TRAPS: Beware this is a "character"
question, designed to determine the honesty of all you responses based on how
you answer this question. Any attempt to
“game” this question will leave serious doubts in the interviewer’s mind
regarding the validity of you other answers.
DO NOT: Disguise a strength as a
weakness.
Example: "I sometimes push
my people too hard. I like to work with
a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on that same wavelength."
Drawback: This strategy is better
than admitting a serious flaw, but it's so widely used; it is transparent to
any experienced interviewer.
BEST ANSWER: (and another reason
it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs
before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think of
nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with
excellence. Then, quickly review your
strongest qualifications.
Example: "Nobody's perfect,
but based on what you've told me about this position; I believe I'd make an
outstanding match. I know that when I
hire people, I look for two things most of all.
Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation
to do it well? Everything in my
background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve
excellence in whatever I take on. So I
can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you even a small
concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with
excellence."
Alternate Strategy: (if you don't
yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit): Confess to
a legitimate weakness (nothing too crazy, but along the lines of “staying
organized”), and then describe in detail about how you have addressed this
weakness in your professional development.
Example: Let's say you admit to
having difficulties staying organized.
Spend very little time discussing this failing, but instead talk about
all the things you have put in place to stay organized (carrying a notebook to
jot down tasks “on-the fly”, checking notebook at end of day, contact anyone
whose task did not get completed, etc.).
Remember to keep the focus on what you have done to address this
weakness (see above – nobody’s perfect).
