10 ways to answer your weaknesses in job interviews

If you are wondering the question of employers “What is your biggest weakness?”, please refer to the article below. We have prepared the best way to answer your interview weakness question.

1. What is the purpose of the interviewer when asking about your weaknesses?

In the realm of job interviews, it’s a well-established fact that candidates often avoid discussing their weaknesses. Consequently, employers aren’t primarily interested in whether you’re forthright about your limitations or what those weaknesses might be. Their focus lies in discerning your capabilities:

• Analytical acumen: Employers seek to gauge your self-awareness regarding your weaknesses. A candidate who acknowledges their weak points is more likely to demonstrate a proactive attitude towards improvement.
• Strategic prowess: What measures do you employ to surmount your weaknesses, or how diligently are you striving to enhance yourself in those areas?
• Influence level: In certain industries, your candid acceptance of your own limitations can play a significant role in determining your suitability and adaptability.

So, resist the urge to assert that you have no weaknesses, as such a response might be perceived as arrogance and insincerity, not leaving a favorable impression. On the other hand, presenting your weaknesses without offering any remedial actions might cast you as lacking initiative in a professional setting.

2. How to answer questions about weaknesses in an interview

Pick a weakness that doesn’t stop you from succeeding

When employers ask about your weaknesses, they want to know:

• Are you self-aware?
• Whether you can be open and honest, especially about your shortcomings.
• Do you want to grow and improve yourself to combat your weaknesses, instead of letting them hold you back?

Finally, you’ll use the weakness question to talk about how you overcame it. Everyone has weaknesses so employers don’t expect you to lie to yourself perfectly.

If you’re applying for a copywriting position that doesn’t require math skills, you can acknowledge that:

“I struggle with numbers and don’t have much experience with data analysis. While math is not directly tied to my ability to write, I believe it is important to have a basic understanding of Google Analytics to ensure my work works well. The way I overcame this weakness was by taking online courses in data analytics.”

With this answer, the employer sees that you recognize the things you do not do well to develop; and they are willing to guide as you do without too much experience. Being self-aware of your weaknesses will help you be appreciated by employers.

Be honest and choose a real weakness

The perfectionist answer won’t be so bad when it comes to your weaknesses; because that’s not the real weakness. However, in the long run, trying to achieve perfectionism leads to burnout, reduced quality of work, and missed deadlines.

Burnout is one of the biggest factors reducing employee productivity, revenue, and engagement — all of which cost a company money, time, and talent. Instead, choose a real weakness that you can definitely fix.

Give an example of how you improved a weakness or learned a new skill to overcome

Hiring managers don’t expect you to completely overcome a weakness in no time. Everyone has areas where they need to work continuously to become more professional.

Think about the weaknesses in your own life

If you play the role of another person talking about yourself to the recruiter, they can easily imagine what you will do when you get the job. It’s not just about weaknesses, of course.

For example, if you are an introvert talking about your weaknesses. You could say that your weakness is that spending quiet time makes it difficult for you to accept risks and events. When you can talk about your own weakness like this; It shows that you understand the direction of self-improvement with work performance.

Reflect on yourself and share times when you asked for help from others

Overall, growth is a part of life. Think about the people you are studying with. Ask yourself what those traits are and what you might need to do to get there.

When you talk about how you’ve improved on your weaknesses, the interviewer will get a positive overview of your perceptions, including:

• You know how to identify and mitigate problems that arise.
• You find a useful solution to a problem that you (and perhaps others on the team) face. That means you are a valuable resource to the team.
• You demonstrate the ability to be self-aware and receptive to feedback from others.

Regularly review yourself to overcome weaknesses. Exploiting your weakness shows the interviewer that you can solve problems when the answer is not clear.

Briefly share an example of a time when you asked someone for help because it was your weakness. This gives the hiring team a clear picture of how you will work with the team to balance that weakness.

