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On April 04 2012 09:18 Vehemus wrote: As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people for positions in retail, and asked the question of what an applicant thought of their greatest strength and greatest need for improvement, I will tell you that absolutely nothing turns me off more than someone saying or implying they don't have any weaknesses.
A simple answer that explains what your weakness is, but that you've identified it and are actively working on improving yourself is all you need. If you're failing your interviews it's probably not because you listed the wrong thing, it's because you weren't confident, had other poor answers, or simply weren't the type of person they were looking for.
I'd hire someone who said "I have a difficult time multitasking sometimes and get tunnel vision on the task I'm working on sometimes. I've been working really hard on improving this though and ask for feedback on a regular basis for things I need to do better." over someone who says they can't think of anything or says something ridiculous like 'Sometimes I'm too nice' or 'I work too hard and try to do too much'.
Those are garbage answers and are basically spit in the face of the person taking their time to interview you.
I hope you realize that every answer to this question is a garbage answer....in that its gonna be rehearsed and fake 99% of the time. The people who give you the "my weakness is this but I'm working to improve it" are bullshitting you too but they're just smart enough to come up with a good rehearsed answer instead of a crappy one. But I hope you don't think you're actually getting honesty when people respond to this question -_-
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On April 04 2012 00:15 urbanleg wrote: Hey guys, I just graduated in computer science, i started to look for a cool place to work at,
been so far in 2 interviews, and i got the feeling i blew them at the HR part when i answered this question:
1) i prefer to study alone (failed - not a team player)
2) im stressed out easily (failed - that might be a problem)
any ideas of good "bad" qualities for the next interview i got tomorrow?
p.s - perfectionist won't do since its too obvious these days.
thanks
It doesn't really matter what you say your weakness it, so long as it's not a huge deal and you say you're actively working on fixing it.
Honestly your two faults seems like the worst ones. Those and if you say "I'm not a very good leader". No idea why, but companies seem to be obsessed with having all of their employees be leaders.
On April 04 2012 09:33 antelope591 wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 09:18 Vehemus wrote: As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people for positions in retail, and asked the question of what an applicant thought of their greatest strength and greatest need for improvement, I will tell you that absolutely nothing turns me off more than someone saying or implying they don't have any weaknesses.
A simple answer that explains what your weakness is, but that you've identified it and are actively working on improving yourself is all you need. If you're failing your interviews it's probably not because you listed the wrong thing, it's because you weren't confident, had other poor answers, or simply weren't the type of person they were looking for.
I'd hire someone who said "I have a difficult time multitasking sometimes and get tunnel vision on the task I'm working on sometimes. I've been working really hard on improving this though and ask for feedback on a regular basis for things I need to do better." over someone who says they can't think of anything or says something ridiculous like 'Sometimes I'm too nice' or 'I work too hard and try to do too much'.
Those are garbage answers and are basically spit in the face of the person taking their time to interview you. I hope you realize that every answer to this question is a garbage answer....in that its gonna be rehearsed and fake 99% of the time. The people who give you the "my weakness is this but I'm working to improve it" are bullshitting you too but they're just smart enough to come up with a good rehearsed answer instead of a crappy one. But I hope you don't think you're actually getting honesty when people respond to this question -_-
Agreed. Practically the entire interview process is bullshit to begin with. Most of the answers are always going to be rehashes, because that's what companies say they want. If you want X, and everyone knows you want X, why are people going to say they bring Y to the table, when they know you care more about X? They'll just answer the questions the way they think you want to hear them, and usually the interviewer will buy it. It's about who sounds like they're the best for the job, not who actually is.
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On April 04 2012 00:46 Subversive wrote: I heard a good one once.
the guy said "It always annoys me when I see someone not pulling their weight, and I'm not afraid to tell them"
Takes the focus off you and becomes someone else's fault. Some places also love hearing this crap because it shows you can be confident and assertive so especially useful if it's some sort of supervisorial role.
