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Buy
a copy of How to Say It: Job Interviews
Written by Linda Matias a
Certified Interview Coach and director of
Certified Interview Coach Institute, How
to Say It®
Job Interviews provides job-winning words,
phrases, and sample interview responses you need
to interview successfully. Order
How
to Say It®
Job Interviews and
learn how to ace any job interview.
What
Is Your Greatest Weakness
Also: 8
Easy Steps to a Winning Interview, Eighteen
"Do Nots" For Your Next Job Interview,
The
#1 Way To Kill A Phone Interview
The way to make a good interview go bad
is to avoid questions posed by the hiring
manager. The one question candidates love to
avoid is, “What is your greatest weakness?” Most
candidates are quick to respond with superficial
answers such as “I’m a workaholic” or “I’m a
perfectionist.” Not only are those responses
boring, but they are also predictable answers
interviewers are used to hearing. So much so
that an interviewer’s comeback line often is,
“That doesn’t sound like a weakness. Now why
don’t you tell me about a real weakness?”
Ouch. What an uncomfortable position to be
in—when a decision maker challenges you during
an interview. Just like you, the interviewer
wants the process to go as seamlessly as
possible, and they quickly become resentful when
they are placed in a confrontational position.
When answering questions surrounding your
greatest weakness, my advice is to tell the
truth—to a point. Though I don’t advocate
providing a play-by-play of every area that may
need improvement, it isn’t a good idea not to
cop to a weakness either. A happy medium does
exist, and it lies in focusing your response on
an area that doesn’t have a major impact on your
ability to do the job. This should be an area
that you are on your way to improving. Note, not
an area you’ve already improved, but one that is
well on its way.
Interviewers recognize that jobseekers aren’t
forthcoming when answering the “greatest
weakness” question. As a result, there is a new
trend in hiring circles of interviewers cleverly
disguising the question and using a variation of
the theme. In doing so, interviewers are
successfully stumping candidates, and are
receiving responses that uncover the
not-so-pleasant side of candidates.
Click Below for Part 2 of "What Is Your Greatest
Weakness"
Next Page 2
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Interviewers always ask
candidates to reveal their job interview
weakness. Don't get caught providing the wrong
answer. Read our article, "What Is Your Greatest
Weakness?" and learn how to answer your job
interview weakness question.