Before I even explore this question, let me tell you that there is no one right answer for it. Let's begin then: The question "What is your biggest weakness" is one of the most common and most challenging questions in any job interview, and you must be prepared to answer it well.
However, that doesn't mean that you should memorize an answer that someone else has written, especially if it is an answer from a book on interview questions.
Because always keep in mind: You would not be the first person to read the book, and thus your interviewer will have heard the same response before - maybe a dozen times. I promise you: It will not make you look good.
Believe it or not, there are ways to answer this question that won't make you look bad -- it's just counterintuitive, because the question seems designed to draw out a really negative response. This is why so many people turn to pat, pre-written answers. You can do better!
Honesty can go a long way - particularly in job interview situations. Thus, in my opinion, you should also answer the questions in your job interview honestly, including those about your weaknesses.
Here's why: What most people will do is to come up with something that could be construed as a weakness, and then they try to spin it in such a way as to make themselves look good.
For example, it might be suggested you say "Being organized is extremely important to me. But I know that sometimes I over-do it. I can almost be obsessed about it".
That answer is no good. Obviously it's just one example, but in general, the whole spin-a-fake-weakness tactic is no good. Answers that take this form do not ring true, and they don't tell the interviewer anything useful about you. They aren't honest.
Think about it this way: The question about your weaknesses allows the interviewer to get some idea about the areas in which you might require some more training. It will tell him what skills you wish to improve.
However, that doesn't mean that you should memorize an answer that someone else has written, especially if it is an answer from a book on interview questions.
Because always keep in mind: You would not be the first person to read the book, and thus your interviewer will have heard the same response before - maybe a dozen times. I promise you: It will not make you look good.
Believe it or not, there are ways to answer this question that won't make you look bad -- it's just counterintuitive, because the question seems designed to draw out a really negative response. This is why so many people turn to pat, pre-written answers. You can do better!
Honesty can go a long way - particularly in job interview situations. Thus, in my opinion, you should also answer the questions in your job interview honestly, including those about your weaknesses.
Here's why: What most people will do is to come up with something that could be construed as a weakness, and then they try to spin it in such a way as to make themselves look good.
For example, it might be suggested you say "Being organized is extremely important to me. But I know that sometimes I over-do it. I can almost be obsessed about it".
That answer is no good. Obviously it's just one example, but in general, the whole spin-a-fake-weakness tactic is no good. Answers that take this form do not ring true, and they don't tell the interviewer anything useful about you. They aren't honest.
Think about it this way: The question about your weaknesses allows the interviewer to get some idea about the areas in which you might require some more training. It will tell him what skills you wish to improve.
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