Preparing for an Interview [PI3]
In day 3 of a 30 days series we explore appropriate responses to the interview question:
What is your greatest weakness?
This is not a trick question. It is important to consider your response. The worst thing you can do is pretend you don’t have weaknesses, or avoid answering the question.
It is also a bad idea to answer with false humility. Common bad responses:
- “I take my job too seriously.”
- “I am too helpful to others and sometimes have a full work load.”
- “I’m a perfectionist.”
This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are honest and take responsibility for your actions. A good way to answer this question is to mention your weakness, then tell what you have done to overcome that weakness.
Better responses could include:
“Early in my career I was disorganized, always forgetting assignments and birthdays. But I managed to work out a computerized system of to-do lists and reminders that keeps me on top of everything.”
“I like to help others. I am often asked by the junior support staff for guidance and sometimes found it easier to do a task for myself than to show them how to do it. I found myself with a fuller work load than I could handle without sacrificing quality. I developed a mentoring program that was called ‘Lunch and Learn’. This gave me the opportunity to help them without sacrificing the quality of my work.
No matter how you respond be honest and succinct. The interviewer will surely ask the question, so don’t act like you’re surprised when it’s asked.
