IT Employment
by oz_media
I would say that everyone has 5 different positive and negative points, if you are looking to fabricate something just to look good you will soon be seen for what you are if you get hired.
I would say very general positive apsects of an employee for ANY field would be,
a) You WANT to work for them or find thier products or sevices interesting.
b) You have positive energy and work well with others in a team environment but are able to show initiative if left to your own devices.
c) Ability to easily find solutions and address challenges when presented.
d) Wish to grow within an organization as well as with your own skills
e)Able to quickly adapt and take on new tasks as needed without becoming overwhelmed
As for bad points, well this one is VERY tough as you have to understand yourself in order to see your own weaknesses and a general answer is just not applicable.
I even tried to come up with some but can only speak for myself, therefore you will have to do this one yourself.
by jamesrl
Though you want to sound thoughtful rather than scripted.
I haven't been asked for 5 good and bad qualities, but have often asked about 1.
For the bad quality, I'd pick something you have been given feedback on in a previous review, hopefully something you have worked to improve on. For myself, it was always that I sometimes overcommit - but I don't leave it at that, I mention that I have worked with my boss to improve and also took the 7 Habits course which helped.
You have to pick examples that are relevant to you. If you can think of examples, try using the SAR rule - describe the Situation, the Action and the Result.
Hope that helps.
James
by jimhm
Are you looking to tell these folks untruths about yourself or looking to say what the top ones are?
If you are looking for the top ones - I have found it depends on the company you are interviewing with and the interviewer. So want the ability to work as part of a team - others look for individaul initative and independ work ability - company loyality - everyone is different you will need to wead that out during the interview -
As to weak points - thats kind of a trick question - I give them answered "I have no weak points, that I am aware of." or "I am dyslexic - and reports take a little longer than someone that isn't." Then I ask the interviewer are there any weak points I should be aware of the company has, "Like missed payrolls, pay increase are infrequent, vacation time is hard to get scheduled." --
Good luck
It is not unreasonable to include the same one in both. You may have a perfectionist streak-- a good thing if you don't want to release something until it is fully proved; a bad thing if a fix is needed NOW, you have something that works but you want 3 more weeks to test it. Or maybe you have the "patience of Job"-- a good thing when working with difficult people but could be a bad thing if you fail to recognize the point you need to go to a "higher authority" for help with someone who is stonewalling on a project.
Be judicious in how you use this one.
Hello
Basically agreeing with the previous reply, If you are asked for 5 good and five bad, they are the same.
Your best abilities are the noticable extremes within you. and these are also you greatest flaws.
eg
1. You are exstremely keen to read up and understand everything before you implement a change , also reads you take ages before you get down to actually doing something.
2. You are always ready to lend an ear to workmate and consider them as valuable- also reads You talk to much and you may slow down your coleagues.
3. You work huge overtime hours free of charge, also reads you never get done what you should between 9-5.
There is no right answer as every answer has it's drawbacks!
Your answers are actually very easy to find, You know what you are goood at, just be honest!
Write down 5 things now that you are good at, then take a second and realise what the cost is of these perticular strengths. There in lies your answer.You don't need anyone else to tell you what to say only you can answer this type of question truthfully and well.
Cheers
Now
Matty
by raguand
After talking to interviewers, HR people, Managers and others with the task of hiring; I had come to the conclusion that anybody who ask questions like this is just, either asking ?canned? questions, or just want to find out if they ?like or dislike? the applicant.
Who in their right mind will answer-truly, to a question that will hinder his possibilities of getting the job? Or by that matter, who will ask a question that should have been explicitly listed in the requirements for the job. The question for this discussion is: 5 ?GOOD?QUALITIES AND 5 ?BAD? QUALITIES. If this is the case, then for the initial 5 you will list all that related to the requirements for the job. All the next 5 you can say anything you like, that might or might not be related to the job. And if you are smart, you will always says things like: ?well, I sometimes, like to ensure that all the ?details? of the client request are fulfilled, and this sometimes put me in conflict with sales, because they want to push the product out too soon? or some BS like that?.
If one read all the comments to this discussion, one will see that all of them will be either ?canned? by you, or ?canned? by the person who is asking you the question. Any company should hire you- if you fill the requirements for the job. And these requirements should be CLEARLY AND EXPLICITLY written in the Job Request. All these ?gray? questions are created, because HR or Hiring Managers don?t understand or know the ?exact? requirements for the positions they have; or/and they don?t know their company?s culture, vision and mission. I should know, I grew my company to 189 consultants. I hire people, not ?perfect? people.
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A lot of variations of the same question on naming your weaknesses. It's actually rated at the most dreaded interview question.
My answer to such questions:
We all have both good and bad attributes. And the key to success, at least in my mind, is to focus on a person's strengths, not his weaknesses. We should identify those strengths, emphasize them, and build upon them. I don't even think about my weaknesses, because I try to stay focused on the positive aspects of who I am and what I can contribute. I'm not trying to sound evasive, but I dwell on what I can do, not on what I can't. And what I can do is help your company improve its process, its product, or its profit by..........
by maecuff
by jimhm
by jamesrl
And of course it depends on the nature of the job but....
After 18 months of contracts and job hunting, I am employed(since Feb) and now the shoe is on the other foot, as I am staffing up my department.
I have been interviewing alot lately.
And if I had asked that question, I'd want an answer, and your answer to me sounds evasive.
We all have weaknesses, and its a sign of emotional intelligence to be able to admit that you have them. I would stick to job related things though. In some cases, the question may be a probe for things that require training.
In a quarterly review, where I do ask that question(and expect honest answers from my employees) I had an employee admit that to do her job she needed to know more about a certain side of the business she hadn't been exposed much to. So I then had the task of trying to help her fill that need.
In an interview situation, you want to avoid red flags. Overconfidence, signs of evasiveness etc can all throw up potential issues. I once had an interviewee who I asked a series of behavioral type questions - you know - tell me about a time when you experienced X, what did you do, what was the result. After each one , I asked whether knowing what she knows now, she would do anything differently. To each one she answered, no.
I hired a more qualified candidate, but the "no" answer stuck with me for a long time. If she went through a number of challenging situations and never learned anything from them, I had some concerns about openness, flexibility, adaptability and response to change.
James
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You never want to give an interviewer a reason not to hire you. Moreover, a way to overcome your own weaknesses is to suggest to yourself (and others) that they don't exist. If you are disorganized, for example, the way to overcome that is to convince yourself that you ARE organized, and you will become organized. If you are habitually late, continually reminding yourself that you are punctual will help you to become punctual. And so on.
