Career and self-development

How do I answer the strengths and weaknesses question in an interview?

By Mahmoud SaiedLast updated 27 October 20262 min read

The short answer

Name one or two strengths the job truly needs, each backed by a short real example. For the weakness, choose a genuine one that is not central to the role, and explain what you are doing now to improve it.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Read the job ad

    Pick your strengths from the skills the ad asks for, not from a generic list of qualities.

  2. 2

    Prove each with a situation

    Instead of saying you are organized, describe how you organized a specific task and what the result was.

  3. 3

    Choose a real weakness

    A skill you are still developing, such as presenting to a large audience or a tool you have not mastered yet, as long as it is not the core of the job.

  4. 4

    Explain your improvement plan

    What you are doing now to strengthen it, and what difference you have noticed so far.

  5. 5

    Keep it short, then stop

    A minute for each part is enough. Then let the interviewer ask for details if they want them.

A common mistake

Rehearsed answers such as 'I work too hard' or 'I am a perfectionist' are known to every interviewer and sound like dodging the question. Honesty with an improvement plan is more convincing.

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