What are your weaknesses?

Question 1

Answer

Pick weaknesses that are 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 in place for improving on 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 maybe you are taking a seminar at a nearby community center. We are all human with our weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours!

Question 2

"My greatest weakness is that I am an introverted person by nature. The result is that I have a difficult time speaking up in large groups. I'm most comfortable working one on one, or in smaller groups, with my patients."

Question 3

"I can sometimes be critical of my own work and get bogged down with small details. Even though my perfectionism ensures I complete the best work, sometimes I can get carried away. I have worked on finding ways to do provide the same quality of work without spending as much time being a perfectionist. I have been making a conscious effort to not be as critical of my own work and to trust my skills."

Question 4

"I have struggled with time management for awhile. I often get so immersed in what I'm doing that I lose track of time. When I work with patients, I have learned to watch the time and also let them know how much time remains, because it helps us to be more productive and make the most of our time together. I make a conscious effort to be aware and respect other people's time."

Question 5

"I feel that my leadership skills could be stronger and I am currently working to improve them."

Question 6

"My primary weakness in the workplace surrounds my technical abilities. I consider myself a beginner level user in Excel, so I have decided to start a course this fall to expand on those skills."

Question 7

"I believe I could improve on some 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after that course!"

Question 8

"My weakness is being too hard on myself. Sometimes I have to remember that it's ok to ask for help and that I'll be continuously learning in this career field for the first year."

Question 9

"I tend to be a people-pleaser and it has made me fall behind in my work on occasion. I'm learning my limitations and learning how to say "no" or "let me check my schedule" before I say yes to anything."

Question 10

"A weakness of mine is public speaking. In my last feedback with my supervisor, we discussed my weakness and we are now working together to improve it. He has given me the opportunity to interact with small groups to give me the practice that I need to one day speak to large audiences."

Question 11

"I am a very hard-worker and sometimes find hard to stop working at the end of the day, resulting in numerous long days at the office. To improve in that area, I do my best to use lists every morning by prioritizing the work that needs to be done by the end of the day, and the following tasks that are not as urgent. Doing this significantly improves my time management skills and makes me more productive at work."

Question 12

"I believe I could improve on some 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after I complete that course!"

Question 13

"I believe I could improve on some 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are of that course!"

Question 14

"You can make a choice to give a weakness that is really a strength, or give an honest weakness.. Personally, we prefer an honest weakness. Everyone can see through a weakness that is really a strength, and it just comes off phony. Now, go easy on yourself, tell them during your studies, you have trouble focusing at times and enjoy taking breaks outside. That is just an easy example, you should be able to come up with one or two before your interview."

Question 15

"Don't be confused by this question and answer it with something not work related. The interviewer isn't interested in hearing about your weakness for chocolate cake or weakness for cuddling cute puppies. The interviewer wants to know about a weakness you have when it comes to being a Cardiovascular Technologist. Is your weakness public speaking? Allowing others to take on a lead role? Being too hard on yourself? Whatever your weakness is, own it and end your answer with how you are working on making it one of your strengths. "

Question 16

"I believe my greatest weakness is that it is hard for me to stop working when there is more to do. I am very focused in my work and wish to complete all tasks by the end of each day. However, it isn't always possible to do so. To improve in that area, I do my best to prioritize and use daily to-do lists to keep track of my duties so that I can get to work as soon as I get to the office in the morning."

Question 17

"Early in my career, I realized that I sometimes take on too many projects because I'm afraid to say "no". I have learned that being clear in my communication with my supervisor allows me to talk through all of the projects on my plate and prioritize them accordingly."

Question 18

"I believe I could improve on some 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are, after that course!"

Question 19

"Many interviewees stumble on this question. It can be difficult so make sure you think about your weaknesses prior to going into any interview. Be sure to focus on a professional weakness – do not include any personal qualities. The weakness should also be something minor, nothing that can be harmful to you doing your job well. For the second part of the question, explain specific things you are doing to improve on this weakness. Further describe how it has helped you grow. "

Question 20

"I believe I could improve on some technical skills including Excel. 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after that course!"

Question 21

"To be very honest with you, I'm not great at administrative work. That's why I've gotten very good at making systems to organize my paperwork. I have checklists and step-by-step instructions for myself so that I don't waste time trying to remember what I have to do next. In fact, I teach my parents about this system sometimes."

