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5+ Great Ways to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

What exactly is the right way to answer “what is your greatest weakness?”

For such a popular interview question, the answer was never really clear!

Are you supposed to deny that you have one? Or go all confession time on recruiters and share your most genuine weakness?

The answer is neither. What you do is turn the situation to your advantage by framing your weaknesses positively.

So, wanna know how not to miss a beat when recruiters ask you “what is your greatest weakness?”

This article will show you just that!

Why Do Interviewers Ask “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

The first step to answering “what is your greatest weakness” correctly is to understand why recruiters ask the question in the first place.

When recruiters ask you to identify your greatest weaknesses, they are looking for the following three things:

When you know just what the recruiters are expecting from you, the interview question doesn’t seem as hard, does it?

Now, let’s move on to the next important step:

How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

Let’s first state the obvious.

No matter what, your answer should never be “Weakness? I don’t have a weakness.”

Everybody has weaknesses. Denying yours only shows you’re not self-aware, which is, as we mentioned before, a red flag for recruiters.

Instead, you should frame your weaknesses positively.

And no, that’s not the same as disguising a strength as a weakness (“I’m just TOO detail-oriented”).

What we mean by “frame your weaknesses positively” is the following:

Here’s a concrete example.

Say you’re applying for a job as a copy editor. This is part of the job description:

For starters, you wouldn’t want to answer “what’s your greatest weakness?” with any of the following: effective communication, accuracy, attention to detail, or teamwork.

All these skills are essential to the job and mentioning them as weaknesses would do more harm than good.

Rather, you want to identify a real weakness that you have, discuss it genuinely, and highlight how you are addressing it (or planning to).

Here’s how you can do that:

My greatest weakness is time management. I have always been very detail-oriented, so it sometimes takes me longer to finish a project than I initially think it will. This is why I started using time-tracking software in my last job. It made me more conscious of the time a task takes me and helped me never miss a deadline again.

This is a good answer because:

Moreover, this answer effectively mentions a strength that is essential to the job: being detail-oriented. If you can also fit one organically into your answer, that’s a huge plus.

Want to know what other questions might come up during a job interview? Our guide has 35+ interview questions (and answers) that recruiters love to ask.

5+ “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?” Answer Samples

#1. Lack of experience

This one’s usually a very good answer if you’re a recent university graduate or if you’re switching careers.

For example, let’s say you’re a recent college graduate applying for a job as a graphic designer.

You can say that you lack experience with a certain software because you’ve practiced on a different one.

In such a case, if you’re asked “what is your greatest weakness?” you can answer like this:

#2. Teamwork

Teamwork (or lack thereof) is a completely valid weakness, especially if your job doesn’t involve working with many people.

Just make sure not to mix up teamwork skills with effective communication skills, even though the two are connected.

See, there are hardly any jobs out there that don’t require communication skills, so straight-on mentioning communication as your weakness might not be the best idea.

Teamwork, on the other hand, involves close collaboration with a team to achieve a common goal, which is not necessarily required in every field.

Here’s how you can tell the recruiter about this weakness:

#3. Procrastination

You’d be surprised how many people struggle with procrastination. It’s a (bad) habit that’s been around for so long, there’s even a Goodreads quote page dedicated to it.

As a weakness, procrastination can be a two-edged sword. If you don’t frame it properly, recruiters might assume you’re likely to miss deadlines or submit low-quality work.

The key here is to mention exactly how you’ve improved or are planning to improve this weakness.

Here’s how to frame your answer:

#4. Impatience

Struggling to remain patient is one of those weaknesses that is almost justifiable to have.

Think about it. It’s almost impossible not to lose your patience at some point or another when you’re working. It might happen because of a difficult task you can’t complete, or a colleague missing a deadline. The point is how you react to your impatience and whether you let it impact your relations with your coworkers or customers.

So, unless you’re working a job where it’s essential to be patient (such as being a teacher), you can use impatience as a weakness as long as you frame it positively.

