How you should really answer that question - "What is your greatest weakness?"

It’s easy to apply for a job when you have the specific skill set that so many people are looking for. 

What’s not so easy is competing against other candidates who either have the same or better qualifications than you.

So you can’t just rely on that alone. Instead things like how you present yourself as a candidate matter just as much, if not more.

As Careers24 says, you only have one chance to make an immediate and impressive impression, so be confident and know how to navigate your way through seemingly common questions that are harder to answer than you think.

While many job interviews have questions that are particularly suited to the role required, there are also many common questions across the board – and surprisingly enough, these are quite often the ones that many people stumble on.

It’s not because they're necessarily difficult to answer, but that they force you to think of responding in a way that presents you in the best light possible. 

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And how do you do this without being saccharine, striking a balance between being honest and not overly praising yourself to the point where people don’t quite believe you?

For example, a simple question about listing your weaknesses?

We round up a few potentially tricky questions and ways to answer them:

1. Tell us about yourself 

An innocuous question but one that sets the tone for the rest of the interview. According to HuffPost, HR practitioner Ilene Siscovick suggests not repeating what’s already listed on your CV because your prospective employer already knows what’s in front of him/her.

Instead, rather delve into what made you choose the field, exploring elements of the things you learned throughout the years and the experience built up.

Don’t be scared to mention ups and downs because it demonstrates that you’ve grown in your field. 

Use the bad moments to show how you’ve dealt with a difficult situation so that it gives people a sense of what you’re capable of not just in terms of skills but in how you interact and approach work situations. 

2. What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?

A tricky question that no one likes to answer because it’s hard to find a middle ground and so easy to shoot yourself in the foot. 

The problem is that many people start with the perception that this question is out to get you. 

And because you think it’s a trap there are one of two responses you resort to: overly cautious to the point of providing a generic answer that says nothing or you inadvertently are too honest and blurt out something that ruins your chances.

The muse.com suggests that something that can help you is by talking about an area that you’re struggling with, but by including the strategies you’re using to employ trying to improve on that specific area. 

Remember that no one expects you to be perfect – but they do want you to be able to acknowledge areas in your work life that you’re aware need work.