Are you ready to talk about your shortcomings during an interview? One of the toughest interview questions you can answer is “What is your greatest weakness?” The question can be tricky because it’s very easy to answer in a manner that appears deceitful (“I do not have weakness!”) or disqualifying (“I do not have the one thing that’s the absolute requirement to be a successful candidate for this position.”)
There are methods to answer efficiently and effectively, as well as strategies that you could apply to the best way to respond to your question. This will ensure that any flaws you mentioned do not affect your chances of getting the job.
Key Takeaways
- Managers at hiring will inquire about any shortcomings to help them get an idea of whether or not they’re suitable to the position.
- You must be honest, but you should be selective in choosing which flaws to talk about at the job interview.
- Pick a weakness that’s not a requirement for your job and demonstrates your ability to self-reflection and development.
Why Interviewer Ask About Weaknesses
Then why would hiring managers inquire about this during interviewing for jobs? Simply put, they don’t have a full image of you as a potential candidate just by mentioning the strengths you have.
Alongside learning your abilities in the interview, they want to learn about the things you aren’t able to do or things you struggle in your job. The way you answer will assist the interviewer to understand your knowledge of you, and the likelihood that you’re an ideal fit for the position. Also, it shows that you realize that no one has it all and is eager to learn and improve your abilities and perform better.
How To Answer Interview Questions About Weaknesses
What are you supposed to talk about when asked about what could you do to improve? It can be difficult to speak about. You need be cautious when showcasing your weaknesses. Don’t try to put yourself out of the race to be hired as the employer thinks that they’re not qualified. Also, you don’t want to appear pretentious and perfectionist, as nearly nobody else is.
Your answer needs to be truthful, but in a positive way. Make sure you are careful when answering questions regarding strengths and weaknesses (and strengths) as you’ll be able to demonstrate how you’re an ideal candidate to the position.
Note
Concentrate on the steps you’re making to strengthen your weak points and refrain from mentioning the weaknesses which are essential for your work.
When you consider the task in advance and write a response, you’ll be able to be positive and remain sincere.
The Balance
List of Weaknesses
What are your top flaws to be mentioning when interviewing? There are a variety of kinds of weaknesses are available to you in answering questions from interviewers about the weaknesses you have.
But, don’t pick one weakness randomly. Make sure that your choice isn’t crucial to your work, and then include in your resume the strategies you will use to improve on this weak point.
Hard Skills
There is a possibility of mentioning a hard talent as one of your weaknesses. They are abilities that require a specific job which are readily quantifiable. They can be developed in school as well as other types of education. Examples of the hard skills are the use of computers, finance and maths, as well as many other.
Note
If you are going to list an ability that is hard to master, be sure that it’s not required to perform the task.
If the skill is one that’s easy to master You could also say the fact that you’re working to develop this ability (or in the future, you’re planning to improve your skills). If, for instance, you state that your weaknesses are an application You could say you’re learning online how to use that program (of course, only state this when it’s true).
A few examples of the hard-skills you can mention when responding to the interview questions concerning your weaknesses include:
- Mathematics that is advanced
- Writing that is creative
- Financial literacy
- Foreign languages (or one particular foreign language)
- A specific software program
- Spelling
Soft Skills
The soft skills are essential in almost all jobs. Contrary to hard-skills, they are the ones that are difficult to measure. They are a reflection of your personal characteristics, your ability to communicate and social capabilities.
They are essential, but it’s possible to choose a weak area to highlight as an area of weakness. Make sure that it’s not required for the job and then emphasize the ways you’re working to improve that skill.
