Page 150 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 79

What is your biggest weakness that's really a weakness and not a
secret strength?

The first thing you learn in Answering Interview Questions 101 is “don’t tell them anything negative
about yourself.” And now here is this hiring manager asking you to go against everything you’ve
learned about selling yourself for the job and tell him something truly negative about you. Why?
Because hiring you is a risk for this person, and trying to find the dirt about you before you’re hired is
risk-assessment and evaluation. Are you worth the risk?

This question also tells you that this interviewer has heard “I’m a perfectionist” and “I work too
hard” a few too many times.So they’re looking for a real weakness, and you have to say something
because everyone has at least one—what can you say?

Whatever you do, don’t give a weakness that would have a direct negative impact on your job
performance.

For instance, no project manager should say their weakness is organization or delegation, no
accountant should say that their weakness is attention to detail, and no customer service rep should
say that they have anger issues.

One of the best strategies for this question is to give a real weakness that causes you problems
in other areas of your life but doesn’t affect your performance on the job.

For instance, I always gave ‘impatience’ as my weakness. I am impatient, and it has caused me
significant problems in my personal life with my family and friends. However, that same impatience
made me super successful in my role as a sales rep because I could not stand waiting around for the
sale. I pushed for it every time (and I usually got it).

You could give a weakness that you actually have, but that you have a solid, working way to
overcome: “I get so involved in my work that I lose track of what time it is. I’m so thankful for cell
phone alarms or I’d never make a meeting on time!”

‘Fear of public speaking’ is a real weakness that is also a very common one that the hiring
manager can probably relate to. Unless your job involves giving presentations on a daily or weekly