What are employers really asking when they ask you about your weaknesses?

There are several common questions that you can expect anytime you are invited to interview for a job. One of the most daunting is, “What is your weakness?”

How do you answer this one? You probably don’t want to point out that you are late all the time or that you don’t really have an eye for detail. But it is unrealistic and untrue to say that you have no weaknesses. And please don’t try to make your weakness a strength with, “my biggest weakness is that I work too hard,” or something similar. No one is fooled by that answer.

The response to this question is important, but probably not for the reasons you think. While it is not a trick question–the interviewer is not looking to uncover your deepest insecurities–they are looking to evaluate your self-awareness. 

Everyone has things that are a challenge for them, and when I sit across from a candidate during an interview, I am hoping to hear that they recognize these “weaknesses.” I want to see that they know what they do well but are equally acquainted with things that are challenging for them.  A person who displays this level of self-awareness is the type of person who I know will come to me when a mistake is made and be a part of the solution instead of trying to hide it. 

Those who know where they struggle also develop coping skills to balance these shortcomings or have at least begun taking steps to actively improve in these areas. This is the conversation that I want to have in an interview.

If you tell me you don’t have weaknesses or, even worse, that your weakness is that you are too dedicated, what I hear is that you are not truthful or that you really are not in touch with what challenges you have. Neither is the answer I want to hear. As an interviewer, I am not looking to judge you for the things at which you struggle. I have things that I am struggling with, too. What I need to know is that you know what these areas are, and you have a plan to either compensate for the challenges or improve in that area.

Equally, I don’t need a complete list of all your flaws. I always tell people to be honest in interviews. And I stand by that. However, a request for your weaknesses does not need to be a comprehensive list of everything that you are bad at. It also does not need to delve into personal weaknesses. This question (as with virtually all interview questions) is being asked in the context of your professional life. 

Let me give you an example. I have a bad memory. This has been a truth that I have dealt with for most of my life.  At this point, I have tried to improve it with very little success. As a result, I have created mechanisms that help me to combat this and remember important things. A daily checklist, including things like “write article about weaknesses,” appears in my calendar every day and doesn’t get removed until that task is done. In an interview, this is the weakness that I typically discuss. 

My response to the question about my weaknesses sounds something like this:

It has always been a challenge for me to remember things. Despite efforts to improve my memory, it is something that I need help with. As a result, I have developed some skills that help to ensure that I remember important ideas, tasks, or information.

Did you notice I did not say, “my weakness is…”.  Instead, I choose to use language that is more empowering and positive. You are being asked to present a part of you that is not your best in an interview where you are trying to look as good as possible. Take every opportunity to use language that shows the positive.  

I know the fear in this can be that you indicate that you struggle with deadlines, and they need someone who is very good at meeting deadlines. By indicating that this is your weakness, you may not get the job. But if you really are terrible with deadlines and they need someone who is good at them, this job is probably not for you. It is better to know at this point than to have a short, unsuccessful career in a job that is stressful because it does not play to your strengths. 

So, when you are preparing for your next interview, make sure to think about this question in advance and have an answer that will show that you understand your limitations, but are working on ways to have them not impact the work that you do. Most interviewers are just looking to see that you know your challenges and have put some thought into how to be successful despite them.

— Michele Moyer is Director of Career Development and Community Engagement at Cedar Crest College, a private women’s college, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.