Need a good weakness for an interview today.....

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
F

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,090
2
81
Personally, my major weakness is tunnel vision. I'll get moving on something and get focused on that to the detriment of other projects I'm working on. I'm aware of the problem and it's something I'm working hard on correcting.

I don't see how my weakness will help you in an interview though.
 
sao123

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,653
205
106
Originally posted by: Feldenak
Personally, my major weakness is tunnel vision. I'll get moving on something and get focused on that to the detriment of other projects I'm working on. I'm aware of the problem and it's something I'm working hard on correcting.

I don't see how my weakness will help you in an interview though.
Click to expand...

Its a baldridge theory...

continuously undergoing a reflection & improvement cycle is more important that your current status...

admitting that you have weaknesses and being able to determine what they are is the first step to improvement.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Letting other people help you with your projects. You are a perfectionist and many times try to do everything yourself without letting other team members assist. *shrug*
Click to expand...

That is not that great of one. Collaboration (working with others) is one that you should not put as a negative. The perfectionist part is a little better.
Click to expand...

No it's not. Only an idiot would fall for the "weakness that's not a weakness" response. But then again, only an idiot would ask that overused question. :)

Edit: to clarify, DaShen is right that perfectionist is a little better than the other answer in that post, because saying you're bad at collaboration is a very, very bad idea. Neither answer is particularly good though. Saying you can't collaborate will pretty much disqualify you for the job. Saying you're a prefectionist should indicate to the interviewer that you're a big fat liar. And someone else mentioned communication skills - don't say that's your weakness either. That's bad. Unless, as I mentioned below, you can tell them how you overcome that weakness so it doesn't prevent you from effectively doing your job.
 
T

TXHokie

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 1999
2,558
176
106
My weakness is I tend to get really sarcastic when asked dumb overused interview questions that I feel compelled to lie or makeup a stupid answer.
 
JImmyK

JImmyK

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,145
36
91
2 quick notes as soembody who has interviewed a decent amount of people:

1. NEVER say my weakness is that Im a perfectionist as somebody mentioned above. Possibly the worst answer....

2. Make it something real and in your field but not specific for that job. For example when Im interviewing somebody for a corporate finance position and I ask them their weakness a good answer would be "I dont have a lot of experience at audit or consolidations".

If Im interviewing them for a Payroll accountant they should say something along the lines of a lack of ability in reference to personal income tax.

So its an actual weakness but it no way does it hinder you in the job you are interviewing for.
 
NikolaeVarius

NikolaeVarius

Lifer
Oct 25, 2006
11,036
11
91
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: djheater
My analytical nature sometimes makes it difficult for me to express myself simply to coworkers. I find I often give people more information than they are looking for, especially about complex subjects.

<---true

or...

"I'm a Choc-oholic, .... except for booze"

/Onion
Click to expand...

This first one happens to me all the time. If I ever do another interview, I might use that one.
Click to expand...

I would too. I piss people off all the time because I know 3000 random facts about the topic they asked me about... I have to stop reading those books...
 
C

CountZero

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2001
1,796
36
86
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Letting other people help you with your projects. You are a perfectionist and many times try to do everything yourself without letting other team members assist. *shrug*
Click to expand...

That is not that great of one. Collaboration (working with others) is one that you should not put as a negative. The perfectionist part is a little better.
Click to expand...

No it's not. Only an idiot would fall for the "weakness that's not a weakness" response. But then again, only an idiot would ask that overused question. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you! It is a terrible question only because people basically lie through their teeth 90% of the time. In my latest rounds of interviews (6 companies maybe 30 different people) I was never once asked this question. If it is being asked its to see if you are just using canned responses or genuinely describing yourself.

So pick a weakness you are aware of and improving. Be ready to say how you are improving it and how it impacted you at some point.
 
T

tfcmasta97

Platinum Member
Feb 7, 2004
2,003
0
0
Originally posted by: Zolty
Tendency to sleep with the children of your boss.
Click to expand...

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

*Dont say doin your wife. Dont say doin your wife*

Doing your... son?
 
D

dingnecros

Golden Member
Mar 23, 2005
1,579
0
71
This is what I said :
I tend to become too much detail oriented sometimes and that leads to me see the tree but loose sight of the forest.... But I tend to learn very fast and have learnt to ride the horse better once I have fallen off it.

This will most prolly be a HR question and he/she will not have any clue they are just looking that if you are aware of your shortcomings and not taking up anything that is beyond your caliber
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
IMO, the best way to answer that question is to give an actual weakness, but tell them how you compensate for or overcome that weakness.
 
F

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,090
2
81
Originally posted by: sao123
Originally posted by: Feldenak
Personally, my major weakness is tunnel vision. I'll get moving on something and get focused on that to the detriment of other projects I'm working on. I'm aware of the problem and it's something I'm working hard on correcting.

I don't see how my weakness will help you in an interview though.
Click to expand...

Its a baldridge theory...

continuously undergoing a reflection & improvement cycle is more important that your current status...

admitting that you have weaknesses and being able to determine what they are is the first step to improvement.
Click to expand...


I know I have things that I need to work on improving...my question was how would my weakness help the OP in an interview. ;)
 
A

ahurtt

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2001
4,283
0
0
You tend to stalk and murder the families of potential employers who do not hire you.
 
P

PhoenixOrion

Diamond Member
May 4, 2004
4,312
0
0
combine it....

one post mentioned perfectionism

one post mentioned about too much focus

"I'm a perfectionist. I tend to focus too much on one task especially if I'm passionate about the task or assignment. It engulfs me fully."
 
T

Tarrant64

Diamond Member
Sep 20, 2004
3,203
0
76
"I tend to go online to ATOT to get most of my work problems solved. Also, I am running out of websites to entertain myself while at work."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom