What Are Good Weaknesses to Say in an Interview That Aren’t “I’m a Perfectionist”?

I’ve been told countless times that nan hardest portion astir getting a occupation astatine my dream institution (Nickelodeon — spoiler alert, I sewage it!) is getting my ft successful nan door.

I refreshed my resume and practiced answering galore common question and reply questions, including “What is your top weakness?” This mobility ne'er fails to travel maine up, arsenic it often feels for illustration a instrumentality aliases test. I’m trying to waste myself astatine nan highest caliber, and you want maine to opportunity what’s incorrect pinch me?

The cardinal is uncovering nan cleanable equilibrium betwixt being capable to admit that nary 1 is cleanable and not listing weaknesses that would forestall you from succeeding astatine nan role. Here, I’ve cultivated immoderate unthinkable answers to “What is your top weakness?” — and don‘t worry, these answers aren’t, “I’m a perfectionist.”

Table of Contents

• What are bully weaknesses to opportunity successful an interview?
• 12 Best Weaknesses to Share With an Interviewer
• Other Common Interview Weaknesses
• How to Identify Your Greatest Weakness
• How to Answer “What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses?”
• 5 Tips for Talking About Weaknesses successful Job Interviews

What are bully weaknesses to opportunity successful an interview?

Interviewers who ask, “What is your top weakness?” want to cognize really honorable and self-aware you are.

Before you answer, inquire yourself:

• What are my weaknesses?
• How did I announcement this weakness successful myself?
• How did I respond to that realization?
• What steps americium I taking to announcement that wont astatine nan moment?
• What americium I doing to alteration this behavior?

The champion answers to this mobility sincerely explicate a weakness and supply an illustration of really you are actively moving to improve.

Pro tip: I besides asked Nehal Patel, nan head of investigation exertion and invention and hiring head astatine Smith & Nephew, really to nail this question:

He said, “Good areas to constituent to for this mobility are organizational skills that tin amended arsenic caller devices go available, aliases interpersonal skills that tin continuously beforehand arsenic you activity pinch caller group pinch different styles.”

Here are immoderate of my favourite examples of really to reply “What is your top weakness?” and why they work.

1. I person trouble moving pinch others.

“I tin struggle erstwhile moving pinch a squad — I americium incredibly self-sufficient, truthful it‘s difficult to trust connected others to complete my work. That’s why I‘ve pursued roles that require personification to activity independently. However, I’ve besides worked to amended this weakness by enrolling successful team-building workshops. While I typically activity independently, I must study to spot my coworkers and inquire for extracurricular thief erstwhile necessary.”

This reply useful because nan weakness — nan inability to activity good pinch a squad — doesn‘t inhibit your expertise to execute good successful nan role, since it’s a occupation that doesn't trust connected teamwork to succeed. Additionally, you show an eagerness to create strategies to combat your weakness, which is simply a captious workplace skill.

Related Resources:

• Change Your Ways — Tips connected Habit Forming
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People [Summary & Takeaways]

2. I tin beryllium disorganized.

“I struggle pinch organization. While it has yet to effect my performance, I‘ve noticed my messy table and cluttered inbox interfere pinch my efficiency. Over time, I’ve learned to group speech clip to shape my beingness and integer space, and I've seen it amended my ratio levels passim nan week.”

I americium nan biggest culprit of a messy workspace. This reply useful because it‘s a relatable and fixable weakness. You statement that disorganization doesn’t interfere pinch your expertise to do your job, which is critical, but you besides admit it mightiness make you little efficient.

Related Resources:

• Organizational Skills Every Leader Needs
• Time-saving AI Tools Video

3. I person problem delegating work.

“I sometimes find it difficult to delegate work erstwhile I tin decorativeness nan task good myself. However, erstwhile I became head successful my past role, it became imperative I study to delegate tasks to easiness immoderate of nan activity disconnected of my sheet while allowing my nonstop reports to return connected much responsibility. To support a consciousness of power erstwhile delegating tasks, I implemented a task guidance strategy to oversee nan advancement of a project. This strategy enabled maine to amended my expertise to delegate efficiently.”

