what to say for biggest weakness in an interview

Are yous prepared to discuss your weaknesses during a job interview? One of the trickiest interview questions to answer is, "What is your greatest weakness?" This question is challenging because information technology's easy to answer in a style that comes off as dishonest ("I have no weaknesses!") or disqualifying ("I am bad at this 1 skill that's an accented must-accept for this job.")

There are ways to respond finer and strategies yous tin can use to best answer the question, so the weaknesses you lot mention don't impact your adventure of getting the job.

Why Interviewer Enquire About Weaknesses

And so why do hiring managers ask this question during job interviews? In brusk, because they tin can't get a complete moving picture of you every bit a candidate by only talking nigh your strengths.

In addition to learning about what you can do, the interviewer wants to know about what you lot tin't do, or what you have difficulty with on the job.

How you respond will too assistance the interviewer empathise how well y'all know yourself, as well as whether you would be a adept fit for the role. It also shows the interviewing that you know that nobody is perfect, and that you're willing to piece of work to improve your skills and excel.

How to Reply Interview Questions About Weaknesses

What should you talk about when yous're asked what you can improve? Weaknesses are tricky to talk well-nigh, so you need to be conscientious when sharing examples of yours. You lot don't want to knock yourself out of contention for the chore because the interviewer thinks y'all're not qualified. You lot too don't want to come across every bit as well arrogant and perfect, considering about nobody is.

You do want your answer to be honest, but as positive as possible. Exist conscientious when y'all reply questions about weaknesses (and strengths), and you'll exist able to show how you're a practiced fit for the job.

Focus on steps you are taking to improve on your weaknesses, and avoid mentioning weaknesses in skills that are important for the job.

If you recollect carefully about the job alee of time and prepare an answer, you will be able to remain positive while still existence honest.

The Balance

Listing of Weaknesses

What are the all-time weaknesses to mention during an interview? There are different categories of weaknesses that yous tin can cull from when answering interview questions about your shortcomings.

Yet, practise not choose a weakness at random. Instead, make sure the one you select is not critical to the job, and mention in your interview the means you program to improve upon this weakness.

Difficult Skills

You lot might mention a hard skill every bit your weakness. Difficult skills are job-specific abilities that are hands quantifiable. They are developed through school and other forms of preparation. Examples of hard skills include estimator skills, finance, mathematics, and more.

If you decide to mention a difficult skill, make certain information technology is not a skill necessary for the job.

If it is a skill that is piece of cake to larn, yous might also mention that you are currently developing that skill (or that you program to develop that skill). For example, if yous say your weakness is a particular software program, you might say that you are currently taking an online grade on how to use the program (of grade, only say this if it is truthful).

Some examples of hard skills you might mention when answering an interview question about your weaknesses are:

• Avant-garde mathematics
• Creative writing
• Fiscal literacy
• Foreign languages (or one particular foreign language)
• A item software package
• Spelling

Soft Skills

Soft skills are important for most every task. Unlike hard skills, these are skills that are hard to quantify. They encompass your personality traits, your communication abilities, and your social skills.

While they are important, you could option out one soft skill to mention as a weakness. Just brand sure information technology is not necessary for the job, and emphasize how yous are working on improving that skill.

Some soft skills you might mention when answering questions about your weaknesses include:

• Inventiveness (many jobs don't crave creativity)
• Delegating tasks (if you lot're not in a management role, you won't need to consul)
• Humor (it's fine if you're not funny)
• Spontaneity (you work amend when prepared)
• Organisation
• Patience
• Taking as well many risks
• Beingness too honest

Interpersonal Skills

You might mention a weakness that relates to your ability to interact with others. Of course, yous desire to brand sure you don't come beyond every bit someone who can't piece of work well with co-workers. Choice one specific upshot yous struggle with, and and then talk about how you have worked to meliorate on this type of interaction. Examples of interpersonal skills you might mention as weaknesses include:

• Confrontation
• Covering for co-workers
• Expecting likewise much from colleagues
• Expressing too much frustration with underperforming staff or colleagues
• Presenting to large groups
• Public speaking
• Being too disquisitional of other people's work
• Too easily internalizing the problems of clients
• Being too sensitive

Work Ethic

You don't want to say that your weakness is that you lot "work besides hard." This will come up across as insincere. Withal, you might explicate how you exercise certain things in backlog at piece of work. This will show that you work hard, but it will be a more honest answer. Examples of weaknesses related to your work ethic might include:

• Leaving projects unfinished
• Providing too much particular in reports
• Shifting from one projection to some other (multitasking)
• Taking credit for grouping projects
• Taking on also many projects at once
• Taking on too much responsibility
• Beingness as well detail-oriented
• Beingness too much of a perfectionist
• Too much procrastination (equally long as yous still run into all your deadlines)
• Being too helpful to others
• Working as well many hours

Academics

You can also refer to an academic skill or ability equally a weakness. This is a particularly good idea if you are at least a few years out of school, because then the employer can evaluate yous on your piece of work experience rather than your academics.

Of course, don't highlight an bookish weakness that is directly relevant to the chore. For example, if yous are applying for a job as an engineer, don't say your weakness is a particular engineering course. Some examples of weaknesses related to academics include:

• Coursework (a particular course you struggled with)
• Essay writing (be sure to emphasize your strength in other forms of writing)
• Being overly involved in on-campus activities (if a pupil or recent graduate)
• Spending too much fourth dimension on schoolhouse assignments
• Standardized tests

What to Say During an Interview

Focus on qualities not necessary for the job. When you consider which weaknesses to mention in an interview, keep in mind that you lot should focus on qualities that are not central to the requirements of the job for which you are interviewing. For example, if you are applying for a job in accounting, you don't want to say your weakness is mathematics.

Go along it positive. It'southward important to try and remain positive. You might also explain how your weakness could be seen as a positive in the job. For case, being very detailed oriented is an asset for many positions.

While it might seem incommunicable to do this in a question about weaknesses, all you accept to do is to simply avoid using negative words like "weak" and "failure."

Emphasize your plan of activity. You should explicate how you are overcoming (or plan to overcome) your weakness. It is particularly useful when your weakness is a hard skill that tin can be hands learned. You might even phrase your answer as, "One skill I am currently working on…"

Share your strengths. Equally well as being prepared to mention weaknesses, it's important to hash out the strengths that qualify you for the job during the interview. It'due south also essential to do your best to sell your qualifications to the interviewer, so you're a strong contender for a task offer.

Exist honest. Finally, while you want to be positive, you should also be honest. Answers similar, "I don't have any flaws" will come across as insincere.

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Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/list-of-weaknesses-2063805

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