Tip 7: The Smart Way to Handle the Dreaded “Weakness” Question
Most candidates absolutely tank this part of the interview.
The hiring manager leans in and asks,
“So, what’s your greatest weakness?”
Suddenly, even the most prepared candidate starts to squirm.
They usually default to one of two bad moves:
They overconfess and dump something way too big.
Like, “Honestly, I’ve never been great at hitting deadlines…”
Now they’ve handed the interviewer a neon red flag.They try the humble brag.
“Sometimes I just work too hard.”
It comes off scripted and insincere. The interviewer sees right through it.
A Better Play: Show Self-Awareness and Growth
Here’s what smart candidates do instead. They:
Pick a small, real weakness. Nothing catastrophic, but something honest.
Explain how they identified it and what they did to fix it.
Wrap up with why they’re stronger now because of it.
It’s not a trick.
It’s what actual top performers do in their careers: spot problems in themselves, address them, and keep evolving.
An Example That Wins Over Hiring Managers
Try something like this:
“Earlier in my career, I’d sometimes rush through data analysis without double-checking every calculation.
I caught a small error once that could’ve affected a client report, and it was a wake-up call.
Since then, I’ve built a simple review checklist for myself and even started using peer checks for big deliverables.
Haven’t missed anything since, and it’s actually made our whole team’s output tighter.”
It’s honest.
It’s specific.
And it ends on a note that shows you’re proactive and learn quickly.
Why This Works
Hiring managers aren’t looking for flawless robots.
They’re hiring humans, who will inevitably have gaps or make mistakes.
What they care about is whether you’re self-aware enough to recognize weaknesses, disciplined enough to address them, and growth-minded enough to keep leveling up.
We’ve had clients use this exact approach.
The interviewer literally leaned forward, nodded, and jotted it down.
What’s normally a stumbling block turned into one of the strongest proof points of why they should be hired.
Keep This in Your Back Pocket
Don’t wait to come up with this in the moment.
Prepare it.
Polish it.
Practice it until it feels natural.
Because when that question comes (and it almost always does), you’ll stand out as the candidate who owns their development - instead of one who either panics or tries to dodge it.