| As you sit in the interview chair, your best business suit | | | | is time to get to the answers that do work. It is |
| and your leather shoes that are shined to perfection | | | | important that these tips will help no matter what the |
| will not help you be prepared for the job weakness | | | | position a person is applying for. |
| interview question. You are sure to get the, oh so | | | | You should start by doing some research about the |
| dreaded weakness question and anyone that could | | | | company and the job that you are applying for and |
| ever hope to be successful in an interview should be | | | | find out what their corporate culture is. This will give |
| prepared to answer it. | | | | you the insight needed to form your answer in a way |
| The Awareness Test | | | | that will be fitting for the company. An example would |
| Many interviewers use this question so that the person | | | | be if you found out that the prospective position is with |
| they are interviewing gets put on the spot and has | | | | a company that is very democratic in their processes. |
| trouble finding an answer. The timing is important as | | | | You could then say that your weakness is that you |
| they will be asking you questions about your | | | | had a challenging time adjusting to the management |
| extracurricular activities and suddenly the question | | | | hierarchy in your previous management position. |
| about your greatest weaknesses is presented for you | | | | You should also have an answer in mind about what |
| to answer. | | | | your weakness would be prior to getting into the |
| The interviewer is using this question to gather | | | | interview setting. You should have a certain weakness |
| information about how much awareness you have of | | | | in mind that you have figured out how to spin into |
| your surroundings and how you pick up and move | | | | something that the interviewer will consider to be |
| forward even when you are being asked some fairly | | | | strength in the job that you are applying for. Your |
| stressful questions. If your answer to the question is | | | | ultimate goal in the answer that you give is to show |
| very appropriate for the position then you may have | | | | that you have grown past the weakness and are |
| just moved past some of the more qualified applicants | | | | improving yourself. The interviewer will be able to see |
| that have a better education or experience | | | | your go getter attitude and will surely be impressed by |
| background. | | | | it. |
| Exhausted Approach | | | | Another approach is to mix your story with some |
| So what is the best way to answer the weakness | | | | humor. You should remember that the interviewer is |
| question? Well, you should defiantly go in another | | | | also human and they probably enjoy a well told story |
| direction if you have thought about the most | | | | as much as you do. You must be sure to keep the |
| conventional approach that says you should take a | | | | story relative to the job that you are seeking, though, |
| weakness and twist the words so that it becomes a | | | | and if you are successful you will surely move to the |
| very valuable strength. As an example, if you were to | | | | top of the list of applicants. |
| tell the interviewer that your greatest weakness is that | | | | Another great tip is to be honest and to answer the |
| you are a perfectionist, they are likely to assume take | | | | questions honestly. People that administer interviews |
| this as a sign that you will not be very effective in | | | | are experienced in reading a person to see if they are |
| delegating out responsibilities. | | | | making up the weakness off of the top of their heads |
| This approach has been played out all too often and | | | | or if they are sincere. This will also help you when you |
| the interviewers tend to see it as being shallow. IN | | | | are asked to give more detail about the answer and |
| essence, any weakness is just that, a weakness no | | | | you will not find yourself backed into a corner. |
| matter how you try to spin it. | | | | You should also keep your answers simple and to the |
| It is also not recommended that you make mention of | | | | point. If you elaborate too much you may find that you |
| a weakness that does not apply to the position that | | | | are being asked questions about your weakness that |
| you are currently interviewing for. If you are | | | | you are not fully prepared to give an answer to. You |
| interviewing for a position as a computer programmer | | | | should come up with just one or two weaknesses that |
| and you answer the weakness question stating that | | | | you have worked to overcome in the past and give |
| you are too reliant on the spell check on your | | | | very brief answers about them. |
| computer, the interviewer will surely see that you are | | | | The last, and probably most important, is to relax. Each |
| really not the person for the job that they have open. | | | | and every interviewer will expect that the person they |
| It is never a good idea to present yourself as arrogant | | | | ask this question of will have a weakness. You have |
| by stating that you have no weaknesses at all. Being | | | | nothing to hide from them as they know up front that |
| confident is important but if you are egotistical the | | | | no one is perfect. |
| interviewers will surely be turned off, especially if the | | | | The job weaknesses interview question is a question |
| position you are applying for is for a junior role. | | | | that many people struggle with but you should be |
| Everyone knows that there is no person alive that has | | | | ready to give your answer and be prepared. If you |
| no weaknesses at all. | | | | have completed your research, written up your |
| Tested and Tried Tips | | | | answer and then spent some time rehearsing it you |
| We have covered many of the answers to the | | | | will be on the road to impressing the interviewers for |
| weakness question that are simply no good so now it | | | | sure. |