Our guide has 35+ interview questions (and answers) that recruiters love to ask. Carefully think about which weaknesses to include (recalling past performance reviews might be useful) and make sure youre honest. Also remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! This can help you craft an answer that shows your willingness to work on yourself. Oftentimes, facets of our personalities can help us in certain areas of our work, while hindering us in others. If you fail to mention this as your weakness (and the recruiter doesnt figure it out), you might get the job. If you're applying for a copywriting position with little necessity for math skills, you might admit, "I struggle with numbers, and don't have much experience with data analytics. best job-seeking and interviewing tips to land your dream, https://resources.biginterview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Abby-Malloy-Question-1.mp4, the best tips on how to prepare for an interview here, Discover actionable lessons and interview practice here, Sample answers that cover different job interview weaknesses. And there are always new projects and deadlines and complicated interpersonal relationships at work. LATE ENGR. RAYMOND ANTHONY ALEOGHO DOKPESI - Facebook I have a hard time organizing my time properly. If you lack presentation skills, talk about how youre volunteering to present new projects in front of smaller audiences and how youll gradually work your way up. And sure, you can take a shortcut and say youre doing something to address your weaknesses just for the sake of replying to the interview question correctly, but sooner or later that could harm your work performance. I could work on my assertiveness. Before the interview, carefully reflect on your actual weaknesses. Examples of weaknesses to discuss in an interview. I want everything to be done perfectly and on time, and sometimes I cant rely on my teammates to meet deadlines or maintain the quality of work. Examples include: Trouble following instructions, trouble communicating, being prone to arguments and disagreements, etc. And thats ok, as long as were making conscious efforts to get to know ourselves and understand our limitations. Being too honest about a minor weakness thats not essential to the position might ruin the recruiters impression of you and cost you an offer. Underneath the desire to do perfect work may lie a weakness of trust. Published: This has cost me a lot of patience at work. The strength is in how you work to overcome it. It's also effective because 1) It shows that you're willing to work on your weaknesses outside of work, not just during business hours, and 2) It demonstrates your inner critic may have valid points. Five Good Answers To The Question 'What's Your Greatest Weakness?' - Forbes List Of Weaknesses. Here are some tips: Scan through every detail of the job listing and make sure weakness isn't included in the required skills and responsibilities. 1.Avoid cliches When responding to the question, you need to talk about a genuine weakness and avoid disguising a strength as a weakness. However, it was frustrating to my manager and colleagues, particularly if they needed information about my component of a group project. Whether you have a healthy level of self-awareness, Whether you can be open and honest, particularly about shortcomings, Whether you pursue self-improvement and growth opportunities to combat these issues, as opposed to letting these weaknesses hold you back. Ultimately, youre showing that you are taking this weakness and tackling it head-on to prepare yourself for the job. Make a list of all your weaknesses 3. I have a hard time keeping up with the new technologies. Itll help you practice your response once you know the weaknesses you want to mention! Dont try to present strengths as weaknesses (I work too much or Im a perfectionist) youll come across as suspicious and pretentious. Theyre not looking to find out that you totally suck at the job you applied for if you applied, youre likely qualified. An authentic answer goes a long way. It demonstrates a level of ambition and professional maturity. Tired of interviewing and not landing the job. 1. Written by Coursera Updated on Jun 15, 2023 Learn how to answer the question, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" in a job interview. Dont worry if you havent figured them out yet, as itll give you bite-sized tips on how to craft your answer. Discerning when to dismiss it is key to prevent burnout and increase productivity. Realizing how the inner critic may inhibit good work ethic demonstrates your willingness to grow and be an effective worker. 9 out of 10 other candidates wont do this, so showing up prepared (and ready for follow-ups) will make you stand out. Then, youll get detailed feedback on all elements of your answer: the power words you used, your pace of speech, filler words, vocabulary, and so much more. What matters more is the way you talk about it, what you do about it, and if youre able to even spot it. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. Does 'universal basic income' work? Instead, you should frame your weaknesses positively. This is a fair weakness. I have a hard time making important decisions on my own. Going with a joke answer - like saying, "Chocolate cake is my greatest weakness" - isn't probably going to turn out like you hope. It also shows you are willing to develop a relationship with coworkers but not at the cost of productivity. All of us have weaknesses to work on. Dont lie about your weakness, but choose one thats not super relevant to the position youre applying for. That Aren't "Perfectionism", Download Now: The Top 50 Interview Questions, Pop up for FREE GUIDE: 50 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, FREE GUIDE: 50 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. Use tools that can help you improve your weaknesses, Get advice from someone whose strength is your weakness, When recruiters ask what is your greatest weakness, they are looking to see if you