In a job interview what do you say when they ask what your weaknesses are?

Question

I mean obviously you don't want to make yourself out to be useless but you don't want to say you don't have any weaknesses as it makes you out to be a big head!! Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Whatever you do, DONT say "I'm a perfectionist", everyone does, it's the classic answer and no-one will believe you.

I would be honest. After all if they take you on they're going to find out pretty quickly where your strengths and weaknesses are. Also self-evaluation is very important, if you can identify your areas for improvement ("weaknesses" is not an accepted word..) now then you will be able to do the same during your time with the company.

It's therefore very individual, but honest answers I've heard (and appreciated as a manager) have been things like :
* I haven't yet managed a team that big.
* I have lots of experience at [this part of the job] but much less at [that part]
* I am nervous when giving presentations
* I need to improve my [French, English, whatever]
..etc.

Having said all that it's obviously not a good idea to identify a "weakness" which would be so central to the job so as to disqualify you. So for example don't say "I need to improve my French" if the job advert specifically says you should be bilingual.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You know what your weaknesses are. Be honest. If you try to bluff through you will either show yourself to be bluffing, and not get the job, or worse still, you will get the job, then make a fool of yourself. If for example, your weakness is Maths, say so, and add that you are very keen to take a maths course, perhaps in the evenings to improve on this. Most employers know we all have weaknesses, but will respect honesty and integrity. Good luck.

Answer 3

tell them "My alacrity might nicely be wrong by way of a supervisor for a loss of expertise of the subject handy or overconfidence on my section. i'm merely of course enthusiastic and valuable and that i haven't yet come for the duration of a topic that grew to become into impossible to sparkling up by utilising different team individuals. it extremely is why i'm very mushy in any artwork atmosphere for which i'm qualified." stable useful interviewers do no longer ask "what's your weak spot?" anymore. it extremely is from the ninety's and it tells the interviewer no longer something. all people has a weak spot of a few form which contains the main powerful corporation people interior the worldwide. in case you return for the duration of an interviewer who asks this question then you definitely've an beginner on your hands. those are the failings the interviewer desires to make certain from you or approximately you: a million. are you able to honestly DO the activity? this implies all components of the activity. 2. are you able to get on with different persons [team participant and so on]? 3. Are you basic, basic, and robust [will you honestly ensue for artwork daily, be trusted with corporation belongings and so on]? 4. are you able to take instructions from a extreme-high quality / supervisor? each thing else is beside the point. provide examples without being asked and be arranged to supply those examples (it extremely is okay to have some notes). a experienced candidate will lead the interview interior the direction they like it to pass. that's an mushy artwork and a experienced interviewer would be conscious this.

Answer 4

I would base this answer on the asker of the question. If they are religious, claiming to be human (and therefore imperfect) may settle well. Perhaps you can give a generic answer, such as expecting too much from yourself, though most employers would see right through this. A clever answer may be, "I'm not observant enough to find any." Again, profiling the employer is important to know if he would appreciate that humor. I've gone through many job interviews before (though, admittedly, never for jobs more important than a summer internship/part-time job), and my best ones were always the ones that I took that risk and loosened up.

Answer 5

Take a positive and turn it into a weakness by saying you do too much of it.

Eg: "I have a habit of staying back late at the office. I know it isn't the best or safest thing to do but I hate to leave things unfinished." or "I tend to get too enthusiastic about projects and take on a lot of the work myself. I am
sure that when I do it it will be done well, that's why I don't trust others with important things."

Fool proof way of getting past the trick question.

Answer 6

Answer with a certain degree of honesty with something that will not come back to haunt you later. If you say you are a go-getter then do no arrive to work 2 minutes late every day. If you tell them your goal is to run the company, don't demonstrate it is to run it into the ground!

Be like you are here and admit you do not know everything and you are willing to be a team player to get the job done. No one is born with the knowledge and you will prove it!


Good luck and relax......

Answer 7

Tell them that your weaknesses in a work environment are the things that you have yet to learn, then transition the question to one of your qualities by saying that due to this weakness you put a lot of emphasis on being a quick learner.

Answer 8

i always say stuff like:

im almost a total workaholic, i have a compulsive disorder which means i cant leave a task unfinished, i have an annoying habit of speaking my mind, and i often cant stop myself from pushing in and solving peoples problems for them.

the key point is to make your "weaknesses" actual business strengths.

give it a go, you'll think of some that relate to the job you're going for.

Answer 9

Here's what I say...

I'm very organized personally and professionally, which is a strength and a weakness. So I tell people that I find it a challenge to work with people who aren't organized.

And I don't work well with negative or moody people. So I'm learning how to read people and learn how to communicate with different personalities as well as how to most effectively handle conflict resolution.

Answer 10

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