Easy Tips for Turning a Weakness into a Strength
Vincent Benjamin

One of the most common interview questions focuses on your weaknesses. Sometimes it is part of a behavioral question that is designed to determine how you would handle yourself in a difficult situation on the job. Other times, the interviewer may come right out and ask, “What is your biggest weakness.” Job seekers have struggled with the ways to answer this question forever. So how can you impress a hiring manager with the right answer? Here are some practical tips for turning a negative into a positive the right way.

  • Don’t be disingenuous. For a long time the advice for answering this question was to actually turn a strength into a weakness. For example, “I am just far too punctual. I am always early for things!” However, this technique often backfires. It becomes tiresome for interviewers to hear this humble bragging in an interview and they have learned not to take these answers seriously. You should be proud of your accomplishments and not try to sneak them in as negatives.
  • Demonstrate your abilities. A better way to approach this question is to look at the things in your career that have been real obstacles. You can share how you overcame a weakness in your previous roles. Failure is an important learning tool and you can discuss your actual weaknesses in a way that shows that you’re willing to learn from your mistakes and move forward. For example, “I admit that I am not always the most organized so I’ve been working on a calendar system to log everything I need to do right away so I don’t miss any deadlines.”
  • Be a team player. Sometimes your weaknesses aren’t inherent in your personality but in the job for which you’re applying. Maybe you don’t have enough experience or you’ve had too many jobs in too short a time frame. Use these as a jumping off point to discuss your weaknesses when it comes to the specific job. For example, “I know that you’re looking for someone with over five years’ experience. I’ve only been in accounting for a year that means I have fewer bad habits than someone set in their ways. Because I have less experience I feel that I am more trainable to your systems.”

Are you looking for more interviewing advice to put your best foot forward? The recruiters at VincentBenjamin staffing can help so call today!

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