How to Answer "What is your greatest weakness?" (With Sample Answers)
By Andrew Johnson · Updated
The interviewer wants to see that you know a real weakness of yours and are already doing something concrete about it.
Also asked as: “What is your biggest weakness?” · “What are your weaknesses?” · “What is an area you need to improve?” · “What would your manager say you need to work on?”
Why do interviewers ask “What is your greatest weakness”?
Interviewers are checking honesty and self-awareness: can you look at your own work critically, and do you act on feedback? CareerOneStop's advice for every interview question applies here more than anywhere — give honest, direct answers. A rehearsed non-answer ("I'm a perfectionist") tells the interviewer you're avoiding the question.
How to answer: the Weakness → Example → Fix → Progress formula
Keep the weakness to one or two sentences; the fix and the progress are the answer.
| Step | What to say | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Weakness | Name one real weakness, specifically. Pick something that is not a core requirement of the job. | "I used to say yes to every request, and my own deadlines suffered." |
| 2. Example | One sentence on when it showed up, so it sounds real. | "Last year I took on two extra projects and finished my main report a day late." |
| 3. Fix | What you changed — a habit, a tool, a course, feedback you asked for. | "Now I check my calendar before agreeing and offer a realistic date instead of an instant yes." |
| 4. Progress | Where you are now. Honest progress, not "solved forever". | "I haven't missed a deadline since, though I still have to remind myself to push back." |
Sample answers to “What is your greatest weakness” by job type
Illustrative answers — swap in your own experience. An answer you can back up with a real story beats a polished one you can't.
Entry-level / new graduate
New graduate applying for an administrative assistant position.
“My weakness is that I hesitate to ask questions when I'm new — I'd rather figure things out myself, and that can waste time. In my campus job I once spent most of an afternoon trying to fix a booking system problem my supervisor could have solved in five minutes. Since then I give myself a time limit: if I'm stuck for more than twenty minutes, I ask. I also keep a running list of questions so I can bring several at once instead of interrupting all day.”
Career changer
Former restaurant manager moving into project coordination.
“My weakness right now is formal project tools. I've coordinated a lot — staff schedules, vendor deliveries, events — but I did it with whiteboards and group texts, not software like the platform your team uses. I've been closing that gap: I finished an online project management course and I've been running my own job search as a board in a free version of a similar tool, so the workflow already feels familiar. I expect a short learning curve, but I know where it is and I'm on it.”
Nurse / healthcare
Registered nurse interviewing for an emergency department role.
“I can be slow to delegate. Early in my career I felt responsible for every task for my patients, so I'd do things myself that a tech or CNA could have done, and it put me behind on charting. My charge nurse pointed it out, and I started planning at the start of each shift what I'd hand off and to whom. It's made my shifts more manageable and the team runs smoother. In a fast ED I know I'll need to delegate even more, and I'm ready to keep working on it.”
Sales / customer service
Sales representative applying for an inside sales role.
“My weakness has been the admin side of sales — logging calls and updating the CRM. I'd rather be talking to customers, so I used to batch my notes at the end of the week, and details got lost. My manager flagged it when a hand-off went badly because my notes were thin. Now I update each record right after the call, before I dial the next one; it adds a minute per call but my pipeline is accurate and my forecasts are better. It still isn't my favorite part of the job, but it's no longer a gap.”
Tech / analyst
Business analyst interviewing at a larger company.
“I've had to work on presenting to senior leaders. My analysis is solid, but I used to walk through every step of how I got there, and executives lost interest before the conclusion. After feedback on one presentation, I flipped my structure: recommendation first, then the two or three numbers that support it, with the details in an appendix. I also rehearse with a colleague and ask them to cut me off when I go into the weeds. My last few readouts have been shorter and led to clearer decisions.”
What to avoid
- The disguised strength ("I work too hard", "I'm a perfectionist"). Interviewers have heard it many times and read it as dodging the question.
- Naming a weakness that is the core of the job. "I'm not great with numbers" ends an accounting interview. Choose something real but not disqualifying.
- Saying you have no weaknesses. It signals low self-awareness — the exact trait the question is testing.
- Over-confessing or getting personal. Keep it professional and brief; the weakness is one sentence, the improvement is the rest.
How to prepare
- Look at past performance reviews or feedback you've received — a real weakness is usually written there.
- Prepare a second weakness in case they ask for "another one".
- Practice saying it out loud; this answer sounds defensive if you rush it.
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Tailor my resumeFAQ
What is a good answer for "What is your greatest weakness?"
A real, specific weakness that is not essential to the job, plus the concrete steps you have taken to improve and the progress you have made. Examples: delegating, public speaking, a specific software tool, or saying yes to too much.
What is the best weakness to say in an interview?
There is no single best one. The best weakness is true, specific, not a core requirement of this job, and something you can show you are actively improving.
Is it okay to say "perfectionism" as my biggest weakness?
Only if you make it concrete — for example, you spend too long polishing low-stakes work — and explain how you now decide when something is good enough. As a one-word answer it sounds rehearsed.
How do I answer "What are your weaknesses?" if they ask for more than one?
Give two, each with a brief example and what you are doing about it. Keep them different in kind — for example, one skill gap and one work habit.
This question in role-specific interviews
Related common questions
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your strengths?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
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