Monday, October 31, 2011

QUESTION #3 - What are your greatest weaknesses?


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).