The soft skills that you can refer to when responding to questions on your weaknesses are:
- Creativity (many jobs do not require it)
- The delegating of jobs (if you’re not a manager and you don’t have to delegate)
- Humor (it’s acceptable if you’re hilarious)
- The spontaneity (you do better when you’re properly prepared)
- Organization
- Patience
- Too many risky decisions
- Being truthful
Interpersonal Skills
There is a chance that you will mention a weak point which is related to your capacity to communicate with other people. You’ll need to ensure that you don’t look like one who doesn’t get along with your coworkers. Choose a specific problem which you are struggling with, discuss how you’ve worked on improving the way you interact with others. The types of interpersonal skills that you could mention as weak points could include:
- Confrontation
- Covering for co-workers
- Doing too much to coworkers
- Exaggerating too much anger over the under-performing employees or colleagues
- Giving presentations to large numbers
- Public public speaking
- Becoming too critical about the work done by other people
- It is easy to ignore the issues of customers
- Too sensitive
Work Ethic
Don’t say that the reason you are weak is that your weaknesses are that you “work too hard.” It will appear untruthful. But, it is possible to describe how you perform certain activities that you do in excess. That will prove that you are a hard worker and will give an honest response. A few examples of flaws in your attitude to work could be:
- Not finishing projects
- Too much detail is included in reports
- Moving from one task to the next (multitasking)
- Giving credit to group initiatives
- Doing too many things simultaneously
- Being too responsible
- Not being too focused on detail
- A bit of being a perfectionist
- Procrastination is a major cause of stress (as as long as you adhere to all of your deadlines)
- Becoming too helpful to people
- Too many hours of work
Academics
There is also the option of referring to an academic talent or talent as weak point. It is an excellent suggestion if you’re most a couple of years removed from college since the company will assess you based on your experiences at work, rather than on the academics you have learned.
However, you shouldn’t mention any academic weaknesses that are specific to the position. In other words, if you’re applying for engineering jobs do not mention that your weak point is in a specific engineering class. Examples of weak points in academics are:
- The coursework (a special course that you struggled in)
- Writing essays (be certain to highlight your strengths in other types of writing)
- Engaging in excessively on campus things (if students or recently graduated)
- Overly focused working on school projects
- Testing that is standard
What To Say During an Interview
Concentrate on the qualities that are not essential to the job. When you consider what weaknesses you should mention during the interview, keep the idea in mind that it is best to be focusing on things that do not contribute to the needs of the job you’re submitting your application. If, for instance, you’re applying for an accounting position and finance, don’t declare that your weak point is math.
Maintain a positive attitude. It’s important to keep your mind on the positive side. It is also possible to describe how your weaknesses could be perceived as a benefit on the job. In particular, being focused is a plus in many jobs.
Note
It may be difficult to accomplish this when you are asked the context of weaknesses, the only thing you need to do is refrain from the use of words that are negative, such as “weak” and “failure.”
Make sure you outline your plan of the course of action. You should explain the ways you have overcome (or strategy to conquer) the weaknesses you have. It’s particularly helpful if the weakness you have is a difficult ability that is easily acquired. It is possible to say “One thing I’m trying to improve is ….”
Highlight the strengths you have. As well as having the ability to highlight your weak points, it’s essential to talk about the skills that will qualify you to be hired at the time of interview. Also, you must try to present your credentials to the person interviewing you, so that you’re considered a top candidate for an offer of employment.
Be truthful. Finally, while you’re trying to appear positive, it is important to be truthful. For example, a statement like “I don’t have any flaws,” appear as unsincere.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the most difficult job interview questions you have to be able to answer?
Many of the most challenging interview questions for job seekers are open-ended ones like “Tell me about yourself.” In order to prepare ensure you describe your capabilities as well as your work experience quickly, and tie your experience with the position you are applying for.
How do I impress my person I am interviewing for a job interview?
One of the best ways to impress the manager you are interviewing is to prepare to go through the interview. Learn about the company and practice responding to common interview questions and show up on time and in a professional manner.
What do you say to the question, “Why should I hire you?”
Be aware of the question. It’s meant to gauge your response to stress. Your qualifications should be in line with the position, highlighting the abilities and skills mentioned by the employer in the job outline.