How to answer the question “What is your greatest weakness?” in interviews?

As “What is your greatest weakness?” being one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews, it is also a super-challenging question to answer. But don’t worry, below are the 3 key tips with examples to help you overcome this hurdle.

Tip 1: Be as honest as possible

Apart from knowing your weak spots, interviewers wish to see your self-awareness. No one is perfect in the world. Everyone has a weakness. Only if you understood your shortcomings, you can take steps to improve them.

Tip 2: Avoid answering the job requirements

If you are applying for a PR job, you certainly will not describe yourself as an introvert, because you should foresee what the interviewer might think of you – that you are not the right person for the job. So, when you come across this question, give one that is not a match for the job description.

Tip 3: Show your willingness to improve

After talking about your weaknesses, you should include your plan for improving upon your weaknesses. Try to leave an impression for the interviewer that you are self-motivated, and you are willing to learn.

After seeing these key points of the question, let’s look at some model answers

1. Lack of presentation skills

My greatest weakness is that I am not particularly good at giving presentations. I find it hard to speak in front of a large audience as I feel nervous. However, I am learning to stay calm and confident during presentations. I still lack experience as I do still encounter stage frights, but it has turned much better in comparison now.

2. Lack of experience in… (Good for newbies)

I would say that I currently lack leadership experience as I seldom take the lead in projects. This is the area that I am aware that I need to improve on, and I am keen to gain more leadership experience.

3. Detail-oriented

I sometimes focus too much on the details and spend a lot of time refining the minor points. When it comes to projects or tasks with a tight deadline, being too detail-oriented is not helpful as my productivity will be affected. I am trying to let go of some unnecessary details and focus more on the bigger picture.