probably the favorite interview question of all the interviewer.The first thing you learn in Answering Interview Questions on weaknesses is “don’t tell them anything negative about yourself.” And now here is this hiring manager asking you to go against everything you’ve learned about selling yourself for the job and tell him something truly negative about you. Why? Because hiring you is a risk for this person, and trying to find the dirt about you before you’re hired is risk-assessment and evaluation. Are you worth the risk? This question also tells you that this interviewer has heard “I’m a perfectionist” and “I work too hard” a few too many times.
So they’re looking for a real weakness, and you have to say something because everyone has at least one what can you say? Whatever you do, don’t give a weakness that would have a direct negative impact on your job performance.
For instance, no project manager should say their weakness is organization or delegation, no accountant should say that their weakness is attention to detail, and no customer service rep should say that they have anger issues. One of the best strategies for this common interview question is to give a real weakness that causes you problems in other areas of your life but doesn’t affect your performance on the job.
For instance, I always gave ‘impatience’ as my weakness. I am impatient, and it has caused me significant problems in my personal life with my family and friends. However, that same impatience made me super successful in my role as a sales rep because I could not stand waiting around for the sale. I pushed for it every time (and I usually got it).
You could give a weakness that you actually have, but that you have a solid, working way to overcome: “I get so involved in my work that I lose track of what time it is. I’m so thankful for cell phone alarms or I’d never make a meeting on time!” Here are some example to answer such interview questions.
Example 1
"I would say that my biggest weakness is that I don't like to miss deadlines, so sometimes I get impatient with colleagues that lag with their piece of a project."
Example 2
"Well, I have had to learn that different people are motivated by different things, and people have different degrees of motivation in general. This has been a weakness of mine, but I have been improving it over time, and it has really paid off, and made me a better manager."
Example 3
"I would say my greatest weakness in the past has been over committing to too many tasks. With too much on my plate I was sometimes not able to do the most important things, if you know what I mean. However, I've taken steps to correct this by consciously thinking through what I agree to in order to make sure it contributes to my most important goals for the job. I try to make sure I am completing the critical stuff that really makes a difference."
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