Question 22

"I am a very hard-worker and find hard to stop working at the end of the day, resulting in numerous long days at the office. To improve in that area, I do lists every morning by prioritizing the work that needs to be done by the end of the day, and the following tasks that are not as urgent. Doing this significantly improves my time management skills and makes me more productive at work."

Question 23

"Preparing for this question requires a little bit of self-awareness and strategy. Focus on a weakness that you could possibly turn into a strength or share something you are taking action to improve. Being a people-pleaser or a perfectionist are great examples of potential strengths depending on how you talk about them. "I tend to be a people-pleaser and it has gotten me in trouble when I take on more than I can handle. I'm learning my limitations and learning how to say "no" or "let me check my schedule" before I say yes to anything." This example goes from talking about a weakness to showing how it has helped create awareness and an ability to set boundaries. Always share what you are learning or have learned from your weakness. This shows your interviewer that you are adaptable and willing to grow."

Question 24

"I’ve never been very comfortable with public speaking. Realizing this was a problem, I asked my previous employer if I could work the front desk to increase the interaction I would have with patients. Since then, my public speaking has improved, I've learned my job even better and my customer service skills are always improving."

Question 25

"I feel that my biggest weakness is in my ability to lift and transfer heavier patients. My current supervisor and I have come up with a plan where I am going to become more physically active and also wear a back brace in order to support me while transferring patients."

Question 26

"To successfully answer this question, you will need to be strategic! First, think of an area where you can improve. For example, maybe you could do a better job of taking initiative to solve problems before they become an issue. Your self-awareness is already a strength! Your insight that you need to grow in this area shows the interviewer that you know you have room for improvement and that you have a desire to grow. Now, think about how you can explain what you're doing to improve. Paying closer attention to detail and noticing body language are two ways you can be more perceptive. Solving problems before they start takes a lot of observation and awareness. Talk about how you are working to improve!"

Question 27

"We all have weaknesses, and it is okay to share yours! Pick a weakness to share that is not a priority for a junior accountant. Common answers might be: - Having to negotiate a sale...like when buying a new car. I would prefer to just be given the best price first! - Hosting company at my house. It stresses me out! - Giving a speech in front of a large crowd of people. - Being afraid of trying adventurous things such as bungee jumping, sky diving, or riding the latest roller coaster. Simply share a couple of your weaknesses with the interviewer."

Question 28

"As a Type A personality that is strongly deadline driven, I have to manage my stress levels and take proactive measures to do so through personal care and exercise that helps center me for success each day."

Question 29

"I believe I could improve on some technical skills including Excel for tasks that require advanced spreadsheet tracking. 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/weekend workshop for the next six weeks. We will see how stellar my skills are after that course!"

Question 30

"I have been told many times that my greatest strength is my ability to time-manage. This means that I consistently meet my deadlines and am able to deliver when I need to. The aspect I am working to improve would be my detailed documentation. I have been working on improving my notes so that anyone could pick up my files and fully understand where I was at, in my work."

Question 31

"I tend to be a people-pleaser and it has gotten me in trouble when I take on more than I can handle. I'm learning my limitations and learning how to say 'no' or 'let me check my schedule' before I say yes to anything."

Question 32

"We all have weaknesses, and it is okay to share them! The interviewer may even ensure you receive additional training in these areas to help you be more successful in your career. Pick 1-2 weaknesses that you have that are not primary parts of the loan officer role, and share them with the interviewer. For example, you might share that grammar is not your gift, and people have told you that you do not need to use so many commas in your writing. "

Question 33

"Everyone has weaknesses. I tend to be too nice sometimes. When vendors are not fulfilling their requirements, I tend to believe there must be a logical and understandable reason. I have to remind myself that we are paying for a service and they must meet our expectations."

Question 34

"Pick one of your weaknesses that is not a necessity for the role. Be candid and humble in your answer recognizing that you really aren't great at something and acknowledging your need to improve. Be sure you have an action plan in place for improving on this weakness too. Perhaps you are watching TED Talks about the weakness, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or maybe you are taking a seminar at a nearby community center in the near future. We are all human and all have weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours!"

