What's Your Greatest Weakness? How to Answer the Most Irritating Job Interview Question—And Still Get It Right

"What's your greatest weakness?" is one of thoseweaknesses like organization that would be critical to
typical but tough job interview questions.  We all hateyour success on the job.  That's not the best idea.
this question, but it comes up all the time, and yourWhat about a weakness like impatience?  (That's
answer is critical.  You know you're going to getone of mine.)  I'm impatient to get going on projects, to
asked, so be prepared.  It's trickier than it seems onget them done, and to generally succeed faster.  It's a
the surface, and there's an art to answering it well. real weakness, but it also drives my success.
Do you give your real weakness and how you'veTry to think of a weakness that's real—a real one
overcome it?  Or do you pinpoint a quality thatyou've got, but one that will contribute to your success
contributes to your success?  How do you answer iton the job.  (Although I would tell you to try to stay
truthfully (because they can see through a snow job)away from clichéd weaknesses like
but still present yourself as the best candidate for the"perfectionism."  There's a red flag for the
job?interviewer.)  You know the question is coming, so
Some people will tell you to actually come up with adon't act like you're stumped.  You have to answer
real weakness, like, say, lack of organization, and thanthe question before you're going to be able to move
talk about what you've done to overcome it.  I'm notforward in the interview process.
sure that's a good idea.  I don't want to hear about