Here’s how to do that:

#5. Self-criticism

Many people grapple with self-criticism.

At one point or another, we feel like we could have done more, or that we didn’t give our all towards a certain task.

For this reason, self-criticism is a weakness that you can use in most situations when recruiters ask you what your greatest weakness is.

Here’s how you’d go about it:

#6. Multitasking

Multitasking might not be as great as you think.

Yes, our increasingly busy lifestyles can sometimes trick us into thinking multitasking is amazing, but recent studies show multitasking can seriously harm work performance.

Multitasking makes you more likely to make mistakes at work, be less efficient with your tasks, and overall really hurts your productivity.

Hence, you can easily use multitasking as an answer to “what is your greatest weakness?”

Here’s how you’d reply to the interviewers:

Skills You Can Mention as Weaknesses in An Interview

By now, you should understand that it’s not really about the weakness, but about the way you present the weakness and the steps you’re taking to improve on it.

Having said this, you can take a look at the list below of soft skills that you can mention as weaknesses to get you thinking on what your weakness is:

As we mentioned before, you can mention any of these weaknesses as long as they’re not directly related to the job you’re applying for.

Instead, you could say the following:

Tips to Identify (and Address) Your Weakness

Now, in case we didn’t stress this enough, it’s important to be as genuine as possible when recruiters ask “what is your greatest weakness?”

This means that your weakness should be authentic, not just a skill that you picked out of a list because you think it’s harmless to the position you’re applying to.

The more authentic the weakness you mention (and the steps you’re taking to address it), the easier you’ll come across as a self-aware and self-improving candidate.

In this section, we’ll teach you just how you can do this.

Identifying Your Weakness

Struggling to pinpoint your weak points? Ask yourself the following:

The answers that come up more frequently will be your main weaknesses.

Addressing Your Weaknesses

Now, identifying your weaknesses doesn’t mean much unless you go the extra mile and improve on them.

And sure, you can take a shortcut and say you’re doing something to address your weaknesses just for the sake of replying to the interview question correctly, but sooner or later that could harm your work performance.

That’s why, instead of just mentioning it during the job interview, we advise you to try out one of the following ways to address your weakness:

Key Takeaways

Well, that was a lot to take in!

Hopefully, now you’re more than prepared to answer “what is your greatest weakness?”

Just in case, let’s go over some of the main points we covered in the article:

Interview Question: «What Is Your Greatest Weakness?»

Best Answers for Interview Questions About Weaknesses

Theresa Chiechi / The Balance

What’s the best way to talk about weaknesses at job interviews? Talking about things that you don’t excel at can be tricky when you’re interviewing for a new job. When you’re asked about weaknesses, it’s important to respond carefully. You don’t want to cast any doubt on your ability to do the job.

What the Employer Wants to Know

When you’re asked about your weaknesses, the employer wants to know whether you are qualified to do the job. The hiring manager is also looking for indicators that show you’ve been able to learn new tasks and handle new challenges. So, this question is an opportunity to show that you’ve got the right assets for the job.

How to Answer «What is Your Greatest Weakness?»

There are several different ways to answer when you’re asked during a job interview what your greatest weakness is.

You can mention skills that aren’t critical for the job, discuss skills you have improved on, or turn a negative into a positive.

Even though the question is about weaknesses, your answer should always be framed around the positive aspects of your skills and abilities as an employee.

Option 1: Discuss Non-Essential Skills

One approach to answering this question is to analyze the key skills and strengths required for the position you are interviewing for and then come up with an honest shortcoming that is not essential for success in that job.

For example, if you are applying for a nursing job, you might share that you are not particularly adept at conducting group presentations. In this case, it would be critical to underscore your strength in one-on-one communication with patients while providing an example of your difficulty with presentations to large groups. Likewise, if you’re applying for a position as a writer, you could focus on a skill that isn’t required for the job, as in the example below.

