Interview Question ( Archived) (8)

Being asked about one's own "biggest weaknesses" in a job interview is considered (by many job-seekers, at least) one of the worst interview questions. Do you ask candidates this, and how would you recommend candidates answer this question in a job interview without being phony?

Be Upfront

There are times when I ask job candidates this question. It's not that I want to nitpick or make people feel uncomfortable, but rather I want to see in which areas they feel they need to improve and what they are doing about it. In order to advance professionally, we all need to be able to honestly identify not just our strengths but also our weaknesses and how we can upgrade in these areas.

I recommend that job candidates be upfront during interviews. Don't say you have "no weaknesses" or "work too hard." Instead, tell hiring managers what you are working on improving and what you've done to build your skills in these areas.

One thing to keep in mind: If one of your weaknesses is directly related to the position and could potentially take you out of the running, the opportunity may not be right for you.


To bad we hardly ever think to ask this question at the beginning of a possible relationship.. I believe mine would be that I usually want to make it very easy fir the other party involved, I give up to much of myself for another..

2 fry's short of a Happy Meal, thinking I can make it easy for another..

I tell the truth - I'm a perfectionist and sometimes focus too much on one thing.

I was asked this question before, and my response was....

"I have a lot of trouble speaking the native toungue of the Bushmen - those clicking sounds give me so much trouble."

I was asked this question as well a long time ago when interviewing with the big 8 accounting firms, just before graduation... I remember the company was Touche Ross (sp), and I said to the guy. "I was a bad student in accounting and I had trouble learning almost everything that was taught to me."

Both are very true statements, no joke hehe.

I interview people now and I actually ask this same question to them. I ask "What area (in my field) would you think you might have the most problems with?"

#To bad we hardly ever think to ask this question at the beginning of a possible relationship.. I believe mine would be that I usually want to make it very easy fir the other party involved, I give up to much of myself for another.. #


That's all part of the getting to know you, taking the time to chat/talk
it usually brings out these things.

We are hardly going to tell another our biggest weaknesses,
would anyone ever get a second date.....

My relationship weakness would be that I need more "me" time than most women and sometimes just need to be by myself for awhile. When someone's around me too often I start to feel smothered.

I do ask this question, but try to use a positive or non-confrontational approach. Calling it a weakness implies something very negative so I prefer to use the phrase areas for improvement, or development. I also ask what the person considers most challenging about their current position or anticipated challenges in the new postion they are applying for, and how they might rise to meet them.

When I phrase the questions from that perspective the responses often demonstrate the areas that the candidate considers a weakness, or provides insight into where they see themselves going in their career. It also gives me a clue on how insightful and creative they are. Are their expectations realistic and solutions likely to succeed? Do they appear genuine or have they been reading too many management books so they are excellent interviewees (yet bad employees).

I've interviewed almost 100 people in the past year and fortunately have made only a few bad choices.

I think that's me too, trouble is me time for me,

usually means goodbye time for them.................

and if your feeling smothered there is no hope