Bascially you can adapt that to something that superficially sounds like a fault, but shifts attention to someone else. Or honesty, that is also good with the right person.
@abriol nice explanation man! Totally agree.
And Lol at Plexa whoops, I mean Kennigit! :D I actually really like this one, and not just because I think it's applicable to many jobs, but because that's a quality I find in myself to be completely honest.
I've on the hunt for a job now as I graduate this month, so I hope you don't mind if I snag that.
To discuss the ethics of your response and how they judge it, I do believe it's appropriate to have an answer pre-chosen before being asked it. First of all, so you don't sound like a dumbass coming up with something stupid or something that's obviously bullshit, and second of all, because I think you should give an honest answer and know this kind of thing going through life. With that said, there have been plenty of occasions where I have been in group work at school or my job where I tell people they need to pick up their slack, because I feel disrespected if they just sit there an expect me to pull their weight. I'm just not so sure it's a "bad quality" to be the person who speaks out.
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Say either "I used to be shy.... "etc, saying a bad quality you once had, or be honest and say something that could be seen as a good quality, so " I can be impatient at times to get work done". I'm trying to find a placement at the moment and getting rejected a lot, but its just natural so keep going man.
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The answer I have always given is: "I have a hard time giving myself credit and taking credit for my accomplishments"
It's simple, to the point, hints you are successful, doesn't come off as bragging or avoiding the question and isn't a reason to not hire you.
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On April 04 2012 09:53 HyperLink wrote: The answer I have always given is: "I have a hard time giving myself credit and taking credit for my accomplishments"
What a horrible answer, but amusing because you're using the interviewer's own bullshit against them.
"What's you're worst quality?" "I'm too modest."
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Well when I was interviewed I said my weakness was kryptonite. I got the job.
Say kryptonite.
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My answer would be "Sometime I find myself unable to adapt into a relaxed form after putting my focus on one specific task for a long period of time."
Let's infer! This essentially hints that I have been placed under very harsh circumstance in which required my undivided attention. The former part demonstrate how serious I will take the mission handed by the high management. To make it more authentic, I am more than willing to offer up past anecdote of my previous job placement.
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My biggest weakness is TvP.
They'll be thoroughly confused!
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On April 04 2012 09:58 MountainDewJunkie wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 09:53 HyperLink wrote: The answer I have always given is: "I have a hard time giving myself credit and taking credit for my accomplishments"
What a horrible answer, but amusing because you're using the interviewer's own bullshit against them. "What's you're worst quality?" "I'm too modest." It's not horrible but anything everyone says is contrived and that's the nature of the question. At least I'm honest because I really do have trouble with it. I can relate it to stories from my personal life (which is usually a follow up or addendum to the question) and I can demonstrate how I've overcome it in some situations.
Thanks for your opinion though.
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On April 04 2012 07:33 jacosajh wrote:I tell the truth. Something along the lines... I like to keep busy, but I often take on more than I can chew. I am learning how to deal with this by first recognizing whenever I get into new projects (professionally and personally) and then seeing how it will affect my current projects. I am learning how to say "no" to others and even to myself so that the quality of my current projects don't suffer. I am glad I became aware of this issue because I have been getting better at dealing with it. Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 07:21 Kennigit wrote:On April 04 2012 00:53 Kaitlin wrote:On April 04 2012 00:45 Kennigit wrote: Tell them its 2012 and you are concerned with the fact that they are using outdated methods of screening candidates. There is an incredibly high chance that every person they ask this question to has rehearsed an answer or is lying or both. If I were interviewing someone who had the audacity to tell me I was interviewing them incorrectly, my immediate response would be 'Clearly you wouldn't be happy here. Let's not waste any more of each other's time." Would you give me a sassy finger snap. There's actually very good reason to not want to work at a place like this, and if you are qualified enough one should treat BS interview questions and strong indicator of the nature of the company imo. There's a reason top talent companies and start ups alike have phased out these types of fluff questions - it doesn't tell if you if he's going to be a good programmer, team member, leader, follower, anything. I do not agree with this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but many top talent companies ask questions like this. In fact, in my experience, it is smaller companies that don't ask questions like these. I don't know what you consider "top talent." But I'm assuming most would include Goldman Sachs, any Big Four accounting firm, or any Fortune 500 really. Show nested quote +On April 04 2012 07:29 Timerly wrote: Totally agree with Kennigit. During my last interview when asked for my weaknesses I told them that I didn't think their questions were appropriate and that by the laws of game theory they're only inviting people to answer further and further from the truth as they can't evaluate most of the interviewed ex post but are trying to base their ex ante evaluation on the data from these people, too, be it consciously or not, thus creating an upwards spiral of rehearsed bullshit (may not have used such colorful language). They continued with more investigative questions.