Example Answer

Numbers have not always been my strong suit. Fortunately, as a copywriter, I can focus most of my time on the creative process of writing. However, in recent years I have begun to familiarize myself with the digital analytics tools used in the various websites and apps I write for, and I have found that when you add context, “numbers” can actually be quite enlightening.

Why It Works: This response features a weakness that isn’t critical for success at this job. It also shows how the candidate has improved and upgraded her skills.

Option 2: Mention Skills You Have Improved

Another option is to discuss skills that you have improved upon during your previous job or that you are actively working on improving. This shows the interviewer that you’re committed to self-improvement.

Begin your answer by talking about where you started and the steps you took to improve, and then highlight the outcome.

If you use this strategy, be sure not to mention anything that you improved upon that would be critical to the position for which you are interviewing, as you don’t want your qualifications for the job to be questioned.

Example Answer

One area I improved on in the past is my salesmanship skills. As a product manager who works with internal teams and does not interface with clients or sales prospects, I don’t do much, if any, selling in my role. However, since I do communicate quite frequently with the sales team, I felt it might benefit me to have a greater understanding of their strategies and tactics. I took a sales skills course online. It improved how I work with sales teams, and now, when I join sales meetings, I have a much better idea of what’s going on, and I feel more effective in communicating with the sales team. This course also helped me build upon the skills I use to «sell» my vision for the product internally.

Why It Works: This response works well because it clearly shows how the candidate has improved upon the skills needed to do the job effectively.

Option 3: Turn a Negative Into a Positive

Another option for answering is to turn a negative into a positive. For example, a sense of urgency to complete projects can be turned into a positive; e.g., you are a candidate who will make sure a project is done on time. Or perhaps you find yourself with an attention to detail that leads you to triple-check every item on a spreadsheet and proofread every email you send twice.

Regardless of what you say, it is critical to indicate that you are mindful of this trait and capable of preventing it from interfering with your productivity.

Example Answer

I have a very strong attention to detail. Sometimes, this can turn into a tendency to perfectionism. In the past, I found this leading me to triple-check every item on a spreadsheet, closely proofread emails to ensure I’d communicated what I was trying to get across in a clear, concise way, or fiddle with the layout of a presentation to ensure that it was perfect. I’ve since learned to successfully budget my time and gauge which tasks require and actually benefit from this level of precision.

Why It Works: The candidate is showing the interviewer that she has the time management skills to focus on a detail-oriented project.

More Examples of the Best Answers

Review more examples of answers to help you frame your own response.

Example Answer #1

Organization hasn’t always been my strongest point. I’ve always been inclined to prioritize tasks that directly impact the bottom line, and maintaining a pristine desk or an organized inbox didn’t seem to truly move the needle in terms of my output. Over time, I’ve learned that keeping a clean workspace—both physically, and digitally—does support my ability to focus and enhance the efficiency of my workflow. I’ve implemented a time management system that enables me to stay organized without encroaching on my other responsibilities.

Why It Works: The candidate is mentioning a weakness and showing how he solved the problem.

Example Answer #2

When I’m working on a project, I don’t just want to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of its due date. While this means I never miss a deadline, it also means that sometimes I can find myself rushed when I’m working. I’ve since learned to slow down, be more patient, and give each project the careful attention it deserves.

Why It Works: This response shows that meeting deadlines and getting the work done accurately are both important.

Example Answer #3

I used to wait until the last minute to set appointments for the coming week, but I realized that scheduling in advance makes much more sense. I’m now much more proactive about scheduling meetings, and this allows me to plan and segment out my work for the week without having to guess at when I’ll need to leave time for meetings.

Why It Works: The candidate’s response shows that he established time management skills that enable him to effectively do the job.

Example Answer #4

Sometimes I spend more time than necessary on a task or take on tasks that could easily be delegated to someone else. Although I’ve never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next task and to be confident when assigning others work. In my recent position, I implemented a project management tool that allowed me to easily oversee the progress of all the tasks I assigned. This helped me feel much more comfortable about delegating work.

Why It Works: This response shows that the candidate can handle delegating work and managing a project, which are required skills for leadership and management roles.

