Humblebragging. It’s an art in it’s own right. And when it comes to job interviews, let the humblebrags begin. When the dreaded “What’s your biggest weakness?” question pops up (and it will), do you retort, “I can be too much of a perfectionist,” or “I take on too much responsibility and don't delegate”?

Many of us have been taught to put a positive spin on replies, turning any potential shortcomings into strengths in a bid to get the upper hand.

But is that really what recruiters want to hear? We turned to question-and-answer site Quora to find out what recruiters had to say about whether you should turn a weakness into an opportunity to humblebrag your way into a job.

Spare me

“Please... don't. Just stop,” wrote Chau Nguyen, who has screened 250,000 CVs, interviewed 50,000 candidates and hired 4,000 people.

“This is like saying ‘I wish for world peace’ during a beauty pageant interview. You think you're clever by turning the question into an opportunity to brag when in reality it just makes you look bad,” he wrote.

Nguyen has asked the question countless times and cringes when he hears the following answers: “ I'm a perfectionist; I work too hard; I care too much; or I don't have any.”

These responses come across as trite and fake, recruiters overwhelmingly responded.

“It's important to understand why the interviewer is asking this question,” Nguyen continued. “This is chance for you to show that you are humble, aware of your shortfalls, and are actively working to improve on them.”

True colours

What recruiter Jae Alexis Lee appreciates is honesty.

“Having someone squirm to make their chosen ‘weakness’ seem like an asset doesn't help me form an opinion of the person at all,” she wrote.