When you’re answering strengths and weaknesses questions in job interviews, it’s important to be genuine. You only need to have 1 or 2 answers available. If this is the weakness you choose to present during your interview, explain the ways you have learned to balance life and work and how you have seen your work improve as a result. Asking for help is a necessary skill both when you are lacking expertise in a certain area and when you are feeling burned out or cannot handle your workload. Job interviews aren’t easy, and you can never predict exactly what you’re going to be asked. Helping colleagues on projects and properly managing your workload is an artful balance. You might also explain how your weakness could be seen as a positive in the job. The information on this site is provided as a courtesy. But that doesn’t mean you’re not the perfect person for the job. That way I can still ensure quality without getting so caught up in the details that it affects my productivity or the team’s ability to meet the deadline.”. Be honest. Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes have a hard time letting go of a project. Keep it positive. The tricky greatest-weakness interview question can be answered 3 ways, and these 70+ weakness examples give you ideas on how you can pick your best 'weaknesses' for your next job interview. Framing your weaknesses positively can be challenging, but when you combine self-awareness with an action plan, you can quickly stand apart from other job applicants. This is a particularly good idea if you are at least a few years out of school, because then the employer can evaluate you on your work experience rather than your academics. 'What is your greatest weakness?' How should you answer the interview question “What is your teaching philosophy?” Here are several tips and examples to help you prepare. You probably won’t get far if you’re applying for an accounting job and your weakness is that you’re awful with numbers. By sharing that you focus too much on details, you’re showing your interviewer that you’re capable of helping the organization avoid even minor mistakes. Finally, while you want to be positive, you should also be honest. Be clear that you’re working towards addressing the weakness. The key to preparing for this question is to identify weaknesses that still communicate strength. It can be hard to answer the question, “What is your greatest weakness?”—especially when you expected to be discussing the skills, talents and capabilities that make you the strongest candidate for the job. As a result, I have made it a point to focus on creating space in my schedule to focus on volunteering and spending time with my family. Actionable interview tips: learn how to answer the job interview question about your professional weaknesses and how to avoid the most common mistakes. Share your strengths. For many interviewees, what to say for weaknesses in an interview is truly difficult because they don’t know where to start. In addition to learning about what you can do, the interviewer wants to know about what you can't do, or what you have difficulty with on the job. Here are a few areas that will effectively improve your overall preparedness. Most sales interviews also rely heavily on behavioral interview questions, and this means that the hiring manager will want to explore your ability in the key areas needed for success in a sales job, such as your ability to persuade, your presentation skills, and your persistence, etc.. Be sure, however, that you don’t answer with a weakness that is essential to the role. How you respond to the job interview weaknesses question says a great deal about you and that's why it's been around so long. Discussing your strengths and weaknesses can be one of the most difficult parts of the job interview. Presentation Skills. To do so, I have created a personal framework for times when I feel overwhelmed or confused by an ambiguous task including conducting structured research and asking subject matter experts for advice. A Particular Software. Fortunately, your interviewer won’t expect you to be too hard on yourself. Experiencing a lack of confidence can sometimes cause inefficiencies in your work. Imagine yourself in a job interview. Extremely Introverted. From an employer’s perspective, someone who accepts all requests seems dedicated and eager—but can also be someone who doesn’t know their limits and ends up needing help or deadline extensions to finish their work. In general, there are some strengths and weaknesses you should—and shouldn't—mention during a job interview. Example: “In my last position as a marketing intern, I found that my supervisor gave very specific instructions regarding my responsibilities. This is one way to describe ‘perfectionist’ tendencies more authentically. “Tell me about your greatest weaknesses,” […] As well as being prepared to mention weaknesses, it's important to discuss the strengths that qualify you for the job during the interview. All signs point to you getting the job and you are excited about it. Hard skills are job-specific abilities that are easily quantifiable. A few common areas people need experience in include: Lack of confidence is a common weakness, especially among entry-level contributors. Be cautious about choosing a weakness that might reinforce a negative gender stereotype, like being too emotional for women and being arrogant or thoughtless for men. Having weaknesses is natural for every human. Be prepared with examples of your work 7. Answer questions using the STAR method 5. Everyone has weaknesses -- your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect. Home > List of Weaknesses: Job Interview Answers and Examples. It’s an invitation to shine a spotlight on all the skills and experiences that make you a good fit for the job. But don't panic when a recruiter asks you this question—we've got your … So now you know how to pick the weakness: You are ready to move on to step 2 of the strategy… The Secret to Turning Your Weaknesses into Positives It is particularly useful when your weakness is a hard skill that can be easily learned. In short, because they can’t get a complete picture of you as a candidate by only talking about your strengths. If it is a skill that is easy to learn, you might also mention that you are currently developing that skill (or that you plan to develop that skill). They are developed through school and other forms of training. You can answer the "what are your weaknesses" job interview question without sabotaging yourself. How to talk about 5 common weaknesses in a job interview If you’ve ever been to a job interview, there’s a good chance you’ve been asked ‘What’s your greatest weakness?’ Many of us struggle to answer this and end up pointing to something that’s not really a weakness, such as ‘I’m a … These questions can take enormous powers of … A job is a problem to be solved. Interview questions weaknesses help and advice. Each candidate has areas to improve upon in their expertise. Of course, don’t highlight an academic weakness that is directly relevant to the job. Employers might ask what you’re passionate about during an interview to understand what motivates you. I have a hard time letting go of a project. Interview tips: 1. Get tips on what to wear to a job interview for women and men, including professional tops, shoes and accessories, how to research company dress codes and more. For example, being very detailed oriented is an asset for many positions. Extremely Extroverted. These answers only need to highlight one weakness so do not give a long list of weaknesses. By learning more about them, their communication style and motivations, I am better able to collaborate with these personality types so that we both equally contribute our strengths and skills.”. Some interviewers will follow up the weakness question with a second or third iteration of the same interrogative, so it behooves the job seeker to thoroughly prepare three weaknesses as job interview … question and provide some example responses. Here are a few examples of the best weaknesses to mention in an interview: Being detail-oriented is typically a good thing, but if you’re someone who tends to spend too much time on the specifics of a project, it could also be considered a weakness. By contrast, its typical companion question, “What are your weaknesses,” is a … Many jobs require candidates who are comfortable individually defining tasks and working towards goals. Finally, don’t let yourself be intimidated. Because I became familiar with having a strong direction, I tend to be unsure when approaching an ambiguous assignment or goal. The above is a great list of weaknesses for a job interview as it shows honesty. Finding work/life balance is important to maintain motivation in your job. To help myself improve in this area, I give myself deadlines for revisions. Weaknesses are tricky to talk about, so you need to be careful when sharing examples of yours. If you’re someone who is so eager to take on new projects that you can’t bring yourself to say “no” to, share how you’re working to better self-manage by organizing your tasks and setting more realistic expectations with yourself as well as those around you. However, it's critical you avoid mentioning weaknesses that will prevent you from performing well in the role. “I work too hard”) They get a little too honest about an actual weakness; Mistake #1: Playing Up A Weakness É grátis para se registrar e ofertar em trabalhos. This is the million-dollar question – how do you pick a good weakness to talk about in your interview? You don't want to knock yourself out of contention for the job because the interviewer thinks you're not qualified. However, by establishing the appropriate context, you can give hiring managers an honest, thoughtful answer that highlights both your self-awareness and professionalism. How you respond will also help the interviewer understand how well you know yourself, as well as whether you would be a good fit for the role. The list below includes 70+ examples of weaknesses that have been used successfully in job interviews by both men and women, so, in general, they are gender neutral. Example: “Because I am independent and enjoy working quickly, it has been difficult for me to ask for help when I need it. When you’re asked about your weaknesses, the employer wants to know whether you are qualified to do the job. Having problems in asking for help and time management are other common weaknesses. Job interview weaknesses relating to personal qualities. Below is a list of weaknesses. You should explain how you are overcoming (or plan to overcome) your weakness. While it is certainly a beneficial skill to closely follow detailed instruction, it is also necessary to be able to determine what it takes to achieve the desired outcome. Just make sure it is not necessary for the job, and emphasize how you are working on improving that skill. https://chasingourfinancialfreedom.com/list-of-weaknesses-with-examples Always put a positive spin when you’re giving an example to highlight the strength or weakness. When you’re answering strengths and weaknesses questions in job interviews, it’s important to be genuine. You are doing all you can to maintain the momentum and not blow it in the last minute. To avoid this, I’ve started being more proactive and paying attention to how I’m reacting to make sure I’m being motivational and helping foster efficiency.”, Related: Interview Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”. On top of that, always tell a story about your strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses you choose should ideally be: Not fundamental to the job. I also understand that there are many experts around me that have specific knowledge and skills that can make my work better. Recruit a friend to practice answering questions 6. Many job candidates are unsure how to approach this question. In our guide, we advise you on how to prepare for this question, and provide examples to use in your next job interview. If you decide to mention a hard skill, make sure it is not a skill necessary for the job. You might mention a hard skill as your weakness. Pick a real, work-related weakness that is not fundamental to your future employers. If you’re using this as your job interview weakness, frame your answer to focus on how you appreciate work completed on time and ways you’re improving your helping to improve processes to get work done more efficiently. É grátis para … In this article, we explain how to answer the 'What are your weaknesses?' You should also explain the steps you are taking to define your workday when given ambiguous tasks or goals. Alison