Preparing for The Interview: What’s Your Greatest Weakness?

Got an upcoming interview and wondering how to answer what is your biggest weakness? You’re not alone. This common interview question keeps others up at night, too. It’s a tricky one. No one wants to talk about their weaknesses. After all, an interview is when you’re supposed to talk about what makes you great.

How to answer what is your biggest weakness

The key is not necessarily what you say, but how you describe overcoming your weakness. That is what an interviewer is looking for. They understand that none of us are perfect. It’s how you work hard to improve that sets you apart from the competition.

Don’t say you’re a perfectionist

This one has been worn out. Instead, be more honest. You want to include a good example of your weakness, but not one that will prevent you from doing well in the role. For example, if you’re applying to be a hairdresser, you wouldn’t want to say that you aren’t great at cutting hair. But if you’re applying to be a customer service representative, you could say that you get frustrated when you feel like you aren’t helping someone who called in.

Show growth

Don’t leave your answer just at what your greatest weakness is. Expand to talk about how you’re working hard to overcome it. Getting back to the customer service example, you could go on to say that when you find yourself feeling frustrated, you’ve made extra attempts to ask the person questions. This helps you better understand what they need, so you can provide information that really helps.

Tell a story

Everyone loves stories, and these are more likely to stick in the mind of the interviewer, making you memorable as they interview others for the role. When you give your answer about how you’re working to improve and get better, spin it into a story. For the customer service example, you could talk about a phone call you took and what the person needed help with. Then, describe the questions you asked to learn more and finally, the successful outcome of the call and how it made you feel.

Practice, practice, practice

Work on a good answer to this, and rehearse it along with other common interview questions. This way, it will be second nature at your interview!

Looking for your next job?

If this interview doesn’t work out, don’t worry! We can help you find others. To learn more, contact Inter-Connect today!