Answer the Weakness Question by Following These 4 Rules

Summary: Don’t let the weakness question be your weakness during an otherwise stellar interview by following these tips.

Your interview has been going great. You are answering every question with confidence and personality. You even got through that random weird question that interviewers like to throw in there. The interviewer just asked you, “What is your greatest weakness?” and you freeze. Why hadn’t you thought to prepare for this questions before? What is a good weakness? Don’t let yourself get into this position of panic during an interview over a simple weakness question. Follow these four rules to answer this question without a problem.

1. Don’t give a phony answer

Your interviewer will know when you are giving a fake answer like “I’m too much of a workaholic” or “I’m too tidy.” Trying to turn positive workplace characteristics into a weakness is boring and something they will see right through. The interviewer is looking for honesty and examples of how you are taking care of your weakness. There are very few legitimate answers that will be actual turn-offs.

2. Be truthful

Prepare beforehand by writing down a list of all the things you struggle with at work. Take a look at the skills listed in the job description and see if there are any that overlap. Try to find a skill that you are weak at that is not an essential part of the job. Perhaps you struggle with giving group presentations or can be very gullible. If you are applying for a sales job, then these weaknesses may not be the ones you want to highlight. However, if you are applying for a data entry position then these weaknesses can work. Which answer you give, explain how you are addressing the weakness and working to improve.

3. Don’t list deal breakers

As we touched on, there are some weaknesses that are deal breakers. There are certain skills that will be essential for specific jobs. An HR position will need someone that works well with people, a sales position needs someone who can negotiate, and a nursing position will need someone who listens carefully. Everyone has more than one weakness so pick one that won’t ruin your chances of getting the job. If all of your weaknesses will be deal breakers, then you applying for the wrong job.

4. Provide examples of how you are overcoming a weakness

Whatever weakness you decide to highlight, you must provide the steps you are taking to turn your weakness into a strength. Remember, they are expecting flaws. Because everyone has them, the real issue that they are trying to learn about you is how to handle things. They want to see someone who is proactive and resourceful in finding a way to improve their weakness. Just simply stating that you are bad at gossiping without addressing how you are fixing this is a problem that the interviewer will frown upon.

What kind of answers have you given when you were asked about your weaknesses? Share your experiences with us in the comments below.

To learn more about the questions that seem random and weird that you will likely be asked during an interview, read these articles:

• 6 Weird Interview Questions You Can Expect to Get during an Interview
• Why Interviewers Ask These 8 Random Questions
• The Most Off-The-Wall Interview Questions

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