How to describe your weakness in an interview

As placement season has already kickstarted, most of the students are confused on how to answer “What are your weaknesses?”

How many of us have been confused while thinking about our weaknesses?

It is not that you do not know your weaknesses, but that you do not want to show them in a negative manner.

You think of every step that you take as the interview might go in the wrong direction with one mistake.

It is indeed a challenging task.

The key is to identify a weakness that still in a way communicates strength.

Here are some examples of what form of an answer you can use while describing your weaknesses:

1) “I focus too much on details.”
– Being detail-oriented is a good thing in general.
– But if more time is consumed in details, it is also a weakness.
– Improvement- “I am trying to look at the big picture in my further projects.”

2) “I have a hard time letting go of a project.”
– When you put great effort into something, it is easy to feel apprehensive while letting it go, majorly because you have last-minute revisions to make in it.
– But since life is about moving, it is considered a weakness.
– Improvement- “I am striving to improve myself by setting a deadline for revisions and being proactive about the changes.”

3) “I have trouble in saying ‘no’.”
– Helping your colleagues and managing your workload is an artful balance.
– But from an employer’s perspective, you should know your limits and not provide help when you have your own deadlines.
– Improvement- “I am working to self-manage by organizing my tasks and setting more realistic expectations with myself.”

4) “I get impatient when projects run beyond the deadline.”
– Expressing stress or frustration over missing deadlines can be considered a weakness.
– But employers value people who place importance on deadlines to keep projects within the planned timeline.
– Improvement- “I appreciate work completed on time and I am working on improving my processes to get work done more efficiently.”

5) “I have trouble asking for help.”
– Asking for help is a necessary skill especially when you are burned out or do not understand something.
– But you should always know when to ask for help.
– Improvement- “I know that it is beneficial and I have used XYZ ways to improve it.”

6) “It is difficult for me to maintain a healthy work/life balance.”
– It is necessary to prioritize your vacation, sleep, family time, and other important things alongside your work which can increase motivation.
– But it also shows how dedicated you are towards the work and the organization.
– Improvement- “I have tried XYZ ways to balance life and work and have seen beautiful improvement and results.”

I hope this helps the students sitting for placements further.