We asked W. P. Carey Alumni: How would you recommend discussing weaknesses during an interview?
Here is what they shared:
- Demonstrate a Proactive Approach
- Focus On What You Learned
- Be Honest and Transparent
- Stay Aware of Yourself and Transform
- Take Accountability and Leverage Your Lessons
Demonstrate a Proactive Approach
When asked to speak about weakness in an interview, you should always answer proactively. Start by acknowledging your weakness and how it affects you, framing it as an opportunity for growth.
Once you have identified your weakness, outline the steps you have already taken to address it. Describing how you are actively working on your weakness will show you are self-aware and committed to self-improvement. Highlight any positive changes that you have already seen in this area, and discuss your plans to leverage tools and training for ongoing learning and growth.
Remember that you should never select a weakness that is critical to the role and job duties, but you should be authentic in your response. Avoid giving a canned answer or trying to spin your weakness into a strength. The key is to highlight your commitment to improvement by being proactive about your personal and professional development.
Ericka Everleth, MBA, BA Business Communication ‘15, Senior Project Manager, Workforce Development
Focus On What You Learned
Think of weaknesses as a topic to display potential for growth. Someone who has a growth mindset is attractive and desirable to an employer that wants someone to develop themselves with the organization.
To accomplish this, focus on identifying something you can improve that would benefit the process, company, or team. Be intentional about your weakness. Identify a part of the job description that either scares you or excites you to offer personal or career growth. You will find your answer there.
Sven Eberson, MS Information Management, Partner, Executive Search, Eberson/Jung, LLC
Be Honest and Transparent
When speaking with potential employers, be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Let them know where you can excel and where you may need some extra support. This will not only help you find a position that’s the best fit for you, but it will also ensure that you can contribute to the company in a way that’s most beneficial for everyone involved.
Remember, it’s always better to be upfront about your limitations rather than trying to hide them. By being transparent, you can build trust, set expectations, and establish a firm foundation for a successful working relationship.
Jon Schneider, BS Marketing ‘99, President and Founder, Recruiterie
Stay Aware of Yourself and Transform
When interviewing for any role, it’s important to remember that perfectionism is unattainable and self-awareness is key. Everyone makes mistakes! It’s critical in an interview to be self-aware of past professional or educational settings where there were improvement opportunities present and what specifically was done to transform these weaknesses into later strengths.
Maybe there was a mistake that was made or a critical piece of feedback was given in a past role, but what was done to transform this into a strength? How is that strength maintained and leveraged on a bigger and broader scale?
Interviewers want to see that candidates can develop and transform over time and know that everyone has room to grow, but how they portray this growth is the key selling point.
Tanner Carpenter, BS Business Management ‘20, HR Partner, Amazon.com
Take Accountability and Leverage Your Lessons
We all have weaknesses or areas of opportunity. Most likely, your interviewer isn’t so interested in knowing what your actual weakness is—what they really want to know is this: Are you aware of your opportunity areas and what are you doing with that information?
I’ve always found that companies want to hire those who have a growth mindset; someone who is eager and curious to learn. So, when you are responding to that question (using the STAR method), take accountability for the misstep, but focus on what you learned from the example you are giving and how you leveraged that learning afterward.
Convey that you are always learning, willing to hear feedback, and strive to apply those lessons to future situations.
Francine Rapson, MBA ‘07, HR Business Partner, Meta
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