How to Answer "What are Your Weaknesses" Question in a Job Interview?

When a person prepares for a job interview, he or she tries to make sure that they perform their best to ace that dream job. They make extra efforts to polish their resume and mention the best skills that they possess and can exhibit. But, there is a little something that most of the people forget to take into consideration, the fact that along with brushing up their ideas of presenting their skills and qualities, they also need to have a proper strategy in mind regarding the questions related to their weaknesses that can be asked during the job interview. One of the most common yet important questions asked in the job interview is "What are your weaknesses?"

(Also Read: How to find a dream job?)

It is important to keep in mind that in most of the job interviews people are often asked about the weaknesses they have and various questions around them. It is such a common mistake that most people make by focusing all their energies on preparing a list of the things that they have done well in life and the achievements that they have had so far, ways in which they can contribute to the company, etc. This is human nature as everyone wants to exhibit their best qualities and completely ignore the negative aspects of their personality. They try to make sure that by no way should people get to know about their negatives during the interview.

They always put an effort to represent the best version of themselves. But, it is essential to be prepared for all the possibilities when it comes to the job interviews that we give. One of the favorite questions asked by companies is the one related to your weaknesses. You may wish to keep them under wraps, it may not be a great idea for you to discuss them, but unfortunately, this question is asked quite frequently. Now, that you cannot avoid it, the next best option is to be able to be best prepared for answering this question. In case you are not sure how you can go about handling this unavoidable question during your interviews, here are the things that you can choose to do in order to deal with it.

How To Answer "What are Your Weaknesses" Question In A Job Interview?

#1. You Do Not Need To Lie

The best thing to keep in mind is the fact that you do not need to lie to the interviewer about how awesome you are and that you do not have any flaws at all. Because that is an entirely utopian scenario to imagine which rarely exists in real world. Please understand the fact that we all have flaws. This is a universally acknowledged fact and known by all, so when you tell people that you do not have any flaws, there is no doubt about the fact that you are lying.

What is important to understand here is the fact that you do not wish to come across as someone who lies and fakes being perfect and most essentially does not have the guts to accept their drawbacks and work on them. This impression is good enough to get you rejected.

#2. Handle The Situation Tactfully

Now that you are aware that you do not wish to lie about your weaknesses, you also need to understand the fact that you really do not want to reveal your weaknesses to them in such a way that they prove to be a negative thing for you. If you are someone who is afraid of public speaking and find that to be your weakness, you do understand the idea that in a job interview for a job which will require you to represent the company, this can prove to be really negative for you.

In order to handle such situations tactfully, all you need to do is to mention the fact that you do get nervous around speaking in public and quickly add a technique you have been using to deal with this fear. This will give an impression that you are someone who does not let your weakness rule over you and is ready to face any situation no matter what. This will help you to mention your weakness and simultaneously draw their attention to a positive aspect of your personality.

#3. Keep The Discussion As Professional As Possible

What this means is that you need to make sure that you mention the skills that are professional in nature and talk about only those weaknesses that are going to be relevant for the professional environment. It is very important to keep the fact in mind that there is no need to talk about your personal crisis in a job interview. When you are asked such questions in the interview, it is obvious that they are talking about the skills and weaknesses that are relevant to the professional functioning of a person.

#4. Be Well Prepared But Do Not Sound Fake

It is important to keep the fact in mind that you can and will need to keep a response well prepared in your mind. However, try not to make it too rehearsed and sound so monotonous that it seems like you have crammed it. This can really prove to be a negative thing for you, in case it comes across as too well rehearsed. Along with the need for being prepared the idea that too much of anything is not really good, is something we all will need to keep in mind.

You need to act smart enough to make sure that you turn the situation in your favor in case they ask any counter questions. But, do not mug up words after words and go all out even before the question is proposed.

#5. Have A Clear Approach

In order to answer this question effectively, you need to make sure that you are clear about your weaknesses. You should take out time to sit down and analyze your weaknesses before you go for the interview.

Some people go about life blindly and do not take out the time to sit and evaluate their pitfalls. A person who is so lost in life will never be able to answer any question effectively. You really need to know your weaknesses before you go for the interview and for this, you need to have a clear approach where you lag behind, when it comes to work and work ethics.

Or you can choose to have a word with a friend or colleague who has known you for some time and can help you to answer this question. They may be able to point out the issues that you may have been running away from or wanting to ignore.

Do you think this article can help you answer the question related to your weaknesses during your job interview? Do you like this article? Please share your comments and opinions in the comment box below. We look forward to your replies.

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