What are your weaknesses?

What they are looking for

This is a very direct question and they may well take a more indirect approach, but you can be certain that they are very interested in the limits of your ability.

They will also be interested in your knowledge of your weaknesses. Many people either lack self-confidence and over-estimate weaknesses or are over-confident. A self-aware person knows their weakesses. An arrogant person may well believe they have none.

This can also be a test of self-knowledge and honesty. With curveball questions like this, they are looking not just at your answer, but how you go about answering it.

How to answer

Do not say you have none. Be prepared with a good answer for this. Whilst you do not want to admit to serious incompetence in the key skills required for the job, you do want to show that you are aware of your weaknesses and can own up to them.

Sometimes I get forgetful about names. You know, when you meet someone and forget their name immediately.

A neat trick is to follow up the admission of weakness with a description of how you neutralize it, thus showing strength in managing weaknesses.

I have managed to largely overcome this now. I did a really good business memory training course and now I can retain most names. I also use contact software to keep details of people, and review this regularly.

Another trick with this is to admit to a weakness in a way that they conclude that it is actually a strength.

I do get rather impatient at times. I cannot abide unnecessary delay and waste. I don't mind mistakes, as long as they are not repeated.

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What are your weaknesses?

The question

What they are looking for

How to answer

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Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And