being Asked
What does the interviewer want to find out by asking the “what are your weaknesses” question?
Here’s a little secret. It’s about how you answer, not what you answer.
The interviewer is looking for three qualities:
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An ideal candidate won’t deny that they have real weaknesses. But the weakness they choose won’t interfere with the duties of the job in question.
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Some candidates will hear the “what are your weaknesses” question and freeze. They panic and deny that they have any. Denial is one of the worst mistakes you can make.
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The second worst mistake? Lying.
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An ideal candidate won’t lie about their weaknesses. Choose a real weakness and talk about the steps you’re taking to address it.
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Disguising a strength as a weakness.
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Okay, for a long time we were all trained to answer this way. Now, interviewers know that it’s a way of avoiding the question. Again, they’ll wonder what you’re hiding.
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An important part of your “what are your weaknesses” answer is showing self-improvement. You should include details about the steps you’re taking to learn a skill or correct a weakness.
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You are not confessing your sins or discussing childhood traumas with a therapist. So, don’t talk about your greatest weakness of all time and then wait for mercy.
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Don’t be weird. Don’t be too candid. Don’t over-confess. Forget about your aversion to animals, and don’t talk about how you miss work because you can’t get out of bed.
Here are other ways the interviewer might ask the “what are your weaknesses” question:
Some of the variations allow you to answer with a display of strength. Don’t waste the opportunity.
Pro Tip: Remember, the interviewer cares less about what you answer and more about how you answer. The “what are your weaknesses” question is designed to put you on the spot.
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How to Answer the What Are Your Weaknesses Job Interview Question [Job Interview Weaknesses List]
How are you supposed to come up with a list of weaknesses in the first place?
And yes, you’ll want to make a list of your job weaknesses in advance. Plus, you’ll want to prepare yourself so you can talk about most of them if necessary.
That’s because the interviewer may start with:
What is your greatest weakness?
And follow up with:
What are some other weaknesses?
First, look at this:
Here is a list of common professional skills you can mention when answering questions about your weaknesses during a job interview:
But you should also come up with your own, customized list of personal and professional weaknesses that you can use to further inform your answer. Heres how to do it:
Start by asking yourself the following:
Remember, the best answer to the “what are your weaknesses” question should have two parts:
So, when you make a list of weaknesses, try to come up with those that you’ve worked hard to correct.
Next, go to your job offer. What skills can you find?
Here’s an example of a job offer for a Server at a restaurant:
Notice the skills:
Look at your list.
Your answer to the what are your weaknesses question is the only time you’ll want to avoid matching skills from the job offer. You will want to choose weak skills that ARE NOT essential for the job.
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Choose a weakness that isn’t one of the job-related skills listed in the job offer.
First, she doesn’t disguise her weakness as a strength. But she does mention her strengths as she goes along. It’s more than okay to talk about your strengths in your what are your weaknesses answer. For example, she is disciplined and can learn new information. Second, she shows what she did to address her weakness. She set study goals. And these steps lead to her success. She got good grades and earned a scholarship. |
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Admitting to a weakness that is necessary for the job.
The job offer states that the ideal candidate should be “positive, bubbly, and friendly.” If that’s not you, you’re not qualified for this job. If you’re going to fake it until you make it (i.e., you need the job), don’t mention that you’re Oscar the Grouch. |
How to approach the weakness question
Ultimately, you want to discuss your weaknesses in a job interview in a way that helps you gain ground rather than lose it. Keep in mind that what hiring managers really want to know is how you handle adversity on the job.
To start, think about the limitations that have challenged you at work. It’s a good exercise to make a list of your known shortcomings, and one way to gather material is from past performance evaluations and notes from supervisors about areas for improvement.
You also want to make sure to research the employer and the open position. Thoroughly review the job posting before the interview so you don’t identify something as a deficiency that’s essential to the job. Reread the job description so you know what attributes and abilities are critical to the performance of the job. Those hard or soft skills shouldn’t be on your weakness list. Everything else is fair game.
How to answer “What’s your greatest weakness?”
Luckily, you can construct your answer to this question with a pretty simple formula:
But putting together your answer is only one of the challenges here. The other is choosing a weakness to talk about.
