What do you do if you're asked about your weaknesses in a job interview?

Acknowledge Areas for Growth: Be honest about areas where you can improve, but frame them as opportunities for growth rather than shortcomings. Focus on Solutions: Instead of dwelling on weaknesses, emphasize your proactive approach to addressing them. Discuss steps you've taken or are willing to take to improve in those areas. Highlight Strengths: Pivot the conversation towards your strengths and how they outweigh any weaknesses. Showcase your abilities and achievements to demonstrate your overall competency for the role. Show Self-awareness: Demonstrate self-awareness by discussing how you've learned from past experiences and how you're committed to continuous self-improvement.

Determine if this is the moment that I can roll my eyes without anyone noticing. I remember someone asking me that question when I interviewed for a job over 20 years ago. Really, still asking that one? I don't know what the current guidance is on this one but I'd be tempted to ask them if they're hiring someone for their strengths or weaknesses.

When asked about your weaknesses in a job interview, it's important to approach the question with honesty and a positive outlook. Start by choosing a real area where you feel you could improve, and discuss it openly. However, the key is to frame this weakness as an opportunity for growth. Share specific steps you're taking or plan to take to overcome this weakness, demonstrating your proactive attitude and commitment to professional development. This strategy shows that you're self-aware, willing to face challenges head-on, and dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.

Be honest: Acknowledge a genuine weakness or area for improvement, but avoid mentioning critical skills or qualifications required for the job. Choose a weakness that is not directly relevant to the role or can be framed in a positive light. Focus on improvement: After discussing your weakness, emphasize the steps you've taken or are taking to address it. Highlight any efforts you've made to develop new skills, seek feedback, or overcome challenges related to your weakness. Showcase self-awareness: Demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and are actively working to grow and improve. Employers value candidates who are self-aware and proactive about self-improvement.

When faced with the weakness question in an interview, I believe in being genuine yet strategic. For instance, I might mention my tendency to get caught up in details, but I'd explain how I've learned to balance this by setting clear priorities and delegating effectively. Sharing real experiences, like how I streamlined a project by focusing on the big picture while trusting my team with the finer points, adds credibility and depth to my response.

There are several ways to admit to or talk about your weaknesses. To begin with, always do it honestly. Then you can share if you are already working on those weaknesses and if they are improving. You may also want to go into where those weaknesses are stemming from because for some things that are considered weaknesses there can be a thin line between them and strengths. You can also mention if those weaknesses could be strengths in certain situations. Hopefully you can also share being very acceptive of feedback and that you welcome when people point out to you how you can improve and grow as a person and a professional, that you consider that kind of feedback to be a gift and an opportunity.

I would invite you to reframe 'positively' with 'optimism'. Often when we focus on the word positive, we deny the reality of life which is polar opposite, negative. Instead, we can acknowledge the challenge, how it impacted our performance and how we focused on the vision ahead to work towards a desired outcome that was a win-win situation. This shows your ability to be realistic, but also to turn challenges into stepping stones towards something better.

The goal is to maintain a positive tone in your response. Make sure to frame your weaknesses in a constructive light and focus on how you are addressing them. Show your proactive attitude and resilience!

E.g.,-While I'm excellent at multitasking, I recognize that maintaining focus is a challenge for me & I've actively tried to work on it. At my previous job, I was tasked with managing 3 training programs simultaneously. While I excelled in coordinating various programs, I noticed that my attention would drift between tasks, affecting focus on individual programs. So I tried a few things- Utilized my time effectively, used time blocking for specific tasks and set clear priorities. I turned off all notifications on my mobile and laptop to minimize distractions and time wasters. This approach ensured that my attention and dedication reached where it was due. By proactively addressing this weakness, I'm on my way to turn it into a strength.

One example is: One of my weaknesses is that I tend to get so absorbed in my work that I sometimes lose track of time. While my dedication allows me to produce high-quality results, I've realized that it's important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I've started using time management techniques such as setting reminders and scheduling regular breaks throughout the day. Additionally, I've been exploring mindfulness practices to help me stay present and maintain perspective. By prioritizing self-care and time management, I'm confident that I can maintain my productivity while also taking care of my well-being

My weakness…..peanut M&Ms. This is a wasted question. I show that I have a sense of humor ..even during interviews. Let me tell you about my work experience and my strengths.

The weakness should be real and work-related. I disagree with the prompt here, though, and believe it is okay to offer something that is significant if you can show with specificity how you manage it or how you have overcome it in the past.

Know your Strengths from Clifton Strengths or your Working Frustrations from The 6 Types of Working Genius. Share those and how you use them to complement others on a team.

You can discuss any progress you've made in overcoming or mitigating your weaknesses. Mention any training, tools, or strategies you've adopted to improve. This shows employers your commitment to personal and professional development.

Addressing weaknesses in a job interview is an opportunity to demonstrate growth and initiative. After acknowledging the weakness, discuss proactive steps taken to improve, like attending workshops or practicing new skills. Show that you're not complacent and have a plan to turn the weakness into a strength. This approach showcases your commitment to personal and professional development.

Own your weakness. Everyone has weaknesses, no matter how experienced they are. When sharing about your weaknesses, if you've been actively working on it, share it as well! You are showing confidence and ownership of areas you're actively trying to improve :)

Be honest. You are not doing anyone a favor by covering up (certainly not yourself if you end up getting the job asking you to be in that role where you are not great in). Share a real-life experience and how you managed it, and if you learned something new from there, talk about that.

Let's call out the purpose of the "what are weaknesses" question in an interview. Everyone has them -what they are wanting to know: do you have self-awareness? Self-awareness directs one's focus on how to be better, establishes a growth mindset that encourages self-reflection, and learning from your failures. At times your strengths can also be a weakness. E.g., my #1 Clifton strength: Focus- that means I can become hyper-focused at times- which can prevent me from seeing the big picture or rush in without considering options. Hence, why self-awareness is important. I need to take a pause, collaborate, and then take action. Hint- another version of this question- Tell me about when you received constructive feedback on your work?