Our strength grows out of our weaknesses ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.
It’s the usual scene; you are writing out a form or attending an interview and get stuck at the question regarding your weaknesses. Why is it so difficult? This could be because of that fact that you are unwilling to accept that you have flaws in your personality or probably because you are thinking about who would hire you with a weakness in the foreground! Come to think of it, this is probably logically right. But, portraying your weaknesses in such a way that they look like strengths is one of the tricks that you will have to learn. Though it might not seem so, this question is more of a brainteaser and a serious one at that! Positivity, confidence and a presence of mind is what you need to answer this question. Planning and deliberating are the best ways to prepare yourself for such a mind tickler. When posed with the query, a silent awkwardness is hardly preferred! Remember that everyone has weaknesses and hiding them does not make them vanish or less evident. For an appropriate way to handle the situation, read on the following section!
What Are Your Weaknesses Job Interview Questions
How The Question Can Be Asked:
- What are your weaknesses?
- Name two things about yourself that you would like to change.
- What challenges you the most?
- Do you have any drawbacks?
- Which are your areas of difficulty?
Steps To Keep In Mind:
Understand
To be honest, the real reason why you are asked this question is not to belittle you in front of the interviewer but to know if you can handle the pressure. More than the answer, your behaviour is noted. To respond with an “I don’t have any weaknesses” is probably showing them that you are unaware of yourself or are maybe overconfident. A crucial thing to take note of is that having a weakness does not mean you are weak!
Be Prepared
There is no better way to tackle the situation than expecting a volley of weakness questions to be thrown at you! Without wasting any time, identify your primary weaknesses. Now, this can be difficult if you have no clue what we’re saying! Take the help of close ones and friends and discuss what your drawbacks could be. At the interview, you won’t have to fumble.
Clarity
Try not to repeat yourself or beat around the bush. When you’re explaining too much, the panel tends to get bored. If they don’t find the specific answer they are looking for, then you might have problems! Also, spending too much time on one question can hamper your chances of responding to other questions that you are actually confident of.
Wait
As you might already know, patience is a virtue! After you answer the question, wait for the interviewer to have his say. Sometimes this might be for an uncomfortable period of time, but don’t give in and start explaining yourself. Just wait confidently for a feedback.
Strength Backup
Hopefully you’ve received your feedback by now! Be ready to back this up with a strength that you know of. Talk about how you plan to overcome this weakness (preferable how you are dealing with it right now) or how many benefits you possess. Using your strengths and weaknesses to your advantage is the only way you can come out of this sticky situation. Unless you are able to show the interviewer that you have the perfect combination of both, the exercise is futile!
Examples Of Communicating Your Weaknesses:
- I feel that I am a person who is not too observant of details because I have the need to accomplish more in a short time. I am trying to find that perfect balance between quantity and quality.
- I am a self-critical person and can be too hard on myself at times. Sometimes, this might affect the nature of my work but I am working on it as I like to rectify my mistakes as early as possible.
- I have a strange thing that I consider a weakness. When I meet someone and they introduce themselves to me, I immediately forget their name! Remembering a face and not a name is a painful affair. I need to make more of an effort in the future.
These are some of the important tips of identifying and talking about your weaknesses in your pursuit of nailing the job interview! You owe us half your salary now, just kidding!
