How do you answer 'What are your strengths and weaknesses' in a job interview?

This can be the most difficult question asked by the interviewer to evaluate your honesty and your confidence level. Such questions are fairly typical when applying for a job. The purpose of asking this question is firstly to see how you handle a stress question and secondly how you actually respond to it.

As with most things, it is all about preparation. You have to prepare an answer for this question for every job interview before you go. Think about such questions in advance and have your answers ready.

If you fail to prepare then be prepared to fail. There are many 'standard' questions. There are no standard answers as most are asking about you personally.

Because of that no one but yourself can answer many of the questions you will be asked. Be positive; do not repeat what you have read in books or on the Internet. By all means read sample answers, but do not repeat them verbatim.

The person interviewing you will have read all those answers too. An experienced interviewer would have heard every clichéd answer to this question and will know when you are feeding them a line. First impressions count for far more than many realise.

There is more to having a successful job interview than just answering the questions asked. Many would say much more. Listen to what is being said.

Answer only the question asked. Don't ramble. The most important thing about what you say is for it to be something resolvable, or an area in which you can improve and to show how you are trying to solve this or that issue.

Weaknesses do not exist, just challenges and solutions: Try to tailor your responses to your specific job or task. You should always turn your weakness into a positive attribute. The trick is to talk about your weaknesses so that they can also appear to be a strength.

Focus on your strengths, but have an answer regarding a challenge you have met and overcome. Think of any trait or skill you have that pertains to the job you are applying for. Think of instances when you have shown a lot of skill in that area.

It is important to answer the question without making it look like you have a weakness that might prevent you from getting hired. At the same time, you don't want to mention a weakness that isn't really a weakness but confidently answer the question by telling how you want to improve yourself by constantly learning from your own self-analysis. Create an honest list of what you think are your strengths or weaknesses and then select a few of them you can remember.

Practice your responses so that they sound natural and you are prepared for the question. Don't come up with statements such as I am a perfectionist or I have no weaknesses. Keep your answers career-related and precise.

So, don't try to portray yourself as Mr/Miss perfect, as we all have some flaws. Just be careful, and state your weak point by adding that you are working towards overcoming it. The best way to answer would be to choose something that can be turned around to look like a strength.

The key is to turn the weakness - a negative character trait - into something positive. Examples: "One of my weaknesses is that I do not quit until I get the job done. I want to make sure that everything I do is my best and in the right order".

"My computer skills were lacking a little, but I got trained and got my skills up-to-date." Or, you can say that your written communication skills are not amazing, but you are currently (or planning to register) for a course in creative writing, or business communication, or professional writing, etc... Weaknesses that can also be strengths: Tell about your weaknesses that are also strengths. I am a hard-worker and sometimes I work too hard I am a perfectionist and want everything to be done right the first time I'm too helpful.

A good helper towards those who need it. Tend to go to any limits while helping someone in trouble. I do not care for paperwork, so you try to get it all done by 10AM so I can go on to other things.

Strengths: Your communication skills- you communicate well with others: "One of my biggest strengths is my communication skills. I work very well with all kinds of people, and understand that everyone has different perspectives about projects and work tasks - so when I work with others I realize that everyone comes to the table with different priorities and objectives. I keep this in mind when I communicate tasks that need to be accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on".

You are a people person. "I like to work in team and have been an active participant and organizer at several places". You are a quick learner and love to learn new things.

"I have the ability to cope with failures and try to learn from my mistakes". "I am a quick learner. I have great problem-solving skills and am willing to learn new things to get the job done".

You are always punctual You are a team player. "I am a team player and work well with others. My strength is my flexibility to handle change.

As customer service manager at my last job, I was able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive team". Good attitude is expected of every employee. You should back up what you say with an example.

For example, don't just say you have good customer service skills, you have to prove it by also telling how you won a company award or received positive customer comment letters for your good service. Determined Able to prioritize Self-confidence, "I believe in myself" One of my greatest strengths I've acquired during my education is good analytical and planning skills. This has always benefited me to set goals and try to achieve them.

