What are your weaknesses?
This question is not designed to catch you out or to get you to launch into a long story about your weaknesses even though you might find it easier to list your weaknesses than your strengths.
On the other hand, no interviewer will believe you if you try to tell them that you do not have any weaknesses or that your biggest weakness is working incredibly long hours. What you need to do is try and come up with something different that shows you in a good light.
During the time you spent analysing your strengths, you probably came up with several weaknesses as well. Take time to revisit this list and add to it if necessary. Now take a step back and re-assess your list of weaknesses; are there any that you are already working on to improve or is there something that you would really like to start working on? The key is to choose something that is not a core requirement for the job but an area which by bettering yourself in will ultimately add extra value and show that you want to develop your skills.
It may be that the company uses a computer system that you have never used before but previous experience is not listed as being a key requirement for the position. Here you can state that for this position you believe your main weakness is the fact that you have never used this particular system however, you are quick to learn and are looking forward to the challenge (give a real example from a previous job where you had to learn a new system and how you did so quickly without impacting on your day to day tasks including mentioning any value that you added).
Or perhaps the job description mentions speaking French would be an advantage. You haven’t spoken French since you were at school but you have learnt to speak, or are fluent in, several other languages and know that it wouldn’t take you long to get up to speed with French.
In other words, talk about the weakness openly and honestly and in a positive and enthusiastic manner. No-one is perfect and the interviewer is more interested in hearing about how you are working on the weakness than the weakness itself.
Are you struggling to identify and talk confidently about your skills and strengths? Then get in touch to find out more about how I can help you.
