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Job Interview Answer: What is Your Greatest Weakness?

By , About.com Guide

When you're asked what your greatest weakness is, try to turn a negative into a positive. For example, a sense of urgency to get projects completed or wanting to triple-check every item in a spreadsheet can be turned into a strength i.e. you are a candidate who will make sure that the project is done on time and your work will be close to perfect.

Note that the term "weakness" isn't used in the sample answers - you always want to focus on the positive when interviewing.

Sample Answers

  • When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule.
  • Being organized wasn't my strongest point, but I implemented a time management system that really helped my organization skills.
  • I like to make sure that my work is perfect, so I tend to perhaps spend a little too much time checking it. However, I've come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly the first time.
  • I used to wait until the last minute to set appointments for the coming week, but I realized that scheduling in advance makes much more sense.

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