My reply wasn't intended to be a verbatim answer to a blanket question, but rather an "outside the box" way of thinking about it. Circumstances and personalities will certainly influence the tone and wording of the reply, but turning a negative into a positive is the intent. And in this case, not only can you turn a negative question into a positive one, but do it by illustrating more of your own positive traits.
If the question is repeated, or if your answer is rejected, you might have to reply a bit differently. "Shooting from the hip", so to speak, is common in interviews. But I want to emphasize the reasons they WANT to hire me, not the reasons they don't. If - and this is a big if - I absolutely had to name some weaknesses, the ones I would list would be more technical in nature, not personal or behavioral. For example, I'm weak on using Excel, but I've never had an opportunity or a reason to really delve into it. But given my past history of learning new software quickly and thoroughly, getting up to speed would not be a problem. A company can always train for those kinds of things, but they can't train someone to be punctual.
And it's worth repeating, why would you want to give an interviewer a reason not to hire you?
Max's maxim (from an employer's perspective): Hire for attitude, train for skill.
Take that into an interview, and you'll propel yourself above most, if not all, the other applicants.
by jimhm
Do you share your short comings with your team?
Is it a fair question to ask an interviewee? What are your weak points? I expect an honest answer from them - gee how long were you unemployed as a manager (18 months) did that tell you something?
I am not working for you - nor are you paying me - you I don't owe you an answer unless I believe it will effect my performance of the job I am interviewing for... so they get dyslexia because I am ...
But say its "We all have weaknesses, and its a sign of emotional intelligence to be able to admit that you have them." Why does it make you feel superior when you hear these - does it really give you a better employee to know these things - was that truty a weakness she needed to know more about business - or was that your weakness as a manager to of known that before she said it... I would call that a managerial weakness - not giving your staff the proper tools to perform their jobs...
So my boss today - doesn't ask that question because our HR deamed it illegal... I have been to interviews - and not provided an answer - some like that - others don't - I normally excuse myself and terminate the interview - thank them very much for their time and depart. There HR gets upset most of the time with the hiring manager asking that type of question...
So I guess its what part of the country or country you are in or from ...
There is no way, that at this particular (rather stupid) question, someone will just tell you his/her worst weakness. It's written in any manual that one should state a "weakness" that might actually be a strong point in some cases ). Or other evasive (yes evasive) answers.
There is no way one will just state at the interview that he/she is lousy, liar, stupid, like's to avoid responsibilities, not a good teamworker, not working well under pressure ... and so on. No way. So.... what is the meaning of this question ? From my perspective is just for the hiring part to see if you indeed read at least those "hiring for dummies books" :-) and are not taken by surprise.
Nice idea in the previous responce to say always look to the strength but whilst it is great to be positive, the people who avoid what they are bad at fail! Every job entails things we like, things we don't like, things we are good at and things we are bad at! You cant specialise to a point where you remove all your weaknesses from your role, and if you could you would be vastly underselling yourself.
We all make mistakes, the answer is to learn from them, be honest about them and look to not repeate them. The best technicians within a field are enevitably the ones who have made the most mistakes and have learnt from them. Ye canny make a cake without breaking some eggs boys and girls!!!!
Matty
by mr.blueman
I've heard a lot that a good sign of a leader and for that matter any staff member is to know your weaknesses. I was an employer for a long time and now am going the opposite direction to work for someone else. I have an interview today. We may focus on our strenghts when we can but it is good to know your weakness and work on turning them into a strenght. This also shows how committed you are to training and improving yourself. Some people don't want training at all and just want to be left where they are.
What I have done with that question is answer something like this (I would appreciate your feedback James):
"As a consultant I was often tasked with finding new solutions for clients. In a large organization you may not have the pig picture and as such I have learned when to present my ideas and when to follow protocol."
What do you guys think about that answer - stating a weakness and then how you adapted and learned from it? Would this raise too much of a flag?
by oz_media
Perhaps the answer could be, well I am quite evasive and sidestep the question in order to avoid giving a detrimental response.
NO actually, even though you SAY 'Not to sound evasive' it is VERY evasive and doesn't address the fact that you are aware of your weaknesses and strive to improve them, it seems as if you are ignoring your faults ad hust focusing on your strengths, which may sound OK but isn't a good for development.
You could say that one of your STRENGTHS is that you are aware of weaknesses and seek to adderss them but to evade and refuse to answer a question because you focus on your strengths is not a valid answer to me. Everyone focuses on a strength, it's EASY to focus on your strengths because it's what you are good at. The ability for an employee to focus on his/her own personal weaknesses is FAR more important to developing yourself and becoming a better employee.
THat's exactly why the question simply cannot be addressed in a forum, this is a very personal issue that must be addressed by the applicant.
Example: Jim says he is dyslexic and that is a weakness, I cannot say the same, yet my typing accuracy is poor when I try to type fast.
You are very solid in your convictions, personal set of core beliefs, while this can be a good personal trait, it can be detrimental in the workplace. We all have strengths and weaknesses, the ability to address and improve on our weaknesses is FAR FAR more important than focusing on your strengths.
"Well, I would say my biggest weakness would be I don't like to answer personal questions from people I've just met."
John
by texaseye
Focusing on weaknesses is counterproductive in most cases. If something is causing a problem, then you have to fix it, or change what you do so it is not a problem.
One of my weaknesses for sales is prospecting. I really hate to prospect. So that is why I have changed my focus. I don't apply for sales jobs.
One computer programmer I know could not stand people and interruption. His employer sees him as valuable enough to allow the programmer to start work at 11 p.m. I suspect the programmer does not apply for sales jobs either.
Excellence comes from sharpening strengths.
That said, it doesn't answer the omphaloskeptic HR person's question. My answer would be to tell how I used my self-knowledge to select this field, as I acknowledged my sales weakness above.
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There's no rule that says a person must answer every question, at least not as intended. How you handle a question is probably more important than the answer itself - even it you don't really answer it, as illustrated in my previous reply.
by oz_media
by maecuff
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Go ahead, Oz, use anything and everything as an excuse to take yet another poke at GWB. That allows people to see right through you as well.
Nonetheless, in regards to that interview question, it's a crummy question. I would never ask it in an interview, and even James Linn, who disagrees with my approach, said that he wouldn't ask it. So if it's a crummy question, and if it's one any decent interviewer would not ask, therefore what? Therefore they're either fishing for reasons not to hire you OR they are setting you up with a difficult "curve-ball" of a question just to see how you reply.
I still say that you always try to shift the focus on what you CAN do for the company instead of what you can't do. And quite frankly, if someone asked me such a question and insisted that I give a specific list of weaknesses, I'd probably say I have a lack of patience with unprofessional idiots, and call an end to the interview. An interview, after all, serves TWO purposes - one for the potential employer and one for the potential employee. And someone who couldn't see the positive aspects of such an answer is someone I wouldn't want to work for anyway.
by jimhm
by jamesrl
...You don't want to give someone a reason not to hire you.
