What is Your Greatest Weakness?

Practicing your interviewing skills is one of the best uses of your time as a job seeker. After all, it doesn't matter how good your resume is if your interview skills leave a lot to be desired. Many interviewers want to know what your greatest weakness is, so be prepared with these interview tips.

In the past, job-search experts advised candidates to describe their greatest weakness as something that could be turned into a strength. Unfortunately, interviewers quickly caught on to this tactic. If you try to make your greatest weakness look like a good thing, your interviewer might think you are being disingenuous. You also run the risk of being perceived as untruthful, even if your greatest weakness really is something that could be considered a positive attribute.

Jim Giammatteo of Careerealism advises candidates to be honest with interviewers. Instead of trying to put a positive spin on a minor weakness, tell interviewers about an actual weakness that sometimes hurts you in a professionally. You might be amazing at dealing with customers but not so great at managing projects, for example. There is a chance the interviewer won't want to hire you, especially if your greatest weakness is something that is essential to the position. However, many hiring managers are bound to be impressed by your honesty.

If you use this tactic, you must also be able to describe the steps you've taken to overcome your weakness. This shows interviewers you are committed to improving your skills and developing your career. If you struggle with organization, you might tell the interviewer that you're working with a professional organizer to learn how to stay on top of paperwork or project milestones. If you aren't very adept at using a certain software program, talk to the interviewer about how you've registered for a class or taken a workshop on using that program effectively.

If you are concerned that your honesty will cost you the position, be prepared to reveal a greatest weakness that would not impact your ability to do the job. Doing so helps you get around the question without hurting your chances of getting hired. If you know the company uses a particular software program for all of its projects, tell the interviewer your greatest weakness is an inability to use the advanced functions of a similar program. You're sharing a real weakness, but it can't hurt your chances of getting the job because it's not the software package the potential employer uses.

Preparing for an interview can give you an edge over other candidates and help you land your dream job. If you are concerned about sharing your greatest weakness with an interviewer, follow these interview tips to make sure you can answer the question without being disqualified from the hiring process.

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