Question: On A INTERVIEW IF THEY ASK THE QUESTION?

Question

what are your weaknesses what do you say back to them?

Answer 1

you are a perfectionist
family
too happy

Answer 2

I have interviewed a lot of people and frankly a lot of the typical techniques suggested for this question come off as very trite, superficial and even deflective and deceitful. A decent interviewer can see right through "I tend to be a little obsessive about completing projects in a timely and efficient matter."

I think it is best if you truly identify a weakness and then tell them what you are doing to improve upon it (and perhaps indicate the progress you have made with it so far). This represents a lot of things to the interviewer:
1. honesty
2. humility
3. realistic sense of self
4. willingness to grow in weak areas

I really think this approach works better than the canned answers you find recommended in the books (and, sorry guys, many of the ones posted here).

An example:
"I tend to be somwhat shy around new people and this can inhibit me from effectively sharing my ideas and thoughts with them. It is something I have been working on. I read so-and-so book and I am going to Toastmasters to become a better speaker. I know how important it is to make a great first impression on people in the business world."

One last disclaimer- of course don't be a knucklehead and identify a really wierd or reprehensible weakness. I've interviewed people and asked them this question and recieved some amazing answers!

An example

Good luck to you-

Answer 3

That's a tough one - Portray your weaknesses like they make little or no effect on your talent in executing a task in the workplace. You don't have to tell them all of your weaknesses. I believe it's illegal for interviewers to ask certain questions. You should know what those questions are prior to going into the interview so you can pass on some questions that'll make or break you getting the job. Always start and end on a good note. For example: If you're very accurate and correct people when they're wrong and you're applying for a customer service position, you might say something like this:

Interviewer: What do you believe to be your weaknesses?
You: I'm very articulate and that can be bad in some circumstances, but I believe this to be a useful skill in this customer service position because I'm very well educated and you need to be very accurate when providing people with the information needed to fix a problem. I may correct my mistakes and others at times, but in this position, I will contain myself if you will. I'm working to improve these things to make me more proficient. The customer is always right. (Ending on a good note)... I am very decisive (using the words think and believe can make yourself look unsure of your capabilities)... and I will be a good addition to your organization...

I've never been in an interview, but these are good tips to follow... Sometimes you just have to tell them what they want to hear.

Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Think about it ahead of time and come up with an answer that is truthful but also shows a good side. For example, you could say, I am impatient. This shows that you want to get a job done, so it's a "good" weakness. Another: I take too long sometimes to make a decision. This shows that you deliberate and think about your decision (which is good). The overall trick is to find something bad that makes you look good, or if they ask you about a strength, make it sound as if you still have a lot to learn about it, for example: I'm a great organizer, but there are many things I need to learn about organizing (like psychology, project management, and the like).

Answer 5

You always want to turn a negative into a positive. In most interview questions they are trying to get you in a position to tell something negative about yourself to eliminate you from the pool. What you should do is speak on something you may not be great at, but make it sound as if you have improved in that area and are continuing to work on it. For example if you are bad with computers you could say that your computer proficiency is not where you would like it to be because you strive to be the best in all areas of your work. Tell them you spend time working on the computer to be smarter, faster and more competitive than the next person. Something like that. I hope that gives you a good start.

Answer 6

If they specifically ask about your weakness, tell them something that doesn't relate directly to the job or something that can be readily corrected. For example, if your job is going to be a receptionist, but you do not have experience doing accounting (though you do have knowledge), tell the interviewer that while you have been training in bookkeeping and accounting, you did not have a job where that skill will be used and you feel that you will be a quick study if this job requires you to do any of this.

Answer 7

Whatever you do don't say "My only weakness is I work so hard or all the time"; That's #1 TURNOFF! Say something like:"My weakness, no matter what, is my family; They will always be #1 and I work hard to make that happen". You likey? If the company hires you, you know that they're a nice, family oriented place to work; if they don't, then you probably wouldn't have been happy there!

Answer 8

Give them a weakness, but tell them how you handle it and overcome it. For example, my MAJOR weakness is that I totally suck at math. I mean totally. I have always avoided any job that would involve math, including assistant to an SVP-Finance. However, I tell them that because I'm aware that it's a weakness, I'm always very careful about checking my work to be sure it is accurate.

Oh, and guess what? I'm an auditor now. Go figure. It's my attention to detail.

Answer 9

If they ask you a question about your weakness... of course you always turn it around in your favor.

For example, if your weakness is giving in too easily... say something like:
"I'm not one who prefers conflicts. So in order to avoid confrontations, I have always compromised my position. But I've realized that that only presents myself as a vulnerable pushover. So over the years, I've learned to establish my position in my opinions... but I always listen to the others' side of the story first and takes it into consideration."

Answer 10

Sometimes I say that I have workaholic tendencies and a difficult time saying no.

Sometimes I pick a particular skill that they probably don't need anyway: "I would like to be more proficient in Visio, because I know the program is capable of so much more than the basic flowcharts I can create."

Answer 11

You state a weekness and turn it into a postitive. For instance I would say I have a lot of anxienty however it is in their favor because I strive to always complete my tasks and make sure my duties are done on time and go above an beyond their expectations.