NER: Job Interview Q

LittleMissWifey

How would you/do you answer this question:

What is your biggest weakness and why? 

Just curious!

MarquisDoll

Chocolate.  Because it's yummy.

LittleMissWifey

MarquisDoll:

Chocolate.  Because it's yummy.

That's what you would say in a job interview? 

caden

I always answer "impatience" b/c everyone is impatient to some extent. So it's a real weakness but not anything that would make an interviewer recoil.

MarquisDoll

LittleMissWifey:

MarquisDoll:

Chocolate.  Because it's yummy.

That's what you would say in a job interview? 

I was making a joke...hence the wink face...

I've actually only gotten that question once - an interview for a sales position at Victoria's Secret.  I don't remember what I said, but I got the job.  I think it's a stupid question that encourages people to bs.  I imagine most people use the perfectionist line.

gypsygirl15

 I HATE this damn question.

it's such a toss up. should you to turn your negative into a positive? i.e. i "take on too much"  or "i'm a workaholic"? or will that seem insincere? and lord knows you shouldn't be completely honest and admit to being a procrastinator, even if it is utterly true-- lord knows it is in my case.

sigh, i guess the best way to answer this is to try to spin your answer  without going overboard into brownnose territory, you know?

mr+ms

Weakness: procrastination. But I have used it to my advantage, so I excel at working efficiently under pressure

LittleMissWifey

Yes, I hate this question. And I have been asked it once before and I don't think my answer was very good at the time. I have a feeling that it will come up again during this massive panel interview tomorrow. It's such a lame question.

Sorry, MD for not catching your wink! Lol! 

Sibil

It's better than the question my sister got.  "If you were a car, what would you be and why."

My imperfection answer, paperwork.  I hate it, and I procrastinate on it.  I think everyone can relate to that.  Now, if the job were 100% paperwork, I'd probably find something else to say.

 A friend told me that the "right" answer is that she's 5 minutes late to everything regardless how hard she tries.  It's admitting an imperfection that really isn't that detrimental but is relateable and not a suck up answer.  I don't know if I'd say it, though.  I'm proud of my on time-ness.  And I get mad at late people.
 

mxolisi

I usually use this question to talk about a weakness that I have dealt with. Something along the lines of, I used to not be well organized and then at job x, I couldn't succeed without organization so I had to find a system that worked for me, and by implementing x y and z I managed to conquer that problem and now have a system of organization that works for me.

LittleMissWifey

5 minutes late to everything doesn't sound like a great answer...how do you spin that into a positive?

Brookles

"Why don't I tell you what my greatest weaknesses are? I work too hard. I care too much. And sometimes I can be too invested in my job"

 The weakness thing is such a BS interview question... I wonder why people even ask it anymore, ya know? I usually say something about attention to detail, too, but I know it's a BS-y answer to a BS-y question.

Good luck tomorrow!

gypsygirl15

mxolisi:

I usually use this question to talk about a weakness that I have dealt with. Something along the lines of, I used to not be well organized and then at job x, I couldn't succeed without organization so I had to find a system that worked for me, and by implementing x y and z I managed to conquer that problem and now have a system of organization that works for me.

this is great. i'm totally employing this tactic for next time. i still hate this damn question.

LittleMissWifey

I'm pretty sure it's asked only to trip you up. Which is a stupid reason to ask a question, IMO.

Overcoming a certain weakness is a great response! 

Elizabeth81

I wouldn't go with the 5 minutes late answer to a legal job interview.

I was sponsoring a colleague for federal court admission on Friday, and someone came in late and got a huge lecture from the judge. In federal court, "on time" is late.

LittleMissWifey

Elizabeth81:

I wouldn't go with the 5 minutes late answer to a legal job interview.

No. It sounds like a particularly fatal answer for law jobs. But, IMO, it sounds like a bad answer for anyone only b/c there is no way you can spin that into a good thing. Sibil, I think your friend is lucky to survived that question! It's like saying: "My weakness is that I steal post-its."  Lol.

Sibil

No, she wasn't in law.  She was a corporate trainer.  Sad thing is, she mentioned this as part of a class she gave on interviewing skills.  I think the point is that you shouldn't be afraid to admit to a minor problem you have.  It's honest, and honesty is refreshing.  Of course, it has to be a minor problem for you to get away with it.  In some jobs, 5 minutes late to things isn't a big deal I guess.  Obviously, you have to know your audience.

Pescalita

I go with a version of the perfectionist line - I'm too thorough, I get caught up in a task to the detriment of other tasks. It really is true, and it's definitely a weakness, but yeah it's a brownnosing answer.

I almost feel like the point of the question is to see how creatively you can get out of the catch22. 

kristinrae914

mr+ms:

Weakness: procrastination. But I have used it to my advantage, so I excel at working efficiently under pressure

That is EXACTLY what I said in my last interview!  I didn't get the job, but I still think the interview went well.....