What is your greatest weakness?
Preparing for this question requires self-awareness and strategy. You can be candid in your answer, recognizing that you aren't great at something and acknowledging your need to improve. Focus on a weakness that you could turn into a strength or share something you are taking action to improve, choosing a weakness that is not a core skill for this position. Be sure to have an action plan to improve on this weakness and mention it in your response.
Perhaps you are watching TED talks to gain skills in a particular area, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or maybe you are taking a seminar. We are all human with our weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours!
Instead of spending a lot of time focusing on your weakness, focus on how you will turn that weakness into a strength. A positive ending will stand out to the interviewer more than focusing solely on your weakness, and it shows the interviewer that you have goals to improve yourself.
Avoid describing a weakness and not having a plan to improve. If you have no plan, the interviewer will think you lack the drive and motivation to succeed and think you are complacent and tolerate mediocrity. Those are not common traits for a Special Agent, so they will most likely pass you over for another candidate.
Remember to choose a weakness that is not a core skill for the position and could preclude the interviewer from hiring you. For example, suppose your weakness is your temper, and the bureau wants a Special Agent who is calm, cool, and collected at all times. While you could take anger management classes and work with a therapist to address your temper, the interviewer might believe it will take a long time to correct and think you could potentially be a liability for the bureau if hired.
"I believe I could improve some of my technical skills, including Excel and PowerPoint. Currently, I am at a beginner to intermediate level; however, I would be more comfortable at an advanced level. I have enrolled myself in an evening workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after I complete that course."
"I know this will come off as cliche, but it's a truthful answer to an honest question. My weakness is not effectively delegating. I know what needs doing and how I want it done, so my sense of urgency compels me to more often to do it myself, rather than take pause and thoroughly explain why the task is important as well as why it has to be done the right way. However, I recognize that this sense of urgency and my compulsion to spring into action takes more time than slowing down. In this regard, I can be my own worst enemy. I've recently recruited help from my teammates and superiors to call me out on the behavior. By correcting me at the moment, I am able to pause and move in the right direction."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
To be speaking frankly and I suppose introspectively, I may be too far critical of myself and put undue pressure on myself in a specific situation where my end goal is not just to complete but supersede usual expectations of the average. This may be a byproduct of my upbringing where good wasn't always good enough and to push yourself till you or the team in mention, is sufficiently ahead of the pack and succeed. I have been working on this in recent years to grow out of this troupe.
Krista's Feedback
It's great that you mentioned you've been working on this weakness. Try going into detail on what steps you are taking to improve. Overall, this answer shows a lot of self-awareness. Good work.
"I may be too critical of myself and put undue pressure on myself in situations where my end goal is not just to complete tasks but supersede expectations. This weakness is a byproduct of my upbringing where good wasn't always good enough. I was taught to push myself until I was sufficiently ahead of the pack. I have been working on this in recent years by {describe how}."
