Let the interviewer see ‘good’ in you as you respond to the question on ‘weakness’

Tell us something about your weaknesses – one of the frequently asked questions in job interviews – continues to baffle people.  This was also asked to me in the recent career development workshop I conducted for our office interns. Hence, I decided to write on this issue.

I would offer the following tips and examples:

Be honest: Choose a weakness that you have identified through self-reflection or as feedback you received from someone. This shows that you are aware of your areas for improvement.

Keep it professional: Avoid sharing overly personal or unrelated weakness. Stick to a weakness that is work-related and can be addressed within a professional context. However, refrain from sharing a weakness that impacts the essential functions of the job.

Inform that you are working on the weakness: Give specific examples of how you are working on improving this aspect of yourself. Mention any courses, workshops, or mentorships you are engaged in. This will also demonstrate your enthusiasm for continuous learning and improvement.

Examples

For a job that does not require communication as a core competence, you may say the following:

I am not good at public speaking. While I’m comfortable communicating in one-on-one or in small group settings, addressing large gatherings is a bit more challenging for me. To tackle this weakness, I’ve enrolled in workshops and courses focused on presentation skills. I also look for opportunities to speak at team meetings or industry events. With each experience and feedback, I am getting better.

Another example

I find it difficult to say ‘no’ to the requests being made to me. While this makes me a cordial and cooperative person, I often end up taking too much on my plate and get stressed.   I discussed the situation with a few friends. I gathered I am not the only one facing this situation, and there are ways to deal with this without sounding negative or rude. It is important to mention the current tasks you are working on, their deadlines to explain why it is not possible to take on more.  I am working on this now and already see the difference.

The trick lies in answering in a way that interviewers see ‘good’ in you as you describe your weakness.