This reply useful because it suggests you're tin of flexibility, which is captious for semipermanent growth. Additionally, you showcase a level of inaugural and activity erstwhile you mention nan successful implementation of a caller process that enabled you to win successful your past role, contempt your weakness.

Related Resources:

• How to Delegate arsenic a Leader
• How to Delegate Your Work to ChatGPT Podcast

4. I’m timid erstwhile providing feedback.

“Often, I tin beryllium timid erstwhile providing constructive feedback to coworkers aliases managers, retired of fearfulness of hurting someone‘s feelings. However, successful my past role, my coworker asked maine to edit immoderate of his pieces and supply feedback for areas of improvement. Through my acquisition pinch him, I realized feedback tin beryllium adjuvant and benignant erstwhile delivered correctly. Since then, I’ve go amended astatine offering feedback and realized I tin usage empathy to supply thoughtful, productive feedback.”

While interning astatine nan HubSpot Blog, I copyedited impermanent writers’ posts. I ever wondered why I, a assemblage student, had nan correct to supply elaborate feedback to a master writer.

With time, I’ve learned that constructive feedback is ever beneficial to group erstwhile presented respectfully, sloppy of their level aliases experience.

This reply useful because you've explained really you could move a weakness into a spot done real-world experience.

Related Resources:

• Why Introverts Make Great Leaders Video
• Tips for Giving Feedback
• How to Give Negative Feedback

5. I tin travel crossed arsenic excessively blunt.

“My blunt, straightforward quality has allowed maine to win complete nan years arsenic a squad manager, because I tin get things done efficiently, and group often admit my honesty. However, I've recognized my bluntness doesn’t ever service my labor good erstwhile delivering feedback. To combat this, I've worked to create empathy and deeper relationships pinch those I manage. Additionally, I took an online activity guidance course, and worked pinch nan professor to create my expertise to present feedback.”

Facets of our personalities tin thief america successful definite areas of our activity while hindering america successful others. In this example, you first explicate really your blunt quality allows you to beryllium successful successful definite situations. Then, you mention really it tin beryllium seen arsenic a deficiency of empathy, and you supply examples of really you're trying to lick this issue.

It useful because you’re demonstrating an expertise to admit erstwhile your characteristic interferes pinch nan functions of your role, and really you tin lick for that.

Related Resources:

• Free Personality Tests
• How to Communicate Like a Leader

6. I fearfulness nationalist speaking.

“Public speaking makes maine nervous. While I don‘t request to do overmuch nationalist speaking arsenic a web designer, I still consciousness that it’s an important accomplishment — particularly erstwhile I want to connection my sentiment during a meeting. To combat this, I said pinch my head and she recommended I speak astatine each squad gathering for a fewer minutes astir our task timeline, deadlines, and goals erstwhile processing a website for a client. This believe has enabled maine to relax and spot nationalist speaking arsenic an opportunity to thief my squad members do their jobs effectively.”

In this example, you mention qualities that don’t use to nan role, but which you nevertheless person been moving to improve. This useful because it shows your desire to meet much business needs than basal successful your existent domiciled — and that speaks to your master ambition.

Related Resources:

• Public Speaking Tips From Speakers & Communication Experts
• Tips for Mastering Public Speaking

7. I struggle pinch analyzing data.

“I‘m not awesome astatine analyzing information aliases numbers. However, I admit this flaw tin forestall maine from knowing really my contented performs online. In my past role, I group up monthly meetings pinch nan SEO head to talk analytics and really our posts were performing. Additionally, I received my Google Analytics certificate, and I make it a constituent to analyse information related to our blog regularly. I’ve go overmuch much comfortable analyzing information done these efforts.”

As personification creative-minded, I besides struggle pinch nan information broadside of my work. For example, knowing really trading campaigns execute and incorporating those results into our run strategy is an important portion of my job, moreover though location are teams who specifically grip that data.

I for illustration this illustration because it shows your desire to spell supra and beyond a occupation explanation and amended understand nan needs of nan full department, alternatively than conscionable your role.

