A Good Response for the Question "What Is Your Biggest Weakness?" During an Interview

"I'm a perfectionist" is not a good response to a question about your weaknesses.

“What are your weaknesses?” is one of the most dreaded questions that any applicant faces in a job interview. Provide a vague response, and you risk appearing bland and even dishonest. Answer too specifically, and you could ruin your chances of landing the job. Preparing an answer that addresses a legitimate weakness, while positioning it as a benefit to the employer and demonstrating your best qualities, can set you apart from other applicants and land you the job.

Be Honest

While many job applicants answer questions about their weaknesses by listing positive qualities, such as perfectionism and overachieving, disguised as negatives, interviewers often see through these answers. In fact, according to "U.S. News and World Report," answering a question in this manner can actually hurt your chances of landing the job, because you can appear phony or lacking in self-awareness. Instead of attempting to present yourself as perfect, give an honest and straightforward answer that addresses an actual weakness, such as difficulty managing your time, and how you’re working on the issue. For example, “I tend to lose track of time when working on projects, but I’m learning to prioritize tasks and delegate when necessary to avoid holding up the project,” is an appropriate response.

Positive Positioning

Honesty is important when discussing your weaknesses with a potential employer, but you can position your weakness as something that will benefit the employer. For example, instead of saying that you work too hard or stay too late – which indicates either time management issues or that you’re trying too hard to impress the interviewer – tell the interviewer that you have had difficulty with work-life balance and describe the steps you’ve taken to improve. In short, your answer should demonstrate that you possess positive traits, such as initiative, motivation, maturity and leadership, that the employer is looking for.

Show Improvement

A question about your weaknesses is your best opportunity to demonstrate your willingness to learn and improve. For example, if you have limited skills in a particular computer program, discuss your deficiency and the steps you’re taking to build your skills. Read the job description carefully to ensure that the skill you consider a weakness isn’t one of the major requirements for the job. In fact, knowing what the job entails helps you to identify a weakness to discuss, because you can list a trait that’s not essential for the position.

Use Previous Feedback

When preparing for your job interview, think about your previous positions and the feedback you received from your supervisors on areas where you could improve. Stay focused on professional characteristics rather than personal ones. Chances are you can identify a pattern of criticisms throughout your career that can serve as the basis to your answer. In fact, when the interviewer calls your references, he might ask your former employer about your weaknesses, so match your answer to what you believe your former employer will say. Matching your answer to your former employer's shows that you are aware of your own strengths and limitations.

References

• Employment Digest: What is Your Biggest Weakness? How to Answer in an Interview
• Monster; What Are Your Greatest Strengths and Weaknesses?; Carole Martin
• Monster: Recruiter Roundtable: The Weakness Question
• "U.S. News and World Report"; 5 Pieces of Bad Career Advice; Alison Green; August 2008
• Career Builder; How Are You Supposed to Answer "What Are Your Weaknesses?"; Anthony Balderman