But if you gave me that answer, you gave me a reason not to hire you - you evaded the question.
Its more than just a positive attitude - a positive attitude is a given. I need employees who are flexible, adaptable, who love to learn.
Personally, I think acknowledging something as a weakness, then showing how you have overcome it is turning something from a negative to a positive.
James
by hawleysr
You both have provided great answers and insight to an unfair question. Max's suggested response is very smooth but unless you?re applying for a sales or market position (at least with me) I?d be questioning that response after the interview. Things like is this person capable of being objective to suggestions passed down by the person next up on the ladder.
If faced with this question I would absolutely give them my strengths and throw them enough of a bone on my weaknesses as not to shoot myself in the foot. I'd probably say this (make sure I look everyone in the eye)
I believe in working smarter not harder. I like to contribute to the whole in any way I can. I try to stay as objective and open minded as possible at all times. When it comes to weaknesses (make a look on my face like I'm thinking about an answer) I?d have to say that I'm fortunate that I don't have very many shortcomings but one weakness I do have is that once in a blue moon I can bite off more than I can chew. Sometimes my own ambition to contribute gets me in a little deeper than my abilities can account for. (make a "oops" type of grin then switch to the positive confident expression) The good thing is because I'm aware of this I try not to overextend myself and not deliver on the promises I've made.
I've gotten good response with this response in the past. Feel free to use it if you can back it up, unless of course we're after the same job. Great posts guys. Have a good one
Steve
by oz_media
You say "Moreover, a way to overcome your own weaknesses is to suggest to yourself (and others) that they don't exist. If you are disorganized, for example, the way to overcome that is to convince yourself that you ARE organized, and you will become organized. If you are habitually late, continually reminding yourself that you are punctual will help you to become punctual. And so on."
Now what you are saying is that if you are disorganized, convincing yourself that you aren't will improve your organization, perhaps..BUT, by doing this you are understanding you HAVE a weakness and then are addressing it and are focused on resolving it. This isn't ignoring your weakeness at all, how do you KNOW you are disorganized if you aren't aware and prepared to work on it?
If you are habitually late and you constantly remind yourself that you are punctual, you either need to wind your watch or find a new job.
I could convince myself I am 6'4 but I am not, I mat FEEL 6'4 but to the rest of the world "I'm still habitually late'.
What you are saying in essence here is that yuo need to be aware of your weaknesses and by thinking positively about them , they will go away. Well in some cases they may, but you are still RECOGNIZING A WEAKNESS to begin with. Without it you are not improving anything or becoming better.
by oz_media
by jimhm
Why should I waste the hiring managers time and mine when I know I would not fit to their corporate culture. You say in other posts (remember time to leave?) that you do your own thing -
I know that my personnal ethics do not fit the corporate or this hiring managers so it would be nothing but war. And I would end up departing within the year.
So why waste another hour when I know I would turn down the offer no matter what the price was.
The reason why HR and bad IT managers ask garbage questions is because the market is such that they can. When they realize that all the best and brightest have left the field, the overly prying questions will cease.
I was asked once in a round of interviews that, since I had listed Paxil on my drug screening form, why did I take it? I told them to ge tthrough job interviews like the one I was in. Got the contract, by the way.
by jamesrl
I don't mind sharing because I have a reasonable amount of self confidence to start with.
Do I share my shortcomings to my team? I don't go out of my way, but if one comes, I do admit when I've made a mistake. We all make them, we can all learn from them.
Is it a fair question to ask? I don't ask it of the people I am hiring. I think there are better questions. But you have to know that everyone should be prepared to answer it one way or another.
I don't feel superior when I ask that question of employees during my one on one sessions. Its a standard question that someone else came up with. I've often found, through 360 surveys like the one you do for the 7 Habits course that people who are honest with themselves often tend to see themselves as having more issues than their peers or bosses.
In fact I don't feel superior at all to my employees. I have faults, they have faults. Acknowledging them is the first step in overcoming them. We ask the similar question in one on ones because together we need to do something to help overcome it - its a development exercise.
As for how long I was out, about 7 months of that time I was doing contract work. The market in the Toronto area went down. My employer laid off about 25% of their staff and didn't replace a few people who retired to boot. Many other companies did the same, and there was a huge glut in the market here.
I did have interviews and came close many times. I came 2nd out of 500 applicants for a government IT policy position. I had a verbal offer that didn't fly because a hiring freeze came on. I was often told I was overqualified. You have to work as hard or harder at finding a job in a bad market as you do at a job. Its hard to bring a manager in from outside - you tend to want to promote your own people, because a manager needs to know the corporate culture, policies and background to do their job well. Its a steep curve for an outsider.
Much of this comes down to corporate culture. I'm not suggesting anyone ask the question, but I do suggest to people that they be prepared to answer it if it comes along. I am pretty sure I lost a job I was well suited for from the response to one question. I was asked what my greatest accomplishment was, and I said,"raising three great kids". In some organizations, they would have loved that answer - this one didn't. It was honest and truthful and straight from the heart. But it didn't help pay the mortgage.
James
by prefbid ii
I would have gotten a kick out of a reply like that if I had asked the question. I would have also rephrased it to restrict the answer to diret work experience.
However, I see a lot of good in the original answer. It shows that you are not a robot, that you care about people, and that you do maintain a life after work. I see those as important qualities. The company/person that nixed you on that answer would have been a hard person to have worked for.
by jimhm
I like your greatest accomplishments "Great Job - Jim" - my accomplishments are far from business related with being a vet, volunteer firefighter and medic - so I ask do they want personal accomplishments or business accomplishments. Because they are two separate things.
Those negative questions aren't permitted during reviews unless it directly relates to skills or education needed to perform their job or to advance. Poor communication skills - Dale Carnegie - Poor written skills - Needs Project management skills - Then a plan is done and improvement has to be seen in 1 year or its the managers butt as well as the employees. The employee can suggest them but its up to the manager to determine where the employee is lacking in their scope.
Now if someone is interviewing for a position that requires good communication skills and they know they have problems presenting - then they shouldn't be interviewing for that position. If they are then its the head hunters fault and if the company hires that person they should get their money back for being sent an unqualified canidate.
But - it isn't right (in my eyes) to ask a question of what are you weak points.. unless you are going to share yours and the companies during the interview.
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....but I don't care. I'd still attempt to answer such a question in a similar manner as I described. If it wasn't acceptable, I'd go to plan-b and "shoot from the hip".
Just for grins, I did a google search using the key words "Interview Question Weakness". (A lot of good hits. You might try it.) I looked at about ten of them, and most of the "professionals" (professional enough, anyway, to put things on a Web site) suggested that you actually name a weakness that you have been working on to overcome.
