“What's Your Greatest Weakness?” — IB Interview Answer

Free sample from the Deskcraft question bank

“What's your greatest weakness?” trips up more candidates than any technical. The trap is a fake weakness (“I work too hard”) or a disqualifying one. This guide shows how to give a real, self-aware weakness with evidence you're already fixing it — with coaching answers from the Deskcraft bank.

1. Tell me about yourself in 90 seconds.

Model answer

A tight arc: origin (degree/school, one line), 2-3 experiences each framed as what I did → what I learned → how it pointed here, and a landing on why this seat now. Selective, chronological, quantified at least once, and tailored to the firm type. It should sound like a thesis for hiring you, not a biography.

2. Walk me through your CV.

Model answer

A top answer is a 90-second narrative, not a list: a quick origin (degree, school), 2–3 experiences each framed as "what I did → what I learned → why it pushed me toward this seat", and a close that lands on why this role, now. It is chronological, selective, and ends pointing at the interviewer's firm type.

3. Describe a time you managed competing priorities or deadlines.

Model answer

Show a system: how you triaged, communicated with stakeholders and delivered, with the result. It maps directly to juggling multiple deals and staffers as an analyst.

4. How do you compensate for your weaknesses on a team?

Model answer

Show awareness and systems: checklists for detail, leaning on teammates' strengths, and over-preparing where you are weaker.