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A personal weakness is an ability, knowledge area or character trait that falls short in respect to a particular role or task. It is common to ask for personal weaknesses as part of application processes, interviews and professional development activities. This is a tricky question as it's not a good idea to voluntary your worst character weaknesses. As such, it is common to choose a highly specific weakness that shows that you have put some thought into improving yourself. The following are some common categories of personal weakness followed by example answers in each area.
PlanningI have a strong preference for planning things out in detail and prefer structure to winging it.Leading I have several experiences leading teams but I found it challenging because I tend to give everyone too much space and freedom. As such, I prefer being an individual contributor.Public SpeakingTend to get stage fright speaking in front of people. This isn't a problem as I always face this fear and can deliver presentations as required.
ArtNo artistic skills. For example, if I draw something it tends to look messy.Visual CommunicationI tend to be a verbal thinker and communicate better with words than pictures.Written CommunicationI am a visual thinker who communicates better with pictures than words.Information TechnologyI have no experience with the systems that you are using. However, I have experience with similar systems such as ...Managing PeopleI don't think I am a management type as I prefer to be responsible for my own deliverables as opposed to those of an entire team.MathematicsI'm not particularly good with numbers. I always got reasonable grades in mathematics but only with hard work.NetworkingI think I could improve my networking skills. I'm not that good at expanding my professional network and meeting new people.Plain LanguageI have been in the industry so long that I often use terminology that may confuse people outside our industry. I'm working on improving in this area. For example, last year I gave a presentation at a conference for ...Concise CommunicationI tend to be a little wordy and need to work to make my emails and presentations more concise.Second LanguageMy French grammar is reasonably good but my speaking and listening comprehension need work.ReservedI tend to be a little reserved and could be more outgoing in situations where I'm meeting new people for the first time.ExperienceI lack banking industry experience but am working on obtaining the _________ qualification to learn about the industry.EducationI never completed university because I helped start a company from the age of 20. However, I have learned about computer science with hands on experience such as ...Time ManagementIn some cases, I work too hard on a particular assignment such that I don't leave enough time for everything that I need to complete in an evening.AssertivenessI could be more assertive in pushing for interesting and rewarding work. I tend to just work on whatever I'm assigned.SpontaneityI prefer sticking to the plan and working in a methodical way.Financial LiteracyI have no experience with managing a budget. However, I did study accounting in school.Detail-OrientedI'm not a big picture thinker and tend to prefer working at the detailed implementation level.Overcommitting I tend to take on too much work such that my work-life balance suffers.PromotionI'm not good at promoting myself and my accomplishments.SummaryPersonal weaknesses are character traits, knowledge areas and abilities that may be lacking in some situation. This is a common interview question that is difficult to answer because it isn't a good idea to emphasize your most serious weaknesses in this context. The question of personal weaknesses also comes up in personal SWOT analysis where you may candidly identify some areas you'd like to develop.DiscussionIf there is an elephant in the room, this is a good choice as a personal weakness. For example, if a job requires experience that you lack.Highly specific weaknesses are more positively perceived than general weaknesses. For example, "I'm not good with people" is likely to be poorly received whereas something more specific such as "I tend to be hesitant to criticise the ideas of others" may be more positively received.
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