This presentation explains how to prepare for the very popular job interview question "Name a Weakness". If you tend to “think on your feet” in job interviews, this one may trip you up!

It's better to prepare a thoughtful answer that meets the interviewer's need for information without blurting out a hasty answer.

I'll point out a few things to avoid and direct you to some valuable resources that can help you understand your weaknesses in a new light.

This question can be very stressful if you are not expecting it. But the preparation we’ll describe can actually make you welcome the question.

In the past, some people encouraged job seekers to reframe a virtue as a weakness by claiming to have it in excess. If it ever worked, today it's likely to be seen for what it is. Assume your interviewer is too sophisticated to accept that strategy. Your objective is to dispel the interviewer's concern that you have a significant weakness that will show up later and sabotage your success. It's costly to hire staff and everyone wants to avoid hiring mistakes. If your answer reassures them, it has done its job.

The interviewer knows that we all have weaknesses. As we'll see in a moment, every personality type has strengths along with characteristics that can be weaknesses in some environments. So start off by acknowledging that simple fact and relax.

As tempting as it may be to suggest you don't have any weaknesses, all that's going to do is leave a blank spot on the page where the interviewer intended to make notes.

Some interviewers may try to lure you into disclosing something serious.

Catching you unprepared or by wording the question differently can trick you into saying whatever comes into your mind.

The more prepared you are the less likely you are to fall victim.

Understand that a weakness is not a character flaw. Dishonesty isn't characteristic of any personality type. It's really a coping mechanism that some of us develop to deal with life.

It's important to understand that not every weakness would be a deal-breaker in every environment, so it's worth spending the time to understand where your personality fits and why.

It's also important to know the culture of the company where you're being interviewed, even to the particular department.

Whatever you're revealing, communicate that it won't affect your performance in this position, because you recognize the tendency and have learned how to minimize its negative impact.

Again, as is the case with many job interview questions, planning ahead reduces the risk that you'll provide a damaging answer. Those who pride themselves in their ability to think on their feet may see all this as being a great deal of work. It is, but the employment marketplace has never been more demanding. Assume that at least one other applicants will prepare carefully and deliver excellent answers.

If you've never taken a personality test like Myers-Briggs, I encourage you to learn more about your temperament.

If your explanations about weaknesses are rooted in an understanding of your personality, they gain credibility.

Learning about your personality can be uncomfortable, but trust that it's not hidden to your colleagues.

There are many personality tests, but they all have four broad categories.

Each one has strengths with accompanying weaknesses.

So expect that much of what you learn will improve your explanations of your strengths as well as your weaknesses.

It's always important to know product that you are selling and the product that you are selling is yourself, so learn as much about yourself as you can.

The Artisan is one of the four broad personality types you'll discover at Keirsey.com where you can take their free test.

Impulsiveness, poor follow-through and dislike of regulations predict poor performance in accounting and similar work.

If you have the Guardian personality type, you really like order and rules, it sounds like you'd make a great accountant.

In fact however actually functioning within an organization means that you need to deal with constant change.

If you haven't done so yet, visit keirsey.com and learn about your temperament and other types as well.

It won't just help you prepare for responding to the "Name a Weakness" job interview question.

You'll also be able to work more effectively with a variety of personalities in the workplace and elsewhere.

If you found this presentation beneficial, please visit danarmishaw.com