Intermediate· B1–B2Job interviews10 min

Job interview: strengths and weaknesses

Describe a real strength with an example and a weakness you are actively improving.

The scene

Your interview for a project coordinator job is going well. The interviewer now asks about your greatest strength and your biggest weakness.

Speaker A
Interviewer
Speaker B
You (candidate)

Your goals

  • Name a strength and support it with a short example
  • Describe an honest weakness and what you are doing about it
  • Sound confident without exaggerating

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • strength

    something you are good at

    My main strength is organization.

  • weakness

    something you find difficult or need to improve

    One weakness I'm working on is public speaking.

  • to meet a deadline

    to finish work on time

    We met every deadline last year.

  • detail-oriented

    careful about small details

    I'm very detail-oriented.

  • to delegate

    to give tasks to other people

    I'm learning to delegate more.

  • to work on

    to try to improve something

    I'm working on my presentation skills.

  • feedback

    comments about how well you are doing

    My manager's feedback really helped.

Useful phrases

  • I'd say my greatest strength is …

    Introducing a strength

  • For example, in my last job, …

    Supporting your claim with evidence

  • Something I'm working on is …

    Introducing a weakness in a positive way

  • To improve that, I've started …

    Showing action

  • It's made a real difference.

    Showing results

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Interviewer

    Let's talk about you. What would you say is your greatest strength?

  2. You (candidate)

    I'd say my greatest strength is organization. I'm very good at keeping complex projects on schedule.

  3. Interviewer

    Can you give me an example?

  4. You (candidate)

    In my last job, I coordinated a product launch with five teams, and we met every deadline.

  5. Interviewer

    Impressive. And what about a weakness?

  6. You (candidate)

    Something I'm working on is delegating. I used to try to do everything myself.

  7. Interviewer

    Why was that a problem?

  8. You (candidate)

    I sometimes worked very late, and my team didn't get enough chances to grow.

  9. Interviewer

    What have you done about it?

  10. You (candidate)

    To improve that, I've started giving clear tasks to teammates each week. It's made a real difference.

You speak 5 lines as You (candidate); Interviewer is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Name your greatest strength and give one example from work or study.

  2. 2. Describe a real weakness and two things you are doing to improve.

  3. 3. Explain how feedback from someone helped you get better at something.

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What makes a strength answer convincing?
  2. 2. Which is the best way to introduce a weakness?
  3. 3. What does 'delegate' mean?
  4. 4. 'It's made a real difference' means…

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: My weakness is that I work too hard.

    Say: Something I'm working on is delegating more.

    Overused 'fake weaknesses' sound rehearsed; a real one with a plan is more convincing.

  • Avoid: I am very organize.

    Say: I'm very organized.

    Use the adjective 'organized', not the verb 'organize'.

  • Avoid: I am working on to improve it.

    Say: I'm working on improving it.

    After the preposition 'on', use the -ing form.

Tips

  • Pick a strength that matters for the job you are applying for.
  • For weaknesses, use the pattern: the weakness, its effect, your action, the result.
  • Practice both answers aloud until each takes about 45 seconds.

Questions about this lesson

How do you answer 'What is your greatest weakness?' in English?

Name a real weakness, explain its effect briefly and describe what you are doing to improve: 'Something I'm working on is… To improve that, I've started…'

What are good strengths to mention in an interview?

Choose ones that fit the job, such as organization, communication or problem solving, and always give an example.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Job interview: describing a challenge you solved

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