One person put it this way. "To successfully surmount weaknesses-like interview questions, you need to: Be honest and mention a genuine weakness. Not one that will disqualify you in this interview, but a genuine one nonetheless. And at the same time, it should be a weakness that you have already demonstrably begun to overcome."
Here's another opinion. "Be very careful with your job interview answer on this one! The interviewer is testing your honesty, and also giving you an 'opportunity' to fail. Quick hint: don't take it. Turn this into a POSITIVE by revealing a minor weakness. Immediately go into the fact that you have worked on it, and you are getting better - list exactly WHY! Give specifics!"
But I liked the way this HR person put it. "The only thing it could possibly measure in a positive light is the candidate's diplomacy quotient," says one HR staffer. "I quit asking the question long ago."
At least not everybody disagrees with me.
Best of luck with your job search.
by prefbid ii
I don't bother asking these types of questions in an interview either. It is far too blunt and is likely to send the wrong message about the type of person I am looking for.
However, no matter how the question is asked, answer it as a question addressed to your weaknesses and not your failures.
Weaknesses don't have to be critical, behavioral, or embarassing. Here are some ideas:
"I consider my skills in VB to be weaker than my C++ abilities."
"I'm not as good in off-the-cuff replies than when I have a chance to write it down."
"My penmanship is awful, so I tend to type things out that don't really have to be."
"I'm not overly fond of firing people. I do it when I have to, but I really find it distasteful. I think it makes me overly cautious, so my documentation on personnel issues tends to be excessive. Of course that has the unintended consequence of not having a lot of firings ever coming back on me."
"I get rather impatient with people who have met their 'Peter Principle' level. I usually have to grit my teeth and bear it, though. I sometimes will get to the point to laugh it off by reminding myself that there is a reason Dilbert is so popular."
by prefbid ii
I've never had anyone ask me for 5 flaws, but I have been asked to name my strongest personality flaw. To me that is not a hard question to answer -- I'm impatient. Of course I would never just leave the comment hang like that. I would give an example or two where my impatience got me into trouble and where occasionally I have made it work for me. I make it clear that I don't use it as an excuse to lash out at anyone, but sometimes I may ask for status's too often or hound vendors to get work done.
To me, that is just one aspect of my personality. I'm not going to hide it or cover it up. If the employer is a slow dog and my natural impatience is going to get me in trouble -- then I probably don't need to work there anyway.
by tomsal
Do you also hate some of the LAME questions asked during an interview?
Some questions make PERFECT sense (to me) to ask..
Like questions about prior work projects you've been on, or questions about what was the most complex problem you ever solved for an employer and to which you were the major force in solving it, etc.
But the theoreticals and the ones that get into more personal questions -- in my mind I picture myself slamming the persons head through the wall...(hey at least I'm honest?!)...
Each situation is different, so the base to how you handle each situation is 1) use common sense, 2) apply your knowledge and experience and 3) maximize the use of the resources at your desposal (which also includes HUMAN resources as well)...to me that is just common sense so why do they expect a year book answer?
Or how about where do you see yourself in 5 years (yes this was actually asked of me in an interview)...what the *&*( does that have to do with the job now? Responsibility, eagerness to learn, interest to stick with the career? Hello doesn't my years of training, experience and job history in the field already say that?
I think some folks just love interviewing people and most interviewers know very fast if the person stands a chance or not, yet they'll ask these silly questions just to toy with them.
Its strange.
BTW...in a real interview, I do maintain professionalism and courtesy (in case you wonder)..
by oz_media
I HATE asking routine questions, in fact I hate Q&A with new hires alltogether.
I prefer to get a bit of an idea who they are and where they came from, what they have done and what they want to do. I think a genuine desire to work in a position or excell in your job is far more important than experience or lack of it.
I hate to say that such a formal interviewing process, even when there are many interviews to conduct, is also a good indication of working in a 'sterile' environment, which can really be a drag!
You can still have a formal interviewing process without a checklist from some HR website.
by tomsal
See now Oz if the next job I go to the interviewer had your concept of interviewing...I'd have no problems.
I believe how "anal" the Interview process is, and how "stiff" the interviewer is often a flag to how boring the work environment there probably is as well. Afterall, when I'm getting interviewed, what the company may not know is that I'm also interviewing THEM as well.
by oz_media
I had no intent on going there until I was typing and examples came to my head, as I thought of evasive and carefully worded yet not direct responses I instantly thought of George Bush, as he is the most prominant political figure in the world right now and ALL politicians, no matter what party they represent wil sidestep and evade truth that they feel may incriminate them or fuel reporters.
"shift the focus on what you CAN do for the company" Of course anyone that seeks any form of employment from MacDonalds to running Microsoft would focus on what they can bring to the table, if not, they are probably unemployed. A key strength I look for in an employee is honesty, if you can't come right out and tell me that you are always late Wednesday mornings, I don't want to interview you. If you DO come out and tell me you can't get up on Wednesday mornings, I may still hire you due to your honest approach and would see if there's a way we can work to achieve the goal of getting you up on Wednesdays. Telling an employer what your weaknesses are is another way of showing that you understand where you are at in life, you know your strengths and weaknesses and are working to improve them.
Someone that turns every answer into a positive benefit for the company would be out the door in no time, OF COURSE you will be a benefit, I wouldn't hire someone who isn't, that's what your resume and references are for, not your BS.
I want to know WHO I am hiring and what issues we are going to address as a team, not some BS story and lies about how great they are goingto be, only to find out the guy can't get to work on Wednseday mornings.
I am straight up, I call a spade a spade and that's that. No grey just black and white. What you see is often far less than you get as I usually find I can fit in more ways than originally intended, such as my last employer who ended up increasing my salary because I serviced the fleet of work vans they had and saved them thousands in useless repairs each year.
Always state what you can bring to the table, but don't evade an niterview question, it shows uncertainty, that you MAY be hiding something and that you aren't showing all your cards.
I have taught job finding clubs aVEY successfully, had more hires per class than all the local recruiters, newspapers and manpower postings combined. Nearly 90% success rate iwith every student within two weeks. Some wanted simple work but others sought careers, everyone had different goals and motivations, but by seeking an employer (not looking for who's hiring), calling and selling your skills, then interviewing with no cards up your sleeve helped every one of them find work that wanted to.
Oh what tangled webs we weave if at first we practice to deceive.
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Of course, as usual, you simply can't see another's point of view.
And to suggest my approach is deceptive is nonsense.
We'll just agree to disagree.
by oz_media
Actually I can see your point of view and have done many times before an employee is let go as the company is unaware of a weakness that ISN'T a benfit to the company.
