When you’re interviewing for a job, it can be nerve-wracking. Even confident individuals can feel pressure to answer in a way that makes them appear stronger than they actually are. Thus, job interview weaknesses are some of the hardest aspects of any interview. After all, who wants to admit their weaknesses?
Consequently, most people will try to remain confident and pretend their “weaknesses” aren’t really that bad. That being said, the interview is your chance to stand out from the rest of the crowd. You achieve that by demonstrating how your “weaknesses” actually make you a superior candidate! There are many different ways an interviewer might respond when you tell them about some perceived weakness.
Some might ask follow-up questions. Others may feel as if they need reassurance that you have taken steps to improve on this weakness. Still, others may not care at all and just want to move on with the interview. Regardless of how any given interviewer responds, however, it’s always best to answer honestly.
In this article – Dealing with job interview weaknesses
- Be upfront about your weakness
- Explain how you plan to improve
- Show that you know what you’re good at
- Demonstrate how this weakness has made you a better employee
- Don’t be afraid to show some personality
- Be honest, but focus on the positive
Related articles
- Job Interview Nervousness: How to Calm Your Nerves
- “Tell Me About Yourself” in a Job Interview: How to Articulate an Excellent Response
- How to Prepare for Job Interviews: Steps to Nail it!
- Job Interview & Questions: Tips for Medical Writers
- Is time management important?
- Literature Review Purpose
Be upfront about your weakness
The best way to start is to be upfront about your weakness, and then explain how you are working on it. It’s important to be honest about it. Even if the interviewer does not ask about any weaknesses during the interview, you should still prepare for this question. It’s best to do this after you’ve answered all the questions about your past work experience, skills, and education. This way, you have time to think about it.
If the interviewer asks you about your weaknesses, you don’t want to panic or say something that isn’t true. Although this is unlikely, if you don’t have any weaknesses, then you might sound like you are just trying to impress the interviewer, and they may not hire you because they think that you are not being honest. If you have one or two weaknesses that really aren’t very important, then the interviewer will probably ignore them, and focus more on your strengths.
Explain how you plan to improve
This is where you can really stand out. Whenever you mention your job interview weaknesses, follow it with your improvement plan. Explain how you’ve taken steps to improve yourself in the past and how you plan to keep improving in the future. For example, if you say you are not very good at public speaking, then the interviewer might ask you how you plan to improve on that. If you say that you have been taking public speaking classes with your company’s training department, then the interviewer will know that you are actively improving and have a plan in place.
Explain what steps you have taken in the past to improve on your weaknesses, and how you will continue to do so if hired. If you say that you have been educating yourself on accounting and financial statements, then the interviewer will know that you are serious about improving your knowledge and skills in the field.
Show that you know what you’re good at
Sometimes when you are interviewing, you might be asked what your greatest strengths are. You might also be asked what your greatest weaknesses are. If you have ever been asked these questions, then you probably have given an answer that focused more on your strengths.
However, when you face these questions, try to focus more on your strengths. Explain how you are good at what you do. If you are interviewing for a medical writing position, discuss how you are great at paying attention to detail and meeting deadlines. If you are interviewing for a project management position, then talk about how you are an expert in financial management and excel at researching, analyzing, and interpreting data.
Demonstrate how this weakness has made you a better employee
If you are interviewing for a project management position, for example, and you say that you are not very good at team building, the interviewer may ask you how this weakness has made you a better employee in accounting. If you have been working in teams, then this will show that you have been actively trying to improve in this area.
However, if you have just been working by yourself, then your answer may not seem very believable to the interviewer. You might want to try to think of another example that makes you seem more credible.
Remember, this is always important! Don’t let your weaknesses be the last thing you talk about in a job interview.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality
Job interview weaknesses don’t have to sound like negatives in your personality. While it is important to stay professional and avoid letting your confidence turn into arrogance, it is also important to let your personality shine through. You don’t want to just be another bland candidate who doesn’t stand out. You want to make sure that the interviewer remembers you as someone who would be a great addition to the company. This means that you need to prepare to stand out from the rest of the candidates.
One way you can do this is by being confident, but not arrogant, when responding to questions. It is also helpful to smile and make eye contact with the interviewer. You don’t want to be so over-the-top that you come across as fake. However, you do want to make sure that you relax and enjoy yourself during the interview.
Job interview weaknesses – Bottom line
Be honest, but focus on the positives. When answering any question, it is important to remember that it is best to be honest and focus on the positive aspects of your answer. If you are interviewing for a sales position, for example, and the interviewer asks how you would go about closing a deal that was $50,000 over the client’s budget, you may be tempted to say that you would just walk away from the deal. While that may be true, it doesn’t make you look very good.
You want to make sure that you focus on the positive aspects of your response. You might say something like: “I would first try to see if there was any wiggle room in the budget. If the client has already set the budget, then I would try to find a way to justify the extra cost so that the client doesn’t feel like they are getting ripped off.”
Conclusion
Keep these tips in mind, and you’re sure to make a great impression when it comes to addressing your job interview weaknesses. Turning job interview weaknesses into strengths is possible in almost every instance.
Now that you know how to address your weaknesses during the interview, there’s only one thing left to do: practice! The more you prepare for your interview, the better you’ll be able to address your weaknesses. You’ll also come across as confident and competent.
