During an in
terview, when you feel like you’ve done everything right to impress the interviewer and show that you’re the best candidate for the job, the last thing you want to hear the interviewer say is the dreaded, “What’s your biggest weakness?” The problem is, this question will almost always get asked, no matter how you might hate it.
There might not be a “perfect” answer that you can recite to get this right. Don’t fret—there are things you can do to answer interview questions properly.
Be Honest
The biggest mistake that applicants make when responding to this question is giving “canned” answers. You may have heard or read somewhere that saying “I’m a perfectionist” or “I’m a workaholic” would be the best answer. Wrong! Interviewers have heard these answers countless times. Reciting canned answers will only put you in a bad light.
Whenever you answer this question, your honesty would be a welcome sight to interviewers, since most applicants try their best to show that they’re “perfect.”
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is something that everyone should work on. Knowing yourself well enough to able to provide an honest answer, while also giving an answer that would not affect the position you are applying for, is the key to success. If you are applying for a position as a programmer, then saying that your creative skills are not as good as your analytical skills is the way to go. For you to be able to give answers like this, you need to study yourself. Identify traits or skills that you are lacking but that would not ruin your performance.
Show Maturity
Every employer would want an employee who is mature, someone who knows how to handle tough situations. Maturity would help reassure a potential employer. Give a weakness, while following it up with stories telling how worked on improving this weakness.
Relax and Show Confidence
There are times when this question isn’t really about your answer. Rather, the interviewer just wants to see how you handle pressure.
As you go to your next interview, don’t be afraid of any question that gets thrown at you. Composure and honesty are two traits that employers would like to see in their employees. Don’t be afraid to show that you aren’t perfect. After all, no one is!
