God i hate these questions

[Syrch]

Well I got an interview with a high powered executive at work on monday and he wants me to come with the following...

When you come, please be prepared to discuss at least three things you excel at and three things you feel are your weakness. These things are not necessarily technical skills. They could and should be general quantities about yourself.

What would you guys say.

 

[SouthPaW1227]

You can think of 3 strongpoints.

3 weaknesses:
1) coming up with weaknesses
2) I tend to get a little "too into my work" and end up causing myself stress sometimes trying to get everything right on the job, so everything goes smoothly
3) Sometimes I appear as anti-social when in reality I'm just focusing entirely on my work.

Gets 'em everytime.

 

[Jeraden]

Weaknesses:

1. Kryptonite
2. Fear of spiders
3. (to the interviewer) That cologne you are wearing, it makes me weak in the knees!

 

[fishstickz]

Weaknesses:

1. Saying you are too competitive/focused always sounds great. I have milked that line in interviews for a long time.
2. Perfectionism: cliched but still usable.
3. Neat freak/hyper organized- no one wants a slob working for them, so this line works great too. Only use this line if you are looking very sharp, however (pressed clothes, perfectly knotted tie, etc).

I have used any of those lines for a while, and they all work great.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
You can think of 3 strongpoints.

3 weaknesses:
1) coming up with weaknesses
2) I tend to get a little "too into my work" and end up causing myself stress sometimes trying to get everything right on the job, so everything goes smoothly
3) Sometimes I appear as anti-social when in reality I'm just focusing entirely on my work.

Gets 'em everytime.

Those are terrible. I recruit for a major employer, and I can tell you that these answers would not impress me. If you were too personal when you met me and then gave those answers, I'd think you were lying, and if you were really like that, I'd think you were too impersonal.

Dude, those are the easiest questions in the world. If you're too insecure to come up with your own answers, you'll never get far in the real world. My #1 strength whenever I get asked this question is ALWAYS that I am very good at analyzing my weaknesses. If you don't know where you're weak, how can you fix it?

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Originally posted by: Jeraden
Weaknesses:

1. Kryptonite
2. Fear of spiders
3. (to the interviewer) That cologne you are wearing, it makes me weak in the knees!

Change #3 to 'Supermodels' and that's your winner.

 

[SouthPaW1227]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
You can think of 3 strongpoints.

3 weaknesses:
1) coming up with weaknesses
2) I tend to get a little "too into my work" and end up causing myself stress sometimes trying to get everything right on the job, so everything goes smoothly
3) Sometimes I appear as anti-social when in reality I'm just focusing entirely on my work.

Gets 'em everytime.

Those are terrible. I recruit for a major employer, and I can tell you that these answers would not impress me. If you were too personal when you met me and then gave those answers, I'd think you were lying, and if you were really like that, I'd think you were too impersonal.

Dude, those are the easiest questions in the world. If you're too insecure to come up with your own answers, you'll never get far in the real world. My #1 strength whenever I get asked this question is ALWAYS that I am very good at analyzing my weaknesses. If you don't know where you're weak, how can you fix it?

You're thinking from a recruiters POV. Nobody in their damn right mind is HONESTLY gonna tell you they're lazy when they can be, they'll take advantage of the boss being out, and they try to pass work along to others. It's a stupid question to ask because it's gonna be BS all the way. Why the hell would you wanna make yourself sound weak at an interview?

And my responses were mostly sarcastic, honestly.

 

[pclstyle]

1) I have ebola.

You won't have to come up with any others

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
You can think of 3 strongpoints.

3 weaknesses:
1) coming up with weaknesses
2) I tend to get a little "too into my work" and end up causing myself stress sometimes trying to get everything right on the job, so everything goes smoothly
3) Sometimes I appear as anti-social when in reality I'm just focusing entirely on my work.

Gets 'em everytime.

Those are terrible. I recruit for a major employer, and I can tell you that these answers would not impress me. If you were too personal when you met me and then gave those answers, I'd think you were lying, and if you were really like that, I'd think you were too impersonal.

Dude, those are the easiest questions in the world. If you're too insecure to come up with your own answers, you'll never get far in the real world. My #1 strength whenever I get asked this question is ALWAYS that I am very good at analyzing my weaknesses. If you don't know where you're weak, how can you fix it?

