Keep The Humble Brag OUT Of The Interview Room

Posted On 24 Feb 2016

Keep The Humble Brag OUT Of The Interview Room

24 Feb 2016
Keep The Humble Brag OUT Of The Interview Room

Candidate Resource, Interview Tips

Keep The Humble Brag OUT Of The Interview Room

You’re coming to the end of what has been a pretty amazing job interview. By sheer luck, you’ve somehow not been asked one of the most universally dreaded interview questions, and it looks like you may just get away with not having to answer it at all.

But alas, it appears that your luck has run out.

“What is your biggest weakness?” asks the interviewer…

If you’ve ever stressed over how to answer this question, you’ll be happy to know that your concern is indeed warranted. As with most interview questions, there is no clear cut right or wrong way to answer this question, but there is one tactic that doesn’t work as well as you think it might: the humble brag.

A humble brag is a seemingly modest or self-deprecating statement intended to draw attention to something you are actually proud of. Don’t get us wrong, there are times where the humble brag can come in handy. But if your response to “What is your biggest weakness?” is that you are ‘a workaholic’ or ‘a perfectionist’, the only thing you have achieved is demonstrating that you don’t take the opportunity for self-reflection seriously.

As much as we’d all like to deny it, everyone has weaknesses. And that’s okay, no one expects unwavering perfection. What an employer is looking for when asking this question is proof that you are self-aware. Consider discussing an area that you could improve upon or an area you are currently working on. Perhaps even mention what lead you to a past mistake and the steps you are taking to actively avoid repeating the same mistake. Anything that demonstrates introspection is far better than giving the impression that you’re infallible.

At the end of the day, you are going to make mistakes. What matters most is your ability to learn from them.