Question 35

"My biggest weakness is probably impatience. I tend to get frustrated with students sometimes when I'm explaining a concept or if they don't understand what they missed on a math problem. But over the years I've learned to get more creative and be persistent with helping them figure out the missing pieces. I realized that sometimes we're not able to meet our teaching goal for the day but it's possible they'll get a better picture of the concept next week after they've learned other parts of it."

Question 36

"Are you aware of your weaknesses? Interviewers understand that we have weaknesses, and they want to hear that you understand yourself. Think of an area of your life that you are proactively working to improve, and openly share it. Perhaps your weakness is that you get nervous speaking in front of large groups of people. The key to this question is ensuring that you acknowledge your weakness and that you are taking steps to grow in this area. It shows the interviewer that you have initiative. Think about ways you have stretched yourself to grow in your area of weakness. Did you sign up to speak at a conference to give yourself the opportunity to develop your public speaking skills? Tell the interviewewr what you are doing to improve and grow."

Question 37

"My greatest weakness as a Medical Receptionist is being able to say no. I always want to help but I've found that its a great way to put too much on my plate. I'm working on saying no to helping at that moment but offering to help once I've completed my own tasks."

Question 38

"Public speaking is a weakness of mine. I've recently signed up to speak at a conference to give myself the opportunity to develop your public speaking skills. It was nervewracking but I accomplished it and am looking forward to more opportunities."

Question 39

"My weakness is public speaking. I've recently started teaching 2 nights a week at our local community college to improve my techniques and overcome my anxiety. I've been teaching for two months and it has helped me immensley."

Question 40

"One of the areas that I would like to improve on would be my technical knowledge when it comes to portable gas heating equipment. I have found a member of my current team who is an expert in the topic and he has agreed to give me additional training on the job."

Question 41

"My greatest weakness, as a model, is my critical nature. I am a perfectionist and often require perfection from my shoots. I feel while this may not be considered a negative, personally, sometimes I struggle if I see flaws in a photograph that perhaps another person loves. This is sometimes difficult to adjust to, although I always tell myself that everyone has differing opinions that I can learn from."

Question 42

"One weakness I find coming up for me is within my Excel skills. I do not have strong skills in v-lookups and pivot tables. For this reason, I have enrolled in an Excel course that begins next week."

Question 43

"My greatest weakness is that I enjoy working independently and often struggle being comfortable vocalizing myself in groups. However, I constantly work to improve my communication skills and someday hope to work in a group-like setting."

Question 44

"To be honest, I'm not very good at editing punctuation. I tend to focus on the content, the structure and flow of the narrative. So I'm actually working on my attention to detail for punctuation. Even in my spare time, whenever I read anything, I have the Style Manual in front of me and I look at whether it conforms. If it doesn't, I look up how it ought to look."

Question 45

"I've noticed that I could really improve upon the time it takes for me to complete patient assessments and fill out patient information. I am a perfectionist so sometimes I take too much time on details. While I know the details are important, I am practicing moving more quickly through these routines."

Question 46

"My weakness is public speaking. To overcome this challenge I take every opportunity I can to speak in front of people regardless of how large the audience. Practice makes perfect."

Question 47

"Sometimes I move too quickly when completing a project under a deadline, and that's when I make mistakes. I have learned to slow down and plan out how I will use my time, setting benchmarks along the way so that I can check in to gauge my status on the project and see how far I am from reaching my goal."

Question 48

" “I know that public speaking is the number one phobia for most people, and I’d say that’s the main area I’d like to work on, especially as I know it’s part of the job description for this role."

Question 49

"My greatest weakness as a Physical Therapist Assistant is being able to say no. I always want to help but I've found that its a great way to put too much on my plate. I'm working on saying no to helping at that moment but offering to help once I've completed my own tasks."

Question 50

"I feel that my greatest weakness is in my advanced skills within Excel. I have attended an Excel for beginners course and have registered for the Intermediate Skills level course which begins this May."

Question 51

"Pick one of your weaknesses that is not a necessity for the role. Be candid and humble in your answer recognizing that you really aren't great at something and acknowledging your need to improve. Be sure you have an action plan in place for improving on this weakness too. Perhaps you are watching TED Talks about the weakness, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or maybe you are taking a seminar at a nearby community center in the near future. We are all human and all have weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours! "

Question 52

"Pick one of your weaknesses that is not a necessity for the role. Be candid and humble in your answer recognizing that you really aren't great at something and acknowledging your need to improve. Be sure you have an action plan in place for improving on this weakness too. Perhaps you are watching TED Talks about the weakness, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or maybe you are taking a seminar at a nearby community center in the near future. We are all human and all have weaknesses, so don't be afraid to share yours!"

