11 Smart Weaknesses to Share in Job Interviews (and How to Answer Like a Pro)

Interviews

11 Smart Weaknesses to Share in Job Interviews (and How to Answer Like a Pro)

Aug 19, 2025

23 mins to read

The dreaded “What’s your biggest weakness?” question can make or break your interview. Answering it poorly like saying “perfectionism” or “I have none”signals a lack of self-awareness. This guide, informed by career experts like Richard McMunn and Jeff Su, provides 11 strategic weaknesses you can share, along with sample responses that showcase honesty, growth, and readiness.

Master the art of answering this challenging interview question

Hiring managers want to know about your weaknesses to see how honest , self-aware and committed you are to growing. They dont want to disqualify you, everyone has flaws Its important how you frame things and show that you can do better.

A solid answer shows that you can think about things , take action and deal with problems . On the other hand replies that are ambiguous or cliché like Im a perfectionist or that dont answer the issue at all, can make you look less credible. Use these expert tips to answer with confidence

Important Things to Remember When Answering the Weakness Question

Before you get into the details of your flaws remember these four things to make your answer strong

Be Honest but Smart: Pick a true weakness but dont pick one that goes against the most important parts of your profession like being on time or working well with others
Dont Use Clichés: Dont ever state I have no weaknesses or Im a perfectionist These dont seem real and show a lack of self-awareness
Show Progress: Always point out the exact steps youre taking to fix the problem showing that you have a growth mentality
Dont Let Deal-Breakers Get in the Way: Dont talk about flaws like not being able to work well with others or not being able to manage your time well because they are important for most jobs

11 Weaknesses in Strategy with Sample Answers

You can safely disclose these 11 weaknesses because they are relevant not too serious and illustrate how youve gotten better Each one has a sample answer to help you get ready

Weakness	Sample Answer
Putting too much emphasis on details	I usually go into great detail to make sure things are correct but sometimes I need to look at things from a wider angle because of tight deadlines Ive gotten better by putting the most important jobs first and using project management tools to find the right mix between detail and speed This has made my work easier
Not wanting to ask for help	I used to be proud of being able to solve problems on my own but Ive learned that working together gets better results I now meet with my coworkers on a regular basis to get their feedback early on which has made projects 18% better
Hard to Let Go of Projects	I get really into projects and sometimes dont want to give them to someone else Im working on this by writing clear instructions and building trust with my team so that changes go smoothly without lowering quality
Not Giving Constructive Feedback	I used to be afraid to give feedback because it made me uncomfortable I use the Situation-Behavior-Impact structure to start useful talks which has helped my team work together better
Overcommitting or Having Trouble Saying No	I used to take on too many things which made me feel like I was stretched too thin I now check how much I can handle before I agree to do something and suggest different deadlines as necessary to make sure I always do good job
Not a lot of experience in a certain area	I havent led projects that involve people from different departments yet but Im excited to learn more about this Ive been following senior colleagues around and volunteering to help lead projects to improve my talents in this area
Taking Criticism to Heart	I used to take feedback personally but now I see it as a chance to grow I ask questions like What would ideal performance look like to make sure I comprehend criticism and do what it says
Making Quick Decisions	I sometimes thought my coworkers were careless when they missed deadlines I now ask things like What problems are you having to get their point of view which has made our partnership better
Little Experience with Leadership	I havent had any formal leadership roles as an individual contributor Im working on this by learning about management frameworks and helping younger coworkers become ready for future leadership roles
Stress from Having to Meet Tight Deadlines	Tight deadlines used to make me anxious when projects were in danger of being late I now do early risk assessments and break work into sprints with extra time which has cut delays by 23%
Being Afraid of Speaking in Public	Talking to a lot of people makes me nervous I joined a local speaking club and practice with smaller groups which has helped me feel more confident about giving presentations

Three Weaknesses You Should Never Talk About

Some deficiencies are instant red flags because they make it impossible to do the job well Stay away from these at all costs

Weakness	Why It's a Deal-Breaker
Bad Time Management	Signals that something is wrong which is a big problem for any job
Not Being Able to Work Well with Others	Breaks a basic rule at work
Not being able to do more than one thing at once	A basic need for many jobs

Advice from the pros on how to write a winning response

James Walker and Emily Chen two career gurus say that a good weakness answer is one that is honest and has a clear strategy for how to get better Use these tips to write your answer

The Framework of Emily Chen: Pick a weakness that is considered to be higher than your role for example strategic thinking for a junior position This shows that you want to succeed without hurting your qualifications
James Walkers Structure: Follow this pattern Weakness → Context → Action for Improvement For example I have a hard time with weakness in context Ive become better by doing particular activity which has resulted to good consequence
Company Experts Take: My high standards can slow me down but Ive learned to set expectations with stakeholders early on to keep things running smoothly

The Mindset: Be aware of yourself and grow

Interviewers ask about your flaws to see how aware you are of yourself and how committed you are to growing.

James Walker says that people want to see that you are honest thoughtful and proactive A well-thought-out answer shows that you are mature and ready to face problems . Practice your answer until it seems natural and confident Make sure to talk about how your improvements fit the needs of the position

How to Get Ready for the Weakness Question

To get good at this question you need to practice and prepare Do these things to make sure youre ready

Pick a Weakness That Matters: Choose one from the list above that feels right and isnt important to the job
Write Your Answer: Use the Weakness → Context → Improvement structure and link it to a specific skill or outcome that is important for the job
Say it out loud: Practice your answer with a buddy or videotape yourself to make sure it sounds genuine and sure of itself
Look into Resources: Watch videos by experts for more ideas

Make Weaknesses into Strengths

When asked Whats your biggest weakness you can show that you are self-aware , have a growth mentality and are ready to help

You will impress hiring managers and stand out as a thoughtful proactive candidate if you choose a strategic shortcoming frame it honestly and talk about how you are working to improve Start training today to make this hard question a chance to show off