Your Weakness Interview Question: How Do You Answer It?

What is your biggest weakness?best not to mention that you have trouble getting along
This is one of those difficult interview questions thatwith people since you're going to be constantly
interviewers ask from time to time. The way youworking with others.
handle your response to the question might be as3. Don't evade the question. Don't try to avoid
important if not more important than what you actuallyanswering the question. Also be careful about giving a
say.clichéd weakness (ie. I work too hard) and then
The question is how to answer the question withoutquickly stating how you deal with it. That looks too
making it look like you have a weakness that mightscripted and the interviewer has probably heard it one
prevent you from getting hired.million times before. Admitting a real weakness but
At the same time, you don't want to mention athen stating what you are doing to improve yourself is
weakness that isn't really a weakness and simply tellpreferable ie. "My presentation skills are not as strong
the interviewer what you think they want to hear.as I'd like so I signed up for weekend presentation skills
Trust me, an experienced interviewer has heard everyclasses and also joined a Toastmasters club."
clichéd answer to this question and will knowRemember that the specific job you are interviewing
when you are feeding them a line.for will help to determine how you answer the
The purpose of asking this question is firstly to seequestion.
how you handle a stress question and secondly how4.Keep your answer factual and brief. Typically, stress
you actually respond to it.questions such as these that put us on the spot tend
Here are some guidelines for responding when anto cause us to ramble on and speak for longer than
interviewer asks what about your biggest weakness:we should especially if we're nervous. The best way
1. Answer the question honestly. It's always best toto answer the question is to be well prepared and to
answer any interview question honestly (obviously) butknow how you are going to answer the question
this is an especially important one. Making up abefore the interview. This will avoid you trying to think
weakness that isn't really a weakness will most likelyoff the top of your head and saying more than you
be very noticeable to the interviewer. If they think youneed to which could hurt your chances of getting the
are lying, they may ask you for another weaknessjob.
which will cause you even more trouble trying to think5. Be careful about using "my biggest weakness is my
of one off the top of your head.biggest strength" as your response. Saying that "I'm a
2. Don't mention a big weakness that could cost youperfectionist" or something like that is another of those
the job. Your goal here isn't to lie of course, it's simplyclichéd answers that people often give to this
to present yourself as best you can. We all havequestion. It will probably come across as being scripted
weaknesses but it doesn't mean we tell an interviewerand the interviewer will most likely determine that you
everything that we do wrong. If for example you aregot the answer from an interview tips book.
interviewing for a project manager job, it's probably