What's your biggest weakness?

AARRRGH

I'm not sure why HR people like asking this question, but I always find it really difficult to answer.

I don't want to say "I'm a perfectionist".

How do you answer this question?

Doctor DooM

dublindude wrote: »

I'm not sure why HR people like asking this question, but I always find it really difficult to answer.

I don't want to say "I'm a perfectionist".

How do you answer this question?

"I can be a stickler for rules and regulations."

magooly

"If at times a project is running behind I sometimes find myself getting too envolved"

AckwelFoley

Avoid the obvious "im a perfectionist" type answers. if you answer that question by blatently trying to make it a positive its too obvious you have rehearsed and can sometimes annoy potential employers, because they can see thru it and know its unlikely genuine.

My answer to that normally is i sometimes finf it diffivult to delegate work to others, and explain that this is brought about by past expierences where you started somthin and asked somone to finish it but it was "fcuked up" by them.

Explain that you know how important it is for the companys employees to be able to delegate the workload and not to tr and do all yorself, but as i did, jst say itd from past exp.

Wrked for me.. i got the new job

Tom Dunne

"I'm too f**king honest"

No, seriously. I couldn't lie to save my life. I've got myself into the odd spot of bother by stupidly saying it as I see it, instead of saying something more tactful at a later time.

themadchef

I like to say I'm "non confrontational". I prefer calm and collected, but sometimes certain situations needs a more "head on" approach.

In reality i could kill you with a glance at five paces

iFight

"I'm not to strong with computers but i am working on it. I do computers courses at night."

or

"I do a very poor three-legged race, but i am working on it."

watna

I was given some good advice on this question before and now I always use it:

Say what you're weakness is but also say how you overcame it.

E.G I used to have find it difficult to stick to deadlines but during my final year in college I had so many assigments that I learned to overcome this but having detailed schedules and plans. Now I always work extra hard to ensure that I have plans together on how to get something done on time and I've found that this has stopped really being an issue with my work.

Obviously you could choose any other weakness and think of a way you overcame it and how it doesn't really affect your work anymore.

cronos

Interviewer: "Whats your biggest weaknesses?"

Interviewee: "Knowing my weaknesses"

board om

iFight wrote: »

"I'm not to strong with computers but i am working on it. I do computers courses at night."

or

"I do a very poor three-legged race, but i am working on it."

just a bit of advice but i would never say the computer thing. going into a new job the employer is already going to have enough to train you on. the last thing they want to have to do is train you on something that you should already know, like computers. and if you came up against another candidate and the other candidate was computer literate, which in this day and age 99% of people are, you would most likely lose out to the computer literate candidate.

i was talking to an MD recently who didnt give a sales executive the position for exactly this reason. he had to do a presentation and during the presentation he stated that he was not very good on computers. he then gave an example of something that had gone wrong with his computer and then he prodeeded to explain how had used the internet to fix this problem. he was obviously trying to show his problem solving skills by showing how he didnt know about something but that he used his iniative and learnt about it so as to resolve the issue. in theory it was a good idea but all that stuck out in the MD's mind was the first statement the guy made which was "i am not very good on computers".

now as for the 3 legged race, spot on. i might try that one myslef. or maybe say your not very good a 3 legged race, and then challenge the interviewer to a race for money??? might be seen as bribery though.

Nody

watna wrote: »

I was given some good advice on this question before and now I always use it:

Say what you're weakness is but also say how you overcame it.

To which any competent interviewer would turn around and say, so what is your current weakness then?

Personally I usually go with:

1) Delegation (I want to make sure it gets done right now the way it should be)
2) Work hours (I'm a workaholic at times and will stay in there until it's done)
3) To quick to start (I like to jump right in the deep end and get things up and running ASAP with out taking the appropiate time to stay back and think at times)

All three are common weaknesses but they also spin positively with out being to obvious about it (adapt the explanation to the company though!).

Wishbone Ash

board om wrote: »

99% of people are

It's nowhere near that. It depends on the type of job and the age profile of the employees. In my place of employment, I'd say it about 10%.

Xcellor

I always handle it this way.

"I would not describe them as weaknesses but rather areas of improvement."

Then highlight an area you had problems with a year or two ago but how you worked with it to get over it.

That's better than saying I am perfect but shows you recognise your areas that require improvement and that you can fix it.

X

Pigman II

I'm tempted to say this at an interview one day :

"I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people. There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone."

timetogetfit

You could say

"Because I am a naturally shy person I tend not to contribute at team meetings as much as I should.However I never failed if I felt it necessary to bring an important issue to my boss but maybe in a more private setting"

*Dallas

fighting the tempatation to say:

once the clock strikes 5 o clock - i am gone. I dont care about company preformance or stats.. i care about my wage and my bonus - end of

never had the cohonies to say it though : (

tribulus

Pigman II wrote: »

I'm tempted to say this at an interview one day :

"I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people. There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone."

Someone has gone to see There Will Be Blood

This is a good thread as the question is something I wasn't entirely sure how to answer - be too honest and they mightn't like what they hear, don't be honest at all and you could come across as arrogant. I like the be honest about a weakness but explain how you improved thing, I'll be using it!

board om

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It's nowhere near that. It depends on the type of job and the age profile of the employees. In my place of employment, I'd say it about 10%.

sorry, i was thinking of office jobs. anyone interviewing for an office position nowadays would at least need to know Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet Explorer. and thats waht i would consider computer literate.

i suppose 99% was a bit of an exageration.

