Stop Answering the Question “what Is Your Biggest Weakness” With Poorly Promoted Positive Reviews
The idea that in an interview you have to answer the question “what is your greatest weakness” is really just a positive trait (“I’m a workaholic!” Or “I’m a perfectionist!”) You often hear. from professional trainers. In truth, just stop. Every interviewer everywhere has heard this before and would like you to be honest.
This is one of those job search tips that is often repeated. We’ve discussed how best to answer this question before , among other tricky interview questions , but if you catch yourself going to turn the positive into something that might seem negative, just to answer the question, don’t by looking like you actually have some kind of weakness, you may have uncovered your real problem right away – your lack of clarity, honesty, and introspection. Ultimately, your answer to the question should be well thought out and relevant to the job and interview, and it should be a real question that you would like to work on and improve on, not something that is just meant to make you look good. …
Alison Green, writing for US News Money, also points out the obvious – that every interviewer everywhere has ever heard standards before, and those clichés just don’t work anymore:
If you’ve picked up any job search guidelines over the past decade, you’ve probably seen the advice that your biggest weakness is that you work too much or you are a perfectionist. But it’s the same with most interviewers, and at the moment these answers sound trite and sly. What’s more, they make you sound like you’re either not overly aware of yourself or unwilling to honestly discuss your suitability for the position you are applying for.
Good interviewers don’t want to talk about weaknesses in order to play “get caught,” but because they want to be sure they won’t find a job to fight for.
In fact, the question of “your greatest weakness” is where you can show where you can – and would like – to grow once you take a position. Obviously, you shouldn’t go to an interview and say that your biggest weakness is what underlies the job you are applying for, but show that you have a little ambition and a lot of opportunities to grow and learn new, more valuable than trying to save face.
Ignore This Common – And Terrible – Career Advice | USA Money News