Interviewer may ask you this question in a normal and usual way. But be quick enough to read his face while he is asking this question. You will be surprised at how hard he is trying to save his face from trying showing unusual expressions. Simply put, interviewers themselves will be feeling uneasy while putting such a question before you. And there are reasons for this.
People hardly dare to ask a person about his weaknesses. But you can hear them praising a person for his good points. As a nature, we do not ask even our best friends to tell about what they are weak at. Nor we enjoy such questions asked to us. I have an experience. Let me tell this first. Then I will tell you the secrets of answering the question- What are your great weaknesses?
Those days I was practicing positive thinking. As one of the rules, I had prepared a list with two columns. One column was for my positive points and another was for negative points. I filled it with some points according to what I found in myself. But I had realized that what others see in me could be the real measure of what I was. So I had to find a chance to make others make note on my weaknesses.
In one of my laboratory classes, a friend of mine noticed me very happy. He signaled that 'something' interesting was going with me. And he spent some words to tell others how impressing and hard working I was. I felt uneasy at this. But I took a chance and nobly praised him to note out my weaknesses. To my surprise, no one in the laboratory was ready to see weaknesses in me. I could never ask them again to help me find my weaknesses as seen by the world. Now I realize that we should observe how other people behave with us and take into account how they are judging us.
By this time you must have discovered why the questions regarding to one's weaknesses are so typical and special too. If my story did not make it clear, just remember in a nutshell that people will not ask you about your weaknesses nor they tell you anything about it (they will peep into you to find your weaknesses and behave accordingly!).
Then why this extraordinary interviewer asking you the same question. Has he been too generous to help you know your weaknesses or he has gone crazy? Remember that before mixing you in their environment, they want to be sure what a taste you are. This question is one of the measures of your 'taste'. This question tests your taste!!
Here is the pointed evaluation why the interviewer is asking you to tell him what your major weaknesses are.
1# First of all, the interviewer wants to understand you. Remember you identify people for their weaknesses more than you do recognize them for their good points.
2# He is trying to see how you take yourself. In other words, he wants to find out who you are in your own eyes or how well do you know yourself.
3# The interviewer wishes to estimate your 'evolution'. This means he has an intensive to know how you led yourself in the times of adversity and how you have established your strengths.
4# The interviewer wants to know what environment best suits you.
So try to make your answer clear and specific. Be honest and transparent. But be careful- transparency has levels and you should not give the interviewer any chance to underestimate you. Interview wasn't meant to be easy in this world! You have to be perfect in give-and-take!!
Here are the points you must consider while handling the situation born by the very question.
1# Have a list of the points you are weak at. Be specific to the job position you have applied for. For example, if you are a software developer, you may be good at programming but weak at designing pages. But you poor management skill must not be taken as you weakness, at least for the position of software developer.
2# Don't present your weakness as a serious issue. Just put it before the interviewer in a usual way. Do not say that you are anxious about your weakness. Use moderate sentences.
"I am a little weak in managing team."
"I have some problem with customer-dealing".
Note the words- "little weak" and "some problem". These words are moderating your sentences and helping you balance your expression.
3# If you are talking about your weakness, you must have at least one reason that encapsulates your truth. Not clear? Let me repeat the two sentences presented earlier.
"I am little weak in managing a team. I can not make my voice commanding when it is necessary to do so."
"I have some problems in dealing with customers. I get nervous when I have to deal with a mass at once."
But keep in mind you should never make a story on why you are weak at something.
4# Never forget to end your answer by dropping clues on how you are working to get better with your discussed weakness. Doing so makes the impression that you are not a man of problems only (there is no human without any problems) but you are conscious to solve them too.
"But I am getting better with team management. Recently I read a book on good team management. I am getting well around it."
"But I am trying hard. Recently I have felt that I am getting confident in dealing with mass. I now believe this is a matter of practice."
Answering this way enables you to kill two birds with one stone. Surprised how? First of all you are showing that you are honest. This will impress the interviewer and you will be making a bridge between yourself and the interviewer. Second you are committing yourself to improve your situation by overcoming your weaknesses. When you honestly confess your weaknesses before someone you have walked the first step towards correcting them.
Careful! Do not tell the interviewer that you have no weaknesses. Even do not say that you have not found any problem within you. Be careful to not to reference any friends or family members or anyone to recite anything related to your weakness. You must be showing that you are conscious enough to observer and evaluate yourself. This is a must for your personality.
