What Is One of Your Weaknesses?
Worried
about what to say if you get this question during an interview? Talking
about yourself and your experience with a recruiter or your prospective
boss during an interview can feel stressful. While this level of
vulnerability may seem intimidating, discussing weaknesses is a common
topic that you can anticipate for an interview in nearly any industry.
Being open and honest—with a strategy in mind—can actually be a sign of strength! Identifying weaknesses is an opportunity to show how you overcame past challenges and are working to improve.
Putting Things into Perspective
When an interviewer asks about a weakness, it means they are focused most on your thought process and level of self-awareness. For example, when evaluating your answer, recruiters are often looking for candidates who have a growth mindset and are open to feedback.
When crafting your answer, it's important to be honest so your response is credible; but don't be too hard on yourself. There's always room for improvement! The point of discussing your weaknesses is to show that you're in control of your professional development and aware of your flaws. Your answer should demonstrate that you're motivated to grow and ready to take on any future challenges.
STAR Answers: Improve Weakness with a Plan
Anecdotes or stories are an excellent way to make your points and paint a positive picture of yourself. When answering behavioral interview questions, consider using the STAR method to craft your response.
A good rule of thumb is to think of examples as you prepare for the interview and apply this method to break down a scenario into specific details that explain how you successfully navigated it:
Situation: Offer some background on the task or challenge that you'll be addressing
Task: Define your role and responsibilities for the particular situation
Action: Explain what steps you took or ideas you offered to help solve the problem
Result: Share how the situation was resolved, highlighting how your actions helped
Self-awareness is key when determining what to share and how. When using the STAR method to discuss your weaknesses, talk about something that doesn't negatively affect your ability to perform well in the role.
For example, someone who struggles with public speaking may say:
"It can be challenging for me to speak in front of a crowd and feel comfortable. I recently joined a book club where we meet weekly to discuss different themes and share our thoughts. Since it's important to contribute to team meetings at work, I set a goal to share at least 3 thoughts during each book club meeting to practice presenting my ideas in front of other people. I actually look forward to our weekly meetings and this experience is helping me gain confidence in my public speaking abilities."
Highlight growth. Be honest and use your answer to show that you're self-motivated in how you're working to improve.
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