Examples Of Weaknesses For A Job Interview Question
Many people struggle to answer the interview question, what is your weakness? Some people may give examples of weaknesses which are not applicable to the job hence getting them disqualified. Below are some examples of weaknesses to give when faced by the question.
I have trouble saying no
Some people have trouble saying no to their colleagues when they ask for help. While this weakness may actually indicate that you’re determined and helpful, failing to say no can start to have a negative impact on your own work.
If saying no to others is one of your weaknesses, demonstrate the ways in which you organize and manage your own work to ensure it doesn’t become a problem.
Example answer:
‘One of my biggest weaknesses is saying no to people. When working on software development projects, I tend to receive many requests to help with technical issues from multiple departments. While I feel it’s good to help others, this can have a negative impact on my ability to meet my own deadlines.
In order to combat this weakness, I have recently started using a new piece of software that helps me organize my schedule and learn if I am on track to meet my deadlines. This has helped me determine if I can help my colleagues or I should say no.’
I find it hard to switch off from work
Many people take their work home with them and find it hard to switch off from their job. This can have a negative effect as it can cause stress.
If you find it hard to switch off from work, show the steps you are taking to combat this. For example, have you stopped checking your emails at night-time?
Example answer:
‘I sometimes find it hard to switch off from work. In my previous job, I often took my work home with me. I regularly checked my emails and attempted to solve problems for clients while off the clock.
This caused me to be stressed out and tired. In order to combat this weakness, I decided to turn my phone off and not look at my emails while out of the office.’
I get frustrated if deadlines are missed
This is a good answer to questions about your weaknesses because it shows that you care about deadlines.
When using this answer to describe your weaknesses, show how deadlines are important to you. State how you make efforts to ensure projects don’t go over deadlines.
Example answer:
‘One of my biggest weaknesses is getting frustrated and irritated if tasks and projects miss deadlines. I try to ensure all projects achieve their objectives and are completed within timescales; if this doesn’t happen, I can become demoralized. In recent months, I have taken steps to ensure projects don’t go over deadlines. These include organizing my work in a daily planner. I have also tried to improve my productivity by prioritizing daily tasks.’
I am too critical of myself
Some people are too critical of their own performance. The ability to evaluate your work and determine your improvement areas is a positive quality, but if you’re being overly critical you could damage your self-esteem.
Example answer:
‘Sometimes I can be far too critical of myself. After completing projects, I spend a lot of time deliberating about what could have been improved and where I went wrong. In most cases, I have actually performed to very high standards, so I am unfairly punishing myself. In recent months, I have tried to focus less on self-analysis and more on the opinion of my supervisor.’