But at the same time, I'm driven by the thoughts of success. Full commitment to my work Highly energetic Having good interpersonal skills I'm well organized and like to be neat with all of my work I have great communication skills. Weaknesses: You are answering the dreaded question without looking like an egotistical maniac, and showing the interviewer that you see yourself as a work in progress, trying to better all of your qualities.

You should answer with things you "are improving upon," e.g., "I believe I should always be improving upon myself." Just pick one weakness that is not going to disqualify you from the job, and then follow up with - this is what really matters - the examples of what you are doing (or have done) to fix your weakness. The most important point here is to show that you learn from your mistakes and your weakness, and you are taking the corrective action to fix the situation - and stress that!

For example, if the job does not require public speaking, you can say that your weakness is you are afraid of speaking in front of the public. Then tell the interviewers that you have joined a Toastmaster club or public speech course to overcome the problem. Remind them that when you identify a problem, you actively take actions to correct it, and that is how you do things.

Don't try to use a cliché or try to present a strength as a weakness by saying your weakness is that you are a workaholic. No one will believe that answer. Being too emotional will make the recruiter wonder if your interpersonal skills are lacking.

Give a true weakness but one of modest size. Shows that you have taken steps to correct the weakness. For example you want to improve your MS Excel skills so you are taking a course on that now.

I used to have trouble with procrastinating, now I have learned to write down a list of things that I need to do, and keep a calendar to keep track of deadlines. I have found that this not only helps me to finish things on time, but it has also helped me to be more organized. For my weakness, some people say I'm over-friendly.

You can't go wrong with that one. Usually, the person interviewing is like "Oh, that's not a bad thing at all." I'm a little egoistic when it comes to winning things and get a little ruthless too.

I lose patience sometimes when I am not in a position to complete the assigned job in time. I have to work on having more patience and giving myself a break, because I always want everything done at once. I am too focused on my work and I need to find more time to relax.

I'm too focused on work and need to develop some after-hours hobbies. Never actually choose something that will be seen as a liability. Try to think of a weakness that can actually be seen in some sort of positive light.

Examples of combination strengths and weaknesses: I'm a workaholic person and love to dedicate myself to the work I'm doing. But at the same time I forget to keep a balance between other things which I'm trying to improve on. Take whatever is your best quality and also describe it as your worst.

It often is, as we are all made up like two sides of a coin. Try it out with different qualities and accomplishments and see how it works. For example: The best thing about me is that I am able to see the big picture in a situation.

The worst thing about me is that I can see the big picture in a situation. This is the best thing because I can remove myself from the emotion of a decision that needs to be made and act accordingly. It is a bad thing because I often can see the conclusion quicker than the other participants in a project and that can cause frustration sometimes amongst them.

"My strength is my ability to be flexible; I've seen companies go through changes in structure and management philosophy. I've had to adjust my style to the new environment several times. My weakness is my tendency to over-work so I pace myself now."

Similarly… "My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As a software developer at my last job, I was able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive team" If you lack experience or skills, state this but also tell that you are willing to learn, or that it is an area which you would like to improve on. Example 1: "I do not have much experience with customer service, but I would like to gain experience in this area.

I get along well with people, I am able to listen and am a good communicator so I feel that I would get on well in a customer based environment." Example 2: "I am not too experienced with computers, but I am always willing to learn new skills. I have used computers a little in the past and this is one area which I would like to improve on.

I am usually very quick at picking up new skills especially when it is something that I need to learn. Notes on interviewing This question unfortunately has become a staple in the interview process and is an easy way out for an interviewer who can't think of any other questions. The reason this is a bad question is simply this: If someone has a weakness that could jeopardize his chance of getting the job, he will never reveal it.

So the only answers that this question receives are false answers intended to placate the interviewer. A good interviewer won't ask this question. I'm always tempted to answer this way: "Mr. Interviewer, I always have a hard time with that question.

What would your answer be to the question?" A good interviewer wouldn't dream of asking someone this question. As the interviewer, you will not get truthful answers from the weakness part of the question, and as the interviewee, you can end up coming across as egotistical and boastful when answering about your strengths.

A good interviewer shouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. Honesty is the best policy No Trick: Honesty is the best policy. Whatever you do, tell the truth.

While there are certainly answers that interviewers prefer to hear, it has to match reality. Why? First, it's generally not good to get hired for a job that you're not matched well for.

