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    Interviewing: What's Your Weakness?

    May 12, 2008 · 23 Comments

    Photo by Eszter

    Photo by Eszter

    What’s Your Weakness?

    Ah…The dreaded interview question. What should you say? Do you tell them that you’re a perfectionist? What if they ask “Why is that a weakness?” Then, if you’re nervous, you may be compelled to go on and on about the time you were in charge of a project, but couldn’t let it go because you were so involved in the details…It went way over budget and was late because you couldn’t put it to bed. A good weakness to describe for an interview? Not so much.

    There are several keys to this question.

    1. You should be prepared to answer it. If you’re caught off-guard, you just look ill-prepared.
    2. You need to come up with a weakness that has NOTHING to do with the job.
    3. You must demonstrate how you are striving to improve your skill in the “weak” area.

    For example, a computer programmer whose job it is to sit at a computer and work magic might say:

    “I have to admit that I am a bit nervous speaking in front of very large crowds. However, I’m considering joining Toastmaster’s and I’ve been doing some reading about how to be better at public speaking, as it is a skill I’d like to practice and improve.”

    Why is this a great answer in this case?

    • Public speaking in front of very large crowds is not part of this applicant’s potential work duties.
    • Most people are nervous speaking in front of very large crowds, so even if speaking may ever unexpectedly come up in this job, it wouldn’t be unusual to have this weakness.

    If the job involved frequent presentations, this would not be a good choice for a weakness.

    So, the trick to this question:

    • Be prepared to answer it.
    • Describe that you are trying to improve in the “weak” area.
    • Whatever you do, don’t expand on the weakness or give more information than necessary. Be brief and to the point.

    Or, you can give an answer my former boss mentioned to me…(Use only with careful discretion):

    What’s your greatest weakness?

    Look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “Chocolate.”

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    Article by Miriam Salpeter

    Miriam Salpeter, author of Social Networking for Career Success, is a CNN-named "top 10 job tweeter" and contributor to U.S. News & World Report's "On Careers" column. Quoted in major media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and NBC news for her cutting-edge career advice, Miriam is an in-demand writer and speaker regarding job search and social media. She offers custom packages for job seekers and business owners, including transforming resumes and creating social media profiles/personal websites for clients. Keppie Careers has you covered. Let's get started!

    • http://www.job-search-engines.info Job Search Engines

      My weakness is not being able to hide my nervousness

    • http://www.defendingpandora.com Kate Hutchinson

      The Chocolate answer is cute, but would only work if you can tell your interviewer has a sense of humor. Since sense of humor in a supervisor is of great importance to me, I often try to work in a facetious answer somewhere. Sometimes, if the interviewer just starts off with ‘Tell me about yourself,’ I begin with “I’m a Sagittarius and I enjoy long walks on the beach… but seriously, I’m an organizational machine who can put your Annual Fund to work for you.”

    • http://keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

      Nervousness is a tricky one. I think that being prepared is the best answer to nerves. If you can approach a task knowing that you’ve done your homework, it can be easier to control nerves.

      @ Kate – I agree…You wouldn’t want to use the chocolate answer without some insight into your interviewer. I wouldn’t suggest it as your “prepared” answer…Always have a back-up plan. Your plan to make the interview work for you (finding out if your interviewer has a sense of humor) is good. I’d hesitate to start out an interview too glib, but as long as you know that you wouldn’t want to work for someone who’d balk at that approach, you have nothing to lose!

    • http://blog.jvf.com James Feudo

      Miriam,

      This is by far one of the most common interview questions – and one of the trickiest to answer. Your tips are excellent – especially about making it something not related to your job. Your examples are great too.

      Great info,

      James
      http://blog.jvf.com

    • http://keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

      James – Thanks for your kind words! I am convinced that interviewers ask this question just to be sure that the candidate prepared and didn’t take the interview for granted!

    • Candice

      My greatest weakness is that I get frustrated easily, especially when I don’t learn a new job as quickly as I think I should.

    • Samaira

      Great job. I think i have come across the best tips for approaching such an intimidating question in an interview in an easy way.

    • Miriam Salpeter

      Candice – I think you can turn that weakness into a strength in the interview…Talk about how you have high standards and are trying to be patient with yourself. But, be aware that you may get the dreaded, “Why is that a weakness?” response, and you don’t want to give too many details!

      Samaira – Thanks for your kind comment!

    • Bryan

      Miriam, your ideas are very insightful.

      I believe that being direct and honest with this questions speaks to my integrity when being interviewed. An unrelated weakness to the job function would be a red flag to me as an interviewer. May I suggest that recognizing that a person’s weakness can be segwayed into the person’s strength?

      Ex. “My weakness is related to my strength. My strength is that I am very technical. When helping others with technical issues, knowing how much information to share is an important skill and strength that I have.”

      I will appreciate your feedback on my response strategy by helping me better understand how your process works when answering these kinds of questions.

