Responding to an Interview Classic: Your Weakness

What is a good answer to the classic interview question, “What is your weakness?”  Everything I can think of sounds typical or insincere.

Answer

Don’t use perfectionism.  Don’t say you don’t have any weaknesses.  Don’t refuse to answer.  Other than those answers from the How To Annoy Recruiters Hall-of-Fame, I can’t give a good answer for you, because the answer needs to be authentic (and I don’t know you) and it needs to be positioned specifically to your target company (and that changes). 

Both the company’s positioning and culture are key, because you don’t want to mention a weakness that would be a deal-breaker for the company.  If you are interviewing for a finance job, don’t say you’re weak in math.  If this is an event-planning job, don’t admit you’re not a people person. You might admit to the math flaw for the events job (though assure them you can stick to a budget). You can be a loner in certain finance jobs, but tailor the response so that it steers clear of the key skills for the job in question.  And if your actual, authetnic weakness might be a deal-breaker for the company or position, you might want to reconsider whether it’s a fit for you anyway.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart, a success coaching firm that equips students and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to launch six-figure careers. Caroline, an expert in career changing, is also a partner at Redseeds Consulting, a recruitment firm specializing in management consulting, and teaches professional development at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

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