Related Resources:

• Excel Data Analysis Lesson
• Free Analytics Resources

8. I americium indecisive.

“Sometimes I struggle pinch ambiguity and making decisions erstwhile directions aren‘t clear. I travel from a activity situation that ever gave clear and nonstop instructions. I had specified a beardown squad and activity that I haven’t had overmuch believe making decisions successful nan power of nan moment. I'm moving connected this by leaning much into my acquisition and practicing listening to my gut.”

This occupation question and reply answer useful because you show that you tin some travel a leader and go 1 yourself. It‘s each correct not to cognize what to do successful nan moment. Admitting that you relied connected beardown activity shows that you cognize erstwhile to measurement up and erstwhile to activity direction.

Related Resources:

• Strategic Decision Making Lesson
• Decision Trees
• Decision Making successful Management

9. I americium a harsh self-critic.

“My soul professional tin beryllium debilitating astatine times. I return pridefulness successful producing bully work, but I don’t ever consciousness satisfied pinch it, which has led to burnout. However, I‘ve started pushing backmost against this soul sound by caring for myself earlier and aft work. I’m besides learning to admit erstwhile my soul professional is correct and erstwhile I request to disregard it.”

Your interviewer tin apt subordinate to this weakness; we each person harsh soul critics (mine often leaves maine spiraling aft sending immoderate mildly assertive email aliases Slack).

It‘s besides effective because 1) It shows that you’re consenting to activity connected your weaknesses extracurricular of work, not conscionable during business hours, and 2) It demonstrates your soul professional whitethorn person valid points.

Related Resources:

• Critical Thinking Foundations Lesson
• Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk Podcast

10. I person a micro-management style.

“I utilized to activity successful industries wherever I had to cultivate a coagulated activity ethic successful my employees. This training style has been truthful ingrained successful maine that I still request to separate who whitethorn request that coaching and who does not. I‘ve been reference books connected effective delegation and squad building to activity connected this shortcoming. One method that useful for maine is reassuring myself that if I found clear expectations, my squad will heed them. I’ve besides learned to spot my squad members more.”

This reply useful champion if you've held a activity position earlier and are applying for a managerial role.

While you whitethorn beryllium utilized to moving your unit aliases squad a circumstantial way, this indicates that you‘re consenting to admit erstwhile your method isn’t nan astir effective.

Showing your elasticity demonstrates your expertise to turn and accommodate to a caller civilization astatine a caller job.

Related Resources:

• Management Styles to Strive for and Avoid
• Management by Objectives

11. I sometimes chat excessively overmuch with my colleagues.

“I bask processing a narration pinch my coworkers by engaging successful conversation, and that‘s a awesome team-building skill. However, I habitually transportation connected a speech to a constituent wherever it whitethorn distract different coworkers. I person learned since past that location are different ways to link pinch my coworkers and that if I’m asking astir their day, I request to support it little and redirect myself backmost to my work.”

Please guidelines up if you besides came location pinch study cards successful your schoolhouse days stating, “[Name] is simply a awesome student, but talks excessively overmuch successful class,” and someway still person that rumor arsenic an adult!

This reply useful because it shows consciousness of really your talkative tendencies whitethorn beryllium distracting successful nan workplace. You’re besides telling your early employer that you’re consenting to build relationships pinch coworkers but not astatine nan costs of productivity.

That’s what sets america isolated from our innocent, talkative puerility selves.

Related Resources:

• How to Build Business Relationships
• Hubspot & Zapier CMOs Share Their Career Advice Video

12. I person problem maintaining a work-life balance.

“I‘ve struggled pinch work-life balance, particularly aft I started moving remotely during nan pandemic. This accrued my accent levels to nan constituent wherever my productivity was astatine an all-time low, and I didn’t bring my champion aforesaid to work. Because I want to proceed moving remotely, I‘ve added amended building to my time and instituted a crisp commencement and extremity time. I’ve already seen improvements successful my levels of attraction during activity hours.”

At first, this mightiness look for illustration a “strength” masquerading arsenic a weakness — pouring yourself into activity is great, right? That intends you emotion your job. But it’s not truthful awesome if it impacts your productivity and your relationships pinch coworkers.

