The challenges associated with finding the right job can sometimes be disheartening and really demotivating. Many times candidates lose all their hope when they come across questions that are difficult to answer. It is easy to speak about your strengths and positive traits but when you are questioned about your weaknesses, we often tend to get nervous and confused. Here we have listed out a few good things to say about your weaknesses that may help you impress your interviewers while being honest with your employers.
How to Answer What is your Greatest Weakness Question:
During a Career Switch:
“Yes, I am an engineer and my greatest weakness is that I am bad at expressing facts or incidents while speaking to people. On the contrary, if I have to express the same thing in written words, I do a good job. This trait was a great weakness in the engineering field but I am sure that is exactly what you seek in a content writer. That is why I am applying for this job.”
“I enjoy speaking to people, communicating, having small chats, being in direct contact with people and these are things that never happen in the job of an electrical engineer. I could not cope with a job where I had to work odd shifts, concentrate on minute details and make reports while not interacting with any human soul. This stressed me and my performance was greatly affected.
I feel a marketing job is what I have always been looking for and that is the reason I am switching my career. In this job, I will stay in touch with people. I can utilise my people skills to get good deals for the firm. It will be a symbiotic relationship where the firm will benefit and I will get to explore my hidden skills.”
Usually career switch is something most interviewers target. If you are attending an interview just after you switch your field, you should be prepared to face questions related to change of career. Before the interviewers start firing questions about your wrong career choice or indecisiveness, you can answer questions related to weaknesses to justify your new career choice.
During Your First Job Interview:
If you have had a few failures in your college years and your certificates are not extremely impressive, the first job interview could be extremely tough. All candidates are usually nervous during the first job interview. If you have had some pitfalls or failures in your career, it would become tougher. The interviewers are sure to pinpoint your failures and ask you what caused the failures. You must be able to speak about these failures or weaknesses in the right perspective. Here are some answers that may help you deal with such situations.
“I have always been a doer. I enjoy completing projects, achieving targets and staying active. Examinations and studies have never been my cup of tea. I think true learning comes from understanding real life facts. I have always been good at extracurricular activities and events. My poor marks in exams have always weakened my profile. If you base your decision completely on my marks, I may not be your first choice. But if you hire me, I will never give you an opportunity to regret.”
“My greatest weakness has been my inability to focus on one work for more than half an hour. I get bored easily and that is the reason why I have fared poorly in exams too. My scores in mathematics and science, where reasoning and logic have to be used, are remarkable. I have had bad scores in History and other theory subjects because of my inability to focus on one subject for long.
I am keen to join this company as a human resource executive because I think it is the perfect profile for me. I am a great multitasker and the role of an HR is what suits me perfectly.”
Health Related Weaknesses:
The greatest challenge could be when you have a health related weakness and you are applying for a job. There are many firms or organisations that are sceptical about giving an opportunity to an individual who has suffered severe health issues. Getting back to a job after a long health related break can really be difficult. The interviewers may ask you questions about your health and whether you are really in a position to work. Make sure you are confident while answering all these questions. Be honest as that is the best approach while seeking the right opportunity.
“ I had some serious health issues(mention the specific health issue) and had to take a break from my career to rejuvenate. The one year of break helped me recuperate and now I am back in full swing to take up all the challenges that my work life brings.”
“Depression related to work related stress was the reason for the gap in my career. My illness helped me grow stronger and now I can deal with any kind of work pressure. I am sure you are looking for candidates like me who have overcome challenges in their lives.”
Explain How Your Weakness Transformed You:
This could be another approach to deal with questions about weaknesses. You cannot conceal your weakness but you can surely tell the interviewers how the weakness transformed you into a stronger and wiser being.
“Yes, I fared poorly in most exams and later it affected my career a lot. I have applied for jobs in many different firms and was often rejected because of my poor resume. That is when I realised it was essential that I introspect. I spent a few hours and tried to find out where I was lacking. While my scores weren’t great, I was a good leader and was active in most extracurricular circles. I used this as my USP and revealed my plus points during interviews. You may notice that I am working in one of the most reputed firms because they have identified my skills and abilities.”
These are some good things to say about your weaknesses to bag the right job. A capable candidate will never be held back because of a weakness or a failure.