If you were dylexic for example and made invoicing errors, this could be worked around if identified during an interview. When the company loses money and THEN finds out your are dyslexic, you take a walk.
I left school early as I was hired to manage s retail store full-time. I don't offer this information unless asked, this is not deceptive.
If the employer had asked how I did in school and I said something like "I was really good in mathematics and I think my abiity to resolve billing issues will benefit the company, I am deceiving the employer. He asked how I did in school, well I did fine but left early as i was offered a fill time management position would be completely acceptable by 99.9% of employers.
What I am saying is that you don't have to go and say, "well I pee myself at noon each day" or "well I have an itch that I was thinking would go away" this is not information an employer wants to know nor needs to know.
But to say, "Well I work well with others but find I sometimes get easily distracted by groups and have been conciously adressing the issue that I don't think will have any effect on my employment here" I am stating a weakness but also making it a positive by saying I am aware of my faults and am successfully working to focus better.
This shouldn't lose any opportunities, if it does, it's not someone I am willing to work with either.
You have the right idea but perhaps your generalization is what throws me off.
I have been managing and hiring people long enough to know that outward honesty is a valuable asset in an employee no matter the fault, unless it impedes thier ability to do the job.
When I was younger, I had no qualms about telling an employer I smokeed dope, they usually drank too, or did coke. As long as your downfalls don't impede your work, it is not an issue, now if I was coming to work stoned or failing to get my job done because I was high, well then it is a problem. Not all faults have to be problems.
by oz_media
Do you see my point of view or are you also going to contest it?
The idea here is not to agree with people's points of view but to offer your input and be able to defend your thoughts and views. If you just buckle and accept anyones views, it isn't much of a discussion and makes one look as if they have no CORE VALUES.
.
....probably longer than you.
On the outward honesty concern, my reply IS honest, not deceptive, and 100 percent truthful and sincere. (Coming across that way is, I will admit, very important.) Sure, I have weaknesses, as we all do, but convince a company that you can provide what they need, and the next step is negotiating a salary.
I'm reminded of a story, but I can't recall the exact details - and it's a true story, so I wish I had a name and team to attach to it.
A major league baseball pitcher, whom the scouts touted as a potential great pitcher when he was in the minors, struggled season after season, posting mediocre or unimpressive numbers. An 8-18 season followed by a 6-16 followed by a 7-15, and so on. He was traded several times, but never found his groove in the majors. After yet another disappointing season, he was traded to yet another team, but one with a different kind of pitching coach than he was used to.
"What can you throw", the coach asked the pitcher? "Well", replied the pitcher, "I have great control of my fastball, I have a pretty mean curve-ball, but my slider is rather weak. But don't worry coach, I've been working on that slider for several years, and it's getting better." Most pitching coaches demanded a three pitch selection from their pitchers, so the player was rather stunned when the coach said, "If I ever see you throw another slider, you're out of the rotation. I want you to perfect your curve-ball as a set-up pitch for your fastball. Forget about the slider. You don't need it."
So the player spent the season with his new team, a new coach, a new philosophy, a new attitude, and he ended up with the Cy Young award at the end of the season for being the best pitcher in the major leagues.
The moral of the story: Work on your strengths. That's what will make you successful.
Sure, go ahead and tell the story in an interview. It will illustrate the point quite nicely.
.
But I just disagree with it.
And it's funny that you bring up "core values".
I suppose one of mine is to accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative; latch on to the affirmative; and don't mess with Mr. In-between. (Thanks Johnny Mercer)
by oz_media
The pitcher DID express his weakness and that he was working to resolve it, just as I have suggested you do in an interview. At THAT point the pitching coach was able to make an informed decision that it is ok for the pitcher to utilize his strengths because th pitcher had been up front about his weakness.
What I see you saying is that the pitcher should have just focused on the strength of his fastball and not mentioned the slider issues. At that point if he was rostered, he would have been on the mound and failed miserably as the catcher calledfor sliders and the opponent won. Hiding or stepping around his weakness makes him deceptive. Furthermore, even if he believed he could throw a slider just fine and never realixed it ws a weakness that needed to be worked on, he would have still thrown a bad slider.
Therefore, being up front actually got him a job and I'm sure he was able to improve his slider over time even if not to a major league level.
He was upfront when asked about his weaknesses, even if you counter it by adding that your strengths outwiegh it, you are still being up front, and in this case he got the job.
Thanks for the example, it supported my point well.
.
You're the smartest, the most clever, the wisest, the knows everything about everything, the best at everything - just like you try to continually prove.
Have a nice day.
by oz_media
For some reason you seem really pissed that we haven't agreed here or that I haven't accepted your views.
The purpose here is not for me to be right or you to 'win' at anything. I am simply stating MY opinion (flashback). If someone doesn't agree with my opinionI would welcome any alternative opinions they may have and this includes yourself.
This is simply a discussion, not a pissing contest, okay? You can counter my points and I welcome it, but you also must have to understand that I will in turn counter yours.
Perhaps we both meant the same thing and simply said it differently, this can to be discussed until we reach a point where we are understanding each others perspective. In THIS case, your last comments almost mirrored my original comments, therefore it is possible you just weren't understood at first.
There's no reason for you to start partonizing people if they don't turn against thier own feelings and accept yours. You have proven lately that you are able to participate without removing personal predjudices, don't let it be wasted on a bad day.
by maecuff
by oz_media
although i know this isn't what you meant, it reminds me of Christmas when I was 7.
I was so sure I knew what a certain present was, I shook it until it broke. Wasn't what I thought it was, DOH.
:-(
by oz_media
That everything an American does (sorry, MOST overpatriotic Americans)is focused on the resident and the US government, you base your ideals, thought and opinions on those of the White House, if you disagree just go back to a few of the early Iraq discussions where YOU have proven this more than anyone.
Obviously the only thing that makes people such as yourself relate to any situation is to equate it to your president. You never understand A word people say unless it is in political form, ergo political comparisons.
by jimhm
by maecuff
What, exactly, is an American Hate Bater? Can you get one on Ebay?
I've never known Oz to say he hated Americans. I respect that he doesn't like our current administration, I don't like it either. Of course, that makes me a liberal, commie, loser, and possibly, an American hate bater, but I'm still not sure what that is. And so be it. You are the one who seems to have anger and hatred issues. You never seem to address this when it's pointed out to you. Head in the sand? Or are there some cognitive problems?
by jimhm
by maecuff
by jamesrl
Thanks.
Canada has participated in virtually every UN peacekeeping mission since one of our former prime ministers came up with UN peacekeeping after the Suez Crisis of 1956(where the US intervened diplomatically to stop a UK/France invasion aimed at protecting the Suez Canal from falling into Egyptian control).
