When is a weakness a strength?
There are many cases where a strength might be a weakness in disguise. As a classic example, if someone is in the field of accounting, their weakness might be that they sometimes pay so much attention to details that they lose sight of the big picture. This weakness, in the accounting field, is really a strength. A weakness I have is that I tend to multitask so much that I sometimes find myself doing too many things at once. In my field, this is also a strength in that I need to be able to handle multiple tasks at one time. Some people have overcome personal challenges (illness, for instance) which may have taken a toll in other ways, but gave them greater empathy for others with similar challenges, something which might be appreciated in the nonprofit world (depending on the organization you apply to).
The key with a weakness is to show you are self-aware about your own challenges, and explain how you are working to overcome this weakness. For my weakness, I explain that while I do tend to multitask too much, I am always able to shut off any distractions and focus 110% on a client who is sitting in front of me. I put all of my attention into the other person’s issues and try to facilitate their career questions. In addition, I am able to stay on track and focused in my work because I keep an organized to-do list and calendar.
Heather Krasna, PhD & Associates 