{"id":51,"date":"2016-08-08T19:43:24","date_gmt":"2016-06-24T23:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/?p=51"},"modified":"2018-06-29T14:08:18","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:08:18","slug":"how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"arve alignleft\" data-mode=\"normal\" data-provider=\"iframe\" id=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedcxw8jesfzoolistplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\" style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.250000%\"><\/span><iframe credentialless referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\" allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;ambient-light-sensor &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;battery &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;ch-ua &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;document-domain &#039;none&#039;;domain-agent &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-not-rendered &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-out-of-viewport &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts &#039;none&#039;;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;navigation-override &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;speaker-selection;sync-xhr &#039;none&#039;;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" data-arve=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedcxw8jesfzoolistplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cxw8jESfZoo?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"225\" name sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cxw8jESfZoo?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\" width=\"400\" title loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"http:\\\/\\\/schema.org\\\/\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\\\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\\\/#arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedcxw8jesfzoolistplbbvnbohoqpvjknurwtaeebla9eyckucj\",\"type\":\"VideoObject\",\"embedURL\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/embed\\\/Cxw8jESfZoo?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpVjKnURwtAeEbla9EyckUCj\"}<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\u201cWhat are your weaknesses?\u201d is the flip side of the coin to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat are your strengths?\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0and a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement. There are two key parts to this answer: confessing your weaknesses and showing that you\u2019re working to address them. It\u2019s important to realize that the interviewer is less concerned with your specific weaknesses (after all, everyone has them) and more concerned with your self-awareness and desire to improve. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some tips to help you nail this interview question.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Pick a weakness that doesn\u2019t affect your ability to do the job.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Narrow down your answer to only your <\/span><b>biggest weakness<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Since the interviewer is really looking for candidates who are self-aware and proactively trying to improve, talking about one main issue will give you a chance explain the steps you\u2019ve taken to address the problem and, more importantly, not give the interviewer a reason to turn you down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The weakness you pick shouldn\u2019t take away from your ability to do the job or to fit in with the company, but it also shouldn\u2019t come across as unrealistic or staged. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t say something like, \u201cI\u2019m too much of a perfectionist.\u201d Your interviewer probably won\u2019t believe it (this is no one\u2019s biggest weakness) and it doesn\u2019t give you a lot of room to elaborate on how you\u2019ve taken actionable steps to address the issue. Instead, focus on the things you\u2019ve struggled with in the past, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/community\/busy-doesnt-mean-stressed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">managing your time<\/a> when you a have a busy class schedule, not speaking up for yourself during a class project, or not asking for help when you need it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pro Tip:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep this focused and concise. You want to give the interviewer the sense that you\u2019re self-aware, but you don\u2019t want to dwell on all the ways your weakness has held you back. Try to frame your weakness in one sentence. <\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Walk through the steps you\u2019ve taken to address the problem.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve opened up about your weak point, demonstrate your ability to problem-solve by talking about how you\u2019ve worked through the problem and mention some of the successes you\u2019ve had as a result. End on a positive note and, if possible, tie the positive outcome back to the job you\u2019re interviewing for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><i>Say something like: <\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve always loved connecting with people and I tend to do that very well in person. However, my writing skills aren\u2019t as strong as I would like them to be over email and in proposals. I\u2019ve taken a writing class and I\u2019ve seen my writing improve, but it\u2019s something that I still need to work on. To make sure that I\u2019m actively addressing the problem, I always ask for feedback when writing papers for class, and I include at least one English class in my schedule every semester. Although writing is one of my weaknesses, I\u2019m taking active steps to get better and I know that I can become a good writer if I keep working on it.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although identifying your weak points might be a bit uncomfortable at first, answering \u201cWhat are your weaknesses?\u201d is a great opportunity to show that you\u2019re able to identify and address problems in a proactive way. This is a skill that employers always look for and something that will help you stand out in a pool of other candidates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/want-second-job-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What to Do When You Want a Second Job Offer<\/a>\u00a0and find answers to common interview questions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/how-to-answer-would-you-describe-yourself-as-a-leader-or-a-follower\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Would You Describe Yourself as a Leader or a Follower?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWhat are your weaknesses?\u201d is the flip side of the coin to \u201cWhat are your strengths?\u201d \u00a0and a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement. There are two key parts to this answer: confessing your weaknesses and showing that you\u2019re working to address them. It\u2019s important to realize that the interviewer &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,25],"tags":[46,48,76,77,78,197,198,199],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviewing-101","category-top-culture-fit-questions","tag-interview","tag-interview-tips","tag-interview-questions","tag-common-interview-questions","tag-culture-fit-interview-questions","tag-underclassman","tag-postgrad","tag-senior"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/wayupinc\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-24T23:36:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-06-29T14:08:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wayupstudent\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wayup\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wayup\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wayupstudent\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\",\"name\":\"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-24T23:36:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-06-29T14:08:18+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fe332dd1dccf78959bfd26713c1532f\"},\"description\":\"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg\",\"width\":355,\"height\":200,\"caption\":\"recent college grad interview\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/\",\"name\":\"Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fe332dd1dccf78959bfd26713c1532f\",\"name\":\"wayupstudent\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3d0815a25c47f1342fc07241e3a3c35573d54cd862bacbb7b5abc6ec4a2955?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3d0815a25c47f1342fc07241e3a3c35573d54cd862bacbb7b5abc6ec4a2955?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"wayupstudent\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/author\/wayupstudent\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide","description":"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide","og_description":"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.","og_url":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/","og_site_name":"Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/wayupinc","article_published_time":"2016-06-24T23:36:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-06-29T14:08:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":355,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wayupstudent","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@wayup","twitter_site":"@wayup","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wayupstudent","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/","url":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/","name":"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses? | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg","datePublished":"2016-06-24T23:36:02+00:00","dateModified":"2018-06-29T14:08:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fe332dd1dccf78959bfd26713c1532f"},"description":"Answering this question is a great chance to show potential employers that you\u2019re proactive about self-improvement.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/guideassets.wayupcdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/recent-grad-interview.jpg","width":355,"height":200,"caption":"recent college grad interview"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-answer-what-are-your-weaknesses\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Answer: What Are Your Weaknesses?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/","name":"Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fe332dd1dccf78959bfd26713c1532f","name":"wayupstudent","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3d0815a25c47f1342fc07241e3a3c35573d54cd862bacbb7b5abc6ec4a2955?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3d0815a25c47f1342fc07241e3a3c35573d54cd862bacbb7b5abc6ec4a2955?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"wayupstudent"},"url":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/author\/wayupstudent\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}