At the end I told them I tend to forget people's names.
I got my contract 2 days later. In all likeliness, you didn't get hired because you essentially told the HR person to take his questions and shove-it. You were probably the most qualified, and perhaps your answer showed you were capable of standing up for yourself. In most scenarios, however, it is extremely foolish to tell someone (especially in this economy) to pull something like this. Any half-knowledgeable HR person will most likely ensure you don't get hired. Unfortunately, it is a game of "kiss-ass and conform to corporate culture" and not one of merit. You can choose not to sell-out and find a company that conforms to your principles, but don't be surprised if you don't get hired.
most (good) companies hiring CS majors only care about how smart you are/how credentialed you are. they don't give a fuck about shit like this.
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"i dont deal with stupid interview questions very well"
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On April 04 2012 00:15 urbanleg wrote: Hey guys, I just graduated in computer science, i started to look for a cool place to work at,
been so far in 2 interviews, and i got the feeling i blew them at the HR part when i answered this question:
1) i prefer to study alone (failed - not a team player)
2) im stressed out easily (failed - that might be a problem)
any ideas of good "bad" qualities for the next interview i got tomorrow?
p.s - perfectionist won't do since its too obvious these days.
thanks
I just recently went through multiple interviews for a managerial position (which I got) and my advice would be not to over think it and answer honestly to what your weakness would be from a workforce and competency standpoint. Absolutely do not deflect accountability and speak to anyone elses weaknesses. You need to own this question and let them see that you can critique yourself and your own abilities fairly and accurately.
The key to answering the question is speaking truthfully to what your weakness is and offering what you are doing to work through the weakness and offer specific examples of how.
Answer: My weakness is self-awareness. There have been times in the past where I focus to narrowly on my own goals and what I need to do to accomplish them without taking in to consideration what impacts my actions has on others.
To work through this I've taken the time to build relationships with my peers and share our goals with each other so that we can learn from each other and improve our teamwork.
The key is to choose something that is real to you because if they go to ask you questions off the cuff you need to be able to answer honestly and accurately.
Also remember that most companies do an interview process where you're graded on a point scale for each answer. You answer doesn't have to be the "right" answer... but it needs to be one that gets you an adequate amount of points.
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This one has probably been said already, but you could always just explain that your "bad" quality is working too hard.
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The last time I was asked this question during a job interview, I decided to be perfectly honest, so I said + Show Spoiler +"FOOLISH MORTAL, I HAVE NO WEAKNESS! MUAHAHAHAHA!" and then proceeded to incinerate the room by shooting fire from my eyes. Sadly, I didn't get the job.
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Ive always admitted my faults and been as honest as possible in all my interviews. I get call backs 90% of the time.
As long as your not a total screw up honesty is always the best policy imo.
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State something that can be a strength and use it as a case of sometimes overdoing that strength. For instance you could say something like, "One of my weaknesses is my attention to detail. While it is constructive in critically analyzing a project, sometimes I like to put too much emphasis on the minute rather than the broader picture." In that statement you counterbalance anything negative by hitting on a buzz-word type phrase - 'detail-oriented.'
