How to talk about your flaws in a job interview

It is almost inevitable that the recruiter will ask you about your strengths and weaknesses in a job interview. Now, there are no sneaky tricks to succeed in the interview, it is better to avoid them.

The key is honesty because it is the simplest and most direct path, Well, there is nothing reasonable about giving disguised answers.

The recruiter seeks to test your reaction capacity

Honesty is essential to account for your defects in a job interview. If the recruiter asks about them, be cautious and stay calm; He just wants to analyze your reactions and, especially, the representation you have of yourself.

Try to show him that, even with your defects, you have the best conditions and professional characteristics than the rest of the candidates.

Also, keep in mind the following points about what a recruiter looks for in an applicant.

1. The recruiter’s questions

During job interviews, it is common for the recruiter to ask about the candidate’s defects: “tell me three characteristic defects of your personality”, “what is your biggest defect?”, “what weaknesses do you consider you have as a worker?” ”, among other questions that always point to the same thing. He wants to test your ability to react, how honest you are and if you have the ability to be honest with yourself.

According to Jaume Masip Pallejá and María del Carmen Herrero Alonso, doctors in psychology, there is evidence which suggest that telling lies requires greater mental effort than being sincere.

The truth in memory facilitates the task of the interviewee, since it will be activated and “it will be easier to transmit it”; a situation that makes the liar’s position difficult, because the more present and active the truth is in memory, the greater effort will be needed to inhibit it.

2. Don’t give answers like “I’m too much of a perfectionist.”

Avoid giving common and uncomfortable answers, such as “I am very structured”, “I am addicted to work”, “I work too much”, “I am too perfectionist”, etc.

If they ask you about your flaws, answer honestly. Try not to turn them around and present them as if they were virtues, since the recruiter may think that you are not sincere and therefore hiding your weaknesses.

3. Defects as aspects to improve

Nobody is perfect; We all have defects, planes in which there is a good margin for improvement. Try to answer the questions the interviewer asks you and not what you want.

Once you expose your flaws, you can complete your answer with what you are doing to improve. It is not an easy task, since defects, being in many cases a pattern of behavior, take time.

4. Think before you speak

Responding prudently is a sign of thinking before speaking. Don’t rush when you talk about your weaknesses in a job interview; verbalize your observations, sharing your considerations.

Avoid fillers like “well”, “if I make myself understood”, “that is”, etc. It is important to mention what you have learned from your defects and highlight without exaggerating the process you carried out to transform them into strengths.

How to respond when they ask you about your flaws

When you explain your weaknesses, briefly explain when they occur most and what you are doing to improve them, for example:

I’m shy; However, I am aware of this and I strive to give a positive account of social situations and to take the initiative in dialogue when I believe it is necessary. On many occasions, I feel a desire to obtain an immediate result. As I saw that this was not in my favor at all, I decided to be patient with what I cannot control or manage immediately., a position that has helped me a lot to regulate myself and not accelerate myself. One of my weak points is that I have no experience, but I learn quickly and adapt well to changes. I will have to go through a small period of adaptation, but I don’t think it will take long to fulfill the responsibilities associated with my position and do it autonomously. I like to work alone; I feel like I have more control. Experience has taught me that the other is extremely important to achieve the objectives, just as I can be essential for what the other needs me to do, since the principles of solidarity and cooperation are absolutely necessary.

Other aspects to take into account

The essence of the interview, beyond how you answer the recruiter’s questions about your shortcomings, is also in your Body language, since it transmits a lot of information about who we are. Thus, it will be essential that your gestures are natural and fluid. Accompany your non-verbal language with a good attitude and disposition.

Politeness in a job interview shows how feasible you are for the work environment of any company; besides, A well-used vocabulary will avoid confusion and double meanings in the concepts to be discussed in the interview..

To conclude, use a sense of humor, but don’t force it. For example, you can tell an anecdote about how your flaws caused you to go through times that you found embarrassing, so you learned not to act that way in similar circumstances.

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