What is the best answer in a job interview?

Question

What is the best answer in a job interview to the "What do you feel your biggest weakness is?"

Thank you to those who answered the question seriously and a screw you to those morons who wasted my time with your stupid answers and a sad attempt to be funny.

Answer 1

A common answer is people will say they tend to be really passionate about their jobs and put a lot of time and effort into it, so they need to be aware of that tendency and make sure they're not sacrificing their personal life, but they are getting better at balancing the two in a way that works for everyone.

That's a really cliche answer (experienced recruiters have heard that hundreds of times), but essentially you want to take a weakness that isn't job related, or minimally job related, and share how you've worked to improve upon it. Essentially, we all have weaknesses - the recruiter just wants to know that you're not a psychopath, hate people, or have a really bad job-related weakness, and also that you can recognize your own weaknesses and improve upon them.

Answer 2

Be honest. What is your greatest weakness? Mine is inability to say no, and then getting buried in work because my co-workers have no trouble asking "Can you please.....?". But , I told them in the interview, I'm working on it. It's not they want to know your weakness, they want to discover if you are aware of any weaknesses, and have the self-starterness (is that a word?) to correct it. What is your greatest strength? Again, be honest. Mine is organization. I am an organization diva. You want it, I have it and know where it is. Toot your own horn a little. But make sure the horn you toot is an asset to the business. A strength of making new friends fast is not a strength to a company where long hours in a cubicle with revolving work schedules means you don't see the same people all the time. It might be an asset in realestate, where being a people person is a plus. But even more important is appearance. Dress professional, nicely, not formally. And sit forward in your chair to appear eager, cover tatoos, unless your interviewing in a tatoo parlor. Don't babble, shows unorganization in thoughts, that probably transfer to the job. Remember, your resume got you in the door, Your personality, appearance, will get you the job. Forbes magazine says most interviewers make up thier mind within the first 3 minutes. Last, the next day after the interview, send a thank-you card, thanking the interviewer for the interview and restate your strenghts that fit the companies needs. This keeps you fresh in thier minds. 78 percent think they should send a thank-you card, only 25 percent do. Be one of them.

Answer 3

Think about the kinds of "strength" that is not important for the current job, but would be important in case you got promoted. Then talk about the fact that you'd like to be better in that skill area, and you're working on it.

If the interviewer presses you that this is not a "biggest weakness", try an answer like "When I identify a weakness and I think it's important to improve in that area, I usually manage to make some progress. I'm not sure how to answer better than that."

Usually this type of question is an attempt to see if you show undesirable behavioral traits -- are you super-defensive, arrogant, not self-confident, etc. So an interviewer usually won't hammer you with it too long if you keep your cool.

Answer 4

what ever the honest one is. There are all sorts of 'cutesy' answers, but does your employment record back them up? I've had people tell me that their biggest weakness is that they are not as computer literate as they think they should be. Then I point out that the position doesn't require a great deal of computer work and if or when it does, we'll train them. I feel a lot better about that person as a perspective employee than the person who does a tap dance and gives me answers that they think I want to hear. It's so transparent and I feel they're being deceptive in the interview...what will they be like later if hired?

Answer 5

You don't want to lead right in with a weakness, and DEFINITELY don't say more than one thing. Instead, say, "I'd like to focus our discussion on the things that I am good at, rather than trying to determine the one thing that I excel the least at. If I must choose an area that needs the greatest improvement, i would say it's..." and follow that with your one weakest area. Make sure it's an area that's easy to improve on by virtue of getting the job.

Answer 6

Use a strength and disguise it as a weakness.

I get too personally involved in getting projects done on time.

I spend too much time checking all the fine details.

Put in so much overtime I lose track on what day it is.

I am a perfectionist and tend to polish my work too much.

Answer 7

Tell them the truth...unless its drug or crime related. My answer was that I didn't spend enough time focusing on the little details in my major (Film and Television Production) while in college. I told my (future) boss that it was a huge weakness, but that I was in the process of working on it.

Answer 8

I always answer "Women". I have a weakenss for women, especially the fine ones.

Answer 9

Tell em it's so hard to choose, your laziness, your lack of competence, your poor timekeeping. They will admire your refreshing honesty.

Answer 10

Not being able to stop, when getting the job done.