Point out to the interview panel a flaw that is a strength and explain steps you're taking for improvement, advices TANIA NGIMA
Job interviews may be some of the most stressful experiences we have to go through. It is obvious then, that when preparing for a job interview as a potential candidate, we go through all the questions we think we will be asked and have some potential answers in mind.
And while all individuals want to portray themselves in the best light as the perfect candidate, how do you answer a question that asks you to portray yourself in a bad light?
How do you answer the question ‘what are your weaknesses’? Here are a few helpful tips:
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Sometimes interviewers ask certain questions to see how the potential candidates react when put on the spot or when put under pressure.
They may also want to see how quickly you think on your feet and how well you recover from the initial surprise. Whenever an interviewer throws you a curve, regardless of the question, the first thing is to put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and try to find out what could be the motivation for asking a certain question. Is it to distinguish your character, find out if you have room for growth or if you seek challenges.
This will put you in a good frame of mind to answer the question in an honest and truthful manner.
Room for improvement
When this question comes up, the best way to answer it is by having thought it out and practiced a few answers beforehand.
You do not have to memorise responses but you do have to have an idea of what direction to take.
Whichever weakness you point out, ensure that you do add something onto the answer to show what steps you’re taking for improvement.
When interviewing for a job where you do not have all the required skills, you could say that you see that as a weakness, however, you are willing to learn and have already started taking steps to remedy the situation.
If you have had some challenges say, with time management, outline the steps you are now taking on a daily basis to remedy this.
If you have had challenges with being a perfectionist, explain that you note down the list of deliverables at the beginning of every task and monitor this to ensure you do not over reach.
Tackle other weaknesses that do not put you at risk of getting a job by their very nature; for example, a customer service candidate who is not patient is definitely out of the running for the job as this is a core skill.
Tackle such qualities as procrastinating, time management, deadline adherence and always remember to show how you’re tackling the weakness.
Strengths as weaknesses
Be aware that sometimes strengths can have a spin on them that makes them a weakness. For example, having an analytical mind is important for certain jobs, however, it can be hard to stop analysing and take action.
This is not a bad thing though because through being conscious it can be tempered.
It is always better to be able to see a quality as strength and a potential weakness; displaying a weakness in itself may potentially hurt your chances for the job and you have to be wise about what you say to the question.
