“Weakness and strength” is a common question on interviews. It’s also one of the most important things to remember when answering them. The right answer can make or break your chances of getting hired, and it’s not just about telling a story that shows how you’ve overcome weaknesses; it also involves explaining how you plan to keep improving in the future.

Always start with a positive by mentioning your biggest strength

The first thing you should do is start with a positive. Don’t say that you don’t have any weaknesses or that you are a perfectionist, a workaholic, or too hard on yourself. Instead of saying “I’m not perfect” or “You can’t always get it right,” try saying something like:

• My biggest strength is that I am able to take criticism well.
• As far as weaknesses go, I think my biggest one would be selfishness. Sometimes I get so caught up in what I want that it actually hurts others’ feelings because they feel left out (or worse).

These are just a few examples, but the general idea is to avoid using words that are negative and instead focus on positive aspects of yourself.

Follow up your strength with an example of how you use it at work

Follow up your strength with an example of how you use it at work.

For example, if the interviewer asks about your strengths and weaknesses, you could say, “My weakness is that I have a hard time hearing what people are saying when they speak quietly.” “But when working in teams with other people, I can use this skill to help me understand what they’re saying better so that we can all accomplish our goals together.”

The key here is being clear on how your weakness has helped you achieve success in the past and how it will continue to do so in the future.

Don’t share any weaknesses that are critical to the job

This is an obvious one, but it bears repeating: don’t share any weaknesses that are critical to the job. The interviewer will likely ask you whether or not your weaknesses are relevant to their company or other employees, so don’t volunteer anything unless they specifically bring up your particular situation in the interview process (and if they do, make sure it isn’t something that could affect others).

If you do happen upon something potentially problematic during an interview—for example, “I’m terrible at math”—you’ll want to avoid saying anything like “but I used my math skills once last week.”

Instead, you can use the same principle in a different way: “I’m not very good at math, but I have received praise from my coworkers in other areas of expertise.” This shows that while you’re aware of your weakness, it’s not something that affects your ability to perform at work.

Try to turn “weakness” into a positive

When answering this question, you should be honest. But try to turn “weakness” into a positive by saying something like:

• I have been working on my weakness for the past month, and it has been improving.
• My weakness was being late for events, but I’ve learned how to be on time through practice and repetition.

If you’ve identified a weakness in your resume, it’s okay to talk about it. Just be sure to explain how you’re working on improving that weakness. For example: “My biggest weakness is being late for events.” However, I’ve learned how to be on time through practice and repetition. This shows that while you’re aware of your weakness, it’s not something that affects your ability to perform at work.

Explain how you’ve overcome (or are overcoming) your weakness

You should describe how you’ve improved (or are working on improving) your weakness.If the interviewer asks, “How have you improved?” or “How have you improved?” now is the time to discuss it!

For example:

• “I’m working on it.”
• “I’m continuing to work on it.”
• “I’m always trying to improve.”
• “I’ve been working on my punctuality by setting alarms and reminders for myself.”
• “I’ve started arriving early to events so that I can get settled before they start.”

These are all good answers. They show that you’re aware of the problem and are working on it, which is what an interviewer wants to see.

Conclusion

Always start with a positive by mentioning your biggest strength. If you can’t think of any, then mention something that has worked well for you in the past and how it will help you do better on this job. Then follow up with an example of how you use it at work or with clients (if applicable).

Don’t share any weakness that’s critical to the job—even if it’s something like being unprepared when interviewing new people—because it may come off as negative instead of constructive feedback during the interview process. Try to turn “weakness” into a positive by explaining how you’ve improved (or are improving) on it!

Always be positive and confident in your interview responses. This will help you present yourself as the best candidate for the job!

Your resume is meant to showcase your skills and experience, so you don’t want any typos or misspellings. It should also be up-to-date and relevant to the job you are applying for (if it’s not, then update it!). Avoid using fancy fonts or colors that might distract from what the employer is looking for.

If you need help with your resume, we have a team of experts who can help you write an amazing one!