job interview

The wrong answer is surprisingly so common. When people say things like "I'm a perfectionist" or "I'm a workaholic", trying to present things the company will find desirable as their weaknesses. I've seen it myself and can't believe people still do that. Don't do that. At best, the interviewer will jot you down as not giving a good answer. At worst, they'll tell you those aren't real weaknesses and force you to make something up that you didn't prepare for. Some people even say "I don't have any/I don't know of any" which is probably the worst answer you can give. Either you're too arrogant to admit your opportunities or too unaware to recognize them.

The other mistake people make is being too honest. You just want to name something that is a legit weakness but won't make you look inept or irresponsible. Don't talk about being lazy, partying too hard, being depressed, having a hard time talking to people or anything like that because those are obviously huge red flags.

Name something you can actually talk about and then make sure to include steps you've taken to improve in that. Eg. "I've always struggled with public speaking. I've sought out presentation opportunities in my last position to challenge myself and it has really helped my growth. I'm excited to continue improving my presentation skills in my next position." If you can, include a funny anecdote that demonstrates your difficulty before and your improved capabilities after pushing yourself. Sometimes they'll ask you to expand on your answer and a story with examples of before and after is the best way to follow up.

Public speaking is my go-to example because it's so relatable (very few people are actually 100% comfortable with it). It's also likely to be true for you, so you'll sound honest.

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