How to Answer “What Are Your Weaknesses?”

If you are self-aware and composed enough to give a thoughtful answer (that you have ideally prepared in advance), answering “what are your weaknesses” could become a highlight of your interview.

It is one of the most asked questions, so there is no excuse for being surprised.

Use it to show off your character and resilience and prove that you have what it takes to grow through adversity. The question will likely rock you back on your heels but react in a composed manner. Whatever you do, don’t parrot off your prepared answer verbatim. Act thoughtful and pause for effect before you reply.

While the weakness that you choose should not be central to your performance in the role, it should still be broadly relevant. Most importantly, the deficiency should be fixable – they need to know that it is a work in progress. We all have weaknesses, but consistent personal growth means that many of them are not permanent.

Try to avoid being clever and giving an example that could be seen as both a strength and a weakness. Employers want to know that you can open up and be vulnerable, so avoid any cunning responses that feel comfortable. Be honest about a weakness, but show that it is part of your journey. If you have shared other stories of growth and learning through the interview, employers will believe that you have what it takes to correct your faults.

What weaknesses?

There are different ways of asking this question that alludes to the same issue. It might be what you find most challenging, how you might be more effective in the role, your biggest regret or a time when you let your team down. These things happen to the best of us, so roll with honesty and always end the example positively. Tailor your response to the specific question – otherwise, your listening skills may come into question.

In terms of the type of weakness you might mention, hard skills are preferable to soft skills. Do not talk about any sort of behavioural weakness as that is tougher to change, but if you have a hard skill that could do with some polishing, that may be an ideal answer. If you want to be a little braver, you could mention interpersonal skills such as public speaking, expecting too much of colleagues or being sensitive to criticism, but you do need to share your concrete plan of action to improve.

Best of all, avoid the words strength and weakness in your interview entirely. Everything is relative, so leave it to the employer to measure your suitability level. A rockstar achievement in one company might be average in another, and vice versa. 

If you think carefully enough about the demands of the role and the employer’s culture, you should be able to find a suitable weakness that offers sufficient insight into your character without planting any seeds of doubt about your ability to do the role.

We all have weaknesses. Be vulnerable. Share that you are a work in progress.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).