I do know that bad things have happened in peacekeeping missions - the US and Canada both had regrettable incidents in Somalia.
But many people alive today in many areas of the world are there because of UN peacekeeping - Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti are all better places due to peacekeeping.
James
by oz_media
Where do all the pedophile religious leaders fit in that you deem so righteous?
In your eyes Michael Jackson isn't a pedophile, told you you didn't have a clue what's going on in the world.
Prove your points Jim, don't just shout them out.
by maecuff
by jimhm
If you want to buy one - I am sure you can find him on Email for sale cheap..
Most of his posts are very much anti-american even thou he tries to disguse it as concern for the american citizen. "Its not fair you government is doing that to you".
He tries to bate people into argurements about the GWB but never stays on the argurement and changes direction on each post.
He is like a race bater - will make statements to fire up people to respond to his comments.
by jimhm
Not to change the subject - but does that justify what these men are doing in the Congo and Kosovo - which the UN knows about and has done nothing about it.
That sounds just like the catholic church or BSA in the USA - they just moved them to another church -
I am not taking anything away from doing peace keeping - but why hasn't the UN leadership do anything to stop it ...The child prostitution in Kosovo has grown by over 500% since the peacekeepers arrived ...
Its time to clean house in the UN ... How would you like it if it was your daughter.. There would be some dead UN peacekeepers if she was mine.
by oz_media
by jimhm
I never defended what occured in the prison - you are putting words in my mouth that have never been said ... You are a sick puppy - who lies more than Clinton or Gore -
Your just anit worth the time -
by oz_media
Firstly Jim, I didn't quote you. I said you were defending the Iraq abuse of the prisoners, which you did vehemently by offering justification that they were only following orders and such behaviour must be attribuuted to higher orders and superiors must have known, you minimized the issue and aaccepted what happened as human nature.
Apparently, from what you say,these people follow orders to the letter and nobody understands but you since you single handedly fought in Nam.
But I think this will be my last ocnversation with you because you ALWAYS say everyone that doesn't agree with you is either a leftie, socialist, commie, liar, BS, etc. THEN you have tha audacity to demand proof of thier statements, as you have here once more, BUT, YOU have never provided asingleminiscule HINT of evidence to support your own theories. You try to discount other statements that have information supporting them and yet you offer NOTHING to counter ANY of your accusations, you just sit in the back of the class and shout your mouth off without any substance.
When you finally understand how ONE sided you are and begin to offer proof to couter what you say is BS or lies, then perhaps you'll earn some respect, bt for now, you are no better than a small child.
by maecuff
And to get BACK on subject.."Only Pedo's I know are those serving in the UN peace keeping forces over in the Congo, Kosovo and a few others"
So, are you saying that you personally KNOW these pedophiles and have only heard of others? Or are you trying to say that you've never heard of ANY other instances of pedophilia other than in UN Peace keeping forces?
This is why your arguments are not worth reading. You make ridiculous absolute statements that completely invalidate any point you may have.
by bpday
When I get the "tell me your worst qualities" question it just annoys me. It's a "gotcha" question that (I think) exposes that the interviewer doesn't have any good questions left. It's basically an F-you to the candidate and for me is kind of a sign that I don't want to take the job.
Unless they're trying to see how you think under pressure (and there are better ways to figure that out), this question isn't going to yield any useful data because the candidate is always going to say something that can be spun into a positive trait. No one's really going to say the truth..."oh, my 5 worst traits...mmm...that's an easy one. I usually don't shower. I like to yell at people. I'm lazy. I don't really know what I'm doing...and...oh yeah...I'm a homicidal maniac."
The answer I ususally give is "I sometimes have the tendency, like most other techies, to over-engineer a solution but this is why I like to work with a team. Working with a good team keeps everyone's ideas focused on the goal of solving the business solution efficiently blah blah blah blah I like to work in teams blah blah blah I'm a team player blah blah blah hire me blah blah blah I'm awesome."
by bigdave506
I've been asked for good points and bad points about myself. Never a fixed number, but that isn't really the question. I use the bad points answer to make a good point. Remember the Simpsons episode where Homer had to reapply for his job at the plant. He was up against 2 Ivy League types, one of whom came up with.
"My worst quality? I'm a workaholic. I tend to focus so much on work and safety that I forget to go home."
I use this quote with some preamble. Explain to the HR bod that it's a very good question and I've always struggled to come up with an answer, and the closest thing I've got is... remember that episode of the Simpsons where ...(Homer...reapply...Ivy League... workaholic.)
My second worst quality is I tend to quote the Simpsons at work. More (as Mr Burns) Excellent than (as Homer) D'Oh! though
It's an answer. It appears off the cuff, and shows that you have a sense of humour. I don't know what it's like on that side of the Atlantic, but here in the UK, it goes down well with fellow techies, most of whom are into Monty Python & the Simpsons anyway. And would you want to work anywhere where a sense of humour is frowned upon?
My Interview technique revolves around the premise that regardless of skills and experience, you've going to be a colleague and eventually a friend of the interviewer. I'd rather work with someone who I can get on with and may have common interests with.
by miami steve
This is a legitimate question and an evasive answer is not a good idea. I would interpret a non answer as a potential future problem. Why? What if you are assigned a task you are not qualified to handle? Will you tell me? What if you need help to complete a task? Will you ask for it? Most importantly, when I have to give you feedback will you ignore it? Will you be willing to take positive steps to improve your performance and value to the team?
You can answer this question without giving the interviewer a reason to not hire you.
Any strength taken to an extreme can be a negative however awareness of your tendencies and actions to mitigate the extremes will relieve the interviewer.
Examples:
I'm tend to be a workaholic so I joined a bowling league that plays twice during the week to make sure I relax and don't burn out.
I tend to over communicate so I make a list of stakeholders related to my assignment and develop a communication plan when I begin a project.
In the past I was given feedback that I tend to over engineer solutions so now I review my solutions with team members during design to avoid over engineering.
Get the idea?
Think about your answers before the interview. You'll breeze through this question and impress the interviewer.
by bill.kelly
I've read this deep into the responses, and so far Steve is the only one who truly get the "tell me your weaknesses" question.
In an interview, it doesn't matter if you agree or like the line of questions, but how you handle your responses and communicate through them.
Once you get the job, you will be faced with numerous situations that you think are tedious, irrelevant, or down right ridiculous. How you deal with these situations defines the type of person and employee that you are.
The response that you give to this question demonstrates that you are self-aware, that you can look at yourself somewhat objectively, that your willing to work to improve yourself, and that you're open to suggestion.
Now consider this: would you rather have the "weeknesses" question or the "If you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?"
by tmcclure
I'm in the process of interviewing candidates. I think those questions are poor. Depending on who asked them (future boss or supervisor)I'd tell them I'm not intested in the job.
