Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

The last two interviews I have been on have asked me the same question... what do you think your weaknesses are? I find the question very difficult to answer because I feel like no matter what I say it is not going to look good. Even saying that I would like to improve in an area is showing some kind of weakness...

How would you answer this question or what do you think is a good response?

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I'm always honest with this ?...too easy to say some BS like "I won't stop until the work is done". I'm too hard on myself/expect to learn everything at once/get upset if I can't. I also have a hard time dealing with others who have a "don't care" attitude or who aren't willing to go out of their way. I know I should understand that not everyone is like me, but I don't and I get really mad. I'm type A to a tee.

Message edited 8/9/2006 11:16:12 PM.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I have always answered that I am too hard on myself which makes me doubt myself and work harder.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I would say that my biggest weakness is trying to please everyone.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Message edited 8/9/2006 11:18:58 PM.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Posted by GoingNutty


Thanks Sasha!

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

not knowing a foreign language is my weakness

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Posted by sasha

Posted by Shorty

I would say that my biggest weakness is trying to please everyone.

Hmm, Rich would see that as a strength...no?

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I hate that interview question...and I'm not even sure how I would answer it right now...

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

You always want to say something that could be a weakness, but a strength at the same time.

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I can be stubborn.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

My weakness would be that I often take on too much. I have a hard time saying no to people and never hesitate taking on a new project.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

For my teaching interviews, I say that I want every lesson to be a "wow" one. And that I spend too much time out of work perfecting things.

Which, is true... and why I work at home after putting in over 50 hours in school usually

My goal is to stop this this year!

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

instead of saying you have a weakness, this is your time to say what you do and how you can do it better...

so this indirectly answers your weakness question and shows that you want to improve on it and commited to it

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Thanks everyone. It's such a DUMB question anyway!!!

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Perfectionist, and I am very hard on myself.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

My answer is something like:

I pride myself on my reputation for consistently following through and meeting deadlines. My weakness is expecting others do the same.

However, I now routinely pad deadlines when I have someone like that on my team.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

The best way to answer this question is to actually give a weakness (face it, we're not perfect!) but to demonstrate how you are working to over come that weakness. This shows you are humble, can self-evaluate and that you are working to improve.

You could say something like, I have a tendency to procrastinate, but since that negatively impacts my team/group I set deadlines ahead of time for myself.

Or think of something that you want to learn more about - ie., well, I think I could become more proficient in utilizing technology in the classroom.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I always say my weakness is that I work too hard and sometimes take on too much at one time.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I think when theyt ask this question they are looking for a real weakness. Everyone says "I work too hard" but that's not nec essarily a weakness. Only say it if it's true. I would give a real weakness and how you are working or have worked to change it. Like depending on what type of job I'm interivewing for (I work in 2 industries right now...day job- test prep, night job- theeatre) I would say

"I don't always ask enough socratic questions, but I am working on this by preparing questions ahead of time, and putting reminders on my pages to ask questions."

or for theatre, I actually have never been asked this question, but I would say probably just that I don't know a lot about the industry, which is why I'm working from the ground up and looking for learning experiences.

EVERYONE says "I take on too much and I am just TOO dedicated to my work"

I defintiely DO take on too much, and it can be a weakness, and it cane be a valid repsonse, but keep in mind that a lot of people are using this as an answer to have a "weakness" that they think will sound good to the interviewer.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

So true that everyone uses "work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" as a weakness so they see it coming a mile away. It is better to give a real weakness and instead explain and give an example of how you are working on it.

At my last interview for my promotion, I said my weakness was that I can have a tendency to be too detail oriented when it comes to certain tasks which can sometimes slow me down. But I'm working on it by learning to keep the big picture in mind and differentiating between a crucial detail and a not-so-critical detail. Something like that.

Anyway, they were somewhat impressed with my answer by the look on their faces so I think it went over well. My boss was on the interview panel and I knew it was his "sore spot" with me so he absolutely ate it up.

Re: Interview question- looking to see how YOU would answer...

I always answer this one with the reply "I become involved personally with my work which sometimes can be a negative because I can become emotional in situations"