If you like new, exciting, dynamic situations but you're looking for a job on an assembly line, you're not going to be happy; saying that you like repetitive work doesn't make sense. Second, any good interviewer will check your references. If your answers don't match what they hear, you're almost certain to lose the chance for job.

Don't ever list as a weakness the following: "I take on too many things and work too hard, and just don't know where to stop." It's a cliché, completely transparent, and I can tell you that it rarely makes the desired impression. One interviewer's perspective I ask this question and whenever I get an answer like "I work too hard" I know I'm dealing with somebody that I can't really trust, and that I'm going to have a hard time developing an open and honest working relationship with.

And I know that I still don't know the person's other weaknesses. At least with me, an interviewee has a much better chance if I think he or she is honestly telling me about a weakness. And then I can decide whether or not I can work around that weakness.

One person told me that he needs fixed deadlines because otherwise he keeps finding additional things to add and it's hard for him to finish the project. I decided this was something I could live with and I hired him. We all have weaknesses.

And if you think you're going to outsmart me with nonsense or evasion, you're hurting your chances with me. Strengths are a combination of talent and behaviour that a person is born with and cultivates over a period of time, they should not be confused with skills. Skills are something that you can develop over time.

For example, if you don't know a computer language, you can possibly learn it but you cannot learn strengths. The interviewer is probably not really interested in your weaknesses, but is just testing your ability to deal with a difficult and unexpected situation. As with most things, it is all about preparation.

If you fail to prepare then be prepared to fail. There are many 'standard' questions. There are no standard answers as most are asking about you personally.

Because of that no one but yourself can answer many of the questions you will be asked. Think about such questions in advance and have your answers ready. There are many sources of the type of questions you may be presented with.

The internet and your local library being the main ones. Be positive; do not repeat what you have read in books or on the Internet. By all means read sample answers but do not repeat them verbatim.

The person interviewing you will have read all those answers too. The best approach is to: First decide on how you want to position yourself. Ideally, you should also understand what the interviewer is looking for.

Then calmly and sincerely admit the weakness and what you're doing about it. You want to be careful here. You never want to sound: Phony and self-serving Egotistic, as if you don't think you have any real weaknesses Defensive Of course, you also don't want to admit a weakness that's too big to get you hired, like "I always miss my deadlines."

So play carefully, but try to admit a real weakness that's related to a strength, and that won't sound too bad. When asked what your weaknesses are during an interview always try to make the end of your description a positive. For example, you can say that one of your weaknesses is that you sometimes get easily frustrated with yourself or others if a job isn't done perfectly.

However, this is simply caused by your passion for your career and your desire to do everything as well as it can be done. This way, while you admit to becoming frustrated, you show that it's only because you care so much about your job. Here are some guidelines for responding when an interviewer asks what about your biggest weakness: The question demands personal/subjective answer depending on the reality of my own trait and personality type.

For instance mixing business with pleasure: "I spend both time and money on books, internet, technology and hardware on my free time for fun even though it is job related because I am so interested in these topics" Simple. Light-heartedly say handmade milk chocolates, fast cars and more handmade milk chocolates. When asked my dislikes I usually say smoking (unless it is the tax man on fire) and then it would be someone running up with a bucket of water to put him out.

I have never been asked to give a serious answer. First of all, don't specify them as your weaknesses... just tell them you don't consider them as strong and they could use some work The question "What would you say is your greatest weakness" in a job interview is a way to find out many things about you, Try to make it a positive reply. As a property manager I say "I care too much about my communities" this equates to my spending additional time on site at no cost to the company.

A person's biggest strengths are the things that they are exceptionally good at. This can be reading, writing, managing, or organizational skills.

The interviewer is probably not really interested in your weaknesses, but is just testing your ability to deal with a difficult and unexpected situation. Such questions are fairly typical of those you will be presented with when applying for a job As with most things, it is all about preparation. If you fail to prepare then be prepared to fail.

There are many 'standard' questions. There are no standard answers as most are asking about you personally. Because of that no one but yourself can answer many of the questions you will be asked.

Think about such questions in advance and have your answers ready. There are many sources of the type of questions you may be presented with. The internet and your local library being the main ones.

