I have an interview on Friday for an admin assistant. A leading question is always...?

Question

Have you any weakness? A part from the obvious I haven't any, what could I answer?

Answer 1

"I tend to be a perfectionist, i work really hard untill i am sure what i'm working on is the best it can be."

"i can overthink a situation, i analyse every possible solution to a problem which can take longer than a quick decision."

They are both good :-)

Answer 2

No worries - I've had this job about 4 times! They vary a lot depending on the company, but a few questions you might get are: How do you deal with stress? Give me an example of a time when you handled a problem effectively. What are you most proud of? Give me an example of a time when you worked as a team to accomplish something. If you have 10 things to do and are feeling overwhelmed, how do you decide what to do first? (good answer here is to make a list and methodically go through each thing, checking them off as you get them done) Where do you see yourself in five years? Tell me about your computer experience. (If they just say, "Tell me about your experiences," be prepared. Just because it's a broad question doesn't mean it's unanswerable. Just have something kind of ready in the back of your mind) What is your biggest weakness? Your greatest strength? How do you handle it when you've made a mistake (they may even ask for an example) Hope this helps. Good luck at the interview tomorrow. Just smile, sit up straight and speak articulately. It's okay to say, "I'm not sure how to answer that - could we come back to that one?" But you probably know that if you've had interviews before! Take care.

Answer 3

Try to turn a weakness into an opportunity to express your strengths.

e.g. you may say you're not familiar with what the company does on an day to day basis (as you would be a new member of staff) especially in respect of what your job may entail from day one.

Then use the opportunity you give examples where you are a quick learner, show you're not afraid to ask questions and do your best to learn how the company operates and fit in with the team you work with.

P.S Don't say you're a perfectionist - I would'nt employ an admin assistant who takes too long to do something especially where 80% of perfect is acceptable.

Good luck

Answer 4

For illustrative purposes only; the author makes no claim that any of the following are true examples:

One weakness I have is that it takes me a while to wake up and get started in the morning, even on a full night's sleep. What I've done to compensate for this is that I get up two hours earlier than most people would, and have some coffee, run five miles, and get a shower, so that I'm wide awake at the time my alarm would otherwise be going off.

Another weakness I have is that I take on too many tasks to be able to remember them all. I compensate for this by making a written list of tasks I have to accomplish, and put marks by the ones that absolutely have to be done today. I find it makes me more productive, and I get a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day looking at all the items I crossed off the list.

See the pattern? If they ask about your weaknesses, tell them how you turned your weaknesses into strengths.

Answer 5

What you should do is take a few of your strengths and turn them around. For example...you may say that you are a perfectionist...both a weakness and a strength, depending on how you play it. Or your showcasing your dedication to work by saying you rarely take time off, willing to put in the extra effort by working evenings/weekends. There are other ways to use a strength as a weakness, but my brain is tired so hopefully you get the idea.

Answer 6

Never say that you haven't this shows arrogance and isn't the best answer. Pick something that you won't need in the job, a good example is scientific thinking although in some jobs this can be required in analysing numbers etc. Another good one is that you are a perfectionist, that you sometimes dwell too much on details and wanting to get things right - this shows a level of consciencousness in your work and is actually a veiled positive.

Answer 7

What is "the obvious"? Are you too shy to tell us, and if so is that your weakness? Otherwise, you can say "undue modesty", and this will be followed by a question about your strengths.

Answer 8

Don't just make up something for the sake of answering the question. Your interviewer might probe you further, in which case you would look stupid. Just be honest and say what you think.
Good luck, and let us know if you get the job!

Answer 9

I'm sure that any weakness I may have will be shortlived If I was working for a forward looking company like this!

Answer 10

I would say that I was far too strong and intelligent to have a weakness,