Should You Admit Your Biggest Weakness?

Updated

By Tag and Catherine Goulet, co-CEOs, FabJob.com

It's the question job applicants fear most: "So tell me," says the smiling interviewer, "what's your biggest weakness?"

If you think a good answer is you're "a perfectionist who won't quit until the job's done right," think again. The interviewer has probably heard the same thing from countless other applicants and doesn't believe it's a weakness any more than you do.

According to Vicky Oliver, author of '301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions,' the worst thing you can do is give your interviewer a "canned" answer, such as saying you are a workaholic.

Applicants who give such an answer may be perceived as dishonest or unoriginal. The interviewer is likely to say, "That sounds like a strength to me. What's another weakness you have?"

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