Interview question, answer in English
What are your strengths and weaknesses? How to answer (with examples)
The question: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Two answers in one question, and both get checked. On strengths the interviewer wants evidence, not adjectives. On weaknesses they want to see whether you know yourself and what you're doing about it — a fake flaw ("I work too hard") costs more than an honest one.
The answer, in 4 blocks
1. One strength, with evidence
Pick the strength the job needs, and prove it with something that happened.
Example: I'm good at debugging production issues. When our payments job stopped reconciling, I found the cause in the logs in about an hour.
2. The price of that strength
One sentence on the cost makes it sound true instead of rehearsed.
Example: The downside is that I dig deep into problems, so I set myself time limits not to disappear into one.
3. A real weakness, not fatal to the role
Something true, specific, and that doesn't take the job off the table.
Example: I'm still slow at public speaking in English — I'm much better in a one-on-one than presenting to a room.
4. What you're doing about it
The plan is the part that matters, and it should already be happening.
Example: I've been presenting a small update in the weekly meeting and recording myself to review the phrasing.
The full example answer
Read it out loud, swapping in your own details. An answer you've never spoken isn't yours yet.
My strongest point is debugging production issues. When our payments job stopped reconciling, I went through the logs and found a timezone bug in about an hour — that was a Friday, and we closed it the same day. That strength has a price: when I'm in a hard problem I keep digging, so I set a time limit to avoid disappearing into it. On weaknesses, I'm still slow at public speaking, especially in English: I'm much better in a one-on-one than presenting to a room. I've been presenting a small update at the weekly meeting and recording myself to review the phrasing.
What to avoid
- "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist". Everybody uses it, and the interviewer stops believing the rest.
- A weakness that is essential to the job — saying deadlines are hard for you, on a job that runs on deadlines.
- Listing five strengths with no evidence. One proven strength is worth more than a list.
- Saying you have no weaknesses.
Phrases that help
- “My strongest point is ..., for example when ...”
- Strength with an event, not an adjective.
- “I'm still working on ..., so I ...”
- A weakness plus the plan, in one sentence.
- “That strength has a cost: ...”
- Shows self-knowledge and it sounds honest.
If the question comes like this
- What is your biggest strength?
- One only, with evidence. Repeating three dilutes the one that counted.
- What are you good at?
- Answer with a skill the role needs, not with a personality trait.
- What would your last manager say about you?
- The same strength in somebody else's voice: "She'd say I'm the person she calls when something breaks on a Friday."
FAQ
- Do I really need a weakness?
- Everyone has one, and the question tests whether you know yours. Pick something true, that doesn't sink the role, and show what you're doing about it.
- How many strengths should I mention?
- One, with evidence. Two at most. A list of five can't be verified, and it eats the time you'd use for the example.
- What if the weakness is my English?
- Don't choose the language as your main weakness in an interview in English: you just proved you can hold the conversation. If you want to mention it, add a plan: "I'm still building speed in English, so I prepare and record my answers in advance."