In these short pages, we provide a sample answer for each interview question in relation to the industry shown. We then analyse the answer, pointing out valuable information so that you can adapt the answer to your specific circumstances.

Business Management - What Would You Say Are Your Weaknesses?

Answer

In the past, I've noticed that I became a victim of my own success and determination. The sad truth is that it has been difficult for me to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I have always loved what I do and have been an ambitious go-getter, but in recent times it has caught up with me, as I'm putting more time into my work than my personal life. I have experienced a negative impact on my motivation and focus when I ignore my personal needs. As a result, I couldn't disconnect myself from my work when the day was over. I found it hard at first but took little actions which resulted in little victories, like not logging into my work emails when at home and leaving the office on time and not getting caught up on work that could be left until the following day. I sometimes still find myself dwelling over work when at home but I have developed good habits to keep my mind busy. I now structure my day better and use every hour in work to the best of my ability so that I get more done in a shorter space of time.

That would be one of the main areas I am working through at the moment. Another thing I have a tendency towards is over-explaining my direction to colleagues. I have it in my head that I want to be a driving force that my colleagues look to, so I tend to go a little overboard when explaining tasks. A previous Manager delegated tasks to a team of three; myself included, and afterwards when we were discussing the task as a group there was a slight overkill when explaining the specifics of what our task was. I put this down to my lack of experience in delegation and direction. I am like a sponge with this at the moment and I'm looking to pick up anything that can help me sharpen this skill.

Analysis

The position the Interviewee is applying for is one of authority and they begin answering this question speaking about their difficulty finding a healthy balance to their work and life. As far as weaknesses go, this one could turn into a stumbling block because of the job in question but, this Interviewee explains it well by showing the extent of their work ethic. They showed how much their work means to them and also their new understanding of a healthy work-life balance which refreshes the Interviewee when going into the following day. The Interviewee explains how it had been affecting them previously, what steps they took to counter this in the future and how their work has improved since.

The Interviewee is in the driver's seat. 

The Interviewee goes on to say that when they explain things they go into a bit too much detail. Specificity is good, but too much can be time consuming. Again, this is an easily fixable weakness that could be ironed out through experience in those types of situations; and the Interviewee shows that they realise this fact. While mentioning this, they are showing their self-awareness but by the sounds of it they're not too far off base.

So, to cap it all off, the Interviewee chose to mention a weakness that is risky (balancing work-lifestyle) but this showed how much they are aware of themselves and what needs to be worked on. A running-start. Then, the Interviewee chose a safe option when they picked a fixable. Fixables are always a safe bet.