When an employer asks the question..."what is your weakness?" What's the best answer?

Question

When an employer asks you the question, SO WHAT IS YOUR WEAKNESS? What is the best way to answer this? I don't care how much I prepare for it, I always bomb it! I don't want to appear that I'm flawless because I know we all have weaknesses and I don't want to appear that I have too many flaws either. This is always one of those questions for me that seems to either make or break a person. Can anyone provide any simple but acceptable responses to this type of question? When they ask me my strengths, I can always find something to brag about but when they ask me for my weaknesses, I immediately clam up. I don't care how many interviews I have, I always manage to clam up on this one and I think it just blows my interview at that point.

Answer 1

This question is to reveal an area you think you could do better with, but already are working on - that you have found a solution, for example: " I tend to be a little slow with filing, however, I have been setting aside 15 minutes at the same time every day to establish a consistent routine and I believe this is helping me".

THe key is to come up with a solution in progress. You need to come up with 2 or 3 areas - not major issues, that you need to (or not) make progress with, make sure you have a viable solution to each one. Always use the word "however" indicating that this is something you are working on.

This is a very typical interview question. Be prepared, memorize your scenario, say it in front of a mirror over and over again.

Problem, solution, continuing improvement.


P.S.
Never say "my weakness is that I need to work here I need the bucks" LOL



Good Luck!

Answer 2

This is a trick question that many employers use. Many people will actually go into fatal flaws and bomb the interview. What the question is really addressing is personality traits. Will you take this opportunity to promote yourself, or sink yourself? Can you turn a negative question into a positive answer?

Some people will take this opportunity to give answers like "I'm late for work a lot", or "I lose my temper easily", and other similar answers which are bound to lower your chances of landing the job.

Remember what I said...This is a Trick Question. You need to give the interviewer what they want to hear. What they want are answers like, "I give too much credit to the team, and dont take enough for myself", or "I think maybe I put my work before everything else a bit too often..."

I recommend going to a bookstore, or even a kinkos; and checking out books on interviewing techniques and questions. Read up before you go into the interview, and you wont be blindsided when they drop the anvil. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Do NOT say that your greatest weakness is that you work too hard or anything like that. They know that's a fake answer and that most people use it. I've found that it's best to stay as honest as possible, with the slimmest chance of it hurting your job chances: in other words, tell them it's something that you're pretty sure you'll never have to do for the job (or one that you'll rarely do).

For instance, I work in IT, in a computer lab. I told them quite honestly that my biggest weakness was public speaking without preperation: it would really bother me to have to get up in front of a group of people and speak to them without notes, or without at least a week of preperation. This is totally true, but the chances of me having to do that is slim.

This is just an example: it should be pretty easy to come up with your own. The more honest you are, the more sincere you will sound. They can't fault you for that. :)

Good luck!

Answer 4

Well, my answer may be different than yours because I am a paralegal, but I always like to say that I pay too much attention to detail, and that sometimes that can translate into a slower work pace. That always seems to make sense for me, because attention to detail can be a good thing, in my line of work, speeding through cases may be better economically, but then you may miss something that could be critical to the case. It also helps me out in the long run, because if I get behind on my caseload, I've already admitted to the boss what it is that slows me down. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

I'd suggest saying, " If someone brings donuts in I just can't resist having one, I just love them!" It can get a smile and even on occasion a laugh. The important thing is it fills this void in the process with neutral information and allows the interview to refocus on critical content. They know People are full of BS when they claim to be too detail orientated or workaholics as their weakness, it's Human Resources job to winnow out that crap. Good luck Kiddo, I hope You score!

Answer 6

The very worst thing you can say to this is: I don't know. (Of course, no one would say: I have none! unless it was followed by a laugh and a serious answer)
This is actually your chance to brag, again, you just haven't seen it; at the same time, it's a chance to show them that you are a growing person, ready to learn and improve. That you can accept criticism.
The best answer is something along the lines of: "I've found it a challenge to deal with X. I'm working on strengthening that by Y."
Especially good is if you can put in something from your last job (shows you take constructive criticism well and use it):
"My last manager once that I am X. It took me some time to see the truth in that, but I'm working on improving myself by doing Y."

For example, "My last manager said in an evaluation that I am stubborn. I believe he meant that I was slow to accept his decisions and changes. I think it was because he was new to the company and I wasn't told that he would be taking on the role of my direct superior, so I listened to his ideas and then suggested that they be discussed in the next department meeting. I believe he expected me to accept the ideas on his word. Still, I think he was right about my weakness in accepting change. I guess I get attached to my work sometimes, and I don't like it to be changed arbitrarily. I've been putting a lot of effort since that evaluation to take changes easily, less personally. However, I still like to know there is a consensus among relevant managers before making a major change. That's just me."

That actually was what I said in a last interview. Every word was planned carefully. I wanted to show that I need to know where I fit in a company that has a strict hierarchy (it was obvious from the way I said it that if my superior gives me a directive, I am not stubborn; but if an idea comes from others, I think before applying it), that I pay attention to those stupid employee evaluations, and that I am a "team player" who looks for consensus. And being attached to my work is a "non-weakness". Don't use those as the main point of your answer! You know what I mean: "My weakness is that I'm a workaholic. ...that I'm so nice to everyone, I just can't say no... that I'm too ambitious..."

See where it's going? Can you apply this to yourself?

Answer 7

I usually say "that I'm a perfectionist." You could use that or go goofy and say your weakness is Starbucks or something. I don't think it's a good interview question, it's more appropriate for a counseling session.

Answer 8

My biggest weakness,
Sir is that i give all into everything i do sometimes this is interpreted as me being Arrogant and Pushy but Honestly it not i just want to do the best i can

Answer 9

while looking them in the eye i would tell them:
i look at weakness as a challenge to defeat. or
weakness is a piece of lint on my jacket - i brush it off without a second thought.
remember - less is best. this question requires a quickie answer.... don't dwell on it and don't do the 'stare off into space and think about it' look!!
good luck!
Sherri

Answer 10

My weakness: I'm very detail-oriented in my work and sometimes perhaps too much so. One can get tied up in the pursuit of perfection.