Example Answer #5

I used to like to work on one project to its completion before starting on another, but I’ve learned to work on many projects at the same time, and I think doing so allows me to be more creative and effective in each one.

Why It Works: This response shows the candidate’s successful shift from working on one task at a time to multitasking.

Tips for Giving the Best Response

Prepare a response. It can be easier to respond when you have an idea of what you want to say.

If you’re coming up blank, reviewing examples of weaknesses may help get your wheels turning.

Be honest. It’s important that your answer be authentic and tailored to your own circumstances. Of all the questions that you are likely to be asked in an interview, this is not one where you want to risk coming across as disingenuous.

Turn a negative into a positive. Frame your response in a positive manner so that whatever you portrayed as needing improvement is seen as an accomplishment rather than a weakness.

A Few Ways Answer «What Is Your Greatest Weakness?»

What Not to Say

Don’t go overboard. It’s important not to talk too much about your weaknesses or what you need to improve. You don’t want the interviewer to perceive you as a candidate who isn’t qualified.

Don’t say that you’re perfect. It’s important not to come across as arrogant or dishonest by claiming that you don’t have any weaknesses.

Keep it positive. You may have noticed that the term «weakness» isn’t used in the sample answers. You always want to focus on the positive when interviewing.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

Key Takeaways

Be Careful How You Respond: Keep in mind that how you frame your answer to job interview questions about weaknesses is as important as what you say.

Focus on Accomplishments: Try to shift the focus from what needs improvement to what you have accomplished.

Write a Response: You don’t need to memorize an answer. But if you write out a few ideas beforehand, it will be easier to answer the question during the interview.

Перевод песни Your sweetness (is your weakness) (Dead or alive)

Your sweetness (is your weakness)

Твоя слабость в твоей нежности

Tell me what am I doing standing here
You can’t look me in the eye
Every new face that they let in through the door
Might be added on to your score

You tell me that it is just physical
You cannot fight the way you feel
It gets so hard for me
To keep you to myself
You’re mine, you’re mine, you’re mine
You’re mine, you’re mine

What are we waiting for
Tell me what are we waiting for
What are we waiting for
There’s trouble on the dance floor

Someone else has taken what’s mine
Someone else has captured
Your attention and time
And your sweetness is your weakness
Someone else has taken what’s mine
I know what you’re thinking’
By the look in your eye
Babe, your sweetness is your weakness

Is this payment for a former life
In another place and time
You’re like honey
For the bees that fly around
Attractive to the ground

You’ve got to tell me what you feel for me
It could make me feel so real
I won’t share what’s mine
With anybody else
You’re mine, you’re mine, oh mine
Oh mine, oh mine, oh mine

Someone else has taken what’s mine
Someone else has captured
Your attention and time
And your sweetness
It goes on and on and on and on

Your sweetness is your weekness

You just want a sexy bit

Скажи мне, что я делаю? Зачем стою здесь?
Ты не можешь посмотреть мне в глаза.
Ты обращаешь внимание на каждого,
Кто заходит в эту дверь.

Ты говоришь мне, тело всему виной,
Ты не можешь противостоять своим желаниям.
И мне всё сложнее
Удержать тебя рядом.
Ты моя, ты моя, ты моя,
Ты моя, ты моя.

Чего же мы ждём?
Скажи мне, чего же мы ждём?
Чего же мы ждём?
На танцполе сейчас разыграется драма.

Кто-то другой получил то, что принадлежит мне,
Кто-то другой завладел
твоим вниманием и временем
И твоя слабость в твоей нежности.
Кто-то другой получил то, что принадлежит мне,
Я знаю о чем ты думаешь,
Стоит мне лишь взглянуть в твои глаза.
Милая, твоя слабость в твоей нежности.

Быть может, это плата за мою прошлую жизнь
В другом месте и в другое время.
Ты словно мёд для пчёл,
Которые так и кружат повсюду,
Притягиваясь к земле.

