What Are Your Weaknesses - Interview Question

I really hate those cliched interview questions, but if you get asked them you have to answer! What advice would you give on answering questions like 'What are your weaknesses?' without saying something that might damage your application?

When answering a ‘what is your weakness’ question you need to be sure of two things – firstly, you should pick something that’s not too far from the truth, i.e. actually is a bit of a weakness, and secondly, you should be able to show how you’ve corrected it or portray it as a strength.Then you’ll talk about it believably, whilst also showing you have another strong point.

For example, a good one is around focus, where you sometime get a bit overfocused on what you’re trying to achieve, and may not always see when people need your attention elsewhere. You can then go on to say that you realize this weakness, and have trained yourself to always react positively when people disturb you, listen to their need, assess it, and if it doesn’t need your attention right now, let the person know when you’ll come back to them – and make sure you do come back to them.

It works because focus and attention to others are both good attributes, but only when they’re in balance, and you know how to do this. That answer should get you through.