How to Answer "What Are Your Weaknesses?"

We've been going over some tips on how to answer interview questions if you are trying to get your first job. It's a little intimidating, but if you come prepared and practice your answers to these questions, you'll go into your interview with confidence that you have what it takes to get hired.

So you're in the interview, and the interviewer asks you one of the scariest interview questions, "What are your weaknesses?" This question is tough because the last thing you probably want to do is list reasons why they shouldn't hire you.

It's really tempting to answer this question with:

I don't have any weaknesses.

Don't say you don't have any weaknesses because everyone has them. Employers aren't looking for you to give them reasons not to hire you. They want to know if you know what your weaknesses are and how you handle them.

Now you want to be honest but you also want to be smart with your answer. Stay away from saying:

I'm really lazy and love to sleep in.

I have no idea. This will be my first job so I could be a terrible employee..or I could be awesome. Let's find out.

Seriously!?! You're really asking me that?!?!

You also want to avoid lame cliched answers:

I think my biggest weakness is that I'm just too enthusiastic about getting a job!

I will probably work too hard and show too much initiative. Oops!

What you want to do is pick something that you can prove won't be a weakness long term:

While I don't have a ton of work experience, I am a very fast learner and am really motivated to work hard. I've spent a lot of time volunteering at a daycare which has given me a good idea of what it's like to be part of a team and I am excited about this opportunity to possibly join yours.

An answer like that will show the interviewer that even though they may be interviewing people with more experience than you, you are motivated to be a great employee and would be a good fit in their company.