Ты должна сказать мне, что ты чувствуешь ко мне
Только тогда я пойму, что существую для тебя.
Я не собираюсь делиться тобой
Ни с кем.
Ты моя, ты моя, моя,
Моя, моя, моя.

Кто-то другой получил то, что принадлежит мне,
Кто-то другой завладел
твоим вниманием и временем
И твоя слабость в твоей нежности.
Это продолжается снова и снова и снова

Твоя слабость в твоей нежности.

Ты просто хочешь немного развлечься.

Cultivated Culture

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How To Ace Your Answer To “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

“What is your biggest weakness?”

It’s a common interview question that recruiters and hiring managers love but candidates hate – for good reason. “Trap” questions like this one allows interviewers to easily weed out candidates without doing a whole lot of work. Many times, the prospective hire takes care of it for them.

See, there is a “right” answer to this interview question, but most job seekers fail to deliver on it. The ones who do, automatically earn a leg up over the competition in the hiring managers mind. The ones who don’t end up in a pile on someone’s desk collecting dust.

You’re here because you are probably wondering how to best answer the dreaded weakness interview question and this guide is going to walk you through that and a whole lot more!

We’re going to cover:

If you’re ready to turn this interview question from a complete pain into one of the reasons you land the job offer, then read on!

Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?

Once you know what the hiring manager is looking for with this question, it won’t feel so much like a trap. So, here it is. When asking about your weakness, hiring managers really want to know if you are:

Self-aware. You don’t need to be good at everything. But are you aware of the things you do well and the things you should get help with? This level of self-awareness is crucial for smooth integration into any new job and team.

Honest. At some point, something will go wrong at work. Are you the type of person that learns from your mistakes or points the blame at others? The hiring manager wants to know you can own your shortcomings while still succeeding at your job.

Serious about career advancement. You don’t need to turn all of your weaknesses into strengths. But are you learning and striving to prevent that weakness from holding you back in your career? Employers want to know that, when faced with a problem, you’ll attempt to find a solution.

Hiding red flags. Hiring managers also want to see if you’ll reveal any information that could cause doubt about your fit for the role and company. Why? Because hiring a new employee is one of the most expensive decisions a company makes. The U.S. Department of Labor found that a bad hire can cost a company 30 percent of the employee’s first-year salary.

So, your answer needs to show the interviewer you’re self-aware, honest, and serious about advancing your career while putting the fear of a bad hire to rest. Unfortunately, most people do just the opposite.

2 Mistakes People Make When Answering “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?”

When it comes to talking about a weakness in a job interview, candidates tend to fall into one of two traps:

Mistake #1: Playing Up A Weakness

While the idea of spinning a “weakness” into a strength is good, this is definitely NOT the right way to do it. Employers tend to see right through people who take this route, and it usually comes off as pompous and unprofessional.

Here are a few examples of bad answers that fall into this category:

Bad Example Answer #1

My biggest weakness is definitely the fact that I work too much. At my previous job my boss actually had to implement a rule that I needed to be out of the office by 7pm because I was routinely staying until 9pm. I did win the award for highest sell through rate though so maybe it wasn’t all for nothing, right!?

Bad Example Answer #2

My biggest weakness is probably biting off more than I can chew. I love learning new things, helping my colleagues, and being right in the thick of innovation. I usually get the hang of my job pretty quickly, which leads me to take on a lot of additional stretch projects. It’s funny how my bandwidth feels maxed but there’s always room for more!

In the first bad example, our candidate is trying to show that they love to work and that hiring them will net the company and employee who puts in tireless hours and drives tons of results. Instead, it comes off as a bit arrogant and cringe worthy.

In the second bad example, our candidate is trying to convey that they love to wear many hats, dive into new situations, and tackle new challenges. While companies love that, they’re going to look at this answer and see a person who stretches themselves thin, decreasing performance across the board.

Mistake #2: Oversharing A Weakness

Now let’s talk about the next common mistake that candidates make – oversharing.

