Question about Job Interviews.. Any help is much appreciated.

[tjanuranus]

I haven't been on a interview in over 10 years but i was recently laid off and I'm going to be going on some soon. I don't know what the proper answer to this question is... "What is your biggest weakness?"

What kind of answer do you suggest for this question?

[Adami]

I haven't been on a interview in over 10 years but i was recently laid off and I'm going to be going on some soon. I don't know what the proper answer to this question is... "What is your biggest weakness?"

What kind of answer do you suggest for this question?

List under developed skills.

[orcus116]

There's an older interview thread floating around that has the answer to that I think. I believe XJDenton answered a bunch of questions on interview stuff.

[tjanuranus]

i searched the word interview but nothing came up. Strange.

[LTE777]

As someone who has been made an offer for the last 8 out of 8 job interviews this is the answer i always used for this question:

"My main weakness is that i get frustrated or impatient when the quality of my work is not up the standards that i set myself as part of my personal goal planning.  But a way i have dealt with this over the years is to evaluate my successes and my failures to ensure that I always gain experience in finding new and improved ways to doing things to add a value driven approach to any task i carry out on behalf of the employer".

Works every time...hope it helps you.

[orcus116]

I know that works but good god do I hate throwing that bullshit wording around. I know it's bullshit, the interviewer knows it's bullshit but it's one of those things that gets eaten up and accepted as correct.

[j]

I've had a lot of success with interviews as well, and I usually cite impatience as my "weakness".  It's fairly easy to spin into a "strength", and I've never had trouble doing it without any of that contrived, obviously rehearsed language (I've never been one to really prepare for interviews).

-J

[LTE777]

I know that works but good god do I hate throwing that bullshit wording around. I know it's bullshit, the interviewer knows it's bullshit but it's one of those things that gets eaten up and accepted as correct.

Obviously you need to sometimes feed people what they want to hear but you have 30 mins to paint a picture of yourself as being the 'only' possible candidate for the job.

But if you truly believe it or come across as genuine, smart interviewers can easily fall for it too.

[ricky]

over-analyzer is always a safe bet.

[robwebster]

I've always been taught to share a genuine weakness, but turn it into a strength.

"I guess that I'm a little bit of a control freak. I do have a bit of a tendency to get agitated if I've done x amount of good work and then I come back and someone's moved everything around. So yeah, that's perhaps kind of inflexible, but once I take on a task I kind of need to see it through to completion myself and give it the full attention it deserves, so I'm not gonna change any time soon."

Resolute, accepts it as a flaw, but reflects well on you.

[tjanuranus]

thanks for the help guys. You gave me some good ideas. I like the one about getting frustrated by not working up to my own standards. That's a slick one.

[XJDenton]

[7StringedBeast]

I would answer something that you really think is a weakness, and then explain how that company can help you strengthen that weakness, or how you are actively trying to strengthen that quality.

[Durg]

Always be honest.  Lying gets you back on the unemployment line.  It usually comes back to bite you. 

Just talk to them with respect and just tell one or two weakness you think you have.  Then talk about how you compensate for them or how you have worked to overcome then.

Here are a couple of things I've used in the past.

*  "I tend to be a bit absent minded so I've learned to live off of many lists.  It's a discipline that I've learned to develop to help me remember things when times get really crazy."

*  "Being from the rural south and from a family that didn't thrive on good communications, I've really had to work hard on my communication skills over the years.  I've taken classes on communication, speech, and writing that has helped me, but I supposed it'll always be something I fight to improve.  I have learned to take extra time double checking my e-mails and with the more important e-mails and documents, I have others double check them for me.  As far as verbal communication, I spent several years working as an adjunct teacher at the college level and that has really helped me to think more about what I say and how I say it.  I'm always looking for ways to improve my communication skills."


Notice that I'm admitting that I am weak in an area but that I'm actively on top of it and always looking to improve.  The thing is we all have weaknesses and good interviewers know that.  How you answer a self evaluation question like that tells the interviewer a lot about a person. 

Generally an interviewer can tell if a person is being real and if they will be "teachable" by asking a questions like this.

[lordxizor]

I've always been taught to share a genuine weakness, but turn it into a strength.

Yep. This is the way to so it. Tell them about a weakness, but then immediately tell them how you work hard to overcome this weakness.

[millahh]

I can't link to it right now, but I was the thread stater for "job interviewing do's an don'ts", which should help you find it.

[millahh]

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=8401.0

[Chino]

What if you said... "As of right now I have no weakness other than bullets. When I find I do become weak, I stop being weak and be awesome instead".