The best answer when, during a job interview, they ask you what is your biggest weakness

"What is your greatest weakness?" it's a phrase that, in the mouth of a potential employer, makes sweat more than a candidate.

But how can you answer it honestly and effectively without using a cliché?

The BBC has been talking with several employers, potential employers, academics and recruitment experts, to determine the best way to answer one of the toughest interview questions.

Why do they ask?

"What interviewers can not know for sure by viewing a resume is someone's real personality." By asking "what is his greatest weakness? "They are actually asking the candidate:" Are the conclusions I have drawn correct? "Come to you?", says James Reed, head of Reed Recruitment, a UK recruitment company.

"For them, this question is an opportunity to investigate a little more about your character," he adds.

Be bold

Sophie Phillipson, founder of HelloGrads, a company that supports recent university graduates, warns that answers such as "I'm a perfectionist" or "I'm stubborn" are widely used. In addition, everyone knows that working with high standards or being stubbornly determined are not weaknesses. That is why many quality interviewers will ask you to think of another weakness.

"My favorite answer was that of a young graduate who started by saying," Oh, I have so many weaknesses that I do not know where to start. "He made the investigators laugh, managed to put them on his side and showed emotional intelligence.

"He told us that he was not" ready to work ", that he had just left the university and that he was lacking a lot of knowledge, but that he was very good at it. he had also investigated everything he could about the area, that he had accumulated all the necessary experience to prepare himself and that, moreover, he had a lot of intuition and learned quickly. "

"Be bold, original and humane if you want to be remembered," he says.

Prepare

Lewis Constable, a copywriter, was questioned about his weaknesses during an interview a few years ago, but he remained a virgin.

"I lost my job because I could not think of a weakness," he says.

"I spent about 150 seconds, trying to think of a word and I could not, and it's not that I have no choice: I am a very self-critical person, so not being able to giving me an answer is a shame for me, come back to this later … I was not surprised that the interview ended before I had the opportunity to do so, "he recalls.

Avoid common places

"I categorically affirm that you are aware of your weaknesses and that you are working hard to overcome them." Avoid commonplaces, use concrete examples to demonstrate authenticity and honesty, two values ​​that most employers value, "says Jenny Straumers, an expert in business psychology.

"Be specific, point out a specific weakness, and show what you are doing about it – for example, do not just say that you are working on your social skills, mention a specific skill you are working on, and explain why."

"Explain how you turned your" weakness "into something positive and most employers want you to know yourself and learn constantly," she adds.

Be honest

Lee Biggins, founder and director of the CV-Library job search platform, believes that there is nothing worse than someone who answers this question through the cliche of "I am a perfectionist", "I must always be punctual", "I'm too important what I do" or similar things.

"You do not seem sincere and end up looking like everyone else – instead, try to be honest with your answers.If you are having trouble with a particular area of ​​your work, you can get it. admit as much as you can confirm by commenting on what you are doing to improve it in this region, "he says.

"For example, you could say," I struggle with time management, but I work with alarms to make sure I stick to a strict schedule, "he says.

Ed Johnson, head of PushFar, an advisory website for those who want to advance in their careers, says the key is turning a weakness into something that the organization can consider a benefit to them.

"It is often advisable to adjust to the tone of the interview if it is a more" creative "company, then admit that you are not gifted in some aspects of this role, however, expressing your desire to improve in these areas can help you save time, feel that the organization can really provide you with training, and that in short, you are someone who They are good for the organization and are good for you, "he said.

… but do not be too honest

Writer and strategist John Lees has written several books on how to succeed in an interview and recommends well prepared and repeated responses.

"It's best to prepare short answers about strengths and weaknesses, write them down on paper, say them out loud two or three times, and test them with a trusted friend, but remember that interviewers admit generally they give more weight to the negative information and remember it more clearly than all the positive things you said, "he says.

"Never disclose information about problems in previous work relationships, cultural conflicts in the office, critical mistakes such as lack of attention to detail, negative comments you've received in the past." past or worries about what others can say behind your back, "concludes.

BBC.