There has been no more challenging question in the history of interviewing than “What is your biggest weakness?” Time and time again candidates choke on this question. There are many ways to approach the idea of your biggest weakness and everyone you talk to might give you a different perspective. Here are a few things you can do to make sure that your biggest weakness conveys your positive strengths in your next interview.
- Be genuine. Some people offer the advice to take your negative and turn it into a positive. For example, “I am way too talkative but that is why I excel at sales.” Another possible twist is “I tend to get caught up in my projects and won’t leave until there are complete.” This is a fine method but make sure that your answers are genuine and not created for the sake of providing this kind of example.
- Be prepared. The worst thing you can do is stumble over the question of weakness. Some people even find themselves saying they don’t have any weaknesses at all. Instead, think through the things you’ve done in your career. Where have you failed? How did you take that experience and learn from it. This is the kind of thing that makes a great answer to this question.
- Know your audience. It is also critical to make sure that your admitted weaknesses don’t raise any red flags. Try to discern what the core problem is that they’re trying to solve by hiring someone new. Is it a replacement for someone who didn’t work out in the job? Is it a new position that has never been done before? Tailor your answers to their needs.
Are you looking for your next interviewing opportunity? NRI is currently hiring for jobs in Washington DC and can help today!
