Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common “What’s your greatest weakness?” question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, “I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do,” or “I’m a perfectionist.”

That would be a mistake.

Why? Because interviewers have heard these canned answers over and over again.

If you use one of them, it will likely backfire on you. Because the hiring manager will think: