How To Talk About Your Biggest Weakness In a Job Interview

Talking About Your Weakness in a Job Interview - How you respond to this question may give you the edge in landing the job.
Philippines
February 20, 2013 8:32pm CST
I am on again with my daily Forbes reading, and this time I came across this article on talking about your biggest weakness in a job interview. "What's your biggest weakness?", according to Amanda Abella, a career coach, writer, speaker and founder of the Gen Y lifestyle blog Grad Meets World, this is one of the questions people have the hardest time answering. How you respond to this question will have a big say if you either get the job or not. There is no right answer to the question but there's a qualified answer to this. The article shares 6 tips for talking about your biggest weakness in a job interview. 1. Know your weakness(es). Everyone knows the no one is perfect. So never say that you don't have any weakness because hiring managers may look at you as proud and conceited, and that is not a good impression to give them in an interview. So if you don't know your weaknesses, try taking personality type quiz. This will also help you know your strengths which you can use to sell yourself to the hiring managers during the interview. 2. Be honest, but don't mention essential skills. Tell them the truth but don't tell them that you are bad in programming if you are applying for a programmer position. It is very unlikely to be hired for something you are most weak at doing. Tell them another weakness which may not be necessarily related to the job like your bad at finances, etc. 3. Talk about how you conquered the weakness. “Be prepared to share an example of a previous failure or weakness that you've successfully turned into a strength,” Schweitzer says. “Do not discuss areas of opportunity that you are still working on and have not yet fixed.” You could use this question to your advantage by telling them how you've overcome a weakness. Hiring managers will look on how was your attitude towards that weakness, and how you were able to conquer them. 4. Don't prepare an exact response. You don't want to make your response sound staged and scripted. Have an outline of your response but make it fitting to the flow of the conversation. 5. Only discuss work-related weakness. As much as possible, don't wash dirty-linens at the interview. Hiring managers are more interested on work-related weaknesses and how you overcome them. You also want to avoid personal drama, she says. “Sure, everyone has got some, but companies want to ensure this won’t affect your job if you get hired. Besides, it’s considered completely inappropriate to bring personal drama into the business world.” 6. Don't say you're a perfectionist or you work too hard. "I am a perfectionist" and "I work so hard that I don't allow myself to relax" are the most common responses to this question. You don't want to be seen as someone who already prepared for the question. Use the question as an opportunity to share how you've overcome a professional challenge and how you now are better because of it. Hiring managers know that people make mistakes, and they want to know how you've handled yours,” Abella concludes. “Being aware of your weaknesses is a good sign; it shows that you know where your boundaries are and aren't suffering from a case of hubris.” The full article is here. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/02/19/how-to-talk-about-your-biggest-weakness-in-a-job-interview/
2 people like this
9 responses
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
21 Feb 13
Wow, this is definitely a good tip for fresh graduates and those who are seeking for a job. This article is very relevant and practical. It is a great guidelines and I will get this link for my son to read. Yes, we should take the personality test, strength and weakness profiling and used it to better improve ourselves. Sharpen and strength and find ways to conquer our weaknesses. Thanks for sharing.
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
Yes, I hope I had read this article before. I have been to different interviews not only for job application but for other things. And in the few interviews I had, this question was asked. I was more into the personal weakness which I believed made me not pass the interview. I hope your son will really get good points in here. As a fresh grad, you really have to be ready for some challenging interviews. And being prepared gives you more edge and chances of landing the job.
1 person likes this
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
Great post, lloyd! I remember my job interview at HSBC in 2007. It was really the first time that I had a job interview coz after College, I have worked mostly at my brother in law's pharmacy. I didn't know what to expect really during the interview. And of course, the manager had asked me abut my weakness. I really couldn't think of the exact word to describe it but all I said was that, at work, I try not to focus on my fears and weakness and I just give the best I can in providing a good performance each time. Being the co-manger of the pharmacy entails a lot of work. And never did I fail in any of the tasks that I was assigned at coz I felt that losing interest or showing weakness would not only make my service bad but would also make bad relations to my husband's family. Being a perfectionist wasn't the word. It was more of aspiring to focus on how I can be an asset than a liability to the business.
• Philippines
22 Feb 13
As long as we're honest to what we are saying, I think we will have no regrets after whatever the outcome maybe. I really am scared of interview. I feel like choking every time. And I feel like I forget my English whenever I'm too nervous. Or at times I couldn't stop talking to hide my nervousness and thus, saying a lot of unnecessary things.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
22 Feb 13
I tend to be talkative as well when I get nervous. But somehow, everything that I have said were work-related unless they have asked me to tell them about my family or how I divide my time being a working mom.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
Hi there! nice article you shared with us here. =) thanks for the tip.. and i hope our interviewees have read these tips he he so they would be ready. mostt of the interviews we have so far, we no longer ask about their weaknesses, we already know they might not be telling the truth, we somehow manage to discuss with them what they have done with their previous works, and from there see what they are like when it comes to work.... it is of course different when you see them in the workplace. thank you so much!
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
So there's an interviewer in the house. Nice to meet you! That's also a good way for finding out if the applicant is fitting for the position. If I were an interviewer, I'd like to ask this question. Because I want to know the personality of the applicant, and see how he/she reacts if asked by this.
@tipay26 (867)
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
I have been asked that question many times and I don't even remember how well I answered that question.On my own belief being honest with your answer is the best key in landing a position that you are applying for.I heard someone answered that question this way " My weaknesses can be my strength too" upon hearing it I think of the possibilities for that answer and I was confused.But then again I think deeply and found out the saying is right for some reasons if you will just analyze the saying.
@offlimits (596)
• Philippines
22 Feb 13
This would be very helpful, thank you so much! I think this article says it all as this is the right approach in answering that question in a sincere manner, yet not jeopardizing the kind of response that the interviewers would want to hear from you. It is important to note that revealing a weakness isn't really the main concern here, but the way we deliver the response and how one can actually do something to turn that weakness into something useful would appeal to the interviewers. We are aware that everyone of us have weaknesses at some point or the other, but the manner and attitude in which we handle them can become an asset to the employer, and so the goal is to let the interviewers understand our stand. Above all, it depends on ourselves how we can market our skills and personality.
@pupa09 (17)
• India
21 Feb 13
Shyness is the biggest problem in facing interviews. We have confident to face those interviews and more specific than others. Each interviewer has great knowledge to ask questions that are related to you?
@sweety_81 (2124)
• India
21 Feb 13
While I have not been through too many interviews, from what I have learnt, one can talk of some work related attitude shortcoming like: "I am not too harsh on others, even if required sometimes for getting xyz.. work done". Or, "At times, I overestimate hours needed for a work when input details are insufficient.". That is weakness, which do not sound too major to affect work productivity.
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
21 Feb 13
My biggest weakness is my being overly critical. I tend to view things based on my standard so I become critical of others' output. This is a weakness because if a person wants success he has to know how to look at the other person's point.
• India
21 Feb 13
this is very useful post. it "ll definitely help me as i have some weaknesses whichi have to realise and correct them. thanks