IT Hire Wire

The job interview. It’s become almost an art form in society today, and the average web surfer can find countless articles about how to give the perfect interview, how to avoid making common interview mistakes, and how to prepare for the interview.

The Pointless Question

The ambitious job seekers can also go online and find a list of the most common questions (even strange questions). Then he or she can prepare answers to those questions and ideally give the perfect interview However, there is one interview question that has always seemed a little pointless to me:

Jamie, what is your biggest weakness?

Biggest strength, I understand. That allows people to present themselves and why they are qualified for the job. But, biggest weakness? Let’s be honest, everyone is going to “stretch the truth” a bit.

Of course, a job interview is supposed to involve a candidate, putting their best foot forward, so it’s only natural to “be positive; turn a weakness into a strength” (as USA Today suggests in the link above). But, here is my issue. What is the point of asking a question when you fully know that the answer is going to have a “positive spin”?

The Proof

To confirm my suspicions, I conducted a small survey of 10 people, from different careers and age groups. 100% of those people said that they turn their weakness into a positive. In addition, 100% said that they would not hire someone who actually admitted a genuine weakness, such as being easily distracted or having punctuality issues.

Some common “weaknesses” the responders have presented:

“I am very results-oriented, so sometimes I need to remind myself to be more patient with those who are not.”

“I am a perfectionist. Sometimes I have problems working in groups, because I like to have my hands on every part of a project.”

 ”I am too nice, so sometimes I have problems saying no to projects, and I end up working really late.”

 The Solution

So, what should you do if you receive this question? Well, here’s a new idea.  Try being honest. In my opinion, if you can’t be honest in the interview, then it’s probably not the right job for you.

I once applied for a job writing Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs). Made it through five interviews, and almost got the job. I was crushed when I wasn’t chosen, but here’s the thing, the job involved a lot of “alone time.” Now, while I can function on my own just fine, I quite enjoy interacting with people! I didn’t explain that in the interview, but it was clearly evident from my personality! In fact, I told the interviewer that I worked best on my own. Bottom line: the interviewer knew it was a bad match.

So, what’s my biggest weakness? I’m too honest.

Image by slushpup

 

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