Don’t be arrogant and don’t underestimate yourself

The most important thing you can mention when going to an interview is to show confidence in your answer. Or if you don’t have a lot of confidence, I still assume you are honest with your answer. There’s no need to feel ashamed about something you’re not good at, as long as you’re working to get better.

Here are examples of how you might answer “What is your biggest weakness?” and why do they work.

3. List of weaknesses when applying for a job interview

Lack of Patience

Sample answers for weaknesses when going to an interview:

“I don’t have a lot of patience when working with a team – I’m extremely egotistical. So it’s hard when I need to rely on others to get my work done. That’s why I was intrigued by a description that required independent work. However, I managed to work around this weakness by signing up for team building workshops. I usually work independently, but it’s important for me to learn to trust my colleagues and ask for their help when needed.”

The above is a useful answer form, because that weakness does not prevent you from doing a good job, because this is a job that does not rely on teamwork to complete. Additionally, you demonstrate a desire to improve on your weaknesses, which is an important skill in the workplace.

Lack of organization

Sample answer:

“I have struggled with organization, arrangement. While it has never affected my productivity, I’ve found that a cluttered desk and email inbox still affect my productivity. From that point on, I’ve learned to take the time to organize my physical and cyberspace, I’ve seen it improve my efficiency levels throughout the week.”

In fact, a lot of people have messy desks. This answer is a related and fixable weakness. You note that disorganization does not affect your ability to get things done; but you also acknowledge that it can make you less productive.

To make sure you are operating at 100%, you mention the steps you took to improve your organizational skills just for the sake of self-improvement, which shows a level of maturity and self-awareness.

Taking on too many things

Sample answer:

“I feel annoyed when my work is not done; and can sometimes feel like they could have done a better job. However, as a manager in my role, it was important for me to learn how to delegate. In order not to feel overwhelmed, I implemented a project management system to make it easy to monitor and effectively delegate work.”

This answer shows that you are a person who likes to learn and is flexible in work. This helps the employer see you as someone interested in long-term growth. Alternatively, you can talk about your past success as a leader, despite your weaknesses.

Timidity

Sample answers for weaknesses when going to an interview:

“I am hesitant to give constructive feedback to colleagues (or managers) for fear of hurting or misunderstanding them. However, in my last role, my colleague asked me to comment and edit some of his content. Through that experience, I realized that feedback is helpful and kind when I use it properly.”

This answer works because you explained how you can turn a weakness into a strength through real experience. Often, shyness can be seen as a weakness in the workplace, especially if a role requires someone to provide feedback to others. In this case, you can demonstrate how shyness can be used as a strength, through thoughtful thought and practice.

Lack of empathy

Sample answer:

“The outspoken, outspoken nature has made me successful over the years as a team manager; because I can get things done efficiently and people often appreciate my honesty. However, I’ve come to realize that frankness isn’t always a good thing when responding to employees. To overcome this, I tried to develop empathy and create deep relationships with subordinates. In addition, I took an online leadership management course and worked with the professor to develop my reflexes.”

These aspects of our personality sometimes help us to do well in one job, but not in another. That is natural. However, you need to show awareness of it and how you solve the problem.

In the example above, you first explain the straightforward nature that allows you to succeed in certain situations. Then you say you understand that frankness can be seen as a lack of empathy and give an example of how you have tried to deal with the problem. Finally, refer to the perception of how others see you. That proves you have high emotional intelligence – the asset of the team leader.

Fear of public speaking

Sample answer:

“Public speaking makes me nervous. Although I don’t need to do so much as a web designer; but I still feel that it’s an important skill – especially when I want to give my opinion in a meeting.

To remedy this, I spoke to my manager and she recommended that I talk at each team meeting for a few minutes about our progress, deadlines, and project goals when developing websites for clients. This practice has made me more comfortable and sees public speaking as an opportunity to help team members do their best.”

