Job interviews represent one of the most feared moments for anyone searching for a job. There is usually considerable competition and applicants for the position in question feel how each of their movements, gestures and, above all, words, can cost them the opportunity. Above all, in the case of receiving one of those “trick questions” that cause so many nerves. One of them is undoubtedly related to the applicant’s weak points. And the truth is that, to successfully pass a job interview, you must be prepared to respond appropriately.
If everything seems to be going well during the interview and, suddenly, the interviewer asks the question about what the interviewee considers to be his or her weaknesses, there is no need to get nervous. And it is advisable to have thought about an answer to this question before going to the appointment. So you will only have to answer calmly and sincerely what has already been thought about previously.
When answering the question of what one’s weak points are, it is important to find the balance between being sincere and being clever. That is, the idea is to respond with something honest, but that is not directly detrimental to the job, and close the response with something that is being done to improve in that aspect. This will highlight the self-awareness of the applicant and, furthermore, his value and motivation to improve and grow.
Therefore, we must avoid answers like “I am very perfectionist” or “I focus a lot on my work”, because they are very hackneyed. Instead, it is advisable to opt for others such as having difficulty delegating or being somewhat shy. As long as the job itself does not depend on or have such attitudes or skills as requirements. For example, a level of English that could be improved can be mentioned as a weakness, but as long as it is not something relevant to the job position, but rather a mere extra.
And the key will always be to add what is being done to remedy it. Continuing with the previous example, it would be necessary to explain that, to improve your level of English, you are taking a course or something similar. The important thing is that the weakness is minimized, while what stands out is the improvement plan that has been undertaken to improve.
For this reason, it is always necessary to have as much information as possible about the job you are applying for and what the company is looking for in its workers. This way it will be easier to adapt this question to each opportunity and get it right.
