Answering Tough Interview Questions: What’s Your Weakness?
June 19th 2008 01:19
This is my absolute favorite question. What’s my weakness? Boy, does that one give me an opportunity to shine in a job interview. Any good interviewee can turn that question around to make them look great. On the other hand, it can kill you, especially if you just use the textbook answer rather than think about something that truly is a weakness for you.
The textbook answer that I often hear people give is, “I’m a perfectionist.” Ok, great. Are you really? Or are you just saying that to make me think you care about how well you do a job? Because I hear it so often, I tend to doubt people when they saying. I prefer to hear something from someone that shows that they really did some soul searching to discover their faults. I better answer might be, “I have issues with procrastination, but since I know that’s a problem, I force myself to work on projects I don’t like at a certain time each day.” It’s better to identify a real weakness, show that you recognize it, and identify how you keep it from becoming a barrier at work. It makes the interviewer feel like they are getting to know the real you by showing that you can be honest and look closely at your own faults.
A really bad answer I hear is, “I don’t have any weaknesses” or “Gee, I can’t think of any right now.” What that tells me is that you didn’t read any interviewing books (or great blogs) and didn’t really prepare for this interview. Or even worse, you really think that you are perfect. If you are perfect, than why aren’t you a millionaire in your own right?
Ok, so when it comes to interviewing, be honest with yourself and the potential employer. Don’t make yourself look bad by not preparing for questions in advance. Finally, be yourself so the interviewer gets an opportunity to meet the real you.
The textbook answer that I often hear people give is, “I’m a perfectionist.” Ok, great. Are you really? Or are you just saying that to make me think you care about how well you do a job? Because I hear it so often, I tend to doubt people when they saying. I prefer to hear something from someone that shows that they really did some soul searching to discover their faults. I better answer might be, “I have issues with procrastination, but since I know that’s a problem, I force myself to work on projects I don’t like at a certain time each day.” It’s better to identify a real weakness, show that you recognize it, and identify how you keep it from becoming a barrier at work. It makes the interviewer feel like they are getting to know the real you by showing that you can be honest and look closely at your own faults.
A really bad answer I hear is, “I don’t have any weaknesses” or “Gee, I can’t think of any right now.” What that tells me is that you didn’t read any interviewing books (or great blogs) and didn’t really prepare for this interview. Or even worse, you really think that you are perfect. If you are perfect, than why aren’t you a millionaire in your own right?
Ok, so when it comes to interviewing, be honest with yourself and the potential employer. Don’t make yourself look bad by not preparing for questions in advance. Finally, be yourself so the interviewer gets an opportunity to meet the real you.
| 65 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Janet Collins
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog