What would you change about yourself, if anything?
Interviewers regularly employ open-ended questions to assess a variety of elusive aspects of candidates’ personalities and values. For instance, in order to assess applicants’ potential for professional and personal growth, hiring managers and employers might ask them what they should do better. If you’re preparing for an upcoming interview, learning how to answer this question effectively may be helpful.
In this article, we’ll explain why employers ask this question, provide tips on how to effectively respond to it, and provide three example responses you may use as a template.
Why would you alter even one aspect about yourself, as employers inquire?
Potential employers may ask you this question to gauge your level of self-awareness and your motivation to improve professionally. Your comment might also help employers better grasp your values, work ethic, and character. If you are a good fit for the company culture and the position you are interviewing for, employers may be able to tell from this.
How to react If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
In order to respond to this question and make a good first impression, you might need to speak gently about your inadequacies. Even though finishing this activity could be challenging, the step-by-step guidelines that follow will assist you in creating a compelling response:
1. Decide on an aspect of yourself that won’t hinder your ability to do your function.
As you begin to formulate your response, carefully consider which of your numerous personality traits you can profit from changing. Pick a trait that won’t immediately affect your ability to succeed in your career. This strategy allows you to openly address any qualities you want to enhance without endangering your candidacy.
2. Be professional but open while discussing your flaws.
When discussing your own flaws with the interviewer, make an effort to be open and real in order to come off as sincere. Additionally, make an effort to preserve objectivity and professionalism while being aware of your flaws and how they affect you. You may show prospective employers and hiring managers that you are self-aware and able to take criticism without becoming offended by achieving this balance.
3. Describe your desire to improve and advance.
Make an effort to demonstrate your want to improve both professionally and personally throughout your response. Talk in depth about your reasons and how developing yourself can help you accomplish your goals. Many firms place a high emphasis on candidates who have adopted a growth-oriented mindset and actively try to improve themselves.
4. Outline a plan for growth and indicate any room for advancement.
When you’re finished, try to define a precise growth strategy. Describe the improvements you’ve already made to your life and what you can do to grow moving forward. You can also want to underline that you want to take advantage of the professional development opportunities offered by the organization you’re interviewing with in order to demonstrate your commitment.
What, for instance, about yourself would you change if you could?
You could gain more insight into how to effectively write your own response by studying sample answers to interview questions. As you prepare for your interview, you might refer to the following three examples of answers given to this question by professionals in diverse fields:
Ex. 1: A professor
“If I could change one thing about myself, I think it would be my tendency to overthink my job. Because I am conscious of the beneficial implications our interactions can have on their academic achievement and social-emotional well-being, I cherish my relationships with my students as a teacher.
I sometimes put too much time and effort into thinking about my students and observing how they behave. I take into account several factors, such as how well they retain my lessons, whether I’ve been successful in helping them, and whether there is anything I am missing.
Although I am aware that this urge is motivated by a real desire to see my students succeed, it frequently gets in the way of my ability to unwind at the end of the day, take pleasure in my spare time, and focus on other, more productive tasks.
I’d like to minimize my tendency to overthink my work so that I can take enough time for myself and feel confident that my students are getting the assistance they need by organizing and improving my work-life balance. I am always looking for ways to become a better teacher for my kids because I know I am capable of doing so.”
Nurse in Figure 2
“It can be very difficult for me as a nurse to say no to requests to work extra shifts in order to support my team and our patients. I sincerely believe it is my responsibility to fill the emergency department’s need for nurses. We have a responsibility to provide dependable, life-saving care to the patients who visit the ED. I frequently take on too much as a result, which makes it challenging for me to find the time required for self-care.
Therefore, if there was one thing I could change about myself, it would be to become more adept at setting boundaries and understanding when to take a break. If I limited the number of extra shifts I worked each week, I think I’d be a better nurse overall. This would help me keep my energy levels up and make sure I was offering my patients the best possible bedside care. It might take some getting used to, but if it means providing better patient care, I’m prepared to put in the time and effort.”
Example 3: A creative person.
“As a graphic designer, I have to be meticulous about the numerous interconnected elements that go into each piece of my work and pay great attention to every single detail. Unfortunately, I tend to get bogged down in the details since I like to check that my drawings are perfect before submitting them for client approval. This aids in my ability to consistently produce high-quality work, but it also slows down my workflow, which may be uncomfortable for me given that I usually have deadlines to meet.
If I could, I would change how I approach my work and streamline my process to prevent delays in my workflow. Even though I am conscious of the necessity to exercise caution and pay close attention to detail in my role, I sometimes go too far in terms of quality assurance, and I believe it might be advantageous if I could determine when and how to recognize when a project is finished for the benefit of both my clients and myself. I’m now working to achieve this with every project I work on and am hopeful that I will soon find a balance.”
