How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

What is your greatest weakness? This can be a hard question to answer under any circumstances, but it’s especially difficult during a job interview, when you want to present the best version of yourself. 

The key to answering this question is to find weaknesses that also highlight your strengths. When you frame a weakness in the right way, you can communicate your best traits to an interviewer. 

Table of Contents

• How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness”
• What Is a Good Weakness to Say In an Interview?
• Prepare an Answer In Advance

How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness”

When a potential employer asks you questions like “What is your biggest weakness?,” they’re giving you an opportunity to tell them what makes you qualified for the job. While you should answer the question honestly, you should also make sure you’re presenting yourself in the best possible light. 

Employers are looking for talented and qualified candidates, but no job requires you to be skilled in all areas. One strategy for the what is a weakness interview question is to bring up deficiencies that are unrelated to the role you’re interviewing for. Contrast this weakness against one of your biggest strengths.

Flaws can be advantageous in certain situations, and this is something that you can highlight in your answer. Be honest about your failings, but explain how those weaknesses have helped you to succeed in professional situations. 

This question is also an opportunity to call attention to your capacity for growth. You can bring up an issue you’ve struggled with in the past and discuss the steps you’ve taken to improve. Show that you’re committed to self-improvement and professional development. 

What Is a Good Weakness to Say In an Interview?

An interview is a chance to show a prospective employer the best version of yourself. You shouldn’t choose a flaw because it seems like a good answer. Instead, assess your shortcomings and find weaknesses that can showcase your assets. 

Answering the what is your greatest weakness interview question is an opportunity to show self-awareness. Instead of claiming that your biggest weaknesses is perfectionism, you should pick a real flaw that has impacted you in your day-to-day life. Not only can this be a chance to bring up your strengths, but it can also be a way to humanize yourself to an interviewer. 

Weaknesses that you could potentially mention in your interview include:

• Impatience
• Issues with work-life balance
• Difficulty saying “no”
• Being hard on yourself
• Not asking for help when you need it 
• Timidity
• Struggling with delegation 
• Being talkative

Prepare an Answer In Advance

It can be hard to decide how to answer weakness question, which is why you shouldn’t come up with an answer off the cuff. Instead, you should think carefully about your shortcomings in advance of the interview and prepare a detailed answer in advance. 

After you choose a weakness, find an example that demonstrates how you’ve worked to overcome this weakness or how your other skills make up for your deficiencies in this area. Hiring managers don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do want to know that you’re willing to work on yourself. 

Finding the what are your weakness best answer requires introspection. Think carefully about your strengths and your weaknesses and work to prepare an answer that shows that you’re an excellent candidate for the job that you’re applying for.