Do you have an upcoming job interview? Check out my example answer to the interview question: “What is one negative thing your previous boss would say about you?” Other questions that require a similar answer are: “What negative comment would your last manager say about you?” OR “How would your former employer describe you?“
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The reason why interviewers ask this question is to test how you engage in self-critique. Are you too prideful and unable to improve yourself? Or, do you stay reasonable, calm and collected? It’s all about how you convey and describe your weakness. The sample answer can help you structure your own response:
#1 Example Answer
“IF my previous boss would say one negative thing about me, then he’d probably say that I’m or I was forgetful. I once had forgotten about an important Zoom call, even with reminders. I felt embarrassed that I didn’t respect his time as I should have.
Ever since, I use Trello and Google Calendar to stay organized. I also changed my default reminder time to 2 minutes instead of 10 minutes. I personally found that being notified 10 minutes before a meeting really doesn’t do much, especially when working from home.”
#2 Example Answer
“When I first joined [Company XYZ], I had a hard time speaking up because I was simply too tense and nervous. Once my boss commented that I should be more assertive and direct during team meetings, I knew it was time to start working on my communication skills and public speaking.
I attended several online courses and joined Toastmasters to incorporate speaking techniques and improve my tone and body language. Nowadays, I don’t find it difficult to exchange information and engage with my colleagues and other stakeholders.”
TIPS
√ Do mention one negative thing that can be fixed, corrected or improved on. Show that you are not embarrassed about your shortcomings, but that you actually welcome improvement. You are proactively working on whatever weakness you mention in your answer.
X Don’t avoid answering the question. At first, it might catch you off-guard, but you should not avoid talking about a difficult topic. The interviewer will notice that you are holding something back. As a result, you might come across as dishonest and not transparent.
X Don’t give an obvious strength in disguise. For example, “My previous employer would describe me as a workaholic” OR “My team would say I’m a perfectionist”
X Don’t say you’ve never thought about it. That will only prove your lack of self-awareness. Show the interviewer that you are a reasonable person with a healthy self-reflective personality.
