I can well remember wondering why the heck anyone would ask me inane questions about my strengths, weaknesses, and where I want to be in 5 years. Until I started doing the hiring myself. I learned that what these questions are really asking:
- Do you know why you’re here?
- Do you know who we are and what we do?
- Do you know what I want?
- Do you know who you are?
- Are you honest?
- Are you articulate?
- Are you easily flustered?
My advice? Be yourself. Be the best version of yourself, of course, but be yourself. Unless you have a really weak interviewer sitting across from you, he will know if you are just playing him.
Another bit of advice that I would assume everyone knows (but based on my interviews is not the case): find out whatever you can about the company and the interviewer ahead of time. Many times the strength/weakness/5 year plan questions practically answer themselves if you know what the company is looking for.
And for the sake of all that is good, do not invent a weakness. Do not dress up a strength as a weakness (interviewers read Dilbert too). Either go with one you really have, or if you honestly can say that you have no pertinent weaknesses, then point out one of your areas that you would like to improve the most.
Another bit: many times the interviewer is as nervous as you are. Hiring somebody is a big decision, and if you screw it up, that’s going to hurt you for a long time. Anything you can do to make them feel at ease is going to improve your chances; one of those things is honestly telling them who you are (your best version, of course).
And please note: I always assume that the person sitting in front of me is the best version of that person I am ever going to see. This is his (or hers, but for brevity I’m sticking to “his” today) best suit. This is his best mood. This is him at his most eloquent and at his most informed. So don’t be afraid or embarassed to impress me, because I’m expecting you to do exactly that.
And although you didn’t ask, I will throw in a bonus tip sort of related to the uncomfortable “about me” questions: sometimes interviewers will intentionally or unintentionally put you in a “stress” position. The classic is to position you so that you are looking directly into the sun. Another favorite is to set two interviewers so that you can only see one at a time. There are lots of others. In these cases, the best solution is to politely ask the interviewer to rearrange things so that you are no longer in that stress position. For instance, darken the window or move so that you are no longer staring at the sun. You win, regardless of what happens.
Most of the time he apologizes, and you get out of the stress position. If he refuses, then you know that this is merely a stress test, so it’s mostly defanged anyway.