    • Miriam Salpeter

      Bryan,
      So what exactly is the weakness you are sharing here? If you are suggesting that your weakness is not knowing how much technical information to share (which is probably an important aspect of the job), I would be concerned about hiring you.

      I’d suggest focusing on something unrelated to the job as the safest bet!
      Thanks for commenting. I’m happy to help with a mock interview if you are interested!

      Good luck!

    • Bryan

      Thank you for your response.

      Actually, I am suggesting that my strength is knowing how much technical information to share with non-technical people.

      Alt. Ex. “A common weakness in others is being too technical with non-technical people. My strength is knowing how to clearing and effectively communicate with non-technical people.
      (Is this example more clear?)

      I am attempting to transition the question of “What is your weakness?” into a “What is your strength?”

      As an alternative to the “chocolate” example, would the following be acceptable/suggestable?

      Ex. “My weakness is forgetting to eat lunch?”
      Ex. “My weakness is nice shoes.”

      Regards.

    • Miriam Salpeter

      Bryan – If you are asked about a weakness, answering with a strength is not actually answering the question. When you don’t answer the question, you irritate your interviewer. I would NOT suggest the example you indicate above. The question doesn’t ask you to suggest weaknesses from other people – it asks you to name YOUR weakness!

      In general, making sure to answer the actual question is key for interviewing success.

      As I mention in this post, do not make an effort to suggest a strength as a weakness, because you may be asked to explain why that “strength” is a weakness.

      The “chocolate” answer is really more for a tongue-in-cheek reply. Forgetting to eat lunch really isn’t “cute” or funny at all. “Nice shoes’ doesn’t really hit a good chord with me…Your best bet, in my opinion, is to reply as the post suggests.

      Good luck!

    • J

      I gave this response to an interviewer recently:
      I like to keep busy at work. I feel bad during down times. Because I feel like I am not contributing or being productive. So I have made this a habit of mine to ask my manager and colleagues if they need help with anything.

      Would you please be kind enough to comment/critique on the above answer.
      Thanks.

    • Miriam Salpeter

      J – If I were interviewing you, I would ask, “Why is wanting to contribute and be productive a weakness?” Your response does not really answer the question. Again, think of an actual weakness that is something you are working to improve but does not have anything to do with the job at hand. Good luck!

    • Aman

      Hello Miriam,

      I recently had an interview where I had told them my weakness was public speaking. And today looking at your website, I wonder how many people would be using this weakness. Do you have any other suggestions regarding potential weaknesses not related to the actual job?

      Thanks

    • Miriam Salpeter

      Aman,
      Well, that all depends on the job! Fact is, many do have public speaking as a weakness. Did you mention that you are working to improve? I’m happy to offer a coaching session if you’re interested. Just email me at miriam@keppiecareers.com for more info!

      Best,
      Miriam

    • jasmine

      whats a good weakness for an administrative position?

    • Christian

      Hi Miriam,
      I’m preparing for an interview and thought about the weakness question, and was wondering if i could use “sometimes i can be too modest which can come off as a lack of confidence but that is because i prefer to show what i can do in my work performance”. It is actually true, but i wouldn’t want to use it if it will hurt…

      Thank you!
      Christian

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Christian – It depends on the type of job. Is modesty a negative that doesn’t jive with your targeted opportunity? If modesty is generally accepted in your field, it could be a fine choice for a reply to that type of question. It still borders on the “why is that a weakness” issue…It’s a tough call, so be sure to be honest without giving away the store!

    • T

      Hi Miriam,
      I’m about to be interviewed, and was wondering if i could use “I’m very reserved and not socialized a lot with co-workers and such. I’m very focus on the job at hand and would often keep to myself. I know it would lead people to think I’m not friendly with but once you got to know the real me, the opposite is true”. Which is true, though. The target opportunity is in NOC.
      Thank you!
      T

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        T,
        Keep in mind, there is a lot of research that says people would rather work with someone they like than someone who is capable. I think you can present the fact that you are very reserved as a weakness if you suggest that you are learning more about how people perceive you and are becoming more self-aware. The most important thing is that you need to suggest how you are working on it. So, it’s not about how people realize the “real you” is really nice, but how you are working to improve on the weakness. So, identify what YOU can do to improve on the self-identified weakness.

    • Judy

      Hi Miriam,
      I recently found your website and I’m so glad I did!! Your tips and comments have been very helpful.
      I am currently looking for a new position – admin assistant type, and have had at least 4 interviews but I’m not getting the offers. I’m not sure where to tweek my interview skills so that I get an offer after the next interview. By the way, I’m applying for a position this week and hope to get the interview as the company sounds like an incredible fit for my personality and skills.
      Thank you for any information you can provide.

      • http://www.keppiecareers.com Miriam Salpeter

        Without having a mock interview, it is hard to say where you may need to do better. Have you asked for feedback from your interviewers? I’ve written a lot about interviewing on the blog; hopefully that will be helpful advice. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to contract for a mock interview.

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