Example Answers to “What is Your Greatest Weakness”

What is your greatest weakness? This question can make even the most confident job seeker feel a little uneasy. After all, you want to show your qualifications, not draw attention to your flaws or areas for improvement.

An interviewer takes about 90 seconds to decide your result. Hence, you should practice and prepare for the answer to this question.

However, interviewers ask about weaknesses for good reason – they want to assess your self-awareness, honesty, and potential for growth. A candidate who can’t admit to any weaknesses may come across as arrogant or lacking self-reflection. On the other hand, being upfront about your shortcomings where you highlight your efforts to improve shows maturity, accountability, and a growth mindset.

What is your greatest strength weakness or deficiency question isn’t a trap – it is an opportunity to prove you are the kind of motivated, self-aware candidate that every employer desires. When you thoughtfully approach this question, you can actually use it to your advantage.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify, frame, and discuss what is your greatest weakness question during a job interview. You’ll learn what to say, what to avoid, and how to answer this question with poise and authenticity.

How to Answer ‘What is Your Greatest Weakness’

So, how do you answer what is your greatest weakness? Authenticity is key when selecting a weakness to discuss. You should be upfront about a real weakness that you have grappled with.

Once you’ve identified an authentic weakness to share, the key is framing it in a positive light:

1. Focus on Recognition and Action

Don’t dwell excessively on the negative impacts of your weakness. Instead, emphasise your recognition of this weakness as an area for improvement and the specific actions you’ve taken to address it.

Here are some of your greatest weakness answer samples: “Early in my marketing career, I struggled with public speaking and tended to get flustered when presenting to clients. However, I recognised this was holding me back professionally, so I joined a professional English-speaking group to work on my skills.”

2. Explain Your Process

Discuss the process you went through to work on your weakness, including any relevant training, feedback, organisational tools, or techniques you implemented. Quantify your improvements if possible.

Here’s another example of a job interview question- what is your greatest weakness: “Through my english speaking classes and practicing presentations for my team, I’ve become much more comfortable and skilled at public speaking. In fact, my most recent client satisfaction rating for presentations was 93%.”

3. Choose a “Safe” Weakness

If possible, select a weakness that is not directly essential for succeeding in the role you’re interviewing for. This way, you show self-awareness without making the hiring manager question your core qualifications.

As a manager what is your greatest weakness: For a marketing role, discussing public speaking may be a relatively “safe” weakness as long as presentations are not the primary function. For a sales role with lots of pitches, this might not be the best weakness to highlight.

Greatest Weakness Answer Samples

Here, we have created a list of what is your greatest weakness sample answer for freshers, professionals and managers: 

For Recent Graduates/Entry-Level:

“As a recent graduate with limited professional experience, my greatest weakness so far has been my lack of direct exposure to fast-paced workplace environments and processes. While I sought out multiple internships and completed numerous team projects, the classroom simply can’t fully prepare you for the realities and pace of the modern workplace.

To counter this weakness, I’ve been proactively seeking opportunities to expose myself as much as possible. For example, I joined my university’s Project Management Club, where I led a team that delivered pro-bono consulting services to local small businesses. This enabled me to plan, coordinate, and execute real client projects with tight deadlines and stakeholder management.

Although I know the workplace will still involve a learning curve coming straight from academics, I’ve done everything in my power to minimise my inexperience gap. I’m a voracious learner always eager to absorb new processes and best practices from those around me with more experience.”

For Experienced Professionals:

“One key weakness I’ve worked hard to improve is my delegation abilities as a manager and leader. Earlier in my career, I admit I tended to be overly hands-on and try to tackle too much myself. This was driven by a well-intentioned urge to ensure all work was completed at the highest standard possible.

However, I soon realised that failing to delegate properly not only prevented me from working at the highest strategic level but also stunted the professional development of my team members. It was a self-defeating approach.

To rectify this, I implemented a new system of clearly defined tasks and expectations at the start of all projects while providing ample coaching and feedback to team members along the way. This has empowered me to direct at a higher level while helping my direct reports shine and grow their expertise.

As a result, my team’s output has improved dramatically, as evidenced by exceeding our production targets by 22% over the past year. I’m deeply grateful to mentors who helped me understand delegation as a leadership strength rather than a weakness when applied properly.

