How to Answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?"

[Tooimpatient]

MrChicagoRN said:

Tooimpatient, As a manager, I get suspicious if someone's never had a conflict, or if they can rattle off a grocery list of complaints. If you deny ever having a conflict with anyone, I wonder if you aren't being truthful, or if you let people walk all over you. Your example is excellent.

Its fine to say, "I usually don't have conflicts, but there was this one time..." You addressed it, resolved it, and now you two interact in a professional manner.

Thanks for your input! Good to know it wouldn't be a terrible example. I used it once but didn't get the job and I always wondered if that was part of the reason

[BirkieGirl]

i have two honest things that i say about my weakness....

first off, my current job includes a good amount of desk time, and i have a HARD time staying put. it is a huge issue for me. i have interviewed for staff Nursing Jobs and said "well, my current role requires me to sit at my desk much of the time, and i find that i have a hard time staying there while things are happening around me. i guess sitting around wouldn't be an issue in this (future) role"...

the other is that " i seem to have a difficult time saying no, and do not turn patients away"...

i have had multiple offers with these answers!

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Beagle62 said:

I'm having a hard time coming up with honest answers to this one. The truth is that I'm quiet and not much of a chit-chatter. I'm trying to think of how to spin that in a positive way, but in these days of patient satisfaction scores, I'm thinking no one wants to hire a someone like me. I've googled some answers I can give, but they'd be lies. Any ideas?

Rather than Google answers that do not fit you, can you reflect on yourself to identify both your strengths and weaknesses? Is there someone you trust who would give you an honest appraisal? Being a quiet person is neither here nor there when it comes to patient satisfaction. Patients respond to human connection and caring. Some people express that through chit chat, others through attentive listening, facial gestures. Give yourself credit. Best wishes

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I find this question very hard. But I never did sit down and try to rehearse it because I just didn't know what the "right" answer was. I did tend to say the same thing most times lately (and I had several interviews since February). This last time, I think I understated it, kept it short, and it was a very light fault. Hardly a fault at all, I think. I was hired. I think it helps that she was a very nice girl (the unit manager).

I just don't like the whole process! If I were interviewing, I'd probably hire the person that spewed the least BS. But that is just me. LOL

Good article though...

[mago8388]

How is this for an answer?

My weakness is that i tend to be too critical and hard on myself. I'm always thinking that I could have done something better and that I should be better and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming because I know that experience and skills come with time and practice and that will all come with time.

[SweetLizaBeth, BSN]

On 5/31/2015 at 10:07 AM, Nurse Beth said:

When choosing the weakness you are going to use for your interview, pick something work-related and fixable. Make sure that it's not something critical to the job, but that it is something germane to the job.

First, let me just say that I love the word “germane”.  It is under-used and I plan to incorporate it into my vocabulary immediately. 

Second, I have said my weakness has been that I take my job very seriously, and consequently I end up not smiling enough at co-workers and patients. I recently took an online class in communication, and the instructor talked about the 20-10-5 Rule; at 20 feet someone walking toward you  gets a smile, at 10 feet a nod or a wave, and at 5 feet a verbal greeting.  I felt awkward at first, but I have started a serious effort to use this rule in hallways, on the unit, and at patients’ rooms; I knock, open the door with a smile, meet eyes and nod or wave as I’m walking toward the patient, then offer a greeting/introduction at the bedside. It has changed the way I’m perceived so much that coworkers ask me if I have a new boyfriend or something! This has become a habit now for me, and it has been life-changing. My manager recently told me that my patient satisfaction scores have improved. I can still take my work seriously, but I don’t have to look like I’m mad about it.  And it genuinely creates a more positive atmosphere on the unit.
It’s a true story. 

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

4 hours ago, SweetLizaBeth said:

First, let me just say that I love the word “germane”.  It is under-used and I plan to incorporate it into my vocabulary immediately. 

Second, I have said my weakness has been that I take my job very seriously, and consequently I end up not smiling enough at co-workers and patients. I recently took an online class in communication, and the instructor talked about the 20-10-5 Rule; at 20 feet someone walking toward you  gets a smile, at 10 feet a nod or a wave, and at 5 feet a verbal greeting.  I felt awkward at first, but I have started a serious effort to use this rule in hallways, on the unit, and at patients’ rooms; I knock, open the door with a smile, meet eyes and nod or wave as I’m walking toward the patient, then offer a greeting/introduction at the bedside. It has changed the way I’m perceived so much that coworkers ask me if I have a new boyfriend or something! This has become a habit now for me, and it has been life-changing. My manager recently told me that my patient satisfaction scores have improved. I can still take my work seriously, but I don’t have to look like I’m mad about it.  And it genuinely creates a more positive atmosphere on the unit.
It’s a true story. 

I love your story ? It's inspiring that we really can always change ourselves for the better