How to answer the question "what are your strengths and weaknesses" in an interview

No matter how perfectly you answer the other job interview questions from your interviewer, the question "tell me about your greatest strengths/weaknesses" can usually be a hot potato for a candidate in an interview. It's a common interview question but a puzzling one as well, which most candidates don't get right and may even panic and respond with something odd. Their answers may make them sound conceited, or not qualified for the role. This is a common mistake many job applicants make. You should know why interviewers ask this kind of question before answering and key techniques for these questions.

This guide will cover: What are your weaknesses? Things you need to know about this question, "What are your weaknesses?" Question and answer examples, How to answer the question "what are your strengths?" and "What are your strengths?" Question and answer examples.

1. What are your weaknesses? Things you need to know about this question
2. "What are your weaknesses?" Question and answer examples
3. How to answer the question "what are your strengths?"
4. "What are your strengths?" Question and answer examples

What are your weaknesses? Things you need to know about this question

• Why do interviewers ask this question?

Of course, a candidate can lie on this question, but the interviewer can still have judgement based on the response. They know every candidate tries to be impressive in an interview, but they want to get a sense of what kind of person you really are. Interviewers aim to access your self-awareness (or self-consciousness), and your self-improvement with this question, which means the "weakness" question actually leads to a positive answer. Don't let pressure overtake you when asked this question: it shouldn't throw you off in the interview.

• Red flags with this question

Don't have a joking or sarcastic response. This is a serious question.

Don't respond by saying "I have no weakness" -- nobody is perfect. This kind of answer makes you seem as though you have an inflated sense of self.

Don't respond to the question with something which is actually a strength. The interviewer wants to know what kind of problems you have encountered, and what actions you have taken to overcome them. They don't want an answer that paints you as a picture of perfection.

Don't be too honest. Although, this doesn't mean that you should be insincere. Honesty is a key part of the interview: your interviewer has likely spoken with hundreds of candidates, and they are familiar with what a sincere candidate is like. However, being honest doesn't mean that you can reply to this question with a response like "my greatest weakness is that I can't get up in the morning or arrive at company on time". Plus, it's not proper etiquette to talk about technical weakness for this question. If your answer shows your lack of technical skills, you likely won't get the job.

• How to answer the question "what are your weaknesses?"

For this question the "STAR" method works, just like when answering behavioral interview questions.

S: Situation -- Describe your weakness and the reason you have it. It can be natural or related to character.

T: Task – Give the interviewer a clear idea about a task or goal and how you have overcome your weakness and finished the job

A: Action -- What you do to overcome your weakness and finish your task

R: Result -- The outcome of your actions

This framework help you tell a vivid story about your self-improvement in relation to your shortcoming, as well as provide a logical and concise framework to the response.

"What are your weaknesses?" Question and answer examples

• This question can come up in different ways, such as:

"What are some of your weaknesses?"

"What's your greatest weakness in your opinion?"

"Tell me about your greatest shortcoming."

"Describe some of your weaknesses."

• Your answer to this question can be:

"Lack of confidence"

"Too shy to speak in front of others"

"Not very good at staying focused"

"Not good at teamwork"

"Lack of experience"

"Lack of scheduling"

"Procrastination"

"Not detail-oriented"

"Of course, you don't need to tell all of your weaknesses. Just focus on one or two."

• "What are your weaknesses" answer example:

"My greatest weakness is that I'm naturally shy when speaking in front of others. I used to have presentations at school/work because I was too nervous, and I couldn't express all the information well. I know it would slow down my work if I didn't make a change, so I attended a training course last year and still working on improvement. Also, I pushed myself to speak more often at school/work, spending more time communicating with others. As a result, I can feel that I'm much more confident to speak in front of others."

How to answer the question "what are your strengths?"

• Why do interviewers ask this question?

Your answer to this question can be a good judge of character to see if you are the right candidate for the company. What tasks you are good at, what good habits you have, or what kind of ability you can apply in work…all these factors are essential to make a good employee.

• Red flags with this question

Don't brag. Interviewers seldom hire an arrogant person.

Never say something not related to work. Your interviewer wouldn't show any interest to your piano certification unless you are in an interview to become a piano teacher. Make sure the strength you respond with can help in your work.

Be confident about your strengths. Don't use words like "maybe" or "perhaps"

• How to answer the question "what are your strengths?"

The "STAR" Method can still be used here, too. Highlight your main strength and state what contribution you made to company because of it.

"What are your strengths?" Question and answer examples

• This question can come up in ways:

"What are some of your strengths?"

"Tell me about your strengths"

"What's your greatest strength in your opinion?"

"Describe your greatest strength"

• Your answer about your strength can be:

"Good at (a specific field, important software, etc.)"

"Show great team spirit"

"Time management"

"Good at communicating with others"

"Experienced"

"Work well under pressure"

I'm a perfectionist and have a high standard for work

Detail-oriented

Leadership

• "What are your strengths" answer example

"I'm show great leadership and can cooperate well with my teammates. When I worked with 4 other people as a group in my previous company, I could quickly evaluate our projects and distributed it to everyone fairly. I'm easy to talk to, so they came to me if there were any problems and most of the time we could reach an agreement. I also built a good relationship with them. I always made a schedule once we decided everyone's part, so we never missed deadlines. I believe that this can help me as a manager here."