Dear George,

Fear not! You can tackle this question and look like a hero, not a goat. Think about some of the most inspiring books you’ve read or movies you’ve seen. Were they about perfect, flawless people, or about folks who stumbled, yet had the courage to pick themselves up and learn from their mistakes? Who are the real heroes in your eyes?

We’ve all had times when a mistake has cost us the victory. To prepare for that “greatest weakness” question, think about one of those instances from your past, and what weakness may have been behind that failure. Now, here is the important part. Don’t just talk about the failure. Tell the interviewer what you learned from that instance, then how you got back on your feet and made sure your weakness didn’t cost you again.

To give you one example from a marketing manager:

“I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, and believed that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Eventually, I got so overwhelmed with my tasks that I began missing important deadlines. In desperation, I delegated a key part of a project to one of my employees, letting her know that the ball was all hers. She had more time and energy to devote to it than I could give at the time, and came up with creative ideas I never would have thought of. I learned from that situation that, if I want something done right, I should give it to the person who can give it the best attention. And that isn’t always me.”

So, when asked about your greatest weakness, you too can look like a hero. Just show the interviewer how you picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, learned from your mistakes, and got back into the game.