What Is Your Greatest Weakness? (With 10 Sample Interview Answers)

During an interview session, it is common for interviewers to ask a few questions that evaluate your personality and mindset as a whole. This is one of those questions and widely appears in several interview processes, no matter it is a job of mid-level management or a job representing the top level. As we all know that, interview processes nowadays, experience a high level of cut-throat competition with hundreds of candidates competing for a single vacancy, it is necessary that every question of an interview must be prepared sincerely and passionately. Reading sample answers is always a great choice, that would provide you with some ready templates you can use for your preparation.

Five Tips To Effectively Answer This Question

1) Negative Questions Impact Body Language

This is undoubtedly a negative question and has the ability to stimulate your mental conscience, most probably because, candidates think that they will be asked about their strengths instead of weaknesses specifically. This impacts their body language severely and is reflected by their hands, legs, and even forehead. Hence, practice this question beforehand, so that your interviewer is not able to feel your nervousness.

2) Never Be Diplomatic

More than 90% of the candidates while attempting this question tend to become diplomatic and smart. They answer this by responding with their weaknesses that are less impactful or negative. In a quest of doing so, they end up delivering generic answers, that leaves no impression upon the interviewer. Rather, they frame an opinion, that you are trying to become over smart and answering in a calculative manner, instead of being honest and truthful. This can severely hurt your selection chances, and you might have the bear the brunt of rejection.

3) What Is ‘Greatest’ Here?

If you would carefully analyze the question, there is a presence of two contradictory words. ‘Greatest’ is used with positive words, such as greatest victory, greatest achievement. But over here, it is used with a negative word, that is weakness. This simply means that you have are required to end your question on a positive note, as your interviewer expects you to overcome your weakness as soon as possible. Hence, always share with your interviewer a few ways, which you are following or will follow, so as to overcome your shortcoming.

4) Be Relevant

You are appearing for an interview session and answering this question to get a job at your dream institution. Hence, your weaknesses must be work-oriented and must never correspond to your personal interests or beliefs. For example, I do not follow a particular religion and that is my greatest weakness or I hate to learn guitar and this is my greatest weakness. Just be relevant and respond in a manner so as to remain committed and concentrated in an interview session.

5) Never Try To Skip This Question

It would have been pretty easy to skip this question and attempt only those questions that do not challenge your mental ability and do not push you from your comfort zone. But we all know that by doing this, an interviewer would never select you, no matter how excellent your academic records are or how valuable your work experience is. Hence, always attempt, and rather than running from it, just run towards it.

Ten Best Sample Answers To Study

Sample Answer One

To be honest, my greatest weakness is my shortcoming of losing my cool and temper whenever I experience some tough situations at the workplace. This could be anything from listening to the scoldings of the boss to experiencing a stressful working environment. However, I do admit that this is a really bad weakness, and I am performing all the steps so as to overcome it. I have even joined an online course, to keep my mind cool at all times and eliminate my habit of getting short-tempered.

Sample Answer Two

No one is perfect in this world, and I too have a shortcoming to share. I just hate to learn new skills at my workplace and am always comfortable performing my tasks using obsolete processes and methods. I understand that this is an offense in today’s world. I am trying to overcome this issue of mine, by performing regular pep talks and attending counseling sessions at my near habitat center. Be assured, I will overcome it in a few months.

Sample Answer Three

I believe I do have a major weakness of mine, that can affect my performance at the workplace. Sir, I do not have a great focus and concentration, which is necessary to achieve the targets in a time-bound manner. However, I totally understand the relevance of it, and I am actively working upon it so as to become better by practicing meditation and reading newspapers on a daily basis. This has even solved 40% of my problem and I expect to overcome this particular weakness in a short period of time.

Sample Answer Four

Yes, sir, I do have a major weakness and that is my lack of ability to adapt myself according to situations and circumstances. I am not able to deliver superior performances in challenging work situations, as I am not able to change my working procedures as per the situation and working environment. But I truly want to eliminate this issue, and I am actively working upon it, under the guidance of a celebrated professional.

Sample Answer Five

Like everybody, I too have my major weakness. Sir, I am not that detail-oriented, as I should be at a workplace. I have a habit of performing my duties and tasks in a hasty manner, without the collection of relevant information and guidance. Due to this, I have suffered greatly at my workplace a number of times. But, I am changing this habit of mine, and I think I have succeeded almost 70%. Be assured, until the date of joining, I will be perfect and would be able to contribute with my skills and passion.

Sample Answer Six

There is no shame in accepting your weaknesses, as you can work upon them only when you have complete knowledge about the same. In my case, it is my lack of effective communication skills and my inability to create an excellent rapport with my team members. This weakness of mine, makes me an isolated and lonely employee at a workplace, which has a deep mental impact upon my individual performance. This is largely, because of my inappropriate behavior, but I am working upon it with all my heart and have even joined online grooming classes for this purpose.

Sample Answer Seven

Prioritization is a key to effectively complete all the tasks and duties assigned in a time-bound manner. Without it, a person would just be unable to maintain productivity and at the same do not miss a task. I am pretty weak in prioritizing effectively, as I am simply not aware of the time that a particular task would take to complete. For this, I have already started taking coaching from a premier institution and am also pursuing an additional certificate course on time management.

Sample Answer Eight

In order to complete the tasks and duties assigned to an individual effectively, one has to work with passion and determination. I believe, I severely lack the determination to do something. I decide something today, and there are higher chances that I would leave that tomorrow. This inability of mine, of not remaining stuck to my targets and decisions, affects my performance at a workplace adversely. I am aware of the consequences of such a shortcoming, and I am working upon it very hard.

Sample Answer Nine

There are many weaknesses inside me. Considering the nature of the question and the place where I am sitting, I would share with you a work-related weakness. I am just not able to control my level of anxiety whenever I am called upon by my boss. Even though I have not done anything bad, I would just become too nervous and anxious. This has adversely affected my communication skills and hampered my performance too. But, I am attending online classes and deep breathing classes, so as to control my emotions and deliver an adorable performance at the workplace.

Sample Answer Ten

Yes, sir, I do have a weakness and that is my inability to understand the rules, procedures or guidelines to be followed so as to execute a task. No matter how hard, I am taught any rule, I am bound to make mistakes, during the practical execution. Upon a deeper investigation, I found that I am really afraid of success and I always think that, I do not have to make any mistake. This repeated thought of mine makes me ultra-nervous and I end up committing an unforced error. But I think, the worst is behind me and through meditation and yoga, I have enhanced my focus, which has helped me in controlling my fear, thought process, and nervousness.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656606000353
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03637759409376340