There’s a 99% chance that you are answering this interview question wrong
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
I know that this question “What’s your biggest weakness?” screams “Aap ki kya kamiyan hain?” and gets difficult to answer.
Let’s change that and go through 3 potential answers from the WORST to the BEST response.
WORST
If your answer is a version of:
“I'm a perfectionist.”
"I’m too detail-oriented."
"I tend to take on too many projects at once."
Know that the HR is doing a facepalm 🤦🏽♀️ in his/her mind.
Why is this not good?
Imagine you meet Preity Zinta (my fav growing up) and ask her this question and she replies…
"Only 99% of my photos turn out to be good.”
You would obviously roll your eyes! 🙄
Another reason is that these are generic answers and the HRs are bored hearing the same answer for the 100th time in a month.
GOOD
A good answer is when you talk about a real weakness and highlight how you are working on it.
Example: “I find it challenging to speak up in large meetings but I've been taking public speaking classes and volunteering to lead smaller team meetings to build my confidence."
Why is this good?
It’s not generic
It’s not masking your strength as a weakness
It’s something genuine and you are highlighting that you’re working on it.
Wondering what can be better than this? I got you!
BEST
It’s when you talk about a genuine weakness unrelated to your field of work!
For example, If majority of your work involves talking to people, a potential response can be “I can’t sit in front of the computer at a stretch, thank God, unlike other Asian parents, mine didn’t force me to take up coding!”
BONUS: Adding humour always works wonders!
Why is this the best?
It’s refreshing: the HR gets a break from the boring answers and your personality shines through
Your answer is genuine but doesn’t impact the way you perform the role
Remember, the decision to hire you not only depends on your skills but also if they like you as a person (even if it’s subconscious).
Keep Blooming,
Bani Singh