What do you say when an employer asks what your weaknesses are?

Answer 1

"I guess that I give too much credit for my work to the team, and not so much credit to myself."

Answer 2

First you should think to yourself, "wow, this person really doesn't know how to interview people and so is resorting to tired old questions."

And frankly, tired old questions demand equally tired and predictable answers. If you try to be smart or clever you can wind up getting in trouble so go for the most innocuous answer and move on. A few oldies but goodies:
1) I tend to work too hard!
2) I'm impatient- I really want to learn as much as I can and just get impatient since I can't possibly get up to speed fast enough.
3) I'm a team player- and that can be a weakness in companies where they want someone out for thmselves and not dedicated to helping the company succeed.
4) l need to work on better work-life balance since I tend to get really absorbed by my work.

Oh, and the list goes on. I'm not advocating sarcasm, but that question is one that unless you are an idiot ("oh, I tend to steal and set fires") it really isn't telling them anything about you that is useful so try to spin it to be a fairly generic positive and even jump from there to something else good about yourself.

Answer 3

Tell them you are a perfectionist who works too hard and that you often work too late because you have lost track of time. Mention that one of your main faults is not knowing when to give up on a stubborn problem that others have warned you may be impossible to solve, and that another failing you have is an inability to leave work behind when you go home, especially if there's a situation you feel needs more attention.

It's cheesy, but as someone else said, if that's where they're coming from, then tell them what they want to hear. heh.

Answer 4

Be somewhat truthful without sounding too bad. Don't say the typical "I work too hard", etc, they'll know that's just a line of crap that everyone says.

Answer 5

I can only power lift 800 pounds or less?

I can only type 130 wpm or less?

I always fall in love with my boss?

Answer 6

"I'm a workaholic."
"I can't seem to stop working until the job is finished."
"I can't tolerate sloppy work."

How's that? You want to use a positive trait as a "weakness."

Answer 7

You say sometimes you work too hard, don't get enought time to relax. Your too much of a company man. You get the idea.

Answer 8

Tell them you cant leave anything unfinished. Thats what I always say.

Answer 9

the truth

Answer 10

Bullets.

I apply for creative jobs though, so it may not work for you.