How to confidently answer 'What are your weaknesses?' with 3 weaknesses job interview examples.

Why do interviewers ask about your weaknesses?

In any job interview, you can typically expect interviewers to ask you plenty of questions about your skills, your experiences, and why you’re a good fit for the job. As a result, it’s not altogether uncommon for interviewers to ask, “What's your greatest weakness?” or “Tell us about a weakness of yours and how you’ve overcome it.” Interviewers ask this question to:

• Assess how self-aware you are and if you’re able to honestly and objectively identify your own weaknesses.
• Assess if you are taking proactive steps to improve your weaknesses.
• Assess how well you handle criticism.

If you’re worried this question will come up in your next interview, don’t panic! You can take steps to prepare for questions about weaknesses so that you can comfortably provide great answers to your interviewer. At Adobe Express, you can discover a collection of useful resources on the Adobe Express blog and templates to help you craft an impactful CV.

Common mistakes to avoid when answering.

There are four things you should try to avoid when answering questions about your weaknesses in any job interview.

1. Inauthentic or untrue responses. Don’t try to disguise a strength as a weakness. “I’m always too early for important events” sounds disingenuous and like you’re trying to dodge the question. Also, flatly stating “I have no weaknesses” will not impress the interviewer; everyone has weaknesses.
2. Responses that lack self-awareness. Be careful not to state a weakness that is also one of the key skills you need for the job. That could suggest you haven’t researched the role thoroughly or that you’re not well-suited for it. Similarly, don’t state something that is a personality trait that can’t be easily improved.
3. Oversharing or deflecting. Your answer needs to be partially honest, but don’t get too comfortable with your interviewer. Listing all your bad habits and faults is not a good idea. Equally, don’t deflect from the question or try to use humour to laugh it off. Make sure you communicate in a way that’s appropriate and professional.
4. Responses that focus solely on the weakness. You’ve picked a good weakness; now make sure that you talk about how you are working to improve on it. Don’t ramble! Instead, state the weakness and provide context quickly. Then, use your time to focus on what you’ve done—and plan to do—to improve.

To help you prepare for these questions, create a presentation containing some questions and model answers on different slides. You can then flick through the presentation to practice answering your questions.

Examples of weaknesses and how to frame them positively

Here are 3 examples of weaknesses and how you can talk about them positively in an interview.

1. Poor time management. “I have sometimes struggled with time management, and this is something I am actively working on. After reflecting on what’s caused these challenges, I now anticipate that really important tasks may take longer. I use digital tools to help me stay on top of my workload when things get busy. So far, I’ve managed my time better and have been able to meet all my deadlines.”
2. Difficulty delegating. “Sometimes I’ve found it hard to delegate tasks as I prefer to handle them myself. I recognised that this can put extra pressure on me and also impact my team’s efficiency, so I now make a conscious effort to delegate tasks. This has improved my workflow and my relationships with my team, plus it has opened up opportunities for me to take on more responsibilities.”
3. Perfectionism. “I can be overly self-critical and a bit of a perfectionist with my work. I noticed that this was causing me to lose sight of the bigger picture. Now, I focus on doing what’s needed and making sure I do the work to a high standard but without trying to make it “perfect.” This approach has helped me deliver all my tasks on time and ensures I feel satisfied with what I am delivering.”

To help you prepare different answers to interview questions, create flashcards from Adobe Express.

How to tailor your answers to the job role.

Use the following steps to tailor your answers about your weaknesses to the job role.

1. Research the job requirements thoroughly. Note down the key skills and qualities that are required for the position that you’re applying for.
2. Choose a weakness that isn't critical to the job role. Pick a weakness that doesn’t clash with any of the job requirements. Focus on a skills-based weakness and avoid picking an unattractive personality trait.
3. Provide one specific example of your weakness impacting your work. Keep your example short and sweet, and try not to emphasise the harm caused by your weakness (for example, missing a critical deadline).
4. Describe what you’ve done to improve your weakness. Talk about the steps you’ve taken to tackle the problem. Highlight positive outcomes that are the result of your actions.
5. Be authentic and honest in your response. Your interviewer will value the conversation about how you’re working to improve your professional skillset. They will easily detect an answer that’s cliché or insincere.

