What is your greatest weakness?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example
Community Answers

The interviewer wants to hear that you are humble enough to admit you have a fault but intelligent enough to take action to improve. Pick a weakness that is not a core skill for this position. You can be candid in your answer, recognizing that you aren't great at something and acknowledging your need to improve. Be sure to have an action plan to improve this weakness.

Perhaps you are watching TED talks to gain skills in a particular area, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or are taking a seminar at a nearby community center. We are all human with our weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours!

"I believe I could improve some technical skills, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Currently, I am at a beginner to intermediate level; however, I would be more comfortable at an advanced level. I have enrolled in an evening and weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after that course!"

"I know this will come off as cliche, but it's truthful. My weakness is not delegating. I know what I want to be done and how I want it done, so it's often easier to do it myself. However, it can inhibit my ability to grow. I cannot take on every step of a project; I need to be able to give the task or a portion of it to another team member, let go of the control, and know they will do a good job. I've spoken with my current manager about it, and we've developed a system where he can call me out on the behavior since I'm often unaware of it. By bringing awareness to it at the moment, I find my propensity to hold onto control has decreased, so I'm certainly moving in the right direction."

Anonymous Answer

"My main weakness is take in additional tasks because I have difficulties saying No.

My Greatest weakness is taking in additional task. Since I want to go above and beyond for my team and workplace. This can cause issues with time management with other task that needed to be completed. So in this situation I would finish completing easier task first then finish the difficult task last."

Rachelle's Feedback

It would be great if you could include what you are doing to improve on this weakness. I have offered an example, below.

"My main weakness is that I have difficulties saying no. I take on extra tasks because I want to go above and beyond for my team and company; however, this can cause issues with time management. To improve on this weakness, I now take more time to ensure that I can fit the work in before I jump in and say yes."

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Anonymous Answer

"My greatest weakness is that I don't know how to take a compliment. I am complimented on how I handle myself and the quality of my work, but to me, it would be prideful if I gave in and said thank you. I like to go under the radar, but I am learning to acknowledge and accept compliments as confirmation that my hard work is seen."

Rachelle's Feedback

Accepting a compliment can be REALLY hard! This weakness is an important one to work on, so it's terrific that you are improving your ability to acknowledge a compliment. It would be beneficial to dive deeper into the specific actions you are taking to overcome this weakness. For instance, are there any special techniques you use/internal dialogue, etc.?

Anonymous Answer

"My greatest weakness is being dependent of others. I often take on the tasks and responsibilities of others to ensure the task will be done correctly. It can be stressful at times, but in a way, it's satisfying to me. I know I cannot take on everything I wish to, so relying on others to perform the task is something I feel I need to work on. I can happily say that I have successfully stepped back and allowed my coworkers to help me split the work and alleviate my need to take control."

Stephanie's Feedback

Your response is very self-aware, but I would suggest rewording this slightly to emphasize more on your desire for things to be done right and less on your need to be in control (which could be viewed as a negative trait, depending on who you interview with.) See my example below.

"My greatest weakness is taking on more than I can chew. I often take on the tasks and responsibilities of others to ensure the task will be done correctly. I know I cannot take on everything I wish to, so relying on others to perform the task is something I feel I need to work on. I can happily say that I have successfully stepped back and allowed my coworkers to help me split the work, and everything still turned out exactly as I hoped. While my attention to detail and desire for accuracy is a strength, I have recognized that stepping back and allowing others to contribute is also a strength, and this is something I intend to continue working on."

Anonymous Answer

"Delegating tasks may be one of my weaknesses because I like to have control over whatever I may be working on however I have realized over time that delegating tasks can speed up a process and also allow me to focus on what's important."

Jaymie's Feedback

Great start! Share with the interviewer ways that you're overcoming this area of development whether it's learning new delegation techniques, or prioritizing your tasks each week to determine what others have capacity for, etc.