Job interviews allow you to get to know potential employees better. There’s no denying that they can be stressful for job applicants, especially when recruiters ask difficult and uncomfortable questions. Some of them may be about our flaws. How to talk about your weaknesses to increase your chances of getting hired?
The questions that are asked at a job interview are usually about education, acquired experience and skills. Sometimes recruiters, wanting to get to know a potential employee better, ask about professional goals or leisure activities. As a rule, job applicants answer such questions freely and openly. However, there are also questions that cause panic, especially when they concern our weaknesses. No one likes to talk about their flaws, we prefer to present the advantages. So how do we honestly talk about weaknesses during a job interview?
Most of us have no problem presenting our strengths. If we are aware of our ability to organize time, conscientiousness, knowledge of a foreign language or negotiating skills, we are happy to tell the recruiter about these, because we know very well that with such advantages we can have a better chance of being hired.
The question about weaknesses, on the other hand, causes consternation. Hearing it, we wonder why it came up at all. Is the recruiter trying to rattle us? Does such a question mean that we won’t get the job? Nothing could be further from the truth. Recruiters, when asking about weaknesses, first of all want to see if we are aware of our flaws, because only then can we work on them. So before we go for an interview, let’s make sure we have a solid preparation. We can talk about weaknesses in two ways. At the same time, let’s remember that we will be perceived more positively if we talk about the disadvantages for a shorter time than about the advantages.
We can describe a weakness like a challenge you are trying to overcome. During the interview, try to emphasize that you are trying to fight your disadvantage. For example, if you used to have problems with punctuality, say that you used to be notoriously late, but since you go to bed faster and iron your clothes the day before or prepare dinner, you have no problem being on time at a particular place. Showing the recruiter that you consistently work on yourself will make a good impression.
Not every job requires the same skills and therefore strengths and weaknesses. If, for example, we are stressed during public speaking, but apply for a position in the IT department, we can be sure that such a weakness will not derail our chances of employment. Therefore, when hearing a question about disadvantages at a job interview, let’s present those that are not very relevant to the job.
However, let’s avoid talking about those weaknesses that are too different from the position we are applying for. If we are taking part in a recruitment for an accountant, let’s not mention that we can’t swim. We can say that we have a problem working in a group, knowing that the daily duties of an accountant do not involve frequent contact with other employees.
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