You're thinking from a recruiters POV. Nobody in their damn right mind is HONESTLY gonna tell you they're lazy when they can be, they'll take advantage of the boss being out, and they try to pass work along to others. It's a stupid question to ask because it's gonna be BS all the way. Why the hell would you wanna make yourself sound weak at an interview?

So, what would you recommend that someone say, if they are not able to identify their weaknesses?

 

[SouthPaW1227]

^ That they're human.

 

[DainBramaged]

Hmm..this made me think about my weaknesses.

1. Johnnie Walker Pure Malt
2. Elisha Cuthbert
3. Cuban Cigars

 

[Argo]

One common mistake people do with listing their "weaknesses" is portraying their strengths as a weakness. For example "My weakness is I work too hard at times". Most people see right through that and it gives an impression of pre-meditated cookie-cutter answer. Instead be honest. If your weakness is that it takes you a while to learn new stuff - state that. Just tell them the truth, chances are your boss already knows what your weaknesses are.

 

[Reel]

strengths:
1) I have a lot of discipline because i have been training in karate for many years and have become an n-th degree black belt.
2) I have a love for machinery as demonstrated by constantly rebuilding my extensive gun collection.
3) I really want this job.

weaknesses:
1) I take disappointment very hard. I esepcially don't handle rejection well
2) I don't take no for an answer.
3) I sometimes have these rage black-outs.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: Reel
strengths:
1) I have a lot of discipline because i have been training in karate for many years and have become an n-th degree black belt.
2) I have a love for machinery as demonstrated by constantly rebuilding my extensive gun collection.
3) I really want this job.

weaknesses:
1) I take disappointment very hard. I esepcially don't handle rejection well
2) I don't take no for an answer.
3) I sometimes have these rage black-outs.

Work for USPS at all?

 

[LeiZaK]

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: SouthPaW1227
You can think of 3 strongpoints.

3 weaknesses:
1) coming up with weaknesses
2) I tend to get a little "too into my work" and end up causing myself stress sometimes trying to get everything right on the job, so everything goes smoothly
3) Sometimes I appear as anti-social when in reality I'm just focusing entirely on my work.

Gets 'em everytime.

Those are terrible. I recruit for a major employer, and I can tell you that these answers would not impress me. If you were too personal when you met me and then gave those answers, I'd think you were lying, and if you were really like that, I'd think you were too impersonal.

Dude, those are the easiest questions in the world. If you're too insecure to come up with your own answers, you'll never get far in the real world. My #1 strength whenever I get asked this question is ALWAYS that I am very good at analyzing my weaknesses. If you don't know where you're weak, how can you fix it?

You're thinking from a recruiters POV. Nobody in their damn right mind is HONESTLY gonna tell you they're lazy when they can be, they'll take advantage of the boss being out, and they try to pass work along to others. It's a stupid question to ask because it's gonna be BS all the way. Why the hell would you wanna make yourself sound weak at an interview?

And my responses were mostly sarcastic, honestly.

being able to identify your weaknesses is a very positive thing in the eyes of an employer. Just think about it from their perspective. Also, 99% of the time you can take your own weaknesses and turn them around to make them sound almost like strengths.

 

[robothouse77]

Originally posted by: Argo
One common mistake people do with listing their "weaknesses" is portraying their strengths as a weakness. For example "My weakness is I work too hard at times". Most people see right through that and it gives an impression of pre-meditated cookie-cutter answer. Instead be honest. If your weakness is that it takes you a while to learn new stuff - state that. Just tell them the truth, chances are your boss already knows what your weaknesses are.

i completely agree. they want to see what you are bad at, and if what you are bad at can easily be improved, all the better. just be honest. if you have a problem being late, say it, but say that for this job, you would gladly attempt to be at work 10 minutes early

 

[PingSpike]

three things you feel are your weakness.

Read as: "Please feed me shovel fulls of a delicious bullsh|t, because I asked for it."

 

[Ramma2]

Weakness - I'm usually pretty busy, so if I don't write things down I sometimes forget them.

Shows that you know of a weakness and that you are able to overcome it. Eh!