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While being asked “What is your greatest weakness?” is expected during a job interview, most candidates truly despise the question. Often, it feels like a trick, as revealing your shortcomings can make it harder to land the job.

However, there are ways to answer this question in a way that can reflect positively on you as a professional. It can demonstrate you have a level of self-awareness, and also gives you an opportunity to showcase how it won’t hold you back.

If you are trying to figure out how to answer “What’s your greatest weakness?” here’s what you need to do.

Don’t Pick a Cliché Response

Telling the hiring manager that your greatest weakness is that you’re a perfectionist or that you work too hard isn’t going to impress. Instead, the hiring manager assumes that you are trying to frame a positive as a negative, allowing you to bypass the question by humble bragging.

Ultimately, this approach won’t work in your favor, so it’s best to avoid clichés entirely.

Do Be Honest

When you answer the hiring manager, do make sure your response is honest. It’s better to acknowledge your shortcomings from the beginning, especially if they would come out if you were selected for the job.

Identify a specific skill area where your level of competency or comfort is lacking. Then, proceed to the next step.

Figure Out How to Overcome It

Once you select your weakest skill, you don’t want the conversation to end there. Instead, consider how you can improve in that area and craft a plan that would allow you to turn your weakness into a strength.

For example, is there a class available that you can attend? Are there clubs or volunteer opportunities that would let you gain additional experience, similar to how Toastmasters help people improve their public speaking skills? Can you acquire the skill through independent learning, relying on online resources and videos to improve?

After you identify potential steps for professional development, embrace them. Then, when you discuss your weakness with the hiring manager, you can let them know what steps you are taking to turn it into a strength.

Not only does this approach allow you to demonstrate self-awareness, but also your willingness to work hard to overcome your weaknesses. Plus, you don’t have to craft a long answer to this interview question to be successful, but having evidence that you are striving to improve nearly always works in your favor.

By using the tips above, you can answer the “What is your greatest weakness?” question with ease while positioning yourself as a diligent professional who is always willing to work hard to be at their best.

If you are interested in learning more or are seeking a new Mississippi job, the skilled professionals at TempStaff can help. Contact us to learn more about our services today and see how our expertise can benefit you.

 

 


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