When the hiring manager asks – what’s your biggest weakness?

When the hiring manager asks – what’s your biggest weakness, do you have an answer prepared?

One of the trickiest questions you may face in an interview is, “What do you think your biggest weakness is?”  This question is common across all levels of employment, from entry-level barista positions on up.

I’ve worked with many top executives, and even they encounter this question when interviewing with board members or other C-suite executives.

So, how should you tackle this question?

The key is to provide a career-related weakness that isn’t directly relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Sounds confusing? Let me explain with an example.

Imagine you’re a network engineer. Your main job is to keep systems up and running, ensure there are no cyber-attacks, and maintain proper programming of routers and switches.

However, talking to large groups of people isn’t a primary responsibility.

Hence, you could say public speaking is your weakness. It’s career-related but not central to your network engineering duties.

This is just one example.  I have several more in this week’s video. 

I’ve also Included some “safe responses” in case you cannot think of any weakness that will work.

To dive deeper into crafting the perfect response, click below to watch the video.

When the Hiring Manager Asks – What’s Your Biggest Weakness?