“What are your weaknesses?” is a very common interview question and according to my professional career coach, Johnny Roccia, it’s actually a terrible question recruiters ask.
Johnny was a hiring manager for ten years and he’s conducted thousands of interviews. Here’s what he had to say about this particular question.
“I hate that question. It’s a horrible, stupid question that nobody should ask. Only old school people that don’t know what they’re doing ask that question…because the answers are complete bullshit.”
“I work so hard I forget to take my lunch break.”
“I’m too much of a perfectionist.”
“I try too hard.”
The problem is nobody answers in a real way, but if you have to answer “What is your biggest weakness” here’s how.
Humblebrag.
Give an example of a real weakness you already overcame, even something unappealing like laziness. So instead of answering what your weakness is, say what it was.
My biggest weakness was not answering my emails or messages in a timely manner. I used to wait anywhere from three to seven days to reply. But now, after learning email etiquette and how crucial it is for finding job opportunities, it motivated me to do better and reply to all my emails within 24 hours or less.
Johnny confided to me that this question is often brought up at hiring networks. Thankfully more recruiters are moving away from it because they realize it’s useless to ask during an interview.