Nearly everyone dreads the classic interview question: “What are your weaknesses?” or its variation, “Tell me about a blind spot.” But with a little preparation, your answer can give you an opportunity to showcase your strengths — or at the very least highlight your self-awareness and determination to improve.
Here are a few tips for talking about blind spots, weaknesses, and challenge areas in a way that highlights other positive attributes.
Understand why the question is asked. Hiring managers ask this question for two reasons: to get to know you and to see how you handle tough questions. It demonstrates how comfortable you are in your own skin. It can also highlight that you’re confident enough to answer the question with integrity while having the emotional intelligence and common sense to not say something that immediately disqualifies you.
Plan your response. Be strategic about what you choose to share. Consider picking soft skills, like public speaking or a technical area for which you will not be directly responsible. If you’re applying for a management role, avoid saying you don’t know how to delegate — being able to assign and oversee work by others is precisely what you’re being hired to do.
Some good examples:
Perfectionism: “I sometimes struggle with perfectionism, which can lead to spending too much time on details. I’m working on finding a balance between accuracy and efficiency.”
Public Speaking: “I find public presentations challenging, especially to large groups. I’ve been taking public speaking courses to improve my confidence and skills in this area.”
Pro-Tip: If you feel comfortable, start with some humor… “My dance moves need some help, but in all seriousness….” An opening like this can lighten the mood and dilute the focus on any perceived weakness.
Speak honestly and humbly. No one is perfect. Your interviewers don’t expect to find the perfect candidate because that person doesn’t exist. However, they are looking for someone who can truthfully explain past obstacles and how they surmounted them. Authenticity goes a long way in acknowledging limitations. So be genuine in your response.
Focus on key learnings and growth. The best response to this question focuses on key insights learned. Explain how you grew and share the new skills that you gained. Emphasizing your growth trajectory shows the hiring manager your problem-solving skills and how you might react under pressure.
Tell a story. Share a real-life, concrete example. It’s critical to be genuine rather than generic with your answer. Set the stage by explaining how the problem presented itself, the steps you took to resolve the issue, the positive outcome or results, and your key learnings.
Keep it short. You do not need to spend a lot of time talking about limitations. Your response should be brief, well-articulated and planned in advance. There’s no need to rattle off a long list of shortcomings. Discussing two weaknesses, and no more, is sufficient for any interview.
Looking for a new job or preparing for an interview? Alliance Resource Group can help!