When preparing for an upcoming interview, it helps to practice interview questions. And one of the most popular (and most feared) is the classic: “So, tell me about your greatest weakness/es.” But no need to worry! You can take steps to prepare a killer answer for this common question so you can present yourself as cool, calm, confident and collected. Just follow these tips from one of the top temp agencies in Atlanta GA—Snelling Georgia Group.
How to answer: “What is Your Greatest Weakness?”
The key to answering this, and all, interview questions is to be honest. A dishonest or gimmicky answer is going to be completely transparent to your interviewer. For example, don’t plan to “cleverly” disguise a strength as a weakness. This is an old go-to trick for answering this question, and your interviewer will see right through it. Instead, try either of the following methods:
Talk About Improvement
This is probably the best way to answer an interview question about your weaknesses. Choose an honest yet unoffensive weakness and then describe in detail how you’ve worked hard to improve it. For example, “In the past, I’ve not been the best with meeting deadlines. I realized I wasn’t good at prioritizing my work. So I started to review my work queue every morning and prioritize my highest profile projects first, then check with my supervisor to be sure my list made sense. I would spend the first part of my day working on the highest profile projects, and then leave lower priority items until the end of the day. Not only have I gotten better at meeting deadlines, I now find myself handing in assignments ahead of when they’re due.” Every employer wants to employ workers who take initiative. And being able to identify your own shortcomings and take action is a hallmark of both maturity and professionalism.
Choose a Skill that’s not Essential to the Job to Which You’ve Applied
This is a less-preferred way to answer this question, but will still work in a pinch. For example, if you’re applying as a writer who’s an independent contributor to the team, skills such as teamwork or leadership won’t have that much impact on your job performance. Conversely, self-discipline, focus, and organization are the skills you’ll need to get your job done well.
Practice!
Once you have your desired plan in place, write out your answer to this question, and practice it until it becomes second nature. Good luck with your interview—you’ll do great!
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