Interview Q: What's your weakness?

[KindergartenKop]

How do you answer this? I'm not sure 'I have NO weaknesses' will cut it. Please help!

What IS your weakness?

Being too self critical and allowing myself to feel proud of a work achievement (insert ‘relevant to the new role’ achievement).

You have to admit to something that you then turn into a strength.

e.g. I am prone to over running meetings, so I set strict agendas in advance and instruct someone to keep time for me.

One of those stupid questions that is essentially meaningless because its all bullshit.

Everyone always answers, "oooh I'm such a perfectionist" to this. V annoying and coy.

Be honest but also tell them what you do to manage it.

Mine is, I'm too controlling but I have learnt to step back. I do this by consciously making sure I always ask for opinions and that I delegate bits of a task or project, and I ask people to come with their own solutions. So I cannot be in constant control.

PS. Years ago the 'clever' advice was "admit" to being a perfectionist. I still see it around sometimes.

But for god's sake, don't say that, it's cringey.

Xpost

I have no weaknesses will not cut it and shows interviewers that you can't critically reflect very well as we all have weaknesses. You do have them because absolutely no one is perfect. The best thing is to have a weakness that's a thinly veiled strength. No one wants to hear that you're really lazy, pick your nose or whatever. I personally have tended to go with something along the lines of having had jobs where I've struggled to find a good work life balance but knowing that it is something I've needed to work on to avoid burn out or to pursue hobbies that can have beneficial work skills like team work. Struggling to switch off after work can also be a good 'weakeness'. I would always say well I do struggle to switch off after work but I keep a note book in my bag so if I think of something that I want to pick up the next day or a really good idea I can jot it down and then continue with my evening. These say I want to work hard and I am always committed to my work.

I suppose I sometimes lack confidence in my own abilities. But more recently I have been trying to combat this, in that I actually applied for this job.

Xpost grin

Oooo EXACT Xpost!

ShotsFired Wed 21-Nov-18 07:42:52
JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff Wed 21-Nov-18 07:42:52

I suppose I sometimes lack confidence in my own abilities. But more recently I have been trying to combat this, in that I actually applied for this job.

There you go then. Sorted.

'I find I have a lack of patience with trite interview questions'

Don't say anything that's really negative. I said my children were my weakness. I was not as strict as I thought I'd be. I got the job. To be fair it wasn't anything high flying.

Occasionally it's used because they already have a team full of -ahem- characters, and they are looking for something that fits in , or which counterbalances.

Always add a mitigation to whatever the weakness is.

Mine is procrastination, but I have never missed a deadline, because (blahblah). From the other side of the interview desk, it's anything that isn't a stock response.

(Though 'stealing stationery and long lunches' possible is a little too far the other way

Eczema ;)

Rosehips that's the sort of thing I'd say!
I've been out of the workplace for 10 years as I went to Uni as a mature student, then took time out to raise my DD.
I'm toying with the idea of going back to work but...
a) I'm knocking on a bit
b) I will need minimal hours to fit around DD school pick up
C) I am peri-menopausal and have very, very little patience for all the crap that goes with office politics and job-hunting.

Marklah - I'd want to employ you, based on C !!!

Q: What’s your weakness?

A: I’ve been told I can be patronizing. That’s when you talk down to people.

I knew someone at Uni who said "chocolate, what's yours" with a ....might work!?!

I genuinely have terrible handwriting so I just say that. And then joke that they won't want me to taking the minutes for anything that needs to legible

Rosehips - 'I find I have a lack of patience with trite interview questions'

I'd hire you on the spot

If you've ever done Myers-Briggs (or similar personality test) that is quite handy for this because it brings out the strengths and corresponding weaknesses. In my case I'm a strong N type which means I tend to be good at seeing the big picture but less good at details. I then follow up with the strategies that I use to compensate for this and give an example of a time I've successfully overcome it.

It used to be quite trendy to say something facetious like chocolate or shoes. Most interviewers would have moved on and rephrased the question to something along the lines of “Can you give an example where you’ve learned something from feedback or reflection”

What is wanted is an answer that shows you do listen and reflect - My current manager talked to me about looking at my emails on my laptop during team meetings. I thought about it and realised it is something I do and that it could look as if I wasn’t participating or listening. I stopped opening my laptop in the meetings and made a conscious effort to ask more questions of people basically just to appease my manager but now I’ve reflected some more and do feel more connected to the team, I have improved my understanding of the other team members work and have started to feel more involved in team decisions.

I came on this thread to give rosehips’ answer although I’m not sure I’d be bold enough to say it.

What I'd like to say is “why do you ask that question? I mean it’s a bit of a cliché, isn’t it? I’m probably going to give you a pat rehearsed answer such as ‘I’m a pefectionist’. I'm hardly going to give something which is truly a weakness such ‘I struggle with timekeeping’. Have you ever actually learned anything useful asking this question?”

But I doubt that would go down well. On the other hand, the interviewer who took what I said well would be the one I’d want to work with.

Loved Kissing’s answer

There is no such thing as weaknesses. They only exist in relation to the task in hand. You wouldn't berate a top surgeon for being a bad photographer. If people's talents don't match their role it means they're probably in the wrong role.

If you think you have an area for development against the job then say so, and how you would overcome it.