What is your greatest weakness?
Job hunters have been answering this interview question for years and yet, they rarely come up with creative, insightful responses. In fact, the majority of job candidates offer a lazy, one-sentence comeback, such as “I am a perfectionist” or “I’m a workaholic.”
I can’t imagine why a job seeker would throw away a question like this one. Everyone knows this question is coming. Job hunters have their entire careers to craft a unique and savvy response. Plus, this age-old inquiry provides a wide-open opportunity to show off your skills. Think about it. “What is your biggest weakness?” can be easily asked as a combination of two questions: “How do you see yourself?” and “How do you overcome obstacles in the workplace?”
If you really want the job, don’t settle for a boring or cliched response. Make an impression.
How do you prepare an original answer that will intrigue the interviewer? Try honesty. Tell the employer about an actual weakness. Explain why it is important and how you are working to correct it.
Just don’t get carried away and recite a list of your shortcomings. It would be counterproductive to mention poor communication skills when applying for a customer service job, right? This is why it’s best to plan your response before the interview. Luckily, this question comes with a lifetime of advance notice. You have plenty of time to brainstorm ideas. Here is a sample script:
“I have a tendency to focus on one task at a time. I roll up my sleeves, do the work, finish the project and then move on to the next thing. This practice can be really useful in some situations, but when I was promoted to project manager, it started to hold me back.
“In my current job, I balance three or four projects at any one time. Each project has its own team, budget and challenges. I was overwhelmed at first, but soon I realized that I could overcome this weakness by introducing new processes, streamlining my workload and providing hands-on training to my teams.
“I created a set of consistent procedures so that all projects were handled in the same manner. I also learned some applications that allowed me to track multiple budgets, schedules and client relationships without having to sift through a pile of paperwork and files.
“Because I was not confident of my skills in this area, I wanted a back-up plan to make sure I had control of several projects at once. So, I trained my assistant project managers to generate weekly summary reports for the individual projects. Even on my busiest weeks, when I find myself juggling a dozen deadlines, I always receive up-to-date information on every project. My assistants deliver these summaries Friday mornings, which gives me plenty of time to solve last-minute problems before the weekend.
“I’m still not a wizard at multitasking, but I believe my willingness to work hard and adopt new strategies has made a big impact. I haven’t missed a deadline since I initiated these processes. Not one.”
There is no such thing as a throw-away interview question. If an employer asks about your biggest weakness, think of it as an opportunity to highlight your strengths.
Eve can be reached at Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
