Answering the Weakness Question

By Michelle Roebuck

"Tell me about your weaknesses."

This interview question comes up in just about every job interview you will have. When asked this question, some job seekers will list their weaknesses and that‘s it, but they don’t turn this question into an advantage for them.

When a potential employer asks you this question, they are trying to find out what are your shortcomings and if they will be liabilities if you’re hired. Your job is to reassure the interviewer that your weaknesses are not detrimental to the job your applying for.

The best way to handle this question is to talk about a weakness that you corrected or are trying to correct. For example, you lost a job because you did not have technical skills like being able to work with certain computer programs. Since then, you have been taking classes to learn different computer programs and have used your experience in a different job.

Another example is, you didn’t know Spanish to deal with Spanish customers, so you learned the language in your spare time and ended up getting a promotion or a higher salary as a result.

Don’t be afraid to let the interviewer know you have some weaknesses. We all do. The important thing is to show him/her how you dealt or are dealing with that weakness in order to make you a better employee.

About the author:

Michelle Roebuck provides information on job interview tips and strategies and how to write a resume that gets noticed at http://www.job-interview-and-resume-tips.com . Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.job-interview-and-resume-tips.com/newsletter.htm .