If you’re applying for a job in sales and talking to strangers genuinely terrifies you, you might not want to share that with your interviewers. Sure, it’s a weakness, but highlighting it is likely going to pull you out of contention for the job.

Here are two examples of answers where people are a little too honest:

Bad Example Answer #1

My biggest weakness is the fact that I freeze up whenever I’m forced to talk to someone I don’t know. To be honest, I was terrified when I walked in the door today and sat down with you – but you’ve been really nice, thank you – but yea, I was shaking earlier. I just don’t really feel comfortable in those situations and I get pretty awkward. I’m working on it though.

Bad Example Answer #2

My biggest weakness is probably procrastination. I was never good at planning ahead in school / at my previous job, and I’d put stuff off until the last minute. That said, I only missed a few deadlines – I’m pretty good at cramming stuff in at the last minute. I think there’s research out there that showed people get better results when they’re under a tight deadline. That’s kind of how I operate.

It almost hurts a little to read those, right?

When you start at a new company, you’re going to be meeting TONS of people you’ve never met before – colleagues, clients, competitors, etc. If your company thinks you’ll freeze up and become an awkward shell of yourself, how are you going to add to their culture or push clients to make decisions that benefit the company? Mistake #1 is going to get your application tossed out fast.

Mistake #2 sounds like someone trying to be the cool kid in school who never studied but still got A’s. While you may be able to do that in the professional world, it’s best to keep it to yourself. Companies want people who are organized and working ahead of time to make sure deliverables are perfect and deadlines are met.

Now I’m going to show you the right way to answer this interview question and frame up your weakness so that you blow away your interviewer and completely set yourself apart from the competition!

Want To Land 3x More Job Offers In The Next Two Weeks?

How To Answer “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?” In An Interview

When it comes to crafting the best possible answer to this interview question, we have to think about the opportunities that our answer affords us. How can we use it to proactively handle objections, highlight specific experience, and prove our value?

I mentioned above that people had the right idea when they aimed to spin their weakness as a strength – that’s exactly what we’re going to do here, but we’re going to frame it in a way that seriously impresses our interviewer (rather than coming off as arrogant or unprofessional).

In order to do that, we’re going to follow this simple 5 step formula:

Here’s why this works.

We start by citing a weakness and we carefully share how it’s impacted us in the past. For example, maybe you have a paralyzing fear of public speaking which kept you from sharing ideas in meetings and conveying your message to clients.

This is OK because we’re all human and we all have weaknesses, but we’re not going to end on that note. Instead, we’re going to follow up by citing the actions we’ve taken to overcome our fear. To start, you hired a speaking coach to help you understand why this fear is occurring and to give you guidance on how to manage it in the moment. Next, you spoke to your boss and asked them if you could have 10 minutes each month to present on a topic in front of the team.

Awesome! You recognized that you had a weakness and you began to take steps to overcome it. Your interviewer is going to take note of your self awareness and drive. But we’re not done yet. Finally, you’re going to showcase the results you’ve gotten from your hard work as well as any recognition you received from others.

That answer shows your interviewer that you have enough awareness to recognize your weaknesses, but you’re also committed to improving. It also shows that you’re not afraid to step out of your comfort zone in order to grow. What company wouldn’t want to hire someone like that?

Pro Tip: There is a psychology behind highly effective interview communication, and research shows that roughly 55% of communication happens through nonverbal elements like facial expressions, posture, and gestures. Check out these 3 keys to highly effective communication that most people ignore!

Example Answers For “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?”

Now let’s take that bulleted formula from the section above and turn it into a template that you can rehearse and repeat in your next interview:

“Biggest Weakness” Interview Answer Template

In the past, [Weakness] was a huge challenge for me. I’d get incredibly nervous when I knew I had to [Weakness]. I realized this was hindering my progress and an individual and a professional so I decided to [Action You Took To Improve]. After several months of working through it, I can honestly say that [Weakness] is something I’m starting to enjoy. Most recently, [Showcase Results From Action Taken] and my colleagues even [Include Colleague Testimonial].

