How to Answer: What is your greatest weakness?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Abbott Laboratories job interview.
19. What is your greatest weakness?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This question will give the interviewer insight into your self-awareness and how easily you identify your growth opportunities. Your answer should demonstrate your honesty and your desire to improve.
Written by Kevin Downey on March 27th, 2022
How to Answer
Identify a weakness that is also a growth opportunity. Describe your weakness and explain how you plan to improve upon that weakness.
Written by Kevin Downey on March 27th, 2022
What You Need to Know
As the vice president of Abbott's Global Talent Acquisition says, "Today's interns bring more to the table than ever before. They're tech-savvy and exhibit a strong comfort level with new media platforms. This has strengthened their ability to multitask and to perform tasks faster and more efficiently. They want to quickly succeed and advance, which sometimes can translate to impatience with how things work in the real world of business."
Written by Kevin Downey on March 27th, 2022
Answer Example
"In the past, I've been described as overly eager. I'm learning it's a marathon, not a sprint. I had a bad habit of confusing my impatience for ambition, but I'm learning how to separate and distinguish the two. Someone once told me a true sign of genius is when someone has several projects going on at the same time. I'm learning how to multitask, and when waiting is required, I move on to something else to capitalize on my time management."
Written by Kevin Downey on March 27th, 2022