Before heading to your interview, take the time to practice your responses to common questions. Make sure that the answers you’re preparing are consistent with your CV and any cover letter you’ve provided in your application.

Tips for delivering honest and professional responses.

If you want to ace your next job interview, here are some top tips for handling interview questions with grace and confidence.

• Prepare what you need. Lack of preparation can be noticeable in an interview. Take a look at the job description, the company, and your own CV and think about how your experience and skillset make you a great candidate.
• Be authentic and honest. The interviewer wants to get to know you, so think about how you can be professional and polite, and, above all, be relaxed and be yourself. It’s ok to admit knowledge gaps or state that you’ve made mistakes before. What’s important is that you demonstrate you’re proactive about solving problems and learning from mistakes.
• Actively listen to the question. Every time the interviewer asks you something, take a second to think about what you’re actually being asked. Often, they are trying to set you up to answer a question with a clear example of your skills or experience. Make sure you don’t go onto autopilot and reel off an answer you prepared earlier, as it may not answer the question.
• Get to the point. You can practice answering questions and timing yourself. If you can’t make your point within 30 seconds to a minute, you may just be rambling!
• Be positive. Whatever the interviewer asks you, whether it's about weaknesses, challenges, or something you struggle with, stay positive. Talk about all the things you’ve learnt in previous roles and focus on what you’re excited about in this new role.
• Stay professional. Avoid talking negatively about other people or making comments that could sound rude or off-hand. Even if you left your previous job because you didn’t get along with your boss or colleagues, avoid talking about this, as it can give interviewers a bad impression.

If you’re nervous that you’re going to forget important information on the day, create a condensed version of your CV that only contains the most important details. This can help you remember the key details and communicate them clearly and succinctly.

How to practice answering weakness questions in job interviews.

These three tips will help you prepare and pass your interview.

1. Prepare flashcards. Write out questions on one side and example answers on the other. You can use Adobe Express to create other resources, such as to-do lists, that you can print off and use to ensure you’ve covered everything. The more you can practice your answers, the smoother and more comfortable you should feel when you encounter similar questions in an interview.
2. Focus on tricky questions. If questions about weaknesses have you worried, prepare a few different examples so you can pick what feels right when you’re asked the question by the interviewer. That way, you won’t feel completely out of your comfort zone.
3. Practice with someone. Ask someone to be your interviewer. You can print out your CV and a list of questions you want them to ask you. Do a mock interview to see where you trip up and where you can improve your answers.

Preparation is key to success in interviews. With Adobe Express, you can prepare for all kinds of interviews, assessments, and job applications. Start by using SMART goal worksheet templates to set out your strategy for your job search.

The importance of self-awareness in interviews.

When practicing for your interview questions, it’s really important that you also practice being self-aware. Self-awareness is a critical trait that interviewers seek in candidates. It demonstrates an individual’s ability to reflect on their own behaviours, strengths, and weaknesses. When you show that you understand your limitations and are actively working to improve them, it signals maturity and a growth mindset. In an interview, your self-awareness should be evident in all your answers, not just when answering questions about your weaknesses. To improve your self-awareness, try using a concept map to help visually organise thoughts and ideas, helping you to connect different aspects of your self-perception and experiences.

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How Adobe Express can help you.

It can be daunting applying for jobs and going to interviews, so preparation is essential. With Adobe Express, you can start by crafting unique CVs for each application, organising yourself with daily timetables, to-do lists, and calendars, and practicing for interviews with presentations. Whether you want to print off flashcards, create lists of interview questions, or print out handy tips to keep you calm and collected on the day, Adobe Express makes preparing for interviews a little easier. Choose a template, customise and edit it, and start building the ultimate interview preparation toolkit to help you land your next job.