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!

"Younger men with a sexy smile"

It'll be interesting to see what they reply to that.

Yes thank you @Willyoubuymeahouseofgold, I see what you are getting at.

I think I may go with something along the lines of not having worked in the last few years, but being an active member of my sons PTFA including minute taking at monthly meetings to keep my brain active, and continuing to subscribe to and enjoy reading (name relevant indistry related) newsletters on a weekly basis to keep a hand in with current trends and new innovations.

How does that sound? Better way of wording “keeping my brain active”?

I always arrive early for everything

Design your answer so your weakness is ultimately a positive characteristic

Don't do this. It's such a cliché and employers have heard it all before. The chances are that you are genuinely weak on one of the essential or desirable criteria that was asked for in the job spec. Be honest. An employer will be much more impressed with a candidate who genuinely knows where their weaknesses lie and wants to work towards solving them than with a candidate who comes out with a clichéd and ultimately meaningless answer.

So, for example, if the role requires you to give presentations and it's not something you are very comfortable with - say that. "I sometimes get nervous when presenting so this is something I will be looking to overcome if you were to offer me the role."

I'm honest and admit that I can be messy, so need to schedule myself ten minutes at the end of the day and then minutes before lunch to tidy my desk, or it will turn into a disaster zone.

Near the end of a poor interview (lack of confidentiality by the candidate) for a social care job. 2 female managers interviewing.

Interview “What would you say was your weakness?”

Candidate “I don’t get on well with female managers”

Maybe she doesn’t, but in social care that’s quite limiting.

You could say.....

'my biggest weakness is, I don't have one'

or

'my biggest weakness is always keeping secrets and it's a secret as to what my biggest weakness is'

all said with a smile.

Good luck with the interview.

Or, a more simple answer; I can be quite forgetful, which is why I like to make lots of notes and lists.

??

There is a text book answer to this, which goes something like this:

I used to feel I had to take on every project myself and see it through to the end, getting every detail right and I'd exhaust myself in the process. But I have since learnt to prioritise and focus on the most important projects and get assistance from others on the elements with play to their strengths and focus my energies on the bits where I can make most impact.

Textbook - I had a problem which I no longer have
I am strategic and know how to prioritise
I'm a team player, I know my strengths and know how to use all the strengths of others around me.

Easy. Next?

I recruit many staff and wouldn’t want clever of clearly borrowed answers. I’d want to see honesty and self reflection, an ability to learn and develop.
The chocolate or expensive shoes is too cliched. I’d think whoever said it wasn’t worth employing.
The honest but framed positively answer wins every time.

I do tend to worry a bit too much because I want to get things right. I’ve learned to focus on things I can change and try not to stress about the things I can’t. It’s a work in progress but I have been on the school PTA and managed to get through the fete organisation by focusing on the tasks that needed doing rather than worrying about the weather. We had contingency plans of course but I accepted the weather would be whatever it would be. This freed me to work on good communication with the other volunteers, creating the advertising and getting prizes. THe fete was a huge success and raised over £7, 000 despite a few drops of rain.

Make it a weakness which you've overcome.

My standard answer is "I find it very hard to ask for help when I'm struggling with something. I've found myself in the past spending a whole day trying to stubbornly make something work rather than going to a colleague with more experience and asking them. But I realised that's actually just wasting my time and that if someone on the team has the skills, I need to acknowledge their experience and use it, to the advantage of the whole team."

I've also said
"It was pointed out to me in the past that I sometimes comes across a bit "mumsy" to my direct reports, especially the younger ones. Things like saying "You look a bit poorly love, what's up? Take some paracetamol and go get yourself a green tea at the canteen" etc. Although I felt I was being caring, to some people it was patronising, and I now understand that and make an effort to treat all my colleagues as adults who are just as capable as I am!"

Both of these are true and I've always got the job :)

I'd say that you feel your current weakness is that you have lost some of your confidence due to being out of the workplace and are looking forward to getting it back, getting stuck in and being part of the team.

Pinot Grigio and Maltesers!

Good luck with the interview!

Are you going through a recruiter for this interview? If so, ask them if it's a competency based interview.

IME the majority of companies now use this. It's framed as "Tell me about a time when you've faced a really big challenge. How did you overcome it?"

"Tell me about when you've had to give someone some bad news. How did you approach it, and what was the reaction?"

"What would you say have been the biggest successes in your life?"

"Tell me about a time when you [led a team/demonstrated great teamwork]"

"Tell me about a time when you provided excellent customer service" (remember internal colleagues are your customers if you aren't directly customer-facing)

I tend to say something that is irrelevant to the job I’m applying for - when I was asked this question in an interview for a legal role I answered “I’m a terrible driver!” .

"With regard to this job, my biggest weakest would be X, and what I would do to manage that weakness would be Y."

I hope that makes sense - it's about acknowledging that you're not perfect, but you are self-aware enough to recognise that and that you are able to identify solutions.

Research the company very thoroughly before the interview and have a couple of questions ready to ask. If you have a recruiter they may be able to help with this. But a simple "So I understand the company incorporated in 2005. How long has it been in this office?" can work wonders.

If you're looking for a technical role then asking questions about that would be great. I used to work in call centres.
"So can I ask who provides your telephony? Avaya? Are there any frustrations with that?"
"Do you use an external software package for MI or is it done via Excel? I have experience with Business Objects, CMS, and Excel. But I pick up new software pretty fast!"

Some people will say not to ask this, but
"What days and hours would be required to work?"
There's nothing wrong with making it clear you have a private life and won't be available 24/7. This also gives you a chance to negotiate a little bit, like "OK it's 8-8 Mon-Sat, would you be open to me leaving at 6pm on a Thursday to attend my [yoga/gym/french/tantric sex] class and of course I'll make the hours up on another day?"

Willyoubuymeahouseofgold - I'd be wary of that candidate if I were interviewing them. Very wary.

Ooo I hope one of the people interviewing you asks this question with a big knowing grin!
And a secret mumsnetter wave
I think you should go with I haven't worked in three years as it's obvious from your cv that it is a weakness. But follow it up with your line that you know you can do this job.
Good luck

@RomaineCalm I could answer something similar myself. I don't like mornings. I can do it if I really have to, but I'd much rather get in for 10 or 11 am. Flip side is I'm OK working til 1 or 2 am to fix something ready for everyone to start the next day.

It's either that, or sometimes I have trouble balancing tasks. I'll be working on X, then I'll switch to focusing on Y, and I'll end up forgetting about X until someone reminds me that yeah, I was supposed to do that.

I was once told that the answer I gave to this question really helped me get the job.

I basically said I get bored easily and when I get bored I get fed up and procrastinate. I went on to explain that one of the reasons I had applied for this job was because it seemed to be a role with lots of variety and challenges that would stop me getting bored. I said I'd been pleased to hear them confirm this at the start of the interview and that I knew I would be both interested and productive in the role.

Or words to that affect.

When I've had to answer the question for admin and routine roles, I've probably said similar about boredom but added that means I'm keen to keep learning and developing and that the new industry/business sector/whatever would give me that. I'd that ask what opportunities there are for learning and development in the future. It's an answer that would probably cost me a role if there were few (or no) options for career or personal development but then a place like that wouldn't have been a good fit for me. I do get bored easily! ( Although not many organisations openly admit to themselves that they have roles that are utter dead ends.)

*What’s your biggest weakness?
...
It’s a STUPID question"

On the contrary, it allows the recruiter to see how self aware the candidate is and how honest. You can't improve on what you can't or won't see after all.

Pick something in the job that you are maybe unsure of, or don’t have much experience in and use that.

I work in IT, but on the relationship side and i’m not a great techie. So I use this... but I always back it up explaining how I get round this.

I think you use this question to talk about you not working for three years as a weakness and what you have done to keep/get yourself up to speed and any skills you have learned while not working.

Willyoubuymeahouseofgold - I'd be wary of that candidate if I were interviewing them. Very wary.

Yep. Narcissist.