Interview Question: What is your biggest weakness?

What the interviewer is really asking:

It's equally likely that the interviewer is asking you, "Can you see weakness in yourself?" as it is that the interviewer is asking you, "Will you outwardly bash yourself and convince me not to hire you?"

How to answer this question:

Jokingly say "I'm an obsessive perfectionist," and try to laugh. It will open everybody up.

Honestly, this is probably the biggest BS question that people ask. I understand what the interviewer is trying to find out by asking it, but there are MANY better questions that also get the same results, and can get the same results with a more honest response.

Regardless, almost everybody asks it, so have something prepared that sounds vaguely like a weakness but really is a thinly veiled strength. Something like, “If I have time, I really have a hard time letting go of a difficult problem,” can sound almost like a weakness but really isn’t.

Another strategy for this question is to mention a weakness you used to have in the past, but then talk about how you overcame it. It’s a bit indirect, but it works.

Comments

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