During Interview why do they alwyz ask ''What is your weakness''? and How should I answer this?

Answer 1

I always answer, ,"I tend to get down on myself if I make a mistake."
Who doesn't make mistakes? But I try to convey the impression if i do, I feel bad about it.

Answer 2

You can start by saying that you don't believe you are actually 'weak' in any area. Acknowledge certain areas that you believe you can improve, (and then pick some relatively unimportant or irrelevant areas). If you must state a weakness these are the clever ones that are actually strengths: not suffering fools gladly; sometimes being impatient with other people's sloppy work; being too demanding; refusing to give in when you believe strongly about something; trying to do too much, etc, etc.
follow-up questions probing what the candidate is doing to improve the weakness, which is worth preparing for also.

Answer 3

It's a multi-level question.

First, they actually want to know if you have any flaws that might be a problem.

Second, it's an honesty test. They want to gauge how truthful you are, even when it may be in your best interest to fib.

Third, it's a test of your business skills. Can you phrase a negative so that it doesn't sound so bad, or could even seem a plus?

You should pick somethign that's definitely a problem, but also makes you a better worker. I normally say somethign like. "I have a very low-tolerance for people who shirk their duties and pass their work off on co-workers. It has caused personal conflicts in the past."

Answer 4

[juicy_wishun] definately had answered your question perfectly but I would like to add some comments to elaborate further. The interviewer always asked this question to see how the interviewee react to the question. The response is the first priority while the answer is less important. Interviewer is looking for spontaneous response from the interviewee or other signs of indecisive, lying and lack of confidence. If the person can't even tell their own strength and weakness, it means they don't know themselves well enough. How well do you know yourself? Ask and answer this question by yourself before you go to interview.

Answer 5

Employers ask this because they think they will get some insight. That's far from reality though as no one is going to completely open up in an interview.

General advice for answering such questions is to pick something that makes you look good like saying you work too hard or you're too detailed oriented. This is bad advice as an employer will know you're just playing games with them.

Instead, I suggest you pick an area where you are truly weak from lack of experience and say that you're looking for an opportunity to improve that area. For example, if you're afraid of giving presentations (a common fear), mention that and then say that you recognize your fear is irrational and you'd love the opportunity to conquer it.