One of the most commonly asked questions in a job interview is “What are your weaknesses?”. Variations of that question will include terms like “good weaknesses” or “greatest weaknesses”.
It is always great to be prepared for a job interview because you will have a much greater chance of impressing your interviewer. If you don’t have your example answers ready in your mind, you will be more stressed and anxious than usual.
This article will help you find, and assess your weaknesses, and shortcomings and how to prepare your questions with real-life example answers.
What Are Your Weaknesses? Example Answers
Sample answers to the question: What are your greatest weaknesses?
1. “My last position focused mainly on coding in Python, so I do not have much experience in C++. My only experience with C++ was over 10 years ago when I took an introductory course in university.” – Shows a lack of technical skills.
2. “I often have self-doubt and can be overly critical of myself. Anytime I receive constructive criticism from my supervisor, I react harshly to it. Over time, I will have to learn to be less harsh to myself.” – Shows being self-critical.
3. “As a child, I have always been shy. Unfortunately, I still struggle with shyness. It can be frightening to speak up, for I do not want to be judged by others.
So, I find myself remaining quiet during meetings. However, I have started to become more confident when speaking in small groups or with people I trust.” – Shows shyness.
4. “At times, I can lack patience when working with a team. I have become very independent in my personal and professional life, so relying on others is challenging to me.
To address this weakness, I have participated in team building activities and workshops. Even though I prefer independent work, learning to trust my coworkers and ask for help is important to me.” – Shows impatience.
5. “Organization has been a struggle for me. Even though it has not impacted my performance yet, my cluttered desk and disorganized schedule could start interfering with my productivity.
Throughout my career, I have tried to set aside I ever to declutter my inbox and organize my physical space. I plan to continue doing this as it improves my efficiency levels.” – Shows disorganization.
6. “As a leader, my bluntness has helped me get work done efficiently, and some of my employees appreciated my honest critiques. However, I noticed bluntness can be counterintuitive toward producing personal growth in some employees.
I now try to be more understanding and empathetic by deepening the relationships I have with employees.” – Shows candidness or lack of empathy.
List of Examples of Weaknesses to Mention in Job Interview
Good weaknesses you can mention in a job interview include being:
- Shyness
- Lack of knowledge
- Nativity
- Poor handling of criticism
- Bad leadership qualities
- Self-critical
- Lack of confidence
- Disorganized
- Perfectionist (could be a strength in some roles)
- Overly competitive
- Uncomfortable with risks
How To Identify Weaknesses for a Job Interview?
Identifying weaknesses can sound a little bit scary but actually, it isn’t. The key is, to be honest with yourself. Weaknesses are areas of potential improvement which can benefit your career path.
Weaknesses are different from one individual to another, and they are areas of improvement, not areas to focus on. You should focus on your strengths but keep your weaknesses under control. Meaning that weaknesses that are impacting your performance should be identified and worked on.
The quickest way to identify your weaknesses is to take a strengths test or to ask your family members, friends, or work colleagues about your weaknesses.
