10 'Weaknesses' Bosses Want To Hear About In Job Interviews
Your weakness may actually be a strength.
SaiArLawKa2 | Shutterstock Job interviews can be stress-inducing, no matter how prepared you are. You want to show off the most professional version of yourself, but it can be difficult to know if you're making the right impression.
Most interviews follow a similar template: The interviewer will ask what your background is, why you want the job, and what you'd bring to the team. Then, towards the end of the interview, they'll ask the one question that strikes fear into potential employees' hearts: What would you say your weaknesses are?
It can seem like a trap that bosses want to hear about weaknesses in a job interview, but the question serves a distinct purpose. Answering the question honestly reveals that you're self-aware and acknowledges that you could always improve. However, it's important to frame your weaknesses in a way that shows you're willing to put in the work to grow.
Here are 10 weaknesses bosses want to hear about in job interviews
1. Difficulty asking for help
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It might seem counterintuitive, but having a hard time asking for help is a weakness bosses want to hear about in job interviews. Reaching out for extra support is challenging, especially for independently-minded workers. While having confidence in your own capabilities is a good sign that you'll be a proactive and productive employee, being overly self-reliant can create problems.
Being part of a team requires collaboration. Inevitably, issues will arise that you don't know how to solve on your own, and it's better to admit what you don't know than stumble through an imperfect solution. You might hesitate to ask for help because you're worried it will make you seem ineffective or bad at your job, but in reality, asking for help is a strength.
According to an article from the journal Management Science, people who actively seek advice are seen as more competent than people who don't ask for help at all, especially when they need help with a difficult task.
When you let a boss know that you struggle with asking for help, make sure to point out that you're trying to improve on this particular weakness. Emphasize that you're comfortable with being uncomfortable if it means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and collaborating more effectively.
2. Overcommitting
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Being an ambitious employee often means that you take on more responsibilities than you can realistically handle. While it shows initiative to raise your hand at meetings and take on extra projects, biting off more than you can chew will end up causing you more harm than good. Overcommitting can lead to feeling acutely overwhelmed, which is a pathway to extreme burnout.
Clinical psychologist Erica Wollerman explained that being burnt out means more than just feeling tired or stressed. Irritability, anxiety, and struggling to be present for the people you care about are all signs of burnout. Wollerman shared that the antidote to burnout is caring for your emotional and physical needs in healthy ways, which "takes digging deep and taking a look at yourself and your usual coping strategies."
When telling bosses that overcommitting is a professional weakness that you have, make sure to describe your techniques for managing your time while meeting the expectations of the job.
3. Perfectionism
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While paying close attention to detail and wanting to perform at the peak of your abilities indicates that you're dedicated to your work, aiming for perfection isn't always the best strategy. Leaning too hard on the idea that your work needs to be perfect can create roadblocks in workflow, especially with team projects. Not only that, being a perfectionist can damage your sense of self-worth.
Certified life coach Ellen Nyland defined perfectionism as "the relentless pursuit of flawlessness and the setting of unattainably high standards, often accompanied by self-criticism and fear of failure... and having a constant sense of never feeling good enough."
She noted that being a perfectionist can lower your self-esteem, as "You're essentially robbing yourself of the joy and satisfaction that comes with recognizing your accomplishments, leading to a perpetual cycle of feeling never quite 'good enough.'"
If your professional weakness is being a perfectionist, bosses want to know that you can deliver projects with quick turnaround and high-quality results, which usually means releasing yourself from impossibly high standards while doing the best you can.
4. Anxiety in high-stress situations
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Feeling anxious in high-stress situations is a weakness that bosses want to hear about in job interviews. Anxiety can creep up on people, no matter how prepared and accomplished they are. As life coach Alex Mathers explained, having anxiety is a normal part of the human experience.
"We will always experience a degree of it, especially in the face of uncertainty and something daunting," he revealed. He offered a generous way for people to reframe how they think about their anxiety, noting that "We can see anxiety as an indication of what's worth doing in many cases."
Mathers acknowledged that anxiety often arises when you lack experience with a certain task or situation, which is a common occurrence when you start a new job. Facing your anxieties and talking back to the negative voice in your head whispering that you can't handle hard things is an essential part of breaking down your anxiety into manageable pieces.
"Anxiety will always be there to some degree, but the more you practice something that previously scared you, the less fear you will feel," Mather concluded.