Question 53

"I am sometimes overly independent and incredibly meticulous as I am used to completing projects on my own instead of delegating them, to complete them in a quicker fashion. But I came to realize that I am working as part of a team of highly educated individuals who are as capable as I am and whose perspective can be greatly valuable. As such, I try to seek my colleagues' input as much as possible as we are all working to benefit the company."

Question 54

"I am a very hard-worker and find hard to stop working at the end of the day, resulting in numerous long days at the office. To improve in that area, I did my best to do lists every morning by prioritizing the work that needs to be done by the end of the day, and the following tasks that are not as urgent. Doing this significantly improved my time management skills and made me more productive at work."

Question 55

": "I feel that my management skills could be stronger, and I am constantly working to improve them."

Question 56

"I've been told one of my weaknesses is that I have a tendency to over-communicate with my co-workers. I'm working on spending more time working toward a solution than discussing a plan."

Question 57

"In my performance reviews with my previous manager, one of the things we discussed was for me to strengthen my knowledge in Excel. I have since enrolled in a night course which will be complete mid-September."

Question 58

"Sometimes I move too quickly when completing a project under a deadline, and that's when I make mistakes. I have learned to slow down and plan out how I will use my time, setting benchmarks along the way so that I can check in to gauge my status on the project and see how far I am from reaching my goal."

Question 59

"I believe my greatest weakness is that it is sometimes hard for me to stop working when there is more to do. I am very focused in my work and wish to complete all tasks by the end of each day. However, it isn't always possible to do so. This is why I now use daily to-do lists to keep track of my duties so that I can get to work as soon as I get to the office in the morning."

Question 60

"I would say my greatest area for improvement would be prioritization. I feel because of the nature of my work that absolutely everything is a top priority. Over the years I have become much better at placing certain projects on the back burner while focusing on the task at hand. It's been very helpful. I have also started using an online project software to keep track of deadlines. This has helped me to prioritize."

Question 61

"I am sometimes overly independent and incredibly meticulous as I am used to completing projects on my own instead of delegating them, to complete them in a quicker fashion. But throughout my career, I have come to realize that I am working as part of a team of professionals who are as capable as I am and whose perspective can be greatly valuable. As such, I try to seek my colleagues' input as much as possible as we are all working to benefit the company."

Question 62

"It can be difficult to know which weakness to share. Maybe it's not the best time to talk about your communication challenges with your partner or how you need to work on your golf game. Instead, focus on your professional life. Talk about a skill or quality that you are proactively working to improve. You can talk about how you are a perfectionist, often getting caught up in the tiny details that can cause you to have difficulty finishing projects on time. Now you set alarms throughout the day to remind to keep you on task and remind yourself of deadlines. You might also allow others to proof your work so that you don't get too stuck in the details. You could also talk about a skill, like multi-tasking, quickly changing gears between tasks. Before your interview, practice by writing down three examples of weaknesses so that you can answer this question with confidence!"

Question 63

"I feel that my greatest weakness is that sometimes I can be a bit too blunt when it comes to truth-telling. Many of my peers appreciate it but some do not. I am working on my ability to add sensitivity to my delivery when I speak and so far, so good!"

Question 64

"Knowing your weakness only makes you stronger! Once you are aware of areas in your life that prevent you from being productive and successful, or that might interfere with relationships or attaining goals, you have the potential to make a greater impact wherever you are! Answering this question in an interview poses a bit of a challenge. You want to share something that will not prevent you from performing any of the responsibilities of the role. Instead, you want to share something that you are working to improve. This means PROACTIVELY. You are taking charge by watching TED Talks about the weakness, reading the latest-and-greatest book on the subject, or maybe you are taking a seminar at a nearby community center in the near future. Sometimes it's as simple as practice and repetition. The more you strengthen those weak muscles, the stronger they get. Show your interviewer that you want to excel in the role and that you want to grow by taking time to improve yourself!"

What are your weaknesses?

108 Answer Examples | Learn how to answer this question from professional recruiters

More Interview Questions

View user-submitted Answers

Practice More Interviews