Be positive; do not repeat what you have read in books or on the Internet. By all means read sample answers but do not repeat them verbatim. The person interviewing you will have read all those answers too.

There is more to having a successful job interview than just answering the questions asked. Many would say much more. First impressions count for far more than many realise.

Dress for the part. Be punctual and polite. Listen to what is being said.

Answer only the question asked. (Don't ramble) My weakness is water. I am afraid of water animals.

This is probably the most dreaded question of a job interview, and many consider it a stupid question. Why would anybody admit their weaknesses? But it's a legitimate question.

You can use this opportunity to shine ... or not. The interviewer wants to see: How you approach a difficult question Whether or not you recognize your weaknesses (we all have them) What you're doing about them Whether your individual strengths and weaknesses (they're usually related) make you the right candidate for this job One common approach is to repackage your strength as a weakness, such as "I work too hard." The idea of using a weakness as a flipside of a strength is a good one, but it shouldn't be something so blatantly phony and self-serving.

You need to make a real concession here, but one that won't hurt you too much. The best approach is to: First decide on how you want to position yourself. Ideally, you should also understand what the interviewer is looking for.

Then calmly and sincerely admit the weakness and what you're doing about it Some examples: I'm sometimes a little too soft on the people who work for me. Usually I'm able to motivate and lead people to do great work, but sometimes when I fail, I have a hard time taking the hard actions to correct their behavior. Sometimes when trying to hit a deadline I'll get too tough on my co-workers, and then I have to come back afterwards and apologize.

I've been getting better about this, I know the team is often more important than the deadline, and I'm trying to learn to make the deadlines without pushing others too hard. You want to be careful here. You never want to sound: Phony and self-serving Egotistic, as if you don't think you have any real weaknesses Defensive Of course, you also don't want to admit a weakness that's too big to get you hired, like "I always miss my deadlines."

So play carefully, but try to admit a real weakness that's related to a strength, and that won't sound too bad. When asked what your weaknesses are during an interview always try to make the end of your description a positive. For example, you can say that one of your weaknesses is that you sometimes get easily frustrated with yourself or others if a job isn't done perfectly.

However, this is simply caused by your passion for your career and your desire to do everything as well as it can be done. This way, while you admit to becoming frustrated, you show that it's only because you care so much about your job. More input: This can be a difficult one.

The best way to answer would be to chose something that can be turned around to look like a strength. Example: "My computer skills were lacking a little, but I took a computer class and got my skills up-to-date." If this is for a job interview, then you should always turn your weakness into a positive.

Say, one of my weakness' is that I do not quit until I get the job done. Or, I am a perfectionist. I want to make sure that everything I do is perfect and in the right order.

Good luck to you:) Find weaknesses that are also strengths- for example: I do not care for paperwork, so I try to get it all done by 10AM so I can go on to other things. The question is how to answer the question without making it look like you have a weakness that might prevent you from getting hired. At the same time, you don't want to mention a weakness that isn't really a weakness and simply tell the interviewer what you think they want to hear.

Trust me, an experienced interviewer has heard every cliched answer to this question and will know when you are feeding them a line. The purpose of asking this question is firstly to see how you handle a stress question and secondly how you actually respond to it. Here are some guidelines for responding when an interviewer asks what about your biggest weakness: 1.

Answer the question honestly. It's always best to answer any interview question honestly (obviously) but this is an especially important one. Making up a weakness that isn't really a weakness will most likely be very noticeable to the interviewer.

If they think you are lying, they may ask you for another weakness which will cause you even more trouble trying to think of one off the top of your head. 2. Don't mention a big weakness that could cost you the job.

Your goal here isn't to lie of course, it's simply to present yourself as best you can. We all have weaknesses but it doesn't mean we tell an interviewer everything that we do wrong. If for example you are interviewing for a project manager job, it's probably best not to mention that you have trouble getting along with people since you're going to be constantly working with others.

3. Don't evade the question. Don't try to avoid answering the question.

Also be careful about giving a cliched weakness (ie. I work too hard) and then quickly stating how you deal with it. That looks too scripted and the interviewer has probably heard it one million times before.

