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Step 1
Identify a weakness that is relevant to your career. Don't say that you are a poor golfer. You would be dodging the question and the interviewer would not be amused.
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Step 2
Avoid identifying a weakness that is a basic requirement of the job. For instance, if you are applying for an accounting position, don't tell the interviewer that you are not good with numbers.
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Step 3
Be honest and don't make something up. If you truly think that you do not have any weaknesses, then you have more to worry about than this job interview.
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Step 4
You should try to portray your weakness in the best light, but be careful. If you say that your weakness is that you work too hard, are you trying to work less? If you say that you are a perfectionist, are you trying to be sloppy? In other words, don't identify a strength as a weakness.
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Step 5
As you identify your weakness, tell the interviewer what you have learned from your weakness. Say that you are working to improve on it and give examples. This tells the interviewer that you can be trained and can grow into new responsibilities.
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Step 6
An example of an effective response to the weakness questions is "I can sometimes be headstrong. I like to figure things out on my own. My colleagues are very busy and I hate bothering them. But I have realized that since the clients pay for my time, I need to go to my colleagues right away when I get stuck. Usually, it just takes a few minutes to figure out the problem and move on. I save 15 or 30 minutes of me spinning my wheels."
Comments
vallain said
on 6/10/2009 Good advice for answering the "what is your weakness" interview question. I've had it several times, so best to be prepared.