For Management/Leadership Roles:

“If I had to identify my greatest weakness as a manager, it would be my tendency to get bogged down in minor details and minutiae at times. This attention to detail is generally a strength that ensures high-quality outcomes. However, if taken too far, it can cause me to lose sight of broader goals, timelines, and the capacity to make decisions more subjectively when needed.

To strike the right balance, I’ve implemented a series of techniques, like timeboxing, where I allocate specific windows to dig into project details but then force myself to pull back out. I’ve also become more vigilant about regularly reviewing each project’s high-level requirements and successful criteria to reorient myself.

Additionally, I’ve worked on improving my prioritisation abilities to identify which details are truly crucial versus which ones represent instances of getting ‘too much in the weeds.’ This has helped tremendously with my bandwidth and ability to operate at a more strategic level when required.”

Other Examples of ‘What is Your Greatest Weakness’

Here are some other what is your greatest weakness examples:

• Asking for Help: “I often try to power through challenges myself rather than seeking assistance, but I’m improving…”
• Receiving Criticism: “Negative feedback used to demoralize me, but now I have healthier coping techniques…”
• Technical Skills: “I’m not as strong as I’d like coding in Python yet, but I’ve enrolled in an online course…”
• Procrastination: “I’ve struggled with putting tasks off at times, but using productivity tools like [X] has really helped…”

What is Your Greatest Strength and Weakness?

Frequently, interviewers will not ask about strengths and weaknesses separately but combine them into one question: What is your greatest strength and weakness quiz?

In this case, a good strategy is to discuss your weakness first, framing it positively, and then transition into speaking about a relevant professional strength.

For example:

“One key area for improvement earlier in my career was public speaking. I used to get quite anxious having to present in front of colleagues or clients. However, I made it a priority to work on this by joining an organisation like Toastmasters and regularly practising presentations.

This paid off tremendously, to the point where I’m now an extremely comfortable speaker who actually enjoys it. In fact, I’d say strong public speaking and presentation abilities are one of the key strengths that allow me to sell ideas effectively to stakeholders and project confidence as a leader.”

By hitting your self-identified weakness first and then smoothly pivoting to core strength, you demonstrate self-awareness while also framing your capabilities in the best possible light.

You can also read about the top 20 Strengths to add in the resume.

What NOT to Say About Weaknesses

When preparing your What is your greatest weakness interview question answer, avoid a few key missteps:

1. Don’t Use Clichés

Strengths posed as weaknesses like “I’m a perfectionist” or “I work too hard” come across as disingenuous and uncreative. Hiring managers have heard these types of answers too many times to find them insightful.

2. Don’t Choose Mission-Critical Weaknesses

Avoid discussing a weakness that’s essential for succeeding in the role. For instance, don’t say you struggle with public speaking for a sales manager job or highlight poor coding abilities for a software engineering position.

3. Don’t Go Overboard on Negativity

While you want to be honest about your weakness, don’t dwell excessively on the negative implications or make it seem like a huge flaw. The bulk of your response should focus on the positive steps you’ve taken to improve.

4. Don’t Get Too Comedic

A little self-deprecating humour can be okay if it fits naturally with your personality and the rapport with the interviewer. However, don’t try too hard to get laughs at your own expense. This question requires a relatively thoughtful, professional approach.

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths!

Answering behavioural interview questions about what is your greatest weakness for fresher doesn’t have to be daunting. With some strategic preparation and practised poise, you can turn this challenging interview prompt into an impressive showcase of your self-awareness and growth potential.

The key is identifying an authentic weakness that you’ve actively worked to improve, ideally one that isn’t directly essential for succeeding in the role. Frame your answer positively by emphasising the steps you’ve taken – courses, feedback, techniques, etc. – to address this weakness head-on. Quantify your progress if possible.

Most importantly, approach this question not as an obstacle but as an opportunity to demonstrate your maturity and growth mindset. The self-reflection and initiative required to improve upon weaknesses are extremely valuable assets to prospective employers.

Practice your responses out loud, research the company and role thoroughly, and work on projecting confidence and enthusiasm. With the right focused efforts, you can nail this dreaded question and prove you’re an outstanding candidate.

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