What is your biggest weakness? A common interview question that some people can struggle with. Of course, an interviewer knows most of us are not going to confess our biggest weakness during an interview, but despite this, the way you answer this question can provide an insight into what you are like as a person.
Through this question an interviewer is trying to get a better understanding of what you are like as a person and what challenges you may face in your new role.
A common mistake some of us make when answering this question, is to try and frame a positive trait as a negative, such as ‘work too hard’ or ‘too much of a perfectionist’. This type of answer can sometimes come across as insincere and slightly disingenuous.
Another common mistake is to avoid answering this question altogether. An interviewer knows we all struggle with certain things, so by not providing an answer it can make you look like you are trying to hide something.
We would recommend choosing a sincere weakness that is not directly related to the job you are applying for and is easily fixed. This will show you are being honest whilst at the same time showing your weaknesses wont effect your performance in the role.
Try to also not focus on the weakness itself and instead talk about how you overcame the issue. For example, if you have said your greatest weakness was time management, you could talk about how you have improved since then through experience and different types of time management techniques.
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