In an interview, one of the toughest questions you’ll get asked is some variation of, “What’s your biggest weakness?” Some might see this as a trick question and respond that they don’t have any weaknesses or that they’re a perfectionist or work too hard. We wouldn’t recommend that–it can make you look dishonest or unprepared. That said, there’s a particular way to navigate this question without making yourself look like an unqualified candidate. Let’s dive in.

It Depends on the Role

When answering honestly, it’s important to be selective about the weakness you choose to highlight. Different positions call for different skills, and you don't want to draw attention to a shortcoming that directly interferes with your ability to do the job.

For example, if you're applying for a product management position, you probably don't want to say that you're terrible at prioritizing tasks or communicating with different teams. Both are important parts of the job, and admitting that you struggle with them without explaining how you're improving could raise some concerns.

Instead, you might talk about how you sometimes take on too many responsibilities because you want to make sure everything gets done correctly. You could explain that you've been working on delegating tasks more effectively and trusting your teammates to take ownership of their work.

This works as an example because it highlights an area where you can improve without suggesting that you're incapable of doing the job. It also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate that you're actively working on yourself. The important thing is to choose a weakness that's genuine and explain how you're addressing it, rather than picking something that sounds good just because you think the interviewer wants to hear it.

The 10/90 Rule

People often refer to the 10/90 rule when discussing a variety of subjects, but the general idea is simple: spend about 10% of your answer focusing on the negative and 90% focusing on the positive.

When answering a question about your weaknesses in a job interview, this means briefly acknowledging an area where you struggle, then spending more time explaining what you're doing to improve.

Here's an example of how you might answer this question if you were applying for a job in data science:

"I've been working on improving how I communicate complex technical information to people who don't have the same technical background. Sometimes, I can get too caught up in the details and forget that not everyone is familiar with the terminology I'm using. To improve on this, I've been making an effort to focus on the bigger picture first, explain my findings in more accessible terms, and ask for feedback on how clearly I'm communicating to those around me. It's helped me become more conscious of how I present information, especially when collaborating with people from different departments."

Notice how the answer doesn't spend much time dwelling on the weakness itself. Instead, it gives the interviewer a clear idea of what the candidate struggles with, why it matters, and what they're doing to improve.

In a data science position, being able to communicate your findings is just as important as being able to analyze the data in the first place. You could be the most talented analyst on your team, but if you can't explain your findings to the people making decisions, your work may not have the impact it deserves.

Providing an explanation like this shows that you can recognize when there's room to grow and that you take active steps to improve yourself. It also demonstrates that you understand how your individual skills affect the people you work with. That's a valuable quality in any professional, especially when collaboration is an important part of the job.

Is It Self-Deprecation, or Is It Human?

The idea isn't to put yourself down or make yourself sound like a bad candidate. You should feel confident in your abilities! Especially since you've made it as far as an interview in the application process. The interviewer has already seen something in your qualifications that makes you worth considering for the position.

This part of the interview is about assessing whether you can be honest about your potential shortcomings and whether you're willing to make improvements. Nobody expects you to be perfect at everything, and pretending otherwise isn't going to help you build trust with the people interviewing you.

Think about it this way: a workplace needs people who can collaborate with one another, and that collaboration becomes much easier when everyone can recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. Someone who refuses to acknowledge their shortcomings can make it difficult for their teammates to offer feedback or find solutions to problems. On the other hand, someone who recognizes where they need help and takes steps to improve can become a much stronger contributor to the team.

At the end of the day, we're all human. When it comes to answering questions about your weaknesses, it's not about admitting to a fault that could seriously hinder your job performance. It's about highlighting a genuine area for improvement and demonstrating that you're already working on it.

Of course, you shouldn't make something up just because you think it sounds relatable. Interviewers can often tell when a candidate is giving a rehearsed answer that doesn't say much about them as a person. If your weakness is something you've genuinely struggled with, you'll probably have a much easier time explaining what you've learned from the experience and how you've been working to improve.

Stick to the Script

We usually recommend not sticking too closely to a script when it comes to interviews, presentations, or conversations with your coworkers. When you memorize every word, it can be easy to lose your train of thought when things unexpectedly go off script.

That said, having a basic format for answering a question like this can help you organize your thoughts and avoid getting caught off guard. You can try following something like this:

Start by identifying a genuine weakness that you've noticed coming up in your work. Briefly explain how it has affected you, providing enough context to make your answer relatable without going into unnecessary detail. From there, talk about what you're doing to improve, whether that's developing a new routine, seeking advice from a mentor, or making changes to the way you approach certain tasks. Wrap things up by explaining what you've learned from the experience and what your goals are moving forward, showing that you can recognize where you need to improve and are willing to put in the effort to get there.

Memorize your script so you can answer the question effectively, then take the conversation from there.

Remember the 10/90 rule. It's one thing to bring up problems, but it's the people who look for solutions who can make a real difference. When an interviewer asks about your biggest weakness, they're giving you an opportunity to show that you're capable of doing both.

So, when it ultimately comes time to answer the question, you just need to demonstrate that you're willing to learn, adapt, and put in the effort to become better at what you do.