How To Talk About Your Biggest Weakness In A Job Interview

2/19/2015
Jacquelyn Smith

You’re in the hot seat and things are going well. You talk about your attributes, skills and strengths with ease. Just when you think it’s pretty much in the bag, the hiring manager asks that dreaded question: What’s your biggest weakness?

“This is one of the questions people have the hardest time answering,” says Amanda Abella, a career coach, writer, speaker, and founder of the Gen Y lifestyle blog Grad Meets World. “[Your response] tells the interviewer a lot about your character, so it definitely holds a lot of weight.”

Andrew G. Rosen, founder and editor of the popular career advice blog Jobacle.com, agrees. “This is a go-to question for interviewers,” he says. “It’s a seemingly innocent question that has the potential to quickly expose a major flaw. It’s the Hail Mary of the interview; a final last-ditch attempt to trip you up and send you in the other direction. But with a little planning, most interviewees can easily neutralize this question; even use it to their advantage.”

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