Weakness; A Downside of Strength
After about 43 searches through Google and Bing with this question showing up in almost every search, it is safe to say it is one of the most difficult interview questions. “What is your biggest weakness?” How do you talk about your flaws in a setting where it’s all about selling yourself? It can be likened to discussing a funeral at a wedding, or maybe not that bad.
The key to answering this question is to understand that a “weakness” in the context of a job interview is different from its day-to-day use. In the context of a job interview, a weakness is simply the cons of a given strength. When answering this question it is important to highlight the strength, state the downside of the strength (without dwelling too much on it) and clearly indicate the action or actions you have taken to correct the weakness.
Here is an example of how to answer the question.
Highlight the strength: Being a perfectionist, I take pride in my work and I sometimes doubt other’s capabilities. As a result I have taken on more responsibilities than most of my team members in the past.
State the cons: The down side was that other team members had limited opportunities to gain exposure or better their skill set on these projects.
Clearly indicate the action taken: In recent times, I do a work breakdown to identify all the tasks for a project , assign responsibilities to each team member and document the responsibilities and associated tasks for reference. Overall, I have learned to believe in my team and everyone now has equal opportunity on every project.
Copyright 2016| GapBridging Career Services | All Rights Reserved
