What are good weaknesses for a job interview?

Admitting weaknesses to someone you hope will give you a job can seem counterintuitive, but answering this question strongly and honestly can take you from being a good applicant to a great one. Answer badly and you could scupper the whole interview. "What is your biggest weakness?" It's one of the most common interview questions and it can derail even the best candidates. 

What are the best weaknesses to mention in a job interview and how should you frame your response? Read on to find out.

Why it is important to admit weaknesses in an interview

Your qualifications and experience speak for themselves, but they say little or nothing about your personality. Admitting that you have weaknesses, demonstrates honesty and self-awareness. It also indicates that you're open to analysing and improving your performance, and it helps the interviewer to establish whether or not you'd be a good cultural fit. 

Don’t insist that you have any weaknesses, at best, you'll come across as naive, at worst arrogant and deluded.

How to choose your "best" weaknesses

Owning up to weaknesses is important, but remember you're still in an interview. This isn't the time to confess your deep-seated dislike for authority figures. 

When it comes to choosing good weaknesses for a job interview, frame them as behaviours, which can be changed with a little focus and effort, rather than ingrained personality traits. To help you pick your "best" weaknesses, ask yourself the following questions:

• Could it seriously hinder your ability to do the job? If so, don't mention it.
• Does it have a positive message? Have you overcome it?
• Can you present an example that shows your progression?
• Is it a "fake" weakness (i.e. a strength in disguise)? If so, don't expect your interviewer to buy it.
• Is it relevant? Don't say "I can't speak French" if you've never needed to in a professional capacity, and wouldn't be expected to in your new role.

How to structure your response

When faced with a question that involves self-analysis, it can be hard to get your point across clearly. Follow this three-part structure to demonstrate your self-awareness and frame your weakness in a positive light:

1. Outline your weakness
2. Give an example of how it has impacted your professional life
3. Explain how you overcame it

Example answers

Ensure the question doesn't leave you blindsided by preparing some sample answers. You'll need more than one, in case your interviewer asks you to detail additional weaknesses. Use the following common examples – broken down into the structure detailed above – as a guide:

Example 1

1. I struggled to gauge the length of tasks.
2. I underestimated how long I'd need to complete a project, which meant I had to rush to avoid missing the client's deadline.
3. I knew I needed help, so I spoke to my line manager. She recommended I break larger projects into smaller tasks and manage my workload on Trello. I'm now much more efficient and haven't come close to missing a deadline since, regularly completing work ahead of schedule.

Example 2

1. I found it hard to delegate or work as a team.
2. This meant I took on too much myself. I felt burned out, and the quality of my work suffered.
3. I identified that my failure to delegate was caused by a lack of trust, which stemmed from when I had handed over work poorly in the past, leading to errors. I put together a new briefing document to improve my handovers, and it has now been rolled out across the department.

Example 3

1. I have limited experience of [a piece of software that isn't critical to the job].
2. A client asked me for advice about using the latest version, and I bluffed the answer because I didn't want to admit the gap in my skill set.
3. After looking into it, I realised that a similar piece of software to the one we were using, was actually much more effective for our needs. I was already using it, but I've since taken online training and now have a certification.

For more advice on how to impress in your next interview, read our article 'Interview tips from recruiters'. Alternatively, if you would like advice from one of our specialist recruitment consultants, please get in touch today.