are. I took an internal presentation skills class and attended some meetings of Toastmasters, a networking group for people who want to practice public speaking. Every single day, I do [Y] to improve upon that skill. Choose a weakness that will not prevent you from succeeding in the role. Last month, I volunteered to represent our team at a division-wide town hall. If you deny that you have any weaknesses and resort to false bravado or posturing in your interview, it usually means the end of your opportunities with the company. Its totally okay to stutter a bit we all get nervous but you want your answer to be as coherent and brief as possible. Interview question: What is your greatest weakness? - Indeed It might take more time, but it makes me peaceful. When an interviewer asks, "What is your greatest weakness?" they want to find out: Whether you have a healthy level of self-awareness Whether you can be open and honest, particularly about shortcomings Admitting that you relied on strong leadership shows that you can be a follower when needed, but knowing when to step up is important, too. For such a popular interview question, the answer was never really clear! Because these are essential skills for the role, you wouldn't want to mention them as your weakness. Before you start expressing a genuine weakness to your interviewer, get comfortable with the types of answers that make hiring managers want to work with you. Talk about your early struggles in learning or improving upon a skill and explain to the interviewer what you did to overcome it. Recognizing, accepting, and honestly speaking about your weak spots shows that youre a mature person. Multitasking might not be as great as you think. You don't want to respond, "I tend to work too hard," or "I am too much of a perfectionist." Anticipate potential follow-up questions that might be uncomfortable. Updated March 10, 2023 When hiring a security guard, employers seek individuals who are trustworthy and attentive to security procedures. Free and premium plans, Operations software. For this reason, I keep involving them and I dont make decisions without their permission. Free and premium plans, Sales CRM software. Answers a-c are garbage. There's no need to feel embarrassed about something you're genuinely not good at as long as you're working to get better. While its true that some answers could work against you such as listing a skill thats a core part of the job the hiring manager isnt typically focused on the capability you mention. To maintain a sense of control when delegating tasks, I implemented a project management system to oversee the progress of a project. Since a deadline was essentially always looming, I could harness pressure as a motivator, all without incidentally holding others back. Introspection and self-awareness are part of the equation. How to pick the right weakness to mention during a job interview, Past performance reviews they are usually good indicators of areas of improvement, Situations when you didnt know what to do, Examples when you miscommunicated something, Situations when you felt like what youre doing is wrong/not good enough, Any weaknesses or areas of improvement your manager has talked to you about, Directly related to the key skills for the job and would destroy your chances of landing it, Not relevant (if youre applying for a Developer position, then, for example, marketing skills are not really relevant), Strengths disguised as weaknesses (perfectionism, working too much, being too focused, etc. Yes! Think about people you look up to that may be related to the field that you're in. Along with increasing my stress levels, this can lead to delays, as Im essentially never satisfied with the results. I've also learned to trust my team members.". However, I've also worked to improve this weakness by enrolling in team-building workshops. If you asked my supervisor if there was an area where I could improve, theyd likely mention my tendency to use pressure as a motivator. You know how to identify and mitigate issues that come up. If its clearly a weakness that even the interviewer can see based on your resume, then dont be afraid to bring it up. Youll be stressed out and then youll burn out. If you're applying for a security position, you should show employers that you can keep their employees, facilities and equipment safe and secure with your conflict resolution skills and safety expertise. So, you've finally got your foot in the door at your dream company. This gives the hiring team a clear picture of how you'll work with the team to balance out that weakness. It might happen because of a difficult task you cant complete, or a colleague missing a deadline. Subscribe for little revelations across business and tech, Learn marketing strategies and skills straight from the HubSpot experts, When it comes to brainstorming business ideas, Sam and Shaan are legends of the game, Watch two cerebral CMOs tackle strategy, tactics, and trends, Everything you need to know about building your business on HubSpot. Experience or knowledge gaps include: Limited experience with a specific software tool. Do you have poise when speaking about your weakness? You've submitted the perfect resume and made a lasting impression during the phone screen. In my last role, I set up monthly meetings with the SEO manager to discuss analytics and how our posts were performing. Burnout is one of the biggest contributors to decreased productivity, turnover, and low employee engagement all of which cost a company money, time, and talent. Tie in a strength. Now, Im more confident that I can make my own choices and I can be proactive when it comes to decision-making. If you are very objective and focused (which is good in general), you may be perceived as harsh or even rude by others. The following steps will help you think of a great answer to "what are your weaknesses?" that demonstrates your value as a candidate: 1. Alternatively, you don't want to respond with weaknesses that will prevent you from succeeding in the role. Self-criticism #6. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the Balance puts it, the hiring manager is looking for indicators that show youve been able to learn new tasks and handle new challenges. Its not about you not excelling in a particular arena; its about you having a plan for overcoming challenges. I spoke to my manager about this and we set it as one of my development goals for this year. Select the career path that aligns with you: Marketing Sales Data Human Resources Customer Service Software Engineering Product Management Ultimately, your awareness of how you might be perceived by others shows a level of emotional intelligence, which is a critical asset for a team leader. But no matter what, you can always show your personality in your inflection, tone, and delivery. You note that disorganization doesn't interfere with your ability to do your job, which is critical, but you also acknowledge it might make you less efficient. want to know how honest and self-aware you are. It made me more conscious of the time a task takes me and helped me never miss a deadline again. When you demonstrate your self-awareness this way, it shows you understand that self-improvement correlates to work performance. "What is your greatest weakness?" Honestly, there's no other interview question that feels like more of a trap. Im slowly catching up and I can already say this is one of the best decisions I made recently. Yes, our increasingly busy lifestyles can sometimes trick us into thinking multitasking is amazing, but recent studies show multitasking can seriously harm work performance. Youll want to tailor your answer to the position by choosing one minor enough so as not to raise red flags (but not so minor as to seem like a cop-out). Here are examples of how you might answer "What is your greatest weakness?" So I decided to focus on my work. Best Way to Answer 'What is Your Greatest Weakness?' Hi Youtube Family members,What is your Weakness | Security Interview Questions and Answers I'm Asif Iqbal and work as a SECURITY MANAGER for 5* Hotel in Duba. When it comes to this question, its easy to see if youre lying. Disguising your strengths as weaknesses will definitely make you look bad either like youre hiding something or just being pretentious. Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. And I dont really have time for networking right now. Now, identifying your weaknesses doesnt mean much unless you go the extra mile and improve on them. "I'm not great at analyzing data or numbers. While I typically work independently, it's important I learn how to trust my coworkers and ask for outside help when necessary.". It taught me how to delegate and my manager noticed the difference in my management style. To show up fully prepared for this question (and potential follow-ups), use the Answer Builder to jot down the main points you want to cover. All these skills are essential to the job and mentioning them as weaknesses would do more harm than good. Is humor your style? Every other Tuesday, youll get actionable tips to land your dream job. If youre trying to do all this in an interview with no prep, that can be pretty dang terrifying. I often miss my deadlines because of my attention to detail and the desire for everything to be perfect. "My inner critic can be debilitating at times. World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. Claiming you work too hard, are too much of a perfectionist, or something similar doesnt usually ring true. Here is a list of weaknesses for a job interview that you might be able to use when answering this question. Or go all confession time on recruiters and share your most genuine weakness? Nobody wants to admit that they have weaknesses, but a good candidate will. I have always been very detail-oriented, so it sometimes takes me longer to finish a project than I initially think it will. For another, they want to get insights into your self-awareness. The following are the top seven things to say when asked about your weaknesses during a job interview: 1. It's an ongoing process that you have to work at. If you ramble, stumble too much, or go back on your words, youll seem unprepared or, worse, like youre lying. It takes a lot of courage to admit that. HubSpot Podcast Network is the destination for business professionals who seek the best education on how to grow a business. Having said this, you can take a look at the list below of soft skills that you can mention as weaknesses to get you thinking on what your weakness is: As we mentioned before, you can mention any of these weaknesses as long as theyre not directly related to the job youre applying for. This answer shows that while you may be used to running your crew or team a specific way, you're willing to admit when your method isn't the most effective. To tackle this weakness, I've been taking online courses in data analytics.". Regardless of whether you're bad with numbers or you tend not to speak up in group settings, there's a strength behind every weakness. You have to be extra careful when choosing a weakness youll bring up in your answer. However, when I became manager in my last role, it became critical I learn to delegate tasks. Answer what is your greatest weakness by choosing a skill that is not essential to the job youre applying to and by stressing exactly how youre practically addressing your weakness. In it you'll get word-for-word sample answersthat you can use in your next interview. But then again, I dont get into conflicts often. And I slowly started communicating my thoughts. Its called humble bragging, its dishonest, and its an old trick that interviewers can see through. Demonstrate self-awareness and an ability to look to others to provide you with the resources necessary for growth. These documents provide examples of your strengths as well as the areas you can improve upon, making them a great source of inspiration. You want to be prepared for that moment by practicing the tone and delivery of your answer with a friend or in the mirror. You can say this: "I'd