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Interview tomorrow - your biggest weakness

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ThanksForAllTheFish · 13/10/2016 14:35

I've got an interview tomorrow. Sent my CV in on Monday and received an email yesterday requesting an interview Friday morning. I'm really happy to get the interview and I want this job but it's not left me loads of time to prepare.

I think I'm fine for work based questions as a lot of my previous experience was working I customer complaints so I can pull quite a few examples from there.

The company is a small business with not a lot of employees (around 10 - maybe less) so I don't think it will be the type of interview with a huge amount competency based questions and business buzz words.

I have a set of questions in mind for the end but I will use my judgement on the day regarding which ones to ask. I've got:

Where do you see the company 10 years from now?
What does a typical day look like?
What is the company/ office culture?
How would you describe your management style?
Is there anything else you would like to ask me?

Strengths question I think I'm fine with but the 'your biggest weakness' one always throws me.

I always struggle at appraisals and undersell myself. I tend to share credit with my team rather than take the credit myself (even when I have done most of the work). It's just on my nature but I've worked in enough dog eat dog offices to know this gets you nowhere. I have been trying to improve this and work on saying I instead of we.

How do I word this and put a positive spin on it? Or should I just go for something else all together?

Will I just say something along the lines of 'I tend to undersell myself and my accomplishments.' But where to go from there?

Please help.

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onlyconnect · 14/10/2016 12:39

I really wouldn't go with a weakness that's actually telling them another strength ( which I'd say what you suggest is). I'd tell them something real that isn't too damaging. I've only been asked this question once and I prefaced my answer saying that I wanted to give a genuine answer rather than an answer designed to show off another strength. I did get the job.
I think it's a silly question. They'd be better to ask what aspects of the job you'd find most challenging. Maybe you could reframe it to that if they ask you.

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Kerberos · 14/10/2016 12:38

It's difficult isn't it. Everyone had weakness but it seems such a weird question to ask.

I had an interview yesterday too. When will you hear about yours?