Interview: what is a "good" weakness

[Kalbi]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Kalbi

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Kalbi
You work too much.

This is what I say: I hate to pass on something so if I get hung up on something I tend to spend too much time on it and eat a lot of hours to be within budget.

This is what pisses me off about that question - anyone who answers in a way that makes himself look good is lying, but if you answer in a way that makes you look bad... it makes you look bad.

I wish I were in charge of hiring people so I could do away with crappy questions like this one.

That's the whole point of the question. This is a trick question to see if you'd really give them a weakness.

So by that logic, they'd prefer to hire a liar?

How is what I said lying? You're suppose to say something that could be construed as a weakness but can be considered a strength.

Lying would be saying "I have no weakness"

 

[Queasy]

The only question I hate more than the "Name five of your weaknesses" question is the "Tell me about yourself" question. Bah.

Just do what everyone else has suggested. Pick weaknesses but turn them around so that they appear to be strengths especially combined with things that are definitely your strengths.

Example:
Say one of your strengths is that you are a fast learner and one of your weaknesses is that you have good knowledge in a bunch of different things but you aren't specialized or deeply experienced in any of them. Obviously, you can turn that around to show that you can dive deeper into any number of subject matters because of your strength to learn quickly.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Kalbi

How is what I said lying? You're suppose to say something that could be construed as a weakness but can be considered a strength.

Lying would be saying "I have no weakness"

1. They generally ask what your biggest weakness is. Everyone has a weakness that doesn't make them look good, so that isn't your biggest weakness.
2. That's not even a weakness. Something that makes you more valuable to your employer is not a weakness.

Any HR person that doesn't see through that B.S. is an idiot (not that that is an uncommon thing).