The Difference Between Weakness and Failure

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Mar 7, 2011

In addition to having to respond to questions about your weaknesses, there is a strong possibility you will also be asked about an incident when you failed. While you may loathe these questions just as much, they are quite different than "weakness" questions, and the same answers typically cannot be used for both. Normally, a failure essay will ask you to discuss a time where things did not go as you had hoped. You might well talk about a personal weakness in the essay, but the failure is a separate incident. You can then proceed to write about what you took away from the event and how you used this knowledge in the future.

When you talk about a failure, you might be part of a group that did not succeed. If that is the case, make sure not to blame the other members of the team. You need to take responsibility for your actions in order to show evidence that you learned from the experience.

On the other hand, a weakness is not a singular occurrence; it is one or a number of qualities that you have on a continuous basis that can be enhanced. Forgive me for discussing an elementary word, but I cannot tell you how many weakness essays discuss a singular occurrence, and how many failure essays discuss weaknesses.

In the same way as talking about a weakness can reveal strength, speaking honestly about failure can be critical to your MBA applications. In one situation, I had a client who had been laid off a number of times throughout his career. He was very worried about revealing this to the business school admissions committees. Regardless, when he actually did talk about these incidents, he also showed self-awareness and an ability to learn from his mistakes. He demonstrated maturity, purpose, and a number of qualities that MBA programs are looking for. In the end, this candidate was not only admitted to a top MBA program, but he also received an award.

In addition to asking you to discuss your failures or weaknesses, some business school applications may ask about setbacks that have occurred in your life. The examples you discuss may be very different from other instances. As an example, the death of a family member, cancer, or other issues may have resulted in a poor situation. These examples are setbacks, but an illness, for example, would not be considered a weakness. You should understand these slight differences in the language of your essay questions. In these situations, make sure that you follow directions and answer exactly what is being asked. Business school admissions committees are looking to find out specific information and responding to the wrong question is not the right way to answer the question.

For more robust guidance on your MBA application essays, check out the Stacy Blackman Consulting Essay Guide Series school specific guides with essay tips, sample essays, information on what your target schools value and more.

Visit http://www.stacyblackman.com/essay-guides/ to learn more.