“What is your weakness?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in accounting interviews, as well as in general interviews. It serves several purposes:
- It tests how well you’ve prepared, since this question is commonly expected.
- It gauges your self-awareness regarding your own weaknesses or areas where you can improve.
- It explores your methods for self-improvement.
In this post, I will share three examples for answering ‘What is your weakness?’ in a way that stays true to yourself while also showcasing your dedication to personal growth. Remember, nobody is perfect.
“What Is Your Weakness” Answer #1 — Efficiency, Accuracy & Impact
I’ve put a lot of effort over the last year into balancing efficiency, accuracy, and impact. As I’ve advanced in my career, I realized that my mindset needed to evolve. During my time in a high-volume AP role, efficiency was crucial. I’m not suggesting that accuracy wasn’t important—it was vital as it related to cash flow. However, I found that in my focus on meeting deadlines, I sometimes relied too heavily on the
reviewers rather than ensuring the accuracy myself. Now, while I still strive to meet deadlines, I’m much more conscientious about ensuring the accuracy of my work and considering the impact it has. Essentially, I am learning to see the bigger picture, which is an ongoing area of improvement for me.
“What Is Your Weakness” Answer #2 — Learn to Delegate
I used to find it challenging to delegate tasks as I preferred to have full control over the quality and standards of the work. However, as I advanced in my career to more supervisory and management positions, I realized it was neither feasible nor efficient to try to do it all by myself. In fact, the quality of my work suffered briefly when I first stepped into my first role with a direct report. I wasn’t able to take care of the original tasks while taking on new tasks that came with the promotion. It wasn’t easy and is definitely a work in progress, however, I’ve gotten a lot better at trusting my team’s capabilities as long as I communicate my instructions and expectations clearly. I also made sure to provide training as needed.
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“What Is Your Weakness” Answer #3 — Public Speaking
As an introvert, I’ve always found public speaking particularly challenging. My current and previous roles have had a heavy focus on data entry, which meant I didn’t have a lot of experience in public speaking either. However, I understand how vital this skill is if I want to continue to advance in my accounting career. This is why I’ve been putting my hand up more when opportunities arise. A recent example would be the presentation I gave to the entire company on our new payroll software. My controller wanted to host a lunch and learn to show the staff how to use it, and I volunteered to host it. There was definitely room for improvement, but I was proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone.