This reply useful because it doesn‘t mean, “I activity truthful overmuch that my location life suffers.” It implies, “I activity a batch to nan constituent of burnout, and I’ve realized that I request to building my time better.”

Related Resources:

• Secrets to Work-Life Balance
• Work-Life Balance Hacks
• Work-Life Integration

Other Common Interview Weaknesses

Need much inspiration? Here are immoderate different communal weaknesses you tin see mentioning successful a occupation interview.

"What Are Your Weaknesses?" Examples

Organizational Weaknesses:

• Struggling pinch clip management.
• Managing missed deadlines.
• Not being capable to prioritize aggregate tasks astatine a time.
• Delaying tasks unnecessarily.

Quality of Work Weaknesses:

• Having constricted acquisition successful a circumstantial accomplishment aliases specialization.
• Having problem adapting to caller processes aliases technologies.
• Striving for perfection.
• Finding it difficult to fto spell of projects.

Interpersonal Weaknesses:

• Issues communicating pinch colleagues of higher titles.
• Difficulty moving pinch different personalities.
• Difficulty delegating tasks.
• Challenges asking for help.

Personal Growth Weaknesses:

• Balancing activity and individual life.
• Struggling to opportunity “no.”
• Being hesitant to speak up aliases advocator for yourself.
• Lacking self-assurance.
• Avoiding taking work for mistakes.
• Being precocious occasionally.

How to Identify Your Greatest Weakness

My apical portion of proposal for identifying your top weakness successful an question and reply is this: Answer honestly but don’t frighten your chance astatine getting nan occupation offer.

Here’s really to do conscionable that.

1. Rule retired immoderate skills that are listed successful nan occupation description.

Scan each connection of nan occupation listing to guarantee nan weakness isn't included successful nan required skills and responsibilities.

For example, my occupation explanation astatine Nickelodeon mentioned looking for a campaigner who could build relationships pinch partners astatine each levels. Since that is an basal qualification for nan role, I wouldn’t person answered “What is your top weakness?” pinch “Communicating pinch colleagues of higher titles.”

2. Consider weaknesses that you person overcome.

I said pinch Sneha Alagappan, nan adjunct head of machine subject profession services astatine nan University of Chicago and a erstwhile tech recruiter, and she mentioned nan thought of highlighting weaknesses that you’re already tackling:

“There is ever a affirmative measurement to rotation imaginable mistakes and areas of opportunity for yourself by talking astir lessons you’ve learned on nan measurement and really you person already changed your measurement of moving moving forward.

[For example,] if your weakness is ‘organization,’ springiness an illustration of a clip erstwhile you identified your weaker statement skills and reflected that it was holding you backmost successful immoderate way, and really you worked to flooded that [weakness] moving forward.”

3. Find inspiration by looking done aged capacity reviews.

If you're struggling pinch a circumstantial weakness example, publication done aged self-assessments and capacity reviews. These documents are awesome sources of inspiration for examples of your accomplishments and areas you tin improve.

Alagappan agrees, adding, “Receiving feedback from a nonstop manager, skip-level managers, peers, aliases cross-functional partners is simply a awesome measurement to place your areas of opportunity.”

One of my first capacity reviews astatine Nickelodeon mentioned I should speak up much during meetings. Since then, I person travel to lead respective bi-weekly and monthly meetings, which I did because of nan encouragement from my manager.

How to Answer “What Are Your Greatest Weaknesses?”

1. Be honorable and take a existent weakness.

The answer, “I’m a perfectionist” won‘t trim it because it’s not a existent weakness.

Perfectionism tin ne'er beryllium attained — it's a fear-based shape that leads to short-term rewards for illustration getting nan occupation done early and exceeding expectations but tin yet lead to burnout.

Instead, take a existent weakness. Underneath nan desire to do cleanable activity whitethorn dishonesty a much authentic weakness for illustration problem asking for thief aliases reluctance to delegate.

2. Provide an illustration of really you've worked to amended your weakness aliases study a caller accomplishment to combat nan issue.

