Interview Question: What are your weaknesses?

You must approach this from a Recruiter’s perspective. The reason this question is asked is to see if a candidate actually has the ability to introspect and identify flaws. Because identifying flaws in yourself is the first and most important step. Fixing them is easier.

Most often, people flock to the well known and used answer of “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist”.

There are a few reasons why this answer doesn’t bode well for many interviewees. One reason is that it is completely overused and unoriginal. Another is that it is an answer that is designed to try to make you look good and the person interviewing you can see right through this!

How can you answer this:

There is no definite way of answering this question. Just make sure that your answer is honest, shows self- introspection and includes a story of self improvement. This way whoever is asking the question knows that you have really spent time reflecting on your abilities and flaws. In addition this shows, that you take initiative and have began a journey with positive indications of self-improvement.

Let’s talk about it in detail:

Choosing a weakness:

This is the first and most important step to make your answer look genuine and acceptable. Therefore choose an answer that is:

• Obvious and has been noticed by the interviewer already: “English is not my primary language. My spoken English is not very good.” or “I haven’t had much work experience.”
• Something that is NOT extremely crucial for the role that you are applying for:

For a Finance Role: “I am not very good at interacting with people and I am socially awkward.”

For a Sales & Marketing Role: “I have always performed poorly in Mathematics. Trigonometry and Calculus are just not my cup of tea.”

• A common human failure that is shared by most people: “I find it hard to say no to people” or “I have not really made the most of the opportunities that life has given me”