Imagine as if you are presently attending the interview and you are happy that everything is going on well.
You arrive on time to impress your prospective employer, you are making excellent eye contact as per your career guidance professional, and you are giving the right answer to every question that is thrown at you.
Now, you might be confident to get the job, until the interviewer, puts forth the question ‘what is your biggest weakness?’
The situation
Once the question is raised, you know very well that you should not give a quick answer. So, you take your time and suddenly realize that you are not sure how to answer this question.
You might be tempted to say ‘I have no weaknesses’. But, will this answer be the real one. If you give this answer, your prospective boss will identify that you are a liar or he will judge that you do not know about your own weaknesses.
This is because every human being has their own weaknesses. Since you cannot give a pass like in a game show, here are some techniques you can follow if such a question is raised in the future:
Also Read: How To Identify & Overcome Your Weakness?
‘I tend to talk too much’
Analyze whether this is actually your weakness. You may think that when I give this answer the interviewer will feel that I would prefer to spend half of the day in idle chit chat with colleagues.
But, you are wrong. You can illustrate your effectiveness in communication and this will give a good impression in the mind of interviewer and he might think you to be the right person to talk to clients if you are appointed for the position.
But, give this answer only when the position for which you have applied needs more conversation with others like sales position.
‘I project self-expectations’
This answer will give an impression that you expect high levels of expectations from your own work and even from those around you.
But, you should also communicate that the skill level of each person will differ from other people and also the grasping level will differ.
So, you should tell that when you are given a leadership position, you will accordingly hone the skills of your subordinates.
You can explain that you can motivate each person in your team to perform at their best for ensuring the success of the project.
‘I assume the leadership role when it is not assigned to me’
Even though, leadership is not frequently referred to as a good quality as you cannot be a leader wherever you go, when it comes to workplace, when you have good leadership skills, you can drive your co-workers crazy.
Even though, you showcase this as your weakness, it will also show that you are interested in taking up responsibilities.
‘I am workaholic’
When you give this answer, you are at the risk of putting too much expectation on yourself. Your answer should not give the impression that you will spend most of the time in office.
You can state that this weakness will make you think about your work even during weekends. This answer is to portray that you take the job seriously and you can state that even during weekends, I will take steps to improve my job skills.
The right questions and answers
Remember that rather than thinking about the answer after this question was put forth in the interview, it is better to prepare your answers well in advance. This is because this is one among the many common interview questions.
It is better to conduct a real analysis about your weaknesses, rather than giving the answer on the go. Identify your actual weakness and also identify how you can put forth the same in a positive manner and in a way that it will be fruitful for your prospective employer.
Be realistic in your answer and remember that the interviewer should never feel you as a liar. For instance, when you say that I am talkative and hardly open your mouth in the interview, it will not create a good impression in the minds of interviewers.
When this question is asked, be confident when you give the answer and also try to make a professional and memorable impression, so that you can set yourself apart from the crowd of competitors.
Remember that hiring managers know that people make mistakes and they have weaknesses and they just want to know how the weakness is handled. This should be remembered when you attend the interview and accordingly give a wise answer.