A hard question? Tell me about a mistake you made and how did you deal with it?
Or
Tell be about something you accomplished professioanlly and are proud of?
Tell me about something you did professionally your not proud of.
Or
Tell me why you want to work here? What do you know about our company?
You would be surprised how many people can't answer these question.
The interview process is a two way street. Your evaluating them too.
For what it's worth, thats my two cents.
by tmcclure
by pmleo
by jimhm
The question and a majority of the pro answers strick me as - they feel they are the elite of society, wanting to control or find out personal information about others. Either that or they are the laziest HR manager/Hireing managers around. That don't know the correct questions to gather the right information from a canidated... So what is it - elitizm or lazy?
In almost all the pro posts there hasn't been a valid reason to justify that type of question. Comments of we all have faults and its being an adult to admit it to others... Hum strangers? do you admit your weakness to strangers that you just met?
Why do you want to know what my weakness are? If I say its medical - hum (In the US) that becomes an illegal question - covered under PHI (protected health information), and can cause you and your company to be finded upto $10,000 for the first offence.. So now if I reply that I on the drug Paxil - and you ask why - thats PHI and I could file charges with the Fed's. Do you want to accept that risk?
You can't get what you need - from "What was you greatest accomplishment at your last job?", "Did you have any budget contol? What was you greatest budget saving ideas at your last company?" ... gee can get tons of information from just those two questions...
So what is the reason you want that weakness question answered - what is the reason you need to know that personal information - does it trutly make you feel superior or elite about others - are you that lazy or unskilled or untrained not to asked the right interview question to gather what you need without - those type questions...
I believe those questions are asked by eliltests lazy - HR - HM interviewers that are unskilled & untrained in the art of interviewing or personnel management - they are the "Human Resource" BS type people...
by geekchic
I haven't been interviewing and hiring very long but as I prepare for and complete interviews, I learn something new each time. One of the things that I learned over time was that asking the good quality - bad quality question is important! I don't ask for a certain number of each, just "what are some of your good/bad qualities?" I find that the question opens up the interview to more conversation and therefore leads to a better understanding of the person you are interviewing.
I have interviewed some prospective employees who go on and on about their good qualities and when I ask "what are some of your bad qualities", they immediately..without even pausing...say "I don't have any" or "none".
In this case, you definately need a little more conversation to feel out what the heck they mean by "none"!
Besides if a person says they will do anything it takes to get a job done, is that a good or bad quality? It is good right? Because you know as a supervisor that the job will get done and get done right. Or, is it a bad quality? If the employee is stressing out, staying late and running over everyone else in the department to get their job done then that is bad!
Frankly, interviews terrify me but I learn everytime that I participate in one and hopefully they will get easier as time goes on.
by jimhm
Take some interviewing skills classes - available.
You say that "Whatever it takes to get the job done" could be a good sign - could also be a bad side - will he/she violate standards, will the cricumvent procedures just to complete a job?
First - you need to know what you will need to know - What skills, talent will the canidate need - what should the final person have.
Second - What are you looking for? Talent - team player - strong analytical - strong technical skills - independed - innovative - follower - leader - driven - easy going... Each have different qualities.
Third - what are the questions and the answers to the question you are looking for. "When you were on this project XYZ at ABC, what was the greatest challenge the team faced.", "When you were in control of the budget for ABC what your greatest cost saving ideas".. need to build on individual resumes - interviewing is skill - and talent that can't be ignored or glazed over.
Fouth - how do you ask questions - so its not like bang bang bang - but in a more business relationship - you must demosrate your skills as a manager... (Big danger when an inviewer sees a weak manager)..
To be good and get the talent you need - get thy to a class - (not a college one - outside 1 weeker)
by rob.mangus
by jamesrl
This isn't the practise of psychology. This is understanding that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. Simple as that.
At my company, you have to do a two days course, before you can use the Behavioural Interviewing model we use.
The questions are much more useful than "tell me about your greatest weakness". Instead you might ask a question like: "Tell me about a time when you had to shut down a failing project."
Its not a game. Its an attempt to understand the candidate, how they will react, and deal with challenging situations. Its not psychology either.
Of course if you don't want the job, you don't have to answer. Frankly I think these behavioural questions are a big improvement.
James
by jimhm
Not to be a Smart SH&*^ - but what if they never had to "Shut down a Failing Project" (just kidding). Which by the way that was a very valid question to ask during an interview, it is business related, it is skill related, it is ability related - but has nothing to do with the "Tell me your weaknesses" - we are discussing here.
Thats why I say these folks that want to ask the Weakness question are lazy - or untrained or unskilled - or just elitests at heart...
Your questions - are very valid and will gather tons of good information about the canidated - the weakness question ... is invalid..
by jamesrl
If you have gotten the interview, we know that from a technical perspective, you can do the job.
If you want the job, you have to try and make a personal connection with the people interviewing you. Your response would indicate to me that you don't want to make a connection, and you don't want the job.
Now perhaps you interpret the question a little broadly. The interviewer wants to know things that are relevant to the job - not things outside the job. If they ask a personal question regarding things like politics, religion, sexual preference, then run for the door. In my company we aren't allowed to ask questions which might help us determine someone's age. And we don't interview alone, which is a check to make sure we do it right.
I will reiterate, I don't like the tone of the original question, but you have to be prepared for it.
James
by jimhm
Good enough for George, good enough for me.
My weakness is that I traded Sammy Sosa in fantasy baseball.
by jimhm
by grboomer
Interviewers are always going to come up with some type of "What are your 5 weaknesses" question because they always need something new to allow you to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. They are playing the interview game. And you should too except that for you it's serious business - you want/need a new job.
Don't get bent out of shape about questions like this. It may be the company's policy to ask the question or it just may be the interviewer. It may be to assess your character and it may just be a bad question. You don't know and it doesn't matter. It just matters that you field it and field it well.
If you get bent out of shape, you've lost. If you're evasive, you've lost. If you're overconfident, you've lost. If you're a prima donna who can't take criticism you've lost. If you're so clueless as to think you don't have weaknesses, you've lost. The way to win is thus:
You know what your business related weaknesses are, right? You are also probably addressing them now or plan to address them, right? Just tell them what you are doing, but don't use the word weakness. Substitute 'something I find challenging..', 'I've discovered that..', etc. E.g. I'm a software developer who's moving more into project management and I'm realizing that I could be more effective if I learned and leveraged Microsoft Project. I've ordered a Tech Republic guide on MS Project and I plan to work through it to prepare me for the upcoming set of enhancements we will be implementing in our application.