People hardly dare to ask a person about his weaknesses. But you can hear them praising a person for his good points. As a nature, we do not ask even our best friends to tell about what they are weak at. Nor we enjoy such questions asked to us. I have an experience. Let me tell this first. Then I will tell you the secrets of answering the question- What are your great weaknesses?
Those days I was practicing positive thinking. As one of the rules, I had prepared a list with two columns. One column was for my positive points and another was for negative points. I filled it with some points according to what I found in myself. But I had realized that what others see in me could be the real measure of what I was. So I had to find a chance to make others make note on my weaknesses.
In one of my laboratory classes, a friend of mine noticed me very happy. He signaled that 'something' interesting was going with me. And he spent some words to tell others how impressing and hard working I was. I felt uneasy at this. But I took a chance and nobly praised him to note out my weaknesses. To my surprise, no one in the laboratory was ready to see weaknesses in me. I could never ask them again to help me find my weaknesses as seen by the world. Now I realize that we should observe how other people behave with us and take into account how they are judging us.
By this time you must have discovered why the questions regarding to one's weaknesses are so typical and special too. If my story did not make it clear, just remember in a nutshell that people will not ask you about your weaknesses nor they tell you anything about it (they will peep into you to find your weaknesses and behave accordingly!).
Then why this extraordinary interviewer asking you the same question. Has he been too generous to help you know your weaknesses or he has gone crazy? Remember that before mixing you in their environment, they want to be sure what a taste you are. This question is one of the measures of your 'taste'. This question tests your taste!!
Here is the pointed evaluation why the interviewer is asking you to tell him what your major weaknesses are.
1# First of all, the interviewer wants to understand you. Remember you identify people for their weaknesses more than you do recognize them for their good points.
2# He is trying to see how you take yourself. In other words, he wants to find out who you are in your own eyes or how well do you know yourself.
3# The interviewer wishes to estimate your 'evolution'. This means he has an intensive to know how you led yourself in the times of adversity and how you have established your strengths.
4# The interviewer wants to know what environment best suits you.
So try to make your answer clear and specific. Be honest and transparent. But be careful- transparency has levels and you should not give the interviewer any chance to underestimate you. Interview wasn't meant to be easy in this world! You have to be perfect in give-and-take!!
Here are the points you must consider while handling the situation born by the very question.
1# Have a list of the points you are weak at. Be specific to the job position you have applied for. For example, if you are a software developer, you may be good at programming but weak at designing pages. But you poor management skill must not be taken as you weakness, at least for the position of software developer.
2# Don't present your weakness as a serious issue. Just put it before the interviewer in a usual way. Do not say that you are anxious about your weakness. Use moderate sentences.
"I am a little weak in managing team."
"I have some problem with customer-dealing".
Note the words- "little weak" and "some problem". These words are moderating your sentences and helping you balance your expression.
3# If you are talking about your weakness, you must have at least one reason that encapsulates your truth. Not clear? Let me repeat the two sentences presented earlier.
"I am little weak in managing a team. I can not make my voice commanding when it is necessary to do so."
"I have some problems in dealing with customers. I get nervous when I have to deal with a mass at once."
But keep in mind you should never make a story on why you are weak at something.
4# Never forget to end your answer by dropping clues on how you are working to get better with your discussed weakness. Doing so makes the impression that you are not a man of problems only (there is no human without any problems) but you are conscious to solve them too.
"But I am getting better with team management. Recently I read a book on good team management. I am getting well around it."
"But I am trying hard. Recently I have felt that I am getting confident in dealing with mass. I now believe this is a matter of practice."
Answering this way enables you to kill two birds with one stone. Surprised how? First of all you are showing that you are honest. This will impress the interviewer and you will be making a bridge between yourself and the interviewer. Second you are committing yourself to improve your situation by overcoming your weaknesses. When you honestly confess your weaknesses before someone you have walked the first step towards correcting them.
Careful! Do not tell the interviewer that you have no weaknesses. Even do not say that you have not found any problem within you. Be careful to not to reference any friends or family members or anyone to recite anything related to your weakness. You must be showing that you are conscious enough to observer and evaluate yourself. This is a must for your personality.
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"The amount of love you show to your neighbor reflects how much you love yourself."
Tessy Igbinoghene
Tessy Igbinoghene
"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life."
Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
