What is the proper response to this interview question?
Whatever you say it would be good to mention that you are working on making that weakness become your advantage. e.g. My greatest weakness is lack of motivation but I try to nip it in the bud, and every time I feel it affecting my work or mind, it pushes me to go past it and prove to myself and others that I'm the right man for the job I'm doing at the moment.
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For a serious and honest answer I would probably say that being left in the dark about a project or job. I loathe how universities work, where profs can have shitty seminars, useless books if any, and then can fail you at exams that's not even about the seminar's topic. I've been there, and it feels abusive and me having absolutely no control. I often have the fear of not choosing/reacting well if I don't have all (or the most possible) information about an important situation or question, I would name that as one of my biggest weaknesses are about working. I just hate it when someone can give you less than adequate information, then later it's you who takes the blame for doing it wrong when someone else failed to provide info.
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Good luck Stef! As said above:Confidence, poise, and self-reliance. Give yourself time to think the question through and don't give glib answers. Pay attention to exactly how it's phrased, that may clue you in to how they want you to answer.
so what you are actually supposed to do is be honest about a small flaw but state how you have been working on that flaw.
That seems like the best approach, but try to read the interviewer's body language and their general demeanor.I know,easier said than done.
I'll never forget one interview where I thought I was doing really well and the woman said "You seem like a bright young man and are very good at selling yourself! I am afraid you're not quite what we're looking for, though."
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Thankfully no one ever asked me this at the interview. not that I've been to many I'd probably answer honestly accidentally (something along the lines: "my biggest weakness is that I have to earn money or leech them off someone else to live comfortably and I hate talking to people, so most of jobs would be terrible experiences for me")
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The best way to go about this question is, imho, naming a "weakness" that's not really a big weakness or naming a weakness that is completely unrelated to the job you would be doing. Good luck with your interview! :)
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I've done two fake interviews in my life where I've been asked this question. Sadly, I'll either panic whenever I get asked a question and completely freeze up or say literally the first thing that comes to mind. For instance, the first time I was asked this question, I panicked and said that my biggest weakness is my crippling social anxiety but it wouldn't be an issue because the "job" I was applying for required little to no social interactions outside of the co workers that I know I'd be able to warm up to eventually.
As for answering how to go about it: The school I went to had a work readiness lady who would come into my class and tell us that basically over exaggerating any quality of ours and twisting the simplest and safest generic answer to make us look better was the best thing to do. Personally, because I'm really stubborn... I'd say the best thing to do is just be honest with them and yourself. Stick with an answer that would make you the most comfortable that is true to you, a more human answer that isn't something a Generic Jeffrey would spout out. For me, it feels too silly/off-putting for me to give an answer that is basically "Oh no, you got me, my weakness is /insert an actually not bad thing about yourself and then enhance the goodness of it here/ " but for some people, that just feels like an honest natural answer to them so I'd say to just go with whichever is most you.
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When I was 16 I was asked this question for the first time and I totally froze up and didn't answer. Somehow I got the job at the time but it's such a pain of a question. I would also love to bring up my social anxiety and be honest, but I know that an honest weakness that may affect the job is not what the interviewer wants.
I'm 100% in agreement with you. I feel ridiculous pretending a really good trait is a weakness. I think I'll give them an honest weakness that is minor to the job, and expand on how I'm improving on it. Thanks for the advice!
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I wish you the best of luck in your interview - they can be really scary.
I would try to answer honestly, for your benefit as well as theirs. They want to know who you really are, and you want to know they're really a good fit for you. If you pretend to be something you're not and get the job, you'll have to pretend for a looooong time.
It's a numbers game, anyway, so focus on quantity. Something will stick!
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Q: "What would you say your greatest weakness is."
A: "Taking interviews."
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I don't understand it clearly myself, but I think I am pretty damn lazy. I mean, I'm actually decent on things I'm interested in, new things, I push harder more than anyone does, but after some time, I get bored easily and becomes the laziest. there's more, but that's one.
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Don't take this as a troll, but as humor:
"Taking advice from Internet forums."
You could add "about videogames" if you want to refine the answer further... ;)
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Well in my case I pick one out of two
1st:I'm impatient if the work is menial and sometimes that makes me reckless so I have to double-check my work to make sure everything is right.
2nd: When i encounter a problem I get really focused on it and I just have to solve it or it keeps bugging me.
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So I have a job interview tomorrow. I've fully prepared for it except for one horrible and pointless excuse for a question. "What is your greatest weakness?"
Job interviewers know that most people lie on this question, and if they DON'T lie, they aren't answering it correctly. I've researched online but it's very split. A lot of people say to turn a negative into a positive. Others say that that is old-fashioned and expected, so what you are actually supposed to do is be honest about a small flaw but state how you have been working on that flaw.
So how would you guys answer that question?
gibEDIT: Thank you for everyone's answer. Sorry that I didn't respond to them all. I appreciate the serious and not so serious answers :P
I'm done with my interview but I'll leave this open for the giveaway and anyone else who needs similiar help :) The interview went alright. Not perfect but it's mostly my nerves that got in the way. I don't even remember half the things i said but I went the route of naming a small mistake and then tell them how I'm working on it. Thanks again for all your help :)
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