How to talk about weaknesses in a job interview

It may seem unusual to hear an interviewer ask about your weaknesses. After all, surely they will want to hear about your skills, knowledge and experience? Employers ask this question to assess a candidate’s self-awareness, honesty and commitment to self-improvement. 

When discussing your weaknesses, emphasize that you are actively working on improving in those areas. This shows that you are committed to self-improvement and know the skills you need to develop. Talk about how you have learned from your mistakes and how you have grown as a result of overcoming your weaknesses.

Avoid trying to present a weakness as a strength in disguise. Interviewers appreciate honesty and authenticity. They are more interested in your willingness to acknowledge and work on your weaknesses. 

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It is also essential to choose a weakness that does not impact your ability to perform in your new role. For example, if the job involves giving speeches or speaking in front of others do not say that you struggle with public speaking. 

Here are some examples of weaknesses you can talk about:

Technical skills: If you lack technical skills in a certain area, you can discuss how you are taking steps to build your knowledge. For example, you could say that you are taking online courses or attending workshops to improve your skills and knowledge.

Perfectionism: Discuss how your desire for perfection sometimes leads to spending more time on tasks than necessary. Mention that you’ve been learning to prioritize and manage your time more effectively.

Delegation: If you find it difficult to delegate tasks, explain that you prefer to have control over the quality of work, but you’re working on delegating more to help your team members grow and to manage your workload better.

Adaptability to Change: If adapting to change is a weakness, explain how you’ve been working on this by seeking out new challenges and focusing on the positive aspects that change can bring to a work environment.

Attention to Detail: Mention that sometimes you get caught up in the details, which can slow down your work. You’ve been learning to balance precision with efficiency to ensure high-quality outcomes.

Remember, when discussing weaknesses in a job interview, it’s important to focus on how you are actively working to improve in those areas to show that you have a growth mindset. Use this opportunity to showcase your strengths as well as your capacity for improvement.

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