What to say when the hiring manager asks 'What's your greatest weakness?' in a job interview

Avoid general statements

Try to provide specific situations in which your weakness might surface or be problematic. For instance, instead of saying, "I'm bossy," explain that you sometimes come across as bossy when there's a lot of pressure on you.

"This way you show that it is not a weakness you have all the time but one that you are aware of in that situation," Marr says.

Turn the conversation to the skills needed for the position

Marr says that you can try to avoid the question by saying something along the lines of, "Of course we all have strengths and weaknesses," before explaining how the skills you do have align perfectly with the job description.

If there's a skill needed for the job that you don't currently possess, Marr recommends saying:

With my new role will come new responsibilities such as X, and in my previous job I have had limited opportunities to fully develop these. However, I am a fast learner and will focus on developing these areas.

But be warned: If you try to get out of answering the question, the hiring manager might ask it again.

Talk about weaknesses you've overcome

Another strategy is to avoid talking about any current weaknesses, Marr says. Instead, mention your ability to self-assess and identify weaknesses, and offer specific examples of how you found and dealt with them in the past.

Did you take a course or participate in training sessions to improve on a specific skill? Did you seek out guidance from your previous boss or colleagues? Did you simply make a conscious effort to rid yourself of that weakness? Tell the interviewer what you did and the results of your actions.

Avoid mentioning these weaknesses:

Aside from the cringeworthy "I'm a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" responses, here are a few weaknesses you should never mention in a job interview:

"I'm not a team player."

"I'm pretty lazy."

"I'm not trustworthy."

"I'm not reliable."

"I have difficulty accepting feedback."

"I tend to lie a lot."

"I'm not able to take initiative and work independently."

Read the full LinkedIn post here.