What are your weaknesses? – Answering Interview Question

What are your weaknesses? One of the most common questions you’ll get

during an interview when you’re applying for a job.

Now, last year, I asked this question to so many applicants

and I am shocked by the answers.

So today I’m gonna teach you how to answer that question properly.

First, let’s talk about what you don’t do.

What are your weaknesses? – Answering Interview Question 

So when your employer, your interviewer is asking you, what are your weaknesses? 

Oh, I have none. Don’t ever say that. It is a lie.

You know it’s a lie, I know it’s a lie. When people say that, I just say get out of here, don’t let the door hit you on the way out when you say I have none.

And don’t say, well, I never thought about it or no one ever asked me that.

Seriously, no one ever asked you that? Maybe you think you’re being smart with the ply.

Don’t do that. It just shows you are dishonest and also it shows you you lack self-awareness. Those are not good answers.

Also, here are the ones I hear all the time that are also it’s a big no-no.

I’m kind of a workaholic and a bit too much of a perfectionist.

Give me a Break!

Don’t try to turn it and put a positive spin on it when you’re being asked what are your weaknesses.

Another one I hear all the time is, oh I love people, I love working with people. Really, I don’t like you that much right now.

Okay, that’s not good. That’s not what you do.

So here’s how you answer, what are your weaknesses? 

#1 Answer 

The key is don’t make that about your personality. If you’re gonna share something, make that about your skill set that you could work on.

Here’s what I mean by that. When you share something about your personality, with an employer it could feel like, well, I don’t know if you could fix that, that maybe it’s who you are.

But if you make it about a skill set, then it’s something that you could work on.

So I’ll give you an example, what are your weaknesses? Well, you know, I’m more of an introvert and sometimes I notice that I am shy to share my ideas when there’s a room of people.

Now, see that’s a good reply if you are an introvert because here’s what’s going through my mind. My mind is thinking, okay, this person is shy and introverted and that’s okay. So it means that in a certain scenario, maybe I need to ask this person more to speak up.

I could say, hey, you know what? What do you think of this?

Or in my mind I’m also thinking, well, maybe through time once this person becomes more comfortable with everybody else within a company, she could share more ideas.

See, that’s what’s going through my mind. That is fixable. Or maybe this person could go take Toastmasters and develop more confidence and work on her public speaking skills a bit.

See, in my mind, all that’s fixable. That’s fine, that’s perfectly fine.

#2 Answer

Here’s another scenario. If you share something about your weaknesses not in terms of your personality, but your skill, but also your plan.

What have you been doing to work on it or what are you planning to fix this? 

So let me give an example, okay? So what are your weaknesses?

Well, you know what, I’m a very creative person. I tend to come up with all kinds of ideas and when I get these ideas, I’m very excited and I wanna share that with everybody, all my managers, my coworkers, and I love just to share.

And what I realized over the years is sometimes these ideas, sometimes they’re good, and sometimes they’re not so good.

So it is something that I know I need to work on how to prioritize some of these ideas and work on filtering. And in fact, recently, I have been reading a few books. 

One it’s called by Richard Koch, 80/20 Principle, and also Getting Things Done by David Allen.

And through the book, I’ve picked up a lot of techniques and tools.

Now they are helping me to filter out some of these ideas and how I prioritize if there’s something that I’m working on all the time.

And of course, I’m always open to any coaching from you that can help me to channel my creativity into higher productions for the company.

Do you see how that sounds? You are not bragging, you’re not lying.

You’re saying, hey, I know that I’ve got this problem, I know it’s something that I need to work on it, it’s something that I am working on, and here’s my plan and at the end, you’re asking for coaching.

From my perspective as a CEO, as an employer, I know, okay, first of all, you’re reading books. 

Damn, that’s a big plus right there. And you’re learning, you’re self-aware and you know what you need to work on and you’re coachable.

To me, those are all like plus, plus, plus, plus from that simple reply.

So what are your weaknesses?

Next time when you get this question, what are gonna do, how are you gonna answer it?

Share with me if someone was to ask you this question, what are your weaknesses, and how would you reply to the best of your ability?

Go ahead and do that.