In this example, you mention a skill you lack but that’s one you’re still trying to improve on. This shows your desire to develop better work, which is admirable. Also, it’s impressive if you show that you’re willing to reach out to your manager about the areas you’d like to improve on, rather than waiting for your manager to suggest those things to you. It represents a level of ambition and professional maturity.

Weak data analysis skills

Sample answer:

“I am not good at data analysis. However, I realize this vulnerability can keep me from knowing the effectiveness of what I’m writing. In my last role, I held a meeting with the SEO director to discuss how blog posts work and analyze them. In addition, I have received a Google Analytics certification and I would like to analyze the data related to our blog regularly. I feel much more comfortable analyzing data through these software.”

In the example above, you expressed a desire to go beyond the job description and actively seek solutions. With this answer, the employer sees that you are always interested in the quality and benefits of the company.

Hesitate

Sample answers for weaknesses when going to an interview:

“Sometimes I struggle with ambiguity and make decisions when there is no clear direction. I come from an environment where instructions are always clear and direct. I have a team and am extremely productive, but I can’t make decisions when I need it most. I’m working on this by drawing on my experience and practicing listening to myself.”

This answer makes sense because you are demonstrating that you can be a leader while honing your leadership skills. It’s okay to not know what to do in the moment. Acknowledge that you rely on leadership, showing that you can be a trailblazer when needed; But knowing when to take the lead is also important. With this answer, you are showing that you will put a lot of effort into making a decisive decision.

Strict self-criticism

Sample answer:

“I take pride in making good work, but I feel like I struggle with myself to feel more satisfied with it. This has led to burnout in the past. However, I have started to fight this inner voice by taking care of myself before and after work. I’m also learning to recognize when my self-criticism is right and when I need to refute it.”

The answer above shows also works because:

It shows you’re willing to work on your weaknesses outside of work, not just during working hours.

It shows that your inner self-criticism may have valid points. Knowing when to get rid of it is key to preventing burnout and increasing productivity. At the same time, the way you solve problems shows that you are willing to grow and become a productive person.

Micromanaging

Sample answer:

“I used to work in industries where I had to build a good ethical foundation for my employees. This style of training was so ingrained in me that I forgot to distinguish who might need that training and who might not. I have read books on delegation and effective team building to overcome this shortcoming. One technique that works for me is to assure myself that if I set clear expectations, my team will follow through. I also learned to trust my team members.”

This answer is most relevant if you have been in a leadership position before and are applying for a management role. Although you are used to running a team in a particular way, you admit that when that method no longer works, you are ready to find a better alternative.

Talkative

Sample answer:

“I enjoy developing relationships with colleagues by engaging in conversation and that is a great team building skill. However, I have a habit of continuing the conversation to the point where it can distract other colleagues. Since then, I’ve learned that there are other ways to connect with colleagues; And if I do ask them, I need to be brief and redirect back to my work.”

This answer works because it shows you’re aware of the tendency to talk a lot which can be distracting in the workplace. It takes a lot of courage to admit it. It also shows that you are willing to develop relationships with colleagues but not at the expense of productivity.

Difficulty maintaining work-life balance

Sample answer:

“I have struggled with work-life balance, especially after I started working remotely during the pandemic. This stresses me out to the point where my productivity drops and I can’t do my best. Because I wanted to continue working remotely, I started setting clear start and end times. I have seen an improvement in my concentration during work hours.”

This answer works because it doesn’t just say, “I work a lot, so my home life is hard.” or “I worked so hard that I was exhausted, and I realized I needed to organize my day.” If you’ve struggled with work-life balance issues in the past, it’s important to be clear about how you’ve restored that balance and how it’s affected your work.

Regardless of the aspects, behind every weakness there is a strength. Strength lies in how you overcome weakness. Talk about working with your teammates to produce good results to show that you work as a team and know how to make good use of available resources. Taking professional development courses shows that you are willing to work on a weakness.

Regardless of which approach you use to our interview weakness response above, employers will be happy to help you develop it at work.