27 Mar 4 Ways to Address Your Weaknesses During a Job Interview
During a job interview, you want to stand out. You want to show the interviewer you’re the ideal candidate for the position and make them feel confident in their hiring decision. However, one question that you will often be asked is “what is your biggest weakness?” How do you address your weakness and make it work to your advantage?
Here are four ways to address your weakness during a job interview.
Be Honest
When discussing your weaknesses, it is important that you’re honest. You don’t want to hide your flaws because they will eventually be seen if you are hired. However, you also want to be aware of the qualifications and skills the managers are looking to fulfill the position. If you mention your weakness involves one of these skills, you will decrease your chance of being hired.
For example, if you say that you freeze under intense deadlines and your job requires a fast output of work, this will appear very negative to the interviewers.
Don’t Stage Your Answers
There are many common interview questions, such as asking about your weaknesses, and while you should have answers in your mind prior to the interview, you also don’t want your answers to appear staged. This is because during your interview, you want to appear fun, comfortable, and confident.
When you have prepared answers word-from-word, it can throw you off, make you appear fake, and you will have a more difficult time connecting with the interviewers.
Talk About Improvements You’ve Made
Your interviewers know that every candidate will have a list of weaknesses that affect their work and success. They want to know what you are doing to improve and strengthen these weaknesses. This means that while you address your weakness during a job interview, you also want to talk about what you are doing to improve and overcome each of them.
Many managers ask this question to determine if you are hard-working and proactive. They want to see where improvements could be made and how you handle these challenges.
Be Confident
When you address your weakness during a job interview, it can be uncomfortable and awkward for you. It is hard to talk about your flaws and what may discourage you from landing a job, particularly if it is your dream job. But, as you talk about your weakness, be confident. This shows that you are self-aware and you are human.
You recognize that you will make mistakes and that you are not perfect. Throughout your entire interview, particularly when asked these challenging questions, appear confident and friendly. You’ll be more successful.
When asked the question “what is your biggest weakness?” you may feel much pressure and be overwhelmed. But, by keeping the above tips in mind and preparing accordingly, you will walk out of your interview feeling confident and satisfied and you will leave a strong impression on all managers and recruiters asking you questions.
