How to Answer "What Are Your Weaknesses?"

The interview is going swimmingly and then you’re asked the dreaded question, “What are your weaknesses?”.

In the blink of an eye, your entire interview success can come crashing down with the wrong answer.

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You want to offer an answering that shows a slight weakness, but also offers an insight into how you have identified it and improved — a tricky scenario.

So, to help you get a better understanding of what you should and shouldn’t say, we will walk you through a few key steps, along with some sample answers.

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1. Select a weakness that isn’t directly related to the job

Choose your weakness wisely — you don’t want to say that you’re not good at math if you’re applying for an accounting role, for example.

Also, don’t select a weakness that doesn’t place you in a good light, such as having a lack of attention to detail.

Similarly, don’t be cliché and turn a positive into a weakness by saying that “you work long hours.”

2. Make sure the weakness is minor

Your weakness should be something that you can easily fix.

For example, a lot of people struggle with public speaking, but with plenty of practice and training, they can easily overcome the fear and excel in front of a large crowd.

3. Explain how you can resolve the issue

Whether you’ve taken a course, volunteered, gained work experience or something similar,

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it’s important to explain the steps that you’ve taken to overcome your weakness.

Show the hiring manager that you’re eager to improve and expand your skillset to better yourself.

4. Use one of these sample answers

Here are a few interview scenarios that you can learn from.

Interviewer: What is one of your biggest weaknesses?

Erika: I’m not very good at gauging how long a task will take to complete, especially when I spend a lot of time deliberating over the finer details, resulting in wasted time when I could be allocating it to more important projects.

To address this issue, I’ve started using time management apps that have helped me stick to my set deadlines and organize my working schedule to ensure I am working efficiently.

Interviewer: That’s great that you’ve already made some steps to improve your time management skills.

If you prefer to stick to an area like public speaking, here is a good sample answer:

Erika: Public speaking is definitely my biggest weakness in the workplace.

Although I’m comfortable talking in front of a small group, I tend to get nervous when asked to present to larger audiences.

To challenge myself and improve my presentation skills, I enrolled in an acting class, and I also volunteer to present whenever the opportunity arises.

So, now you know how to answer this question, you can impress the hiring manager with your well-thought-out answers!