Here is how we’d leverage it using the public speaking example from above:

Example #1: Public Speaking

In the past, public speaking was a huge challenge for me. I’d get incredibly nervous when I knew I had to get up and speak in front of a crowd. I realized this was hindering my progress as an individual and a professional so I decided to take action.

I hired a speaking coach and I asked my manager to allocate 10 minutes in our team meeting each month where I could present on something. After a few months of working through my speaking issues, I can honestly say it’s something I’m starting to enjoy.

Here’s another example using the challenge of navigating cultural barriers:

Example #2: Navigating Cultural Barriers

My current company recently expanded their focus from US-only markets into Japan. As you probably know, Japan’s professional culture is very different from what we’re used to here in the US and I had a hard time adjusting.

During the early months of the expansion, I was sent to Japan to meet with prospective clients. I didn’t do much reading beforehand since I’m typically good with our domestic clients and proceeded to botch the first two meetings. Those companies stopped all communication after my visit. I couldn’t understand what I did wrong.

At first, I blamed the companies and the “weird” way they did business but after some reflection I realized that I was most likely at fault. To help me better understand, I hired a Japanese business coach who taught me the key differences between American and Japanese culture. I also picked up Duolingo to learn some of the language and found a local group dedicated to practicing each week. After months of hard work, I rewarded myself with a two week personal trip to Japan and used Couchsurfing.com to make the experience as authentic as possible.

After months of not communicating with the two companies I mentioned before, I was able to get a hold of someone and persuade them to let me come back. At the end of the meeting, we signed them on as clients and they eventually became critical to our expansion within the country.

Finally, here’s a third example with someone who struggles with not having the “right experience” for a developer role:

Example #3: Not Having The “Right” Experience

In the past, my biggest weakness has been not having a traditional background in development and computer science. I was a sociology major in college and I’ve been working as an account manager for the past 3 years. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy path, but front end development is what I’m passionate about.

Twelve months ago, I began teaching myself how to code. I leveraged basic resources like Free Code Camp and spent hours on Stack Exchange every day. Next, I began creating apps that solved personal problems and forced me to expand into new languages and APIs.

Most recently, I launched an app called Forest which aims to help people maintain a healthy relationship with their phone. The app allows them to plant a tree a let it grow for a certain period of time, during which their phone is completely locked. If they unlock their phone, the tree dies. I marketed it via Medium, several major publications, and Reddit and it currently has 10,000 monthly active users.

While my background and experience isn’t traditional, I know this is what I’m meant to do and I’d love to have the opportunity to learn from the amazing developers at your company.

See how well that flows from admitting your weakness to showcasing how you conquered your fear and turned it into tangible results for the company? That’s what we’re aiming for.

List of Weakness Topics For Your Answer

Thus far, we’ve flesh out answers for a few topics that you can use as your to answer the dreaded weakness interview question. If you’ve been reading this and a weakness hasn’t popped into your head, I’ve listed dozens of examples below that you can plug into the template above:

Now you know the best way to answer the common interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?” So get out there, ace your next interview, edge out the competition, and land that job offer!

Final Thoughts

For more ways to ace your interview, you can start with this comprehensive guide on preparing for the big day. It will walk you through a simple strategy to that’ll help you succeed in 90% of job interview without additional prep and how to answer all of the top interview questions.

And don’t forget to follow up with a post-interview thank you email! It’s an overlooked, yet effective tactic to stand out from the other applicants!

Austin Belcak

Austin is the founder of Cultivated Culture where he helps people land jobs without connections, without traditional experience, and without applying online. His strategies have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, & Fast Company and has helped people just like you land jobs at Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, & more.

2 thoughts on How To Ace Your Answer To “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

Great article Austin. I am absolutely loving the info I am getting at Cultivated Culture. I would highly recommend your website for anyone like me who is making a change in the workforce and getting back out there.

Thanks so much Emily, I really appreciate that! You rock 🙂

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