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The subject of job interviews always interests me. What people ask? How people answer?
Today, I ran into an article on Yahoo! where the author talks about how he asks the question “What are your weaknesses?” and what answers he expects.
The author admits that this is one of the toughest questions during a job interview. From my point of view, this is the most moronic question someone can ask. He starts, “There are times when I ask job candidates this question. It's not that I want to nitpick or make people feel uncomfortable, but rather I want to see in which areas they feel they need to improve and what they are doing about it.”
Lie. This is exactly what you want. You love making people feel uncomfortable. If you are asking this question, you are a freaking sadist and belong to Gestapo. Just look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I enjoy humiliating people and treat them like dirt. I’m a loser and enjoy these moments when I can feel superior even if the interviewee is more intelligent than me.”
The author continues, “I recommend that job candidates be upfront during interviews. Don't say you have "no weaknesses" or "work too hard." Instead, tell hiring managers what you are working on improving and what you've done to build your skills in these areas.”
This moron is looking to hire an obedient robot that will accept the fact that the most important part of any job is to properly fill out the review form they send you twice a year, state your goals, and in six months prove that you are getting there. Otherwise your little boss will bite off a piece of that carrot called bonus.
If your potential hiring manager (not an HR person) asks you this question during the interview, just say, “I often get to excited about my job and stay after hours to finish the assignment.” This is a perfect bullshit answer for a bullshit question. But is s/he won’t be satisfied and will ask you to elaborate on this, be strong, stand up and leave. You don’t want to work for this moron even if s/he will hire you.
Can’t be strong because you didn’t read any technical book during the last five years? Then bend all the way to the ground, let them have fun listening to your mumblings about your weaknesses, accept the offer and live a miserable professional life that you deserve.
In my opinion the advice makes sense only if the question is asked by a
person who'll be your immediate supervisor if you take the job. If the
question is asked by an HR person (which is very likely) or by a "screener"
from another group there is no point in "standing up and leaving".
Agree, I'll make a little correction to make it clear that I talk about
hiring managers. You don't want to work for such a manager. Questions of
HR clerks should not be taken seriously and need to be answered as
expected.
That's an interesting point in general. I have been always confused to
answer such a question. Usually a pause woud follow the one. But up to now
I should say, that only a hiring manager and not the tech superior has been
asking that question.
On the other hand, when at the end of the interview, hiring manager asks
"Do you have any questions for me?", should you ask him “What are your
weaknesses?” :-)
I couldn't agree more. That question creates such a disingenuous moment -
regardless of how it's answered. What makes it even worse is when it's
being asked by some moronic career HR person who doesn't know sh*t about
the actual position he / she is hiring for. I've had some of the most
hostile questions from HR people who didn't know a lick about their
company's actual business model or positions they're screening for. They
seem to particularly enjoy this little exercise of asking questions
intended to make one squirm, and then sitting back with eyebrows raised
during responses.
I had lots and lots of interviews.
I do not consider this question moronic, but as a bit tricky one.
My recommendation would be to try answering this question creatively if you
are in front of a technical person , but if it's HR - answer some minor BS
weakness. Making a joke here can be useful. makes interviewer warming up to
you.
During my last inteview, my current company's HR department called one of
my references and ask my weakness. His answer really showed me how right I
was when i choose him as reference. He told them "he must spent some time
on his own stuff, we cant stop him working, he takes his laptop to home and
continues working."
