job interviews

What’s Your Biggest Weakness? Here’s How to Actually Answer That Question

What’s Your Biggest Weakness? Here’s How to Actually Answer That Question

Let’s get one thing straight: interviewers don’t really care what your biggest weakness is. At least, not in the way most candidates think they do.

As long as it doesn’t stop you from being able to do the job, your actual weakness doesn’t really matter.

So why do they keep asking?

I’ve been in recruitment and talent acquisition for two decades, and this question still comes up all the time. Not because they’re looking to catch you out or hear something flawless, but because they want to know three things:

  1. Do you have any self-awareness?
  2. Has this weakness ever impacted your work?
  3. What are you doing about it?

That’s it. And yet most people mess up their answer. Not because they don’t have weaknesses (we all do), but because they try too hard to give a “clever” answer. Something generic, or something that sounds good on paper but tells the interviewer absolutely nothing about who they are or how they operate.

What Not to Say

Let’s start with what to avoid. If your answer sounds anything like:

  • “I’m a perfectionist”
  • “I care too much”
  • “I work too hard”

Stop.

These are overused, meaningless, and tell the interviewer nothing. Worse than that, they make it sound like you’ve picked something you think they want to hear, rather than giving an honest, thoughtful answer.

Interviewers have heard these answers thousands of times. And the moment they hear one of these clichés, they switch off.

What to Say Instead

You want to pick a real weakness. One that isn’t critical to the job, but that still shows self-awareness and growth.

Let me give you a couple of examples that I’ve personally used in interviews before.

Example 1: Staying Too Calm Under Pressure

This might sound like a strength, and in a lot of ways it is. But here’s how I’ve framed it in interviews:

“I tend to stay really calm under pressure – which sounds like a good thing – but I’ve had feedback in the past that my calmness can come across as disinterest. That’s never my intention, so I’ve worked on making sure that I’m more conscious of how I come across. Whether that’s being more expressive in meetings, or being clearer in how I communicate urgency.”

Why it works:

  • It’s a real trait.
  • I’ve shown that I received feedback.
  • I’ve taken action to improve.
  • And crucially, it’s not something that’s going to stop me doing the job.

Example 2: Public Speaking

Another one I’ve used is this:

“Public speaking has always been a challenge for me. I used to get really nervous – I’d feel myself go red, I’d stumble over words, and I’d get in my own head about how I was coming across. So to get better, I started volunteering to speak at small internal meetups, leading team meetings, and gradually working up to larger audiences. It’s still something I’m working on, but I’ve got a lot more confident with it.”

Why this one works:

  • It’s a common weakness that people can relate to.
  • I’ve explained how it used to affect me.
  • And again, I’ve shown what I’ve done to get better.

The key in both examples is that the weakness is real, but it doesn’t stop me from doing my job well. It also opens the door for follow-up questions – which is fine, because these are genuine answers I can talk about.

What If You Get Probed?

A lot of people pick fake weaknesses like “I’m a perfectionist” because they’re afraid of being asked follow-ups. But that’s exactly why you shouldn’t use those answers. Because if the interviewer asks something like:

“Tell me about a time your perfectionism slowed you down…”

… and you’ve got no real story to back it up, it’s going to be obvious that you picked something generic.

Real examples = real answers = real conversations.

Want Help Crafting Better Answers?

If you’re not sure whether your answer actually works, or you want to practise saying it out loud before the interview – check out my AI Interview Coach.

Upload your CV and the job description and it will tell you what questions you’ll likely be asked and how to answer them, based on my 20 years of interview experience.

It’s like having a recruiter in your pocket – minus the awkward small talk.

Wrapping It All Up

The weakness itself doesn’t matter – what matters is how self-aware you are and whether you’re working on it.

So if you know this question is going to come up (and let’s be honest, it probably will), you might as well prepare a solid answer for it.

Think of a real weakness that:

  • Isn’t critical to the role
  • You’re actively working on
  • You can talk about openly

And when you talk about it, show your thinking. Talk about feedback you’ve had. Show how you’ve responded to it. That’s what interviewers want to hear.

Start with these free tools that thousands of jobseekers use every week:

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