I have been doing a few interviews recently. I have heard the weakness question a few times. Whenever I hear it, I think of the (on speed) heroin addict Spud from Trainspotting claiming he is a “bit of a perfectionist”. Unfortunately I can’t use this. It would make me giggle. Have you got any ludicrous weaknesses I might use instead?
Kryptonite.
Debutants with big trust funds?
“Sometimes my obsession with customer service causes me to neglect personal hygeine.”
This is not helping. You are making me giggle.
“Sometimes I allow my overzealous work ethic to take hold of me, and I do not only my work, but my entire department’s. Sometimes this causes me to stay at my desk all night, which I guess makes the night watchman mad.”
Say this as apologetically as possible.
Okay then, serious answer: tell them the truth. Figure out what your weakness is, and be prepared to describe it, along with the coping mechanism you’ve developed to minimize the impact: “I tend get disorganized when I take on too many projects at once; knowing this about myself, I’ve developed a system using Franklin Planners, a laptop and satelites in geosynchronous orbit to help keep me on track.” Or whatever.
The interviewer will appreciate the honesty, be impressed by the fact that you’re self-aware, and really like the fact that you’ve taken pro-active steps to mitigate your little “problem”.
. . . this assumes, of course, that you have taken such steps.
Asthma
Try being honest, but with a positive spin. For example, my last job interview (for the job I have now) was for Tech Support. When asked, I said something to the effect that I need to remind myself to not always be goal oriented with Support calls. That sometimes I will know the answer to the customers problem before they finish asking it, but that I need to remember that the call is only partly about solving the problem and that it is also about making the customer feel like they are important and that I am listening to them.
See where I am going with that. I imply that I am self-aware and that I can be very competent but that I have learned the difficult social aspect of my job as well.
After quite a lot of introspection, I haven’t found any.
You
Thanks for the serious answers! I was not expecting those in this forum though they seem very good. I just had an interview today so I am glad of all suggestions. At the moment I am going with Genghis Bob’s suggestion, however!
Well, gee, I’m flattered. I don’t recommend you use it word-for-word, though.
Or if you do, make sure you don’t stumble on “geosynchronous.”
No, no! I was referring to
Which seems to me to be a terrible weakness.
A good answer:
“Well, honestly, my weakness is wanting to know and do to much. I enjoy being challenged so much that sometimes I just love to jump into every situation and solve it. This can be annoying to people who are less…enthusastic than myself, and has caused some problems. But sometimes has also made others around me re-evaluate themselves and their work effort.”
That is a great answer. Thanks.
I’d say laser-equipped monkeys, but then isn’t that really a universal weakness of mankind?
So I’d go with coked up supermodels.
I’d say laser-equipped monkeys, but then isn’t that really a universal weakness of mankind?
So I’d go with coked up supermodels.