I need job interview advice.....

[TheMightyFavog]

Whenever I get a job interview, I always get tripped up by one question.

"What do you feel is your greatest weakness?"

What advice can you give me as how to answer this question?

[medeak]

1. I'm a workaholic

[Dover]

7. LOL! Good one....n/t

[flamingyouth]

2. I used to always say

"I set my standards too high." Makes me laugh when I think of it in retrospect. :D (Clearly, judging by my employment history, it was far from true.)

[Phillycat]

3. Inability to delegate.

Shows you're actually a control freak who will do everything himself, which most employers would LOVE to have. (except the very few who believe in having employees with emotional health--in which case they'll still hire you and just try to help you delegate.)

[tsakshaug]

4. there are times

that I get so engrossed in my work, that the time flys and before I know it, it is past quitting time. I often eat lunch at my desk so that I can do extra work.

[slackmaster]

5. Try a positive trait taken too far

Too willing to take on additional tasks.

Too willing to work overtime.

Too eager to help out.

Too humble. :-)

Whatever seems appropriate for the position, and truthfully reflects something about you.

[ewagner]

6. Advice given to me

Tell them your greatest weakness is something they want to hear...like:

I'm a workaholic...I just can't seem to tear myself away from my work.

I'm addicted to detail; I just cant' get enough of it.

[mondo joe]

8. Well what IS your greatest weakness? Honestly?

[sniffa]

9. if you must answer

say, you're too ambitious.

otherwise, take controL of the interview, and steer it in the direction of your choosing.
most interviews (at Least on my end) don't foLLow the simpLe inkbLot Q&A formuLa - they're an open-ended conversation. so get that convo going, and steer it into areas you're more than comfortabLe with, and the job shouLd be yours. charmers get hired.

[shoelace414]

10. make a joke

I know I'm supposed to say something like my weakness is I work to hard or something like that, but that's what you expect me to say, so I guess my weakness is I don't say what is expected.

[skygazer]

11. Always turn it into a positive

I sometimes get so involved in a project, I lose track of time.

Or I'm a workaholic.

Or you hold people to too high a standard (or hold yourself to too high a standard)

Something along those lines. Make that "weakness" a strength.

[mondo joe]

12. If anyone tells me they're a workoholic I know they're BSing me

As someone doing interviews I just want to say if someone tells me they are a workoholic it sets of my BS detector.

It's too overdone. People always say it, and it's weasely.

[sniffa]

14. as an interviewer

do you agree with my assessment above - re: interview as conversation.

just curious for a different perspective.

this tactic hasn't faiLed me yet.

[mondo joe]

17. I don't disagree. I prefer a frank conversation.

I recently interviewed for my current job.

Against my own better judgment I tried to be too slick and had a BAD interview.

I actually decided I didn't want the job, was asked to come back for another interview and did. Because I didn't want the job I was relaxed, honest, conversational - in other words, best interview of my life. And they talked me into taking the job after all.

What I really want in a hire is someone who can be counted on to be honest and self aware. So that's what I look for in interviews.

[Modem Butterfly]

13. Headhunter for 10 years here, HR Generalist for 4

You need to come up with an answer that sounds honest but isn't too much of an obvious kiss-up answer. In other words, "I'm a workaholic" or "I'm too ethical" or "I don't ever call in sick" sound like you're being a sycophant. Look at your work history honestly and state what your weakness really is, then offer a solution. For instance, my greatest weakness is that when I get stressed for time, my organizational abilities suffer. So in an interview situation, I say, "During time crunches, I tend to cut corners as far as general office organization. I tend to focus so much on the task at hand that I inadvertantly create work for myself after the project goes, reorganizing my work area and re-focusing on my day-to-day work. In order to handle this, I account for deadlines that I know are coming up, I keep my normal work as organized as possible before any deadlines approach, and I adjust my schedule after the deadline in order to account for any catching up that needs to happen,"

This question is really seeking to find out if you can honestly evaluate yourself and if you can truly problem solve.

[mondo joe]

16. Bingo. I couldn't agree more.

I couldn't agree more.

I really dislike being SOLD in an interview. I want to hear some good self assessment and frankness.

[NJGeek]

15. simple

think about one or two subject matters related to your career or job responsibilities, and then say "I am looking to gain more expertise in " or "I really want to learn more about so that I can "

this deflects the weakness question into a discussion about subjects related to the job and shows that you have goals

[demwing]

18. This is a great question for the interviewee.

I like to say that my greatest weakness is that I tend to get caught up in details, but that one of my strengths is the ability to recognize that weakness and correct my efforts to get the job done.

This answers the question (and supports any claims you may make to being detail oriented) and turns the converstaion back towards your strengths.

I used it very successfully in my last interview. Good luck in yours!

[meegbear]

19. My take on it's been this ....

What do you consider to be your greatest strength?
I can spend hours working on a problem, finding a solution.

What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?
I can spend hours working on a problem, finding a solution.

For the first one, you explain your problem solving skills. For the second one, you explain how you can get wrapped up in a problem. In this way, try to twist the negative into a positive.

It's worked for me.

[ET Awful]

I'm very involved with my gun collecting

I have lots and lots of guns.

Just ask my last employer. . .

[bobbobbins]

20. tell them your greatest weakness is....

8 year old boys...employers like to hire people who can joke about molestation.

[TheMightyFavog]

21. How about this answer....

Sometimes I just don't know when to say uncle. I have a tendancy to try and stuck out a situation even when the book and most other people would find it more prudent to cut their losses.

[demwing]

22. my greatest weakness is

trying to control-wait let me finish-the voices in my head.

[TheMightyFavog]

23. kick

:kick: