Good Weakness for Interview: How to Craft the Perfect Answer (+10 Examples)

What Are Behavioral Interviews All About?

First things first, let’s look into the purpose of behavioral interviews since the question “What’s your biggest weakness?” falls into this category.

Behavioral interviews aim to predict how you’ll handle future challenges based on your past behavior. They’re built around the idea that past actions are a good indicator of future performance. 

These interviews often include questions that require you to share specific examples from your career. 

Some standard questions include: 

"Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict at work."

"Describe a situation where you had to learn something quickly."

"What is your biggest weakness?"

For hiring managers, these questions are a way to evaluate your self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and emotional intelligence – traits that are critical for success in most roles.

Remember, recruiter interviews and hiring manager interviews are very different. And you should be approaching them differently.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into this topic, in our Free Interview Course I have a video where I talk about second-stage behavioral interviews.

10 Examples of a Good Weakness for Interviews (with Answers)

Here are some examples of “good weaknesses” you can use to create your own answer. Remember that these are just the basics. You’ll want to create a 3-minute interview story for each of these. I’ll share a video below on how to do just that.

1. Asking for Help

"I used to hesitate to ask for help, thinking it might reflect poorly on me. I’ve since realized the value of collaboration and now seek input when needed."

2. Delegation

"I used to take on too much myself, fearing others might not meet my standards. Over time, I’ve learned to delegate effectively by setting clear expectations, which has improved team efficiency."

3. Taking Feedback

"I used to take feedback personally. I’ve since worked on viewing it as an opportunity for growth and now actively seek constructive feedback to improve my performance."

4. Networking

"Networking didn’t come naturally to me. To improve, I set small goals, like connecting with one new person at industry events. Over time, I’ve built a strong professional network."

5. Technical Skills

"When I started in this field, I wasn’t proficient in [specific software]. I’ve taken online courses and applied what I’ve learned in real projects, and I now feel confident using it."

6. Conflict Resolution

"I’ve sometimes struggled with addressing conflicts directly. To overcome this, I attended communication workshops and now handle conflicts with a solution-oriented mindset."

7. Detail Orientation

"I used to focus too much on the bigger picture and miss small details. I’ve since implemented checklists and regularly review my work to ensure accuracy."

8. Overcommitment

"I had a tendency to overcommit, which led to burnout. I’ve learned to set boundaries and manage my workload more effectively."

9. Public Speaking

"Public speaking has been a challenge for me in the past. I recognized this in my first role out of college, and I asked my manager to allow me to present weekly project updates to our team. Now, I’ve successfully led several team meetings and even presented at a company-wide event."

10. Prioritizing Tasks

"Early in my career, I used to get overwhelmed juggling multiple tasks simultaneously. I’ve since learned how to communicate with my managers to prioritize tasks effectively, and I’ve started using project management tools, which has significantly improved my productivity."

The golden rule for answering any interview question is to be authentic and tailor your responses to your specific background and experiences.

The best way to do this is by creating an interview story. If you’re not familiar with interview stories, here is a short video by Career Coach Jess Smith that explains what they should look like: