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On April 04 2012 00:24 pirsq wrote: I wouldn't want to work anywhere that would ask me a question that doesn't say anything useful about myself, and basically just tests my ability to regurgitate a rehearsed answer. you will be asked this question in most job interviews, at least if the process is anything like in the USA
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There's no bad interview, every interview you do, makes you (or should) better for the next one.
A bad quality can be anything really, what is important is to show them that you've identified it and are working/have worked on improving it, and ideally provide examples of it. Doesnt have to be professionnal experience, can be linked to school or even non-curricular like managing a local sports team, a fundraiser or other social outlet.
I'm usually upfront about these things, you dont want to appear overconfident, but you want to show them that you're always striving on improving yourself, even in areas where you perform well.
If I take back your example about not being a team player. You could explain that during your studies, you got used to relying on yourself and thus dont have as much experience working with a team. At which point you concede that bigger projects needs the involvement of multiple specialists and that you strive to be a part of these large scale projects.
My personal example was the following: I was'nt organized or didnt keep track of my train of thoughts when I worked on design projects or basicly any science projects. I would just scribble things left and right and come up with the answer. As important as it is in school, it is even more so in a company. I've learned to work with agendas, design logs, keep my files and folders up to date, annoted, etc. There's room for improvement still, but I'm aware of it and working on it.
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last time i replied: im bad at answering questions like these and that i need a while to remember names of others
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On April 04 2012 00:20 Dujek wrote: You could say,
"I'm not aware of any bad qualities I might have because whenever I discover a problem I work at fixing it quickly."
or something to that effect.
Nope. Never answer the question this way. This question comes up a lot in interviews, and if you BS it with something like "Well, I guess I work TOO hard! hahahaha" 90% of the time, you won't get the job. Employers want real answers, so answer in a real way. That doesn't mean you can't provide a "but" part of the sentence, though.
For example, I would say something like "Well, I've been shy all my life, because I'm an only child and a bit of an introvert. But, I've been working on this problem by (blah blah blah)"
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Perfectionist is always the answer to this.
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On April 04 2012 00:23 urbanleg wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 00:21 msl wrote: My biggest weakness is my inability to answer questions like this with a straight face.
(I actually said something like this once and got the job) mind = blown
My then boss was a BOSS, if you know what I mean. But in general, I found that often it is more important to get across your personality rather then finding all the "right" answers. Leave them with the impression that you're a complete person that can think for himself rather then a drone.
(This advice does not apply to workplaces looking for drones (callcenter ect...))
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Perhaps you should have only given 1 "bad" quality. Next time they ask you this question, this is the answer that will guarantee you the job: "Haven't come out of the closet."
EDIT: Why should everything be the truth? Successfully convincing someone of the truth of a lie is a matter of having a poker face.
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On April 04 2012 00:24 pirsq wrote: I wouldn't want to work anywhere that would ask me a question that doesn't say anything useful about myself, and basically just tests my ability to regurgitate a rehearsed answer. In my experience, this sort of stuff is commonplace in the HR phase of the interview.
When you move on to the stage where you are interviewed my someone in your area of work, this sort of substanceless bullshit isn't spoken of.
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Getting a laugh out of the interviewer in this type of question is often worth more than answering it. Make a good joke.
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1) i prefer to study alone (failed - not a team player)
teamwork doesnt exist, companies want you to finish your job. Teamwork is more of a who does what kind of thing, and to be fair most places have a boss who tells everyone what to do. Just go for: After the assesment of Whats to do you finish your part quickly and then integrate it with the other when basic functions are done.
2) im stressed out easily (failed - that might be a problem) -> thats why you plan ahead
there are no postive or negative qualities, just try to explain yourself, thats what thery want to see that you can reason(you can give productive feedback in meetings or to customers) and that you keep calm under pressure. Maybe you get stressed out in comfortable in certain situation, but argue thats why you kinda map out in your head(or preplan) what you say or how the conversation goes. Or when you get stressed out when too much people want you to do work at the same time, thats why you plan your appointments and work inquiries.
And the basic HR, tell me a bad quality of yours and you go like i am too ambitious, is old and most HR guys now that method, they probably studied that themselves.
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Try to make it something they may be able to identify with. Perhaps wishing you could make more time for exercise or eating healthier, which would fall under laziness/lack of motivation, but so long as you never actually utter those words it will be fine.
All that's really important is not appearing disingenuous.
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For example, I would say something like "Well, I've been shy all my life, because I'm an only child and a bit of an introvert. But, I've been working on this problem by (blah blah blah)"
Wow, i think shyness is a good answer. even more when girls are concerned
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Don't bullshit. A stupid phony answer is just going to piss people off as you are essentially lying to them, and it won't be hard to spot. Pick something genuine, but either display that you are aware of it and working to fix it, or pick something that isn't really an issue in the workplace.
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"I'm obsessive, if I have a problem I haven't solved at work I'll often take it home, I need to find the answer"
I call it the "dr house" approach to interviews.
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On April 04 2012 00:33 urbanleg wrote:Show nested quote + For example, I would say something like "Well, I've been shy all my life, because I'm an only child and a bit of an introvert. But, I've been working on this problem by (blah blah blah)"
Wow, i think shyness is a good answer. even more when girls are concerned No, I don't think shyness is a good answer. They would value people who are able to express well thought out opinions.
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The real reason for asking this question is:
A.) To weed out anyone who is stupid enough to give you a seriously big flaw. I once had a guy tell me that he can be lazy and is late a lot.
B.) To see if you are realistic and can accept constructive criticism. Can you see flaws that you have? Because everyone has them. And are you willing to work on them? Because that is all anyone can ask of you.
So a great answer would be something like "I have been told I can sometimes be unorganized. However, I have a system that works for me and I am willing to work on my organizational skills."
Answers like " I am a perfectionist" or "I work too hard" are easy tells of someone who is a narcissist or a bold-faced liar who cannot address their own flaws.
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Ignore nearly all the advice given so far in this thread. The way you answer all these 'give me your negatives' questions is to give them a negative, which is actually a positive. You don't say something bad, and how you have overcome it. You don't say something bad and how you are working to overcome it. You offer something that is only bad in some perspectives, but it's actually a positive from your potential employer's perspective.
"Well, according to my friends, I don't socialize enough. However, I see it differently. I'm just very goal-oriented and when I am trying to accomplish something, I sacrifice in other areas of my life to achieve that end. I've spent the last several years very focused on my objective of getting the most out of my education so I would be best prepared to enter such a competitive industry such as software development. Blah blah blah.
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Vatican City State732 Posts
On April 04 2012 00:26 paralleluniverse wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 00:22 Keitzer wrote: Wait... are you asking for a lie to tell?
Or are you asking for advice on how to cover for you flaws?
Because obviously it's a plus to be able to work in a team, but if you can't do it, and really want the job, then I guess the only thing left to do is lie about it.
Edit: er... maybe LIE isn't the right word... maybe... extend the truth .. like... say you PREFER to work alone, although you are able to work in a team (implying you can do both, but you've also stated your preferences) You speak as if "working in a team" is impossible for someone who studies alone. Or that "working in a team" is a hard thing to do, and a rare quality amongst the general population. A buffoon can work in a team. I've never met or known anyone who cannot work in a team. For comp sci, working in a team actually presents a unique set of challenges. As a fellow comp sci major, I've run into it a lot. Group coding with bad people can be rather difficult. As a result, companies look for people they think can handle group work well. You never want to answer an interview question with a response that makes it seem like you can't handle a group in an IT interview
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On April 04 2012 00:29 Aemilia wrote: Perfectionist is always the answer to this. no it`s not.
When you apply for a job that isn`t special and they just want to check if you are an idiot or not, your suggested answer might work, but so will 1000 others. If you apply for a great job and you have a smart Boss in front of you, who looks for smart, but real employees, this answer will get you nowhere.
When I had my first jobinterview more then 10 years ago this question totally threw me off and I couldn`t really say anything. On my 2nd interview I answered like "I can`t stop myself and always have to finish my work, bla bla bla". meh. My last interview is only a few months back and I actually thought a lot about what I would say when facing this question. The question came up and I had a great answer. I wont say what I actually said, but I can tell you this: It was true. It was a weakness. It totally did not matter with what I had to do in this job.
I got the job.
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My biggest weakness is that I intentionally didn't prepare an answer for this common interview question. *coughs and looks all serious* I am honest and straightforward. *friendly and seemingly profound smile* I feel like my biggest weakness at the moment is the fact that I am very much at the beginning of my professional career. I am dedicated and I trained for this job but I don't have the experience that other people might have who have been working in this field for a while as I just finished University. *looks dedicated, motivated and eager to contribute meaningfully to his new professional environment*
Make your weakness something that can be overcome quickly and isn't actually a bad quality. You said you just got your degree: you have a very obvious weakness: lack of experience. If you show that you are dedicated and well equipped for the job, the employer will probably even be happy to kind of "guide" your enthusiasm and make you familiar with common practices etc. in whatever field you work in. Show them that you are eager to actually do something with what you have learned.
yay... you sold your soul and got the job!
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