“What would you say is your biggest weakness?” It’s one of, if not the, most popular and most challenging interview question that job-seekers encounter. No one’s perfect, and the last place you want to talk about your flaws is when you’re trying to land a job. Here are a few ways to have the odds in your favor when you have to answer that question:
- Prepare for an answer- Plan ahead. Make sure your response is honest, brief and, if possible, not a fault of your character. For instance, “My biggest weakness is that my professional network is in Atlanta, but I’m looking to relocate to the D.C. area.”
- Get input- Run your answer by a few close friends and current colleagues that you trust. Make sure it sounds reasonable.
- Ask a question back- Most interviewees want to spend as little time as possible answering and expanding on this question, so a great way to deflect attention from you is to end your response with a question for the interviewer.