Start networking and exchanging professional insights

Register now or log in to join your professional community.

Follow

If you are in interview, and the question was: What’s your greatest weakness?

what is the ideal answer for this question ?

user-image
Question added by Khaled Anwar , Senior Sales Engineer , "Automotive company''
Date Posted: 2015/05/05
Sylesh C
by Sylesh C , Regional Sales Manager , Middle East Specialized Cables Co

Straight forward attitude & trusting people, sometime these positive strokes backfire in real life.

You don't have any weakness. Weakness is something what recognize only other people, but not the own one. Everyone has, but me, NO! So, no weakness!

Hersh Lulla
by Hersh Lulla , Marketing Manager , Mercury International

NEVER mention an actual weakness as it comes across as negative. Imagine if somebody told you, "I get irritable if disturbed" or "Trusting others" was your weakness. Would you still want to maintain a healthy working relationship with that individual? Another thing which you should NEVER do is saying you have no weakness. We are all human, and somewhere we all have our weaknesses. So, both answers would work against you, in my opinion.The best way to approach this would be this:

- Judge the predicament you are in once you understand how the interview has gone so far, and depending on the firm that is interviewing you. Each firm has their own set of values which they uphold stemming from the business they are in and the founders' principles. Know these before you step in to the meeting and ensure you don't say anything which would conflict with these.

- Try to position a positive as a weakness, but you would need to be careful with safe answers or conventional answers. Don't give an answer that is too cliche, and NEVER lie just to give a good answer.

- Be honest and suggest from a real life situation where your general attitude or a set of traits which are generally good in a working environment, didn't really do you good. And that it's made you a more cautious person where you look to gauge situations now before acting upon them.

To conclude in a way, there is no single good answer you can give. But, being street-smart and giving an answer that you personally believe in is probably the best approach you can adopt.

mohamed Hakim CMA CPA Candidate
by mohamed Hakim CMA CPA Candidate , Accounting Manager , Andersen saudi arabia

you can say something is very good in words ,, but it can not be done in real world or can take a lot of time to be done ,,

like

I like to get my reports with best result with just automated system or by one click to manage my daily routine work

no effort to do at work just automated and very advanced developed system

 

good question

 

 

Yasir Abdel-Halim
by Yasir Abdel-Halim , Property Manager , Deyar Services Ltd

Don't be afraid to talk about your weakness, but you need to talk about how did you manage to overcome your weakness and turned it to one of your strength or what are you doing to turn it to one of your strengths.

Peter Falatyn
by Peter Falatyn , Independent Consultant , Independent Consulting

This sort of question is fairly common in Western-style companies and is asked often. I would caution anyone from saying they have "no weaknesses" during an interview.  For several reasons:

1) It can sound arrogant, as though the candidate thinks he is already so far evolved that he needs no further improvement in his skills or working style;

2) It can make the candidate appear isolated or aloof, as though this candidate would not be a good "team player."  We all understand the importance of good office teamwork and integration of disparate skills in cross-discipline working groups.  The ability to recognize and articulate one's weaknesses is crucial to teamwork.  (Ask yourself:  Would you be agreeable to working on a team with someone who proclaims he has "no weaknesses?"  I, personally, would not.)

3) It can marginalize the candidate, as though his supervisors do not provide constructive feedback and therefore do not consider him as worthy of coaching or mentoring.  Feedback is crucial to improving his value to the greater good of his organization.  

 

The question of "no weaknesses" during an interview, in fact, offers the candidate the opportunity to provide a candid and realistic assessment of HOW HE SEEMS HIMSELF in relation to his knowledge or interpersonal skills.  This question should not be dismissed, but instead, used to demonstrate a level of self-awareness and willingness to evolve, which any employer would value in considering the candidate's ability to integrate into a corporate culture and ascend into ranks of management.  

BHASKAR BANERJEE
by BHASKAR BANERJEE , MANAGER ELECTRICAL , M/S SBM UDYOG KOLKATA

MY GREAT WEAKNESS IS  COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE.

Vinod Jetley
by Vinod Jetley , Assistant General Manager , State Bank of India

My greatest weakness is that I like talking to people.

Muhammad Zabeehullah
by Muhammad Zabeehullah , Assistant Accounts Re-Cocilliation Officer , Fazal cloth Mills Limited

If a person explore his weakness then how can it be his/her weakness. If some one say that this is my weakness and try not to overcome it, then that is not his /her weakness but his/her will power is weak , so that he is unable to overcome his/her weakness.

Basically every type of weakness is not in habits but in attitudes.

And if a person is not mentally sick then he / she has not any weakness.

Rehan Niazi
by Rehan Niazi , Head of Space Planning , Whites pharmacy

I would say i don't like to disclose this information. I would let time to decide and move on to the next question

Ahmed Mostafa
by Ahmed Mostafa , Digital Marketing Manager , Digital Gate

Very active and careful in my work it takes most of my mind and focus so it can sometimes affects my personal life.

More Questions Like This

Do you need help in adding the right keywords to your CV? Let our CV writing experts help you.