Hiring managers don't expect you to flooded your weaknesses overnight. As Patel told me, “Hiring managers are normal group pinch their ain shortcomings, too.”

Everyone has areas they must continuously activity connected to support their skills sharp, truthful show nan interviewer that you’re alert of your anemic points and moving to improve.

3. Think astir weaknesses successful your individual life.

Humanizing yourself successful nan question and reply allows your interviewer to link and visualize moving pinch you successful nan future. It's not conscionable astir weaknesses that pertain to nan job.

In my individual life, I person problem saying “no” to friends. This is simply a relatable weakness successful some activity and life. Demonstrating your self-awareness this measurement shows that you understand that self-improvement correlates to activity performance.

4. Think of wherever you'd for illustration to beryllium and what support you request to get there.

Overall, maturation is simply a portion of life. Think astir group you look up to that whitethorn beryllium related to nan section that you're in. Ask yourself what characteristic traits those group person and what activity you mightiness request to do to get there.

For example, I’m inspired by my head who I judge strikes nan cleanable equilibrium betwixt self-assuredness and kindness. I cognize I tin execute this by making myself heard successful meetings and listening to my gut moreover erstwhile others whitethorn deliberation differently.

5. Don't beryllium arrogant aliases underestimate yourself.

The astir important point erstwhile responding to nan mobility “What is your top weakness?” is to grounds assurance successful your answer. Luckily, assurance tin beryllium learned — it originates pinch being honorable pinch yourself and knowing you’re being truthful successful what you say.

If you‘ve identified an area of weakness and consciousness judge astir it, fto that assurance radiance done successful your answer. As I’ve mentioned, everyone has areas of improvement, truthful there’s nary request to consciousness embarrassed astir thing you struggle pinch that you’re moving to refine.

5 Tips for Talking About Weaknesses successful Job Interviews

Now that you cognize nan astir effective answers and champion practices for choosing a weakness, it’s clip for nan existent test: delivering nan reply to nan interviewer.

This doesn’t person to beryllium panic-inducing — I for illustration to ideate talking done this mobility pinch my champion friend.

Here are 5 tips I travel to destruct immoderate of nan fear:

1. Practice your reply beforehand. I for illustration practicing question and reply questions for illustration this 1 pinch friends truthful I tin person unrecorded feedback, but practicing aloud to yourself successful a reflector tin beryllium arsenic effective.
2. Look nan interviewer successful nan oculus and task confidence. I tin subordinate to really difficult it is to consciousness unafraid while discussing your weaknesses. I negociate this by not needfully being assured successful my weakness, but assured successful my conveyance of said weakness.
3. Be little and to nan point. I typically hole a consequence betwixt 30 seconds and 1 infinitesimal long. The first connection should straight authorities your weakness, and nan remainder of nan reply should item really you’re overcoming it.
4. Understand nan interviewer’s goal. The “What is your top weakness?” mobility isn’t meant to disqualify you. It’s conscionable different measurement for interviewers to study your soft individual and master attributes.
5. Showcase your characteristic while keeping it professional. I for illustration to infuse immoderate joke into interviews. It helps return nan separator disconnected nan nerves and helps maine build much of a relationship pinch nan hiring manager.

Note: These tips besides use to different communal question and reply questions for illustration "How do you grip conflict?" aliases "What motivates you?" So, beryllium judge to scheme accordingly. Don't worry, we've compiled a comprehensive database of questions for easy prepping).

There's Strength successful Every Weakness

I’m human, excessively — and it has ever been difficult for maine to vocalize my weaknesses successful an question and reply mounting wherever I already consciousness my astir vulnerable. But I’ve learned that each weakness besides has a spot connected its flipside.

Leaning connected your teammates who excel successful your anemic areas is simply a awesome measurement to show that you‘ll activity good connected nan squad and cognize really to usage your resources to lick problems. Taking free online courses to advancement your master improvement indicates you’re consenting to activity toward improvement.

No matter which of these answers you stock pinch nan hiring team, truthful agelong arsenic you are genuine successful your approach, they'll beryllium much than happy to thief you turn and transcend nan expectations of nan role.

Editor's note: This station was primitively published successful December 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.