5. Experiencing imposter syndrome
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Self-doubt lies at the root of imposter syndrome, which occurs when people dismiss their accomplishments as the product of luck and not their own abilities. Research suggests that about 70% of adults experience imposter syndrome at some point in life, and 25-30% of high achievers also suffer from this phenomenon.
Certified professional coach Michele Moliter explained that people with imposter syndrome believe their success is "a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be."
Having imposter syndrome is highly common, especially among high achievers. Being open about imposter syndrome can help normalize it, which is one reason why bosses want to hear about it in job interviews. After mentioning this weakness in a job interview, you should outline the ways you're combatting your negative internal voice.
Moliter recommended asking for "an outside, objective perspective, so you can process your emotions, recognize your own achievements, and gain the clarity you need to take back your power from your fears."
6. Having a hard time adapting to changes
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Struggling to adapt to changes quickly is a weakness bosses want to hear about in job interviews. Working in a fast-paced environment requires a level of flexibility that can be hard for some people.
According to a research paper published in Project Leadership and Society, adaptability can be defined as "the readiness to cope with the predictable tasks of preparing for and participating in the work role and the unpredictable adjustments prompted by changes in work and work conditions."
Being adaptable requires workers to handle ambiguous and uncertain situations by adjusting their plans and goals as needed. While mapping out a plan can be essential in a workplace, being able to pivot that plan in a different direction is also essential.
Adaptability goes beyond creative problem-solving. It also extends to interpersonal relationships between workers. An employee should be able to demonstrate that they can stay open-minded when dealing with their colleagues, and that they can truly hear other opinions and adjust what they think when necessary.
Making it clear that you're focused on improving this skill set signals that you're dedicated to growing as an employee and as a person.
7. Time management issues
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Time management can be challenging for even the most productive people. While having trouble with time management is often viewed as a weakness, it's the kind of weakness a boss wants to hear about in a job interview. Recognizing that you could improve in this area shows that you're thinking about how to better yourself and that you're devoted to helping the team run smoothly.
According to data reported by career launchpad Zippia, over half the average workday in 2023 was spent dedicated to low or no value work. Workplace culture can have an effect on how people spend their time. A disorganized work environment can mean that employees devote a large part of their day to unnecessary meetings, which can hinder their ability to focus on projects.
There are many ways to improve your time management skills, so focus on finding what works best for you. Knowing which tasks are most important is at the core of proper time management, which allows you to concentrate on work that helps you meet your goals. Delegating tasks and asking for support are also important, as no worker is an island, and working together can speed up the process for finishing a project.
8. Struggling to accept feedback
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Not knowing how to accept feedback at work is a weakness to explain in job interviews. While being overconfident and bragging about your achievements isn't a good look for any employee, being able to hear praise and process critique is a key part of being a successful part of a team.
According to an article from Harvard Business Review, processing feedback requires a worker to listen without being defensive and hear what's being said with a neutral attitude. You don't have to incorporate the suggested changes all at once; rather, you can do so little by little, over a period of time.
Reframing your perspective on getting feedback is an important part of working with other people. Instead of focusing on what your flaws are, think about receiving feedback as a gentle reminder that there's always room for you to grow and improve.
9. Trouble establishing work-life balance
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Work-life balance is a major topic of discussion at most workplaces, yet actually accessing that balance can be hard, especially for high achieving employees. While being a dedicated worker is definitely a strength, pushing yourself past your limits can be detrimental to your mental health and overall productivity on the job.
If it's a struggle for you to establish a solid work-life balance, let your potential boss know in the interview. Make sure to explain your techniques for avoiding prolonged burnout. It's important to be able to turn your brain off after you've clocked out for the evening, as letting yourself rest is a key part of keeping up on the job.
By pointing out the ways you're aiming to set clear boundaries around work, you display that you're consistently working on showing up as your best self.
10. Being self-critical
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Self-criticism can lower your sense of self-esteem and your perceived ability to get the job done. Tuning out the negative feedback loop in your head might not be easy, but it's a crucial part of keeping your morale high.
Therapist Paula Kirsch shared steps people can take to overcome self-criticism by reframing how they think about themselves. She suggested paying attention to how you talk to yourself and practicing gratitude for your positive traits to shift how you think about yourself. "Failure is a snapshot of a skill that's still evolving," she concluded.
Making mistakes is part of being human, especially when you're starting a new job. Having self-compassion is more important than perfection, and that's what a boss is looking for when searching for a valuable member of their team.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.