Job Interview Question/Answer Help

Don't do the weakness as a strength thing. That's lame.

Be honest about your weaknesses but explain how you plan to overcome them. If this is your first job a good thing to admit is your lack of experience. The question is more about being honest with yourself rather than giving them weapons to use against you.

 

i tell them kryptonite is my weakness

 

It's a bs question, but that doesn't mean you can give a bs answer, which is what your answer is. Everyone has weaknesses. Some people waste too much time reading Clutchfans, some people have terrible memories, but everyone has real and identifiable weaknesses.

You should answer the question with a real weakness that you have somehow remedied. I personally don't have a great memory. To remedy this, I don't give myself a chance to forget. Anything I need to remember is immediately stored in my phone or planner.

Do NOT say that you work too hard, care too much, or anything like that.

 

i usually say my biggest weakness is that at times i can be OCD and become overly obsessed with my work. then i go on and talk about how i know it can be annoying for co-workers, etc.

lack of experience is another good one.

 

The dumbest question that someone has asked me during a job interview is, "Why is it important to come to work early?" G, I don't know? It's better than being behind I guess.

 

I was actually a peer advisor at McCombs for 1st year MBAs, so I did quite a few mock interviews for them (in addition to doing dozens of my own in search of full time work). My answer usually is one of the following:

- Not being aggressive enough -> deferring to management, being somewhat afraid to speaking out in meetings when I had a dissenting opinion. Remedied with confidence and experience on the job, and gaining the trust of co-workers, learning how to be aggressive but at the same time respectful. Driving home the point of wanting to better the overall business, not just my individual department.

- Presenting in front of upper management -> again, ties back to the previous one. There were times in my last job where I couldn't make it past slide 3 without getting torn a new one from a manager or director. However, I've found the best way to remedy this is simply with experience. Try to take advantage of as many high-visibility projects as possible. Managers are like a pack of wild dogs and can sense fear. So now I try to get as comfortable with the subject matter as possible, do the necessary sensitivity analysis, and state all assumptions in a clear, concise manner.

 

Whatever weakness you name, make sure you describe how you have already overcome it or name a weakness that isn't really a weakness.

 

MY weakness:

I think too much about sex.

 

Say that your weakness is that you're too overqualified for the job and that you're gonna remedy it by taking over the company.

 

I went through interview hell this past semester, and this is what I learned about this question...It's sort of a heat check. If you're not prepared for this question, it will kick your ass. Interviewers know that you're not going to say, I have questionable morals," etc... They want to see if you can answer a question that doesn't really have a good answer. You need to answer the question articulately and without exposing some major character flaw.

I believe that my example fits the mold. It is still a weakness, but I have found a way to make up for it. This is what they want to hear. My answer definitely isn't perfect, but it's the answer that I became best at articulating and explaining.

 

My weaknesses are bad pay and coming to work late. I overcame the bad pay by reducing my effort to the level I thought is commiserate to the pay. I overcame coming to work late by having my coworker clock me in or just calling in sick.

 

Choose a weakness that is not a deal-breaker. For example if it's a sales position, don't mention something like you're impatient with others or that you don't like to present. Say something like you need to work on organizing paperwork. If you're seeking a finance position, exact opposite. Make a list of the key skills in that position, and anything that doesn't fit remotely on that list can be a "weakness."

 

My weakness is big boobs and hot women in thongs.

 

Sorry CB for replying late but...

I used to be a head hunter, and the advice I always give my friends on this lame questions is to say, "I am my own biggest critic"

Lame answer, I know. But most employers want to know that you can be critical on yourself, and that you want to be better. It's not necessarily a weakness, but being hard on yourself shows you're diligent, you actually CARE about your work, and that you're willing to strive to be better.

As much as everyone's weaknesses may honestly be "I hate being told what to do" or "women in thongs" or "reading clutchfans", you REALLY can turn that question into something constructive and positive.

Some may disagree but that seems like the rudimentary answer to that lame question. Hope this helps anyone else in the near future.

 

No wonder you're depressed, homeboy.

 

That's actually a really good answer...Btw, I have no weakness, so it doesn't matter...