say my biggest weakness is being too hard on myself. Rambling on or providing more detail that is necessary might raise a red flag or two with your possible future employer, including some you didnt plan to share. These weaknesses typically reflect a lack of experience rather than an inherent flaw. When an interviewer asks, "What is your greatest weakness?" After all, its their job to deal with these things. Instead, it may seem like you don't respect the question enough to give it serious thought. For instance, if you're applying to be a project manager, you don't want to admit that you're "not very good with time management. Sometimes we lack the capacity to understand ourselves and objectively observe our behavior. Hiring managers don't expect you to overcome your weaknesses completely overnight. But honestly, we live in a world of rapid improvements, and trying to keep up with everything is simply not possible. Ideally, you want to start coming up with an answer well before you get to the interview. Including anecdotes about previous feedback youve received, projecting confidence, and making it clear that youre taking steps to improve will be enough to fly with high marks during this question. The quality of my work would be incomparably better if I took the time to talk to the people from my niche and make meaningful connections. It's not just about weaknesses that pertain to the job. So I want to start scheduling at least 2 networking calls per month. So far, its been helpful and I noticed a huge improvement in my efficiency. In many ways, talking about weaknesses during a job interview feels like youre being set up to fail. You can increase your level of confidence during your answer by identifying how youve been working on this weakness. You have a difficult time letting go of a project. Such people are always desirable in any team. they want to find out: Ultimately, you'll want to use this question to demonstrate how you've used a weakness as motivation to learn a new skill or grow professionally. Lets pretend youre in an interview, and as far as you can tell, its going great. Your weaknesses, like your strengths, are unique to you. I usually dont get into conflicts with coworkers. I recently voiced my concerns about a certain project at work. State, in as simple terms as possible, the steps youve taken to improve. In fact, by focusing the core of your answer on how youve already improved in this area, youll seem more self-assured and actualized by default. "I've struggled with work-life balance, especially after I started working remotely during the pandemic. Additionally, it's impressive if you can show you're willing to reach out to your manager with areas in which you want to improve, instead of waiting for your manager to suggest those areas of improvement to you. Answer honestly with a genuine weakness 6. The best answers to this question sincerely explain a weakness and provide an example of how you are actively working on being better. Compare your resume to the job description 2. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page. Multitasking Skills You Can Mention as Weaknesses in An Interview Tips to Identify (and Address) Your Weakness Identifying Your Weakness Addressing Your Weaknesses Key Takeaways Related Articles Share this article "What are Your Weaknesses?" & Sample Answers - Resume Genius List of Weaknesses: 8 Things to Say in an Interview That supervisor did work with me to find ways to overcome this challenge. Ive snapped at my coworkers or checked in with them a thousand times during the day to check their progress. Every time you have to give a presentation, you clam up. First, don't name a weakness related to how you work with others or how you get along with management. Fear of public speaking. Always describe the steps youre taking to improve your job interview weaknesses. To help with this, I installed a time tracker that helps me estimate how much time Ill need for every type of task that I do, and based on those estimates I create weekly plans. I often miss deadlines because I cant successfully gauge how much time Ill need for a certain task. "I enjoy developing a relationship with my coworkers by engaging in conversation, and that's a great team-building skill. Free and premium plans. That means you love your job. As with all interview questions, its possible to make some mistakes when youre choosing weaknesses for a job interview or coming up with an answer to this question. Im drowning in work and I dont have enough time to dedicate to my family or hobbies, so, naturally, I dont have time for browsing the internet and reading about technology advancements. Sometimes it seems like it, because it can feel like such a loaded question. They are also looking for evidence that you have a drive to improve upon your weaknesses. When youre discussing work-related weaknesses, less is more. The first step to answering what is your greatest weakness correctly is to understand why recruiters ask the question in the first place. It helps me rebalance and decompress, and it prevents burnout. How To Answer "What Is Your Greatest Weakness?" - ResumeHelp But What is your greatest weakness is a tricky interview question, so a lot of candidates get especially nervous. However, I have a habit of carrying on a conversation to a point where it may distract other coworkers. Itll help you pick the right weaknesses. So far, its led to great results, as Im far more open to reaching out than I was previously. Impatient. One of the main things they're trying to find out is whether you're honest. This answer works best if you've been in a leadership position before and are applying to a managerial role. I want every aspect of a project to be perfect, often to the point of over-focusing on the minutia. Talking to a therapist or reading books helps. Command of a particular foreign language. I had such a strong team and leadership that I haven't had much practice making decisions in the heat of the moment. Find those flaws, and then figure out how you can fix them.