How to Answer ‘What are Your Weaknesses?’

When interviewers ask about your weaknesses, it can be challenging to know what to say, especially as most of your preparation will be done with the aim of presenting yourself in the most positive light.

When interviewers ask this question, they’re looking for honesty, self-awareness and a commitment to personal development. When answered well, this question can really help to set you apart from other candidates.

Firstly, never say that you don’t have any weaknesses. This is an obvious lie that won’t impress your interviewer and get you through to the next round. Before your interview, really think about the struggles you face at work and try to identify which weaknesses could be contributing to this. 

For example, you might find that you get easily stressed when tasked with working on multiple projects. This might be because you have trouble managing your workload and competing priorities. If you’re having trouble thinking of weaknesses yourself, don’t be afraid to ask your manager or colleagues what they think. 

A weakness could be anything from lacking confidence and becoming easily stressed to not being able to let go of a project and struggling to maintain a work/life balance. Whatever you identify, make sure you can relate it to your work and can explain how and why you’re improving on that weakness.

Next, find a way of talking about your weakness in a positive way. The key thing is to talk about your weakness and follow up with an action plan. Tell your interviewer how you’re working on turning this weakness around to show that you’re both self-aware and proactive. Some of the actions you can take could include:

• Making changes to your lifestyle (e.g., getting more sleep, practising mindfulness, exercising more, changing up your daily routine)
• Taking a course (e.g., a refresher course on a particular skill)
• Attending a workshop (e.g., to improve your confidence with public speaking, communication, project management)
• Implementing a new tool into your work (e.g., an app to help you manage tasks)

Once you’ve outlined the actions you’re taking, talk about the results you’ve already seen and the progress you’ve made, and explain how this has already helped you in your work. Finish on a positive note by saying that you’ve really seen the value in owning your weaknesses and turning them around, and that this is an approach you will take in any future jobs.