Doyle is the job search expert for The Balance Careers, and one of the industry's most highly-regarded job search and career experts. During your interview, you can prepare answers to some common questions that many hiring managers ask. When you’re answering questions about weaknesses, always put a positive spin. Weaknesses in a Job Interview – FAQs ", Specific programs (i.e. It's essential to do your best to sell your qualifications to the interviewer, so you're a strong contender for a job offer. If you are wondering about the best weaknesses for job interview, you can utilise this approach. Example: “My greatest weakness is that I sometimes focus too much on the details of a project and spend too much time analyzing the finer points. For example, if you are applying for a job as an engineer, don’t say your weakness is a particular engineering course. Also on Glassdoor: How Long It Takes to Go Through the Interview Process & Find a Job. I’m a stickler for due dates and get uncomfortable when work is not completed on time. Give an example to highlight your point. You do want your answer to be honest, but as positive as possible. Read on to the last section for examples of good weaknesses to describe in job interviews. Good luck! For more tips on describing your weaknesses for interviews, check out our YouTube video below: “How to Answer What are Your Weaknesses.” … This can become problematic when I am not working on something that you need me to act on since that concentrate will mean I’ll do it if I should not. Ultimately, you'll want to use this question to demonstrate how you've used a weakness as motivation to learn a new skill or grow professionally. The interview is your opportunity to impress the interviewer with your skills, knowledge and experience. In the past, this has led me to feel stressed or burnt out. The weaknesses you choose should ideally be: Not fundamental to the job. While I am still working on it, I have been able to produce more high-quality work as a result of getting help from those around me.”. Even the most flexible people can have trouble working with others that have certain characteristics or personality traits. If you think carefully about the job ahead of time and prepare an answer, you will be able to remain positive while still being honest. Some examples of hard skills you might mention when answering an interview question about your weaknesses are: Soft skills are important for almost every job. How to Discuss Your Weaknesses in a Nursing Interview. Among the possible interview questions, the greatest weakness interview question causes universal dread in most job candidates.In fact, the more qualified a candidate is, the higher the degree of dread. If you are interviewing for a position in which it is necessary to have your phone on and available at all times, you might not want to say you turn your phone off at night to achieve work/life balance. If you know it has been difficult to ask for help in the past, explain why you know it is beneficial and the ways you have tried to improve this skill. is a common question asked by employers during an interview to determine if the interviewee has self-awareness and the ability to identify and overcome their weaknesses. If this has been a weakness of yours in the past, explain the personality types you have had trouble working with and quickly identify the reasons why. This will show the interviewer you’re introspective enough to know your areas of opportunity. Of course, you want to make sure you don’t come across as someone who can’t work well with co-workers. Before providing this as an example, you should do extensive research about the company culture. “I would like to improve my PowerPoint presentation skills.”), List of Weaknesses: 10 Things to Say in an Interview, Interview Question: “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?”, Interview Question: “Tell Me About Yourself”. One of the trickiest interview questions to answer is, “What is your greatest weakness?” This question is challenging because it’s easy to answer in a way that comes off as dishonest (“I have no weaknesses!”) or disqualifying (“I am bad at this one skill that’s an absolute must-have for this job.”). Being detail-oriented is typically a good thing, but if you’re someone who tends to... 2. Nobody is perfect. At the same time, though, last-minute reviews can help eliminate errors and make for a more refined finished product. When you’ve spent a great deal of time and effort on something, it’s easy to feel apprehensive about marking it complete or passing it on to another team. “Tell me about your greatest weaknesses,” […] Interview Questions Weaknesses. How to Prepare for a Job Interview. While they are important, you can pick out one soft skill to mention as a weakness. Discussing one’s weaknesses in an interview is extremely common. The curveball comes when you’re asked about weaknesses in a job interview. These samples are more about how some personality traits can be a weakness in some scenarios. It also helps them get a better idea about you personally to see if you’re a good fit for the company. Soft skills are important for almost every job. Then someone on the panel drops the bombshell. Too detail oriented. For example, if you say your weakness is a particular software program, you might say that you are currently taking an online course on how to use the program (of course, only say this if it is true). When it comes to job interview questions, the classic “What are your greatest strengths?” is a softball. or a similar question is one you can expect from interviewers. This means they should be experienced, thoughtful and responsible with ambiguity in the workplace. It’s an invitation to shine a spotlight on all the skills and experiences that make you a good fit for the job. The curveball comes when you’re asked about weaknesses in a job interview. If you’re preparing for a job interview and wondering how to address what your weaknesses are, here’s your quick guide on what to say, what not to say, and why it even comes up. I focus too much on the details. However, do not choose a weakness at random. With this job interview tip, you’ll be able to ace your next interview. This is … When you are applying for an administrative or office position, a typical job interview question is, "What is your greatest weakness?"