Later on, you can place more emphasis on the positive qualities of your meticulous work ethic. You can't simply dodge the question...that's not reasonable and everywhere is going to ask you something stupid like this. They want to see you have wits and the ability to perform in difficult position. Asking self-condemning questions are for some reason HRs big deal right now. You can mention a past weakness that you've really worked on and provide examples of continual progress around that weakness. It shows you have the ability to identify a trait that you can improve and that you are taking steps to do so. Dumb questions like this are a chance for you to give an intelligent answer.
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On April 04 2012 09:18 Vehemus wrote: As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people for positions in retail, and asked the question of what an applicant thought of their greatest strength and greatest need for improvement, I will tell you that absolutely nothing turns me off more than someone saying or implying they don't have any weaknesses.
A simple answer that explains what your weakness is, but that you've identified it and are actively working on improving yourself is all you need. If you're failing your interviews it's probably not because you listed the wrong thing, it's because you weren't confident, had other poor answers, or simply weren't the type of person they were looking for.
I'd hire someone who said "I have a difficult time multitasking sometimes and get tunnel vision on the task I'm working on sometimes. I've been working really hard on improving this though and ask for feedback on a regular basis for things I need to do better." over someone who says they can't think of anything or says something ridiculous like 'Sometimes I'm too nice' or 'I work too hard and try to do too much'.
Those are garbage answers and are basically spit in the face of the person taking their time to interview you.
I came in here to post basically what this says.
Claiming you have no weaknesses, or trying to spin a negative quality that's actually positive ("I work too hard" or whatever) is not a good answer and will immediately be flagged as bullshit. I'm amazed that people here are actually recommending that you do this, and I wonder if any of them have ever actually hired someone before. Interviewers are looking for ways you might be bending (or outright breaking) the truth to make yourself more appealing, and claiming perfection is about as not-truthful as it gets.
State your flaw, and then what you do to compensate and correct it. ("I get disorganized easily, so I've devised personal systems that keep my files in order and easily accessible while I'm focusing on a project.")
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Urbanleg,
This is not a test at school. A correct answer to this question is not a matter of providing factual information. Do not attempt to handle this type of question head on.
It's a game. The question-answer format is a pretense for the interviewer to learn about you the human being.
The interviewer wants to see how you handle pressure and stress. If this question doesn't stump you, a good interviewer will find one that will. While you can rehearse answers to potential interview questions, and it helps, but you should also be prepared to answer questions that catch you off guard.
In the meantime, in your mind you need to be aware of what the real game is. You need remember that a question like this is supposed to simulate a difficult situation so the interviewer can see if you stay calm. You can stall for time by repeating the question back to the interviewer. "What is my biggest weakness..." Ultimately you need to be able to answer the question without long silent pauses, keeping your voice steady, looking the interviewer straight in the eye, and giving a sold, succinct answer. If you're spouting off total bullshit, so be it.
You know it's bullshit. The interviewer knows it's bullshit. But the point is that neither of you let on that you know it's bullshit. And then, guess what? It's not really bullshit anymore, because a larger purpose has been served.
So, when you're in an interview and suddenly it feels like the interviewer has caught you in some sort of trap, just remember that this was intentional, and now the real interview has begun. Everything was just set-up. Be objective. Don't identify with the fear.
Answer the difficult question from the place where you understand that's it's supposed to be a difficult question, and it's not supposed to have an easy answer.
I hope this helps. I bet a lot of people will suggest good answers to this question, but I wanted to get you thinking about the interview game itself. Any good book on interviewing will get you thinking about things from the interviewer's point of view and you'll start to see how each question has a purpose behind it, and they are sequenced in a strategic way (if the interviewer know's what s/he's doing, which isn't always a guarantee.) I'm sorry I couldn't write a better response but I have to go to bed.
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I just don't really understand what to say in job interviews and I am not one to generally oblige to the "standards". What confuses me even more that managers/hiring staff all vary in their preferences, some of them like confident arrogant people, some like people that state their weaknesses.
I hate job interviews for crap jobs and I hate working crap jobs.
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