About the "weakness" type questions ---- would "nervous" be a deal breaker?

Just wonder what kind of "real weakness" is good to mention for this type of questions from the point of views by real bankers. Thanks for your advice in advance!

 

There are topics on this site regarding this very standard, boilerplate question, and practically everywhere else interviews are covered. But I'll go ahead and just say that you should not think too thinly with the weakness question. Give a real weakness from the point of view of the company you're interviewing with, as it relates to you specifically. Don't try to mask your 'perfectionism' as a bad thing. Think about the employer's needs and try to give an example on how you've began improving on said weakness to become stronger in that area to meet the employer's needs.

 
hahuho1234:

Give a real weakness and explain how you're dealing with it and have overcome it... Also fine just to make up something...

This is the only correct way to answer this question IMO. You need to provide a real weakness, but then you need to separate yourself from other interviewees by mentioning how you have tackled/are tackling that weakness.

I always went with public speaking and then mentioned how I took a public speaking class in college and attended Toastmasters meetings to better my public speaking abilities.

 
Best Response

Nervous in what way? Like public speaking? Or as in you're just a nervous wreck all the time?

If it's something like presenting or public speaking, that could be a genuine weakness you share, because that's pretty common. But as some others have mentioned, you just need to show that you're working to improve or mitigate that weakness. You could say you've pushed yourself to take on more speaking roles in groups presentations, joined toast masters, etc etc.

 

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