Eoin

Nody wrote: »

2) Work hours (I'm a workaholic at times and will stay in there until it's done)

Not sure about that one, it's either saying "I work too hard" which is a little cheesy, or that you can't manage your time.

I generally go with a specific skill, rather than a character trait. E.g. "I'm not experienced in the financial side of project management" and so on - things that aren't requisites for the job obviously.

ntlbell

'm at a stage now where i point blank refuse to answer any moronic questions

this is one of them I politely ask the interviewer id like to move on from.

Don't think it's cost me yet.

board om

ntlbell wrote: »

'm at a stage now where i point blank refuse to answer any moronic questions

this is one of them I politely ask the interviewer id like to move on from.

Don't think it's cost me yet.

wow, id say you go down well in an interveiw.

take it from someone who conducts several interviews a day, point blankly refusing to answer a question is a serious no no. it just shows someone as arrogant and uncooperative. and telling an interviewer you think their question is moronic would just be priceless.

Pigman II

Could you just say doing interviews is your weakest point?

muletide

I know a guy who answered "Chocolate" to this question. He got the job aswell

Sangre

Pigman II wrote: »

Could you just say doing interviews is your weakest point?

tbh, i think that is a really good answer. You could talk about how in a society where you're not supposed to boast you find it hard to talk yourself up like you need to in an interview. You prefer to let your actions and experience speak for themselves and have people decide for themselves.

ntlbell

board om wrote: »

wow, id say you go down well in an interview.

take it from someone who conducts several interviews a day, point blankly refusing to answer a question is a serious no no. it just shows someone as arrogant and uncooperative. and telling an interviewer you think their question is moronic would just be priceless.

I don't insult anyone or call anyone a moron. I have no interest in working for a company who rely on run of the mill boring interview techniques and have no problem walking out of an interview or politely deferring a question.

The 80's are over.

board om

ntlbell wrote: »

I don't insult anyone or call anyone a moron. I have no interest in working for a company who rely on run of the mill boring interview techniques and have no problem walking out of an interview or politely deferring a question.

The 80's are over.

i would love to know who came up with the cliche interview questions and how long they have been asked for?

whats your weakness?
where do you see yourself in x years time?
describe yourself in x amount of words?
etc
etc

Eoin

board om wrote: »

i would love to know who came up with the cliche interview questions and how long they have been asked for?

whats your weakness?
where do you see yourself in x years time?
describe yourself in x amount of words?
etc
etc

I always find it funny that people consider that question to be a typical HR cliche question. An interviewer wanting to know where you see your career going, and at what stage you think you are, is pretty relevant.

AARRRGH

ntlbell wrote: »

I don't insult anyone or call anyone a moron. I have no interest in working for a company who rely on run of the mill boring interview techniques and have no problem walking out of an interview or politely deferring a question.

The 80's are over.

HR people are useless everywhere though, and they don't necessarily reflect the company.

board om

eoin_s wrote: »

I always find it funny that people consider that question to be a typical HR cliche question. An interviewer wanting to know where you see your career going, and at what stage you think you are, is pretty relevant.

i didnt say it wasnt relevant. i think it is very relevant what someone intends doing in the future with their career and with themselves in general. what i said was it is a very cliche question which it is.

there is a lot of better ways of finding out the answer to that question without asking "where do you see yourself in x years time". i know when i interview i find out exactly what someones plans for the future are without asking that question. it is very easy to phrase the question in another way and get the answer you require.

cronos

dublindude wrote: »

HR people are useless everywhere though, and they don't necessarily reflect the company.

+1 for that but to be fair I have got that question from a project manager before not just HR people. HR created the question and the problem originally but they are not the only one's responsible for its use.

Eoin

board om wrote: »

i didnt say it wasnt relevant. i think it is very relevant what someone intends doing in the future with their career and with themselves in general. what i said was it is a very cliche question which it is.

there is a lot of better ways of finding out the answer to that question without asking "where do you see yourself in x years time". i know when i interview i find out exactly what someones plans for the future are without asking that question. it is very easy to phrase the question in another way and get the answer you require.

OK, I should have used slightly different wording, but the question isn't exactly dripping with corporate wankiness like other ones can be, so I don't see the need to rephrase it.

i71jskz5xu42pb

watna wrote: »

Say what you're weakness is but also say how you overcame it.

Grammar. I still don't know the difference between "you're" and "your" but I'm working on it

Eoin

Amora Future Cub wrote: »

Grammar. I still don't know the difference between "you're" and "your" but I'm working on it

That doesn't really work in spoken format though, and winking may just confuse them.

none

Pigman II wrote: »

Could you just say doing interviews is your weakest point?

Spon on! That's exactly what I was always trying to explain but in different terms. Now I know how to call it properly;)

Standard Toaster

I've used the Kryptonite one before. Has not let me down yet.

iamplu

a mate of mine was once asked this question in an interview and he said:

"sometimes i work so hard i forget to collect my pay cheque"

He got the job!