Admitting a real weakness but then stating what you are doing to improve yourself is preferable ie. "My presentation skills are not as strong as I'd like so I signed up for weekend presentation skills classes and also joined a Toastmasters club." Remember that the specific job you are interviewing for will help to determine how you answer the question.

4. Keep your answer factual and brief. Typically, stress questions such as these that put us on the spot tend to cause us to ramble on and speak for longer than we should especially if we're nervous.

The best way to answer the question is to be well prepared and to know how you are going to answer the question before the interview. This will avoid you trying to think off the top of your head and saying more than you need to which could hurt your chances of getting the job. 5.

Be careful about using "my biggest weakness is my biggest strength" as your response. Saying that "I'm a perfectionist" or something like that is another of those cliched answers that people often give to this question. It will probably come across as being scripted and the interviewer will most likely determine that you got the answer from an interview tips book.

The question demands personal/subjective answer depending on the reality of my own trait and personality type: for instance mixing business with pleasure: I spend both time and money on books , internet, technology and hardware on my free time for fun even though it is job related because I am so interested in these topics... Simple. Lightheartedly say hand made milk chocolates, fast cars and more hand made milk chocolates. When asked my dislikes I usually say smoking (unless it is the tax man on fire) and then it would be someone running up with a bucket of water to put him out.

I have never been asked to give a serious answer. First of all, don't specify them as your weaknesses... just tell them you don't consider them as strong and they could use some work... that's what I would say... good luck on your interviews! You have to prepare an answer for this question for every job interview before you go.

The most important thing about what you say is for it to be something resolvable, or an area in which you can improve and to show how you are trying to solve this or that issue. For instance, you can say that your written communication skills are not amazing, but you are currently (or planning to register) for a course in creative writing, or business communication, or professional writing, etc... The question "What would you say is your greatest weakness" in a job interview is a way to find out many things about you, Try to make it a positive reply. As a property manager I say "I care too much about my communities" this equates to my spending additional time on site at no cost to the company This is always a difficult thing to do, because no one likes having to recognize their flaws.

Probably the most effective way would to be straightforward, but don't become "off-putting". Be honest with the interviewer, saying that you struggle with certain tasks (list maybe the number 1 thing that you struggle with most). After saying that then tactfully move onto a strength that you believes offsets your weakness.

If the interviewer continues pressing for more weaknesses don't appear offended, everyone has weaknesses so there is no use lying. Here are a few major points to remember for a question like this; Choose a true weakness that has elements of strength: example (a) "I have trouble reminding myself to be patient when met with resistance to technological change" - for jobs that will benefit from a self-motivated learner of the latest technology tools; example (b) "I am sometimes so curious I have trouble remembering all things will come in there time" - for jobs that will benefit from an innovate learner and team motivator whose curiosity is a contagious. Be prepared for it - know your weaknesses ahead of time, if you reply with "I have no weaknesses" then the interviewer will most likely view that as self-absorbed.

Don't rush to answer the question, before you answer give it some thought on how you are going to present the weakness so that it isn't going to overshadow the rest of your interview. Use humor if possible - that does not mean make the question into a joke. It means that you can't take the question to seriously, if the interviewer does have some sort of joke involved then give it a slight chuckle, but do not over do it.

And relax - When they ask you about your weaknesses don't start fidgeting or squirming about, that gives the impression that you have something to hide. But the most important thing to remember in a situation like this is to be honest, but there is no need to tell them all of your little quirks. Just keep it cool throughout the interview and you will have that dream job in no time!

This can be the most difficult question put by the interviewer to check out your honesty and your confidence level. Don't try to portray yourself as Mr/Miss perfect, as we all have some flaws. Just be careful, and state your weak point by adding that you are working towards improving it.

For more details, check out the related link. Use strengths that are applicable to the job position like punctuality, motivated, reliable, adaptable, communicate well with people and deliver and excellent standard of customer care. The most important thing about delivering a weakness is to use something that can be overcome.

That is the most important factor, for example "I feel that I lack the skills to being assertive, but however I am working on that by taking up horse riding lessons, because the key to horse riding is being assertive and leading where the horse is going" or "My weakness is not being able to drive but I am currently undergoing driving lessons" so something that won't put you in a position of not being hired like "I hate paperwork" when your applying for a secretarial job that is not a good answer.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.