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“What Are Your Weaknesses?” – How to Answer

The age-old "What are your best strengths?" in a job interview is a toss. This is your chance to highlight the qualities that make you an ideal candidate for the position you're applying for. The unexpected part of a job interview is when the interviewer asks you to discuss your weaknesses. Many candidates find it challenging to answer the common interview question, 'What are your weaknesses?' during a job interview. This is understandable, since no one wants to give the impression that they are incapable of doing their job. Though challenging, it is possible to achieve the goal.

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“What Are Your Weaknesses?” – How to Answer
Just like you feel your chest pump up while speaking about your strengths, similarly, speaking about your weaknesses should also be that smooth. Instead of feeling anxious, learn how to answer 'What are your weaknesses?' confidently by acknowledging areas you're working to improve. But make sure that does not threaten your prospects of getting hired.

Also, needlessly highlighting your bad points and showing remorse over them would not impress the interview panel. Make sure you answer about these points keeping in mind the nature of your job role, and the industry that you would be working for. For instance, if you have applied for a Sales Intern position and implying that you like staying in your own world, that will deduct your points drastically.

Understanding the Purpose of the Question

You must realise the logic behind asking this question. The employers want to find out if you have a certain level of awareness about self, if you are simply trying to gain sympathy or your weakness is genuine one. How did you overcome your weaknesses in the past as against letting them take a hold of you.
So, while speaking about your weaknesses, be careful that you don’t come out as a whiner. You must represent it in a manner that would still be a benefit for the company. Don’t try to portray yourself as a perfect person because as soon as you show such attitude, you will lose the impression.

Tips for Discussing Your Weaknesses

1.    Choose Your Weaknesses Carefully

Selective and honest information about something that’s tough for you to do, and that which definitely won’t hurt your job, can be mentioned to the interview panel. The keyword here is: selective weakness.

2.    Don't Glorify Your Flaws

No one likes that. Especially in an interview if you brag about being a night creature who loves to work on video games, won’t be taken positively, so stay humble about them.

3.    Stay Mindful

Again, speaking about things you are bad at, in a mindfully and thoughtfully would help the interviewers look at you positively.

4.    Explain with Examples

Always back up your instance of getting over your weakness, with an example. That helps the audience relate to your situation and understand it correctly.

Tips to Sound Genuine

1.    Choose Your Vocabulary Carefully

For example: instead of saying, ‘I have stage fear’, you may say ‘ With the kind of job I aspire to bag, I have joined a Public Speakers group where I volunteer to speak about various topics, that helps me share my ideas better, and I receive insights as well’. Pretty Simple.

2.    Don't Expect Sympathy

Speak what is real. Beating around the bush just to elevate your weakness can have adverse effects.

3.    Practice Your Points

Before appearing for the interview, practice what you are going to say should such a question comes up. That will help you stay confident in interviews.

4.    Understand the mindset of the interviewer

Once you get an idea of the mental thought process of the audience, it would become better for you to answer them.

Make sure that you do not speak too much about your flaws, keep it concise and clear, all the while avoid relating them to the job. Try and move on by answering this question quickly, so you have more time answering questions of more importance.
 
 

 

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