Mastering the Job Interview #3: What’s Your Greatest Weakness?
Interviews are hard. No, they drive us crazy. However difficult they are, they are not impossible. In this regular series, we cover off on interview questions and how to answer them. Feel free to leave us your own thoughts as well.
The interview is going smoothly. You’ve outlined your strengths, spoken to why you want the job, and perfectly explained what the company is about. Out of nowhere, you’re hit by a big question:
What’s your greatest weakness?
Freezing in time, you wonder why you’re even being asked such a question. They want you for your strengths right? Do they care that I might think too much? Do they care that I’m all over the place in my ideas?
Let’s explore this question a bit.
What the Question Really Means
Truth be told, your employer doesn’t really care what you are weak at. If it affected your ability to do the job, they wouldn’t want to speak to you in the first place. In any work situation, the less a company or your boss knows about your weakness, the better.
Yup, this is a trick question.
What this question really sets out to answer is your ability to navigate a trick question and turn your challenges into a benefit for the company.
How to Tackle this Question
The answer to this question is two-fold:
- What your actual weakness is
- Why the weakness is actually a strength
Like all of the other interview questions we’ve discussed, answering this question also requires knowing who you are and what you are weak at. Here are some quick tips:
- DO NOT ramble on about your weakness. Sure you have some deficiencies, but no one needs to hear a story.
- DO NOT disparage anyone in your answer. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that you are overly critical of others.
- DO angle. Your weakness can also be a strength. Do you think too much? Great, that makes your decisions more calculated. Do you have too many ideas? Awesome, companies are always looking for more ways to innovate.
- DO keep your answer short. Be short and powerful, and then let your interviewer ask the next question.
Closing Thoughts
At the end of the day, it’s also important to know that there aren’t really any glaring human weaknesses, only weaknesses that when angled incorrectly, seem like they are.
Good luck!
This was originally posted on Albert’s List. Read more posts like this at www.albertslist.org/blog.
