What's your go to answer to this classic job interview question?

[MaryBoBary]

What’s your biggest weakness?

I haven’t had a job interview for 6 years. I haven’t worked for 3 years (since having my son) and I now have an interview for my dream job next week. I am so nervous and trying to prepare but need some help answering this potential question. My biggest weaknesses are that I worry about things I can’t change (actually have anxiety and am on medication but clearly won’t be disclosing that!), have no self confidence and am very self critical, but how do I express these in a way that don’t make me look like a nightmare employee? Or is there a better answer I should use, even if it’s not strictly true?

How do you answer this question and still look like a desirable candidate? What other questions should I prepare for? Any and all advice really appreciated!

I don’t know if this is the ‘right’ answer but I’m genuinely a perfectionist, I’ve made a joke at my own expense over it in interviews before saying something like ‘I know everyone says that’ but explaining how it can slow me down and how I’ve worked on my judgement around when it’s ok for things to not be absolutely perfect. I think if you can explain what challenges you but then put a positive spin or explain how you overcome it, that’s a good answer.

But it’s a shit question

I think that’s kind of what I mean to say by worrying too much and being self critical. I hold myself to standards higher than I would expect of someone else in the same position. As you say, I suppose you need to “prove this” but then show how you are trying to combat it.

I've recruited thousands of people and I tend not to offer to self proclaimed perfectionists they take too long to get things done and react poorly to changing priorities or needing to do things quickly. I need people that can adapt their pace and level of perfection according to the task, priorities and workload. One of my bosses is a perfectionist and she's a pain the backside.
Personally my excel skills could be better. Or I'd choose a part of the job description where I don't have a lot of experience and talk about that. If you haven't experience in that sector it's a good one to use.

Eg, whilst I've extensive experience in marketing, Im new to the sawmill industry so I'd be wanting to develop my knowledge in that area.

I can be overly helpful which sometimes makes people think I am stepping on their toes but I am genuinely trying to help. I'm aware of it so I work hard to make sure I'm not doing it.

"Chips! And someone's chocolate. But to be serious, it's been sometime since I've used macros in Excel so would need to brush up on this".

Remember the interviewer isn't looking for you to be perfect, he or she is just looking for any red flags that may signal your inability to do the job.

Design your answer so your weakness is ultimately a positive characteristic- ie "I care a lot about doing a job well and sometimes this means I have moments where I doubt my abilities but I try to channel it in a positive way and remember how I have overcome challenges in the past by working hard and thinking on my feet"

I was asked this many years ago, in my interview for a solicitor training contract. I had not planned a reply, but said that I was quite impatient (it's true!). That seemed to go down well.

I think you risk comeing across as disingenuous and smug if you give a humble brag response, as the perfectionist reply is.

Definitely not the perfectionist type reply. I'd think of something that really isn't a big deal to the job you're going for - you wouldn't go for a customer service job and say you're not good with people :) but you could say you'd like to learn more about visual merchandising because it's an area you don't have experience in. Try and turn it into a positive. Does that make sense? Good luck!!

(I can spell, btw.....!)

I’m terrible at delegating. Because I’m a control freak. But I need to delegate in order to gain promotion. However, I don’t say I’m crap at it, I say something like “I have a tendency to be too interested in the detail of matters, and can become too involved. I’ve been working hard on involving juniors at an early stage of the advice before I get too involved. This allows me to move on to develop new opportunities for the team”.

Whatever you say, just remember it does not have to be 100% true - although the closer it is to the truth, the easier it is to say with a straight face.

It's a rubbish question, really all it tells the interviewer is that you've prepared for the interview. Who's really going to sit there and say they're disorganised or procrastinate etc

I change mine every time I'm job hunting as I'm never quite happy with what I come up with. I used to use the perfectionist answer but it felt a bit cheesy and I read on a few blogs that it's not a good one to use, although it didn't stop me getting job offers!

Last time I was looking I went with, I used to find it difficult to delegate but Ive worked on giving a clear brief, objectives and deadlines and have regular updates with my team. Maybe not the best but I didn't have to use it 😀

I think whatever you go with you need to say it with confidence and show that you've come up with a way to improve/work on it.

Good luck 🍀

In my line of work, saying that you are a bit too much of a perfectionist would be a positive thing

I can see how it can come across but the perfectionist thing really isn’t a humble brag for me, it’s a really fucking irritating trait which is linked to my OCD and which I’ve had to work hard on to progress in my work.

I probably wouldn’t say all that at interview, however!

thabk you for the advice so far. To go in to a bit more detail, I used to work in marketing for a national brand. Over 200 businesses. I am now applying for a part time admin role for a brand with about 15 businesses in the same industry. I know I can do this job and would be great at it, in degree educated and had a lot of responsibility in my old role. I have just lost all of my confidence and am so worried about fucking this up!

My concern (as some of you have pointed out) is how to state a weakness, but spin it into a positive without sounding like I’ve just mumsnetted Googled it. I think my lack of confidence is my biggest one, but am sure this would concern a prospective employer. Is there a different way of working it? Is being too self critical a better way of putting it or just as off-putting?

It’s a shit question. You need to find anything really as long as it is not too terrible then turn it into a positive or show how you overcome it .

I usually say I am a perfectionist as I thought that was the ‘correct’ answer although might rethink that after reading this thread .

Sometimes I am honest and say time management in the hope people would support me in it but it’s a gamble.

If you are looking for some standard interview questions to practise, websites like Monster can have great advice.

You can say you set high standards for yourself and sometimes it makes you a bit self critical but on the flip side it means you work harder and pay attention to detail. Keep it short and sweet and let them move on.

Thank you Toostressy, I’ll have a look on there. I feel so out of touch with the working world, I feel a bit of a fraud!

Thank you so much for the help everyone

I think it's a great question.

It separates those who are honest about their shortcomings from those who avoid them by glossing over them with humble brags.

I was asked this, and I was straightforward. They really were weaknesses. I got the job - in part because of my straightforwardness.

I’m the opposite of perfectionist. I get carried away with idea and enthusiasm and have had to learn techniques over time to list and monitor the necessary details. I’m now the queen of lists and project management because I’ve leatnt it’s the way to make my ideas reality.

My weakness is that I’m two years out of date, my strength is that I’ve done xy&z to correct this.

I don't suffer fools gladly, so if someone needs coaching or organising, I'll be direct about it.

I once had a coach that told me to not say anything negative but to admit to things you are capable of but don’t like doing.

For example, I’m perfectly capable of managing finances/budgets but i don’t enjoy doing them so therefore I’m trying to make myself like them more etc

@museumum that is a great answer