In interviews you've got to play the game and have fun while being honest. Challenge the interviewer as well. Asking them what challenges the company has (as someone above suggested) is a great question!
Good luck!
-Greg
by jimhm
Not a game it gives them an unfair advantage. You discuss your weakness with the hiring manager and HR (Heatless Resources) - you are hired - you never get promoted. Why they know what your weakness were - and will hold you back.
Its a sign of laziness or untrained or unskilled HR and Hiring manager... They can gather the same informaiton with questions like Jim's Linn's company asks... excellent and very valid..
by gryfon
It is valid.
Folks who refuse to answer or evade the question are showing you right there that they might be uncooperative or think they know more than others.
And I DO hate that question. It infuriates me. This is one of my weaknesses. However, an interviewer never knows it as my fury abates in 10 seconds. I'm told it's genetic, this flash temper..;-) It's also one weakness I'd never mention.
My biggest weakness? Chocolate. My second biggest weakness? Using humour to defuse tense situations. I've had to learn to chose my words carefully and judge my audience appropriately.
These are great ways to answer this type of question. And of course don't forget that they're looking for strengths, too. My biggest strength can also be my biggest weakness. I'm extremely creative. I can find answers that others never seek out, however I can also waste time following rabbits down holes.
Supply your weakness and the answer to it.
I'm actually rather surprised that folks don't share more of their weaknesses (and strengths) in this discussion. It doesn't have to be personal, and nobody needs to know about your toenail clipping collection.
Cheers!
Gryf
by jamesrl
Wise boss I once had said it all comes down to 3 fundamental questions:
1. Can they do the job?
2. Will they do the job?
3. Will they fit in?
A well written job decription and a thorough examination of resumes should get you to a list of who "can" do the job. The interview process should help you determine the second and third questions. I don't interview anyone who couldn't be hired based on question number one.
Question number 2 talks to drive, determination, and charecter. And thats what the behavioural questions try to answer.
Question 3 talks to how well someone would fit into the corporate culture. Some companies have a lot of structure, some don't. Some people need a lot of structure, some people are miserable in a highly structured environment.
The last question isn't about how nice a person is or how hard working they are, or how technically competant they are. Its about whether they will be successful in dealing with their peers, bosses, subordinates and customers.
You may think this is a gray area, but it is difficult for many to come to grips with. And its the area that you need to probe with some of these behavioural questions.
James
by jimhm
Jim 1 - can they do the job and 2 will they do the job - are valid. Will they fit in with the team. Hum - is that really in a job description?
These type questions (as you call them probe questions) is that I as the interviewee know that you will be asking probing questions - to see if I will "fit" into the team.. And will if I truly want the job will answer in the warm and fuzzy - but inreality - most of your highest level techies are lone wolfs - renagaides - hip shooters - not warm and fuzzy people. Lock us in a room and toss use a steak every now and then... but we can do the techie thing 3 times better than most warm and fuzzy balls.
I Figure it this way - you don't want the best money can buy - then that is yours and your companies loss - not mine. I have the talent - I have the skills - I have the training/education - I can hit the ground at full speed...
You want something less - then ask those questions. (The American Economy is coming back at full speed)IE - Companies could demand what they wanted and because people needed jobs accept the BS - now 1.4 million new jobs this year so far - it will be the year of employee and the companies will have to start to bend again.
You get what you pay for - you want a Benz or a Kia in your company garage? Both will get you there?
by jamesrl
Give you an example from my own past experience.
Brilliant techie - smart articulate, great skills. Problem is that anyone who isn't as smart as he is, is inferior in his eyes. And that includes most of management. He is disruptive in team meetings. He can't lead a small team to do something, because no one wants to work with such an agressive individual. He often yells at others. Management, feeling he is worth the effort, tries to spend lots of time taming the beast, to no avail. Another set of yelling and red faced confrontations.
No man is an island. This person, when it proved to require a great deal of management time, became a liability. There are very few jobs that don't require the ability to get along with others.
I don't consider a brilliant person who can't work in a team to be a benz. I consider someone who has good techie and good people skills to be the keeper. In many cases, if you have a good technical apptitude you can be trained in new stuff. But its much harder to train someone who doesn't have people skills to be able to work in a team.
James
by techie31
by dryflies
by mr.blueman
I Agree with James - something to think about
I've heard a lot that a good sign of a leader and for that matter any staff member is to know your weaknesses. I was an employer for a long time and now am going the opposite direction to work for someone else. I have an interview today. We may focus on our strenghts when we can but it is good to know your weakness and work on turning them into a strenght. This also shows how committed you are to training and improving yourself. Some people don't want training at all and just want to be left where they are.
What I have done with that question is answer something like this (I would appreciate your feedback James):
"As a consultant I was often tasked with finding new solutions for clients. In a large organization you may not have the pig picture and as such I have learned when to present my ideas and when to follow protocol."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What do you guys think about that answer - stating a weakness and then how you adapted and learned from it? Would this raise too much of a flag?
by jimhm
That is true - but did you see George Patton or any great leader - tell his weakness to others. They knew their weakness - but did not share that information with anyone else.
Have you heard of any weaknesses that Ronald W Reagan had? George Bush? Clinton (Sex)? Gore? - nope - Why would you give someone the advantage over you -
I will answer any business related question - What was you greatest business challenge on your last project? What was your greatest milestone on aproject? ... No personnel information - if you hire me - then you can get the dirt ... until then - the interview is for business - I aint going to be marring you - so you don't need to know any personal information ...
PS - Where was the question - or did I miss it..
by mr.blueman
What do your think of my answer to the question restated as follows:
"As a consultant I was often tasked with finding new solutions for clients. In a large organization you may not have the pig picture and as such I have learned when to present my ideas and when to follow protocol."
Do you all think its a bad idea to reveal a weakness that you show you've worked on and are turning it into a strenght?
My interview is in 1 1/2 hours.....I'm preping but looking at some of the answers for ideas. Study behavioural questions, Tell me about yourself, project examples, etc.
by ljcanada
When asked about my weakness, I just say 'chocolate' or 'junk food' and leave it at that.
Some interviewers get a kick out of that, others don't. If they don't like the answer, so be it. Personally, I don't think it's a deal breaker.
by tik1170
by jamesrl
You pick something you identified yourself, showed how you dealt with it, and showed a succesful result.
Perfect.
James
by jimhm
I agree - teaching people skills is the hardest training and education some people can do. Most of the good techies have little if any people skills.
So we get down to the question - What are you looking for to fill that position - a techie with limited people skills - or a limited techie with better people skills - or a higher priced person that has both.
Then the question is how do you determine that. I think we are all on the same page - just how do you get the information you need.
A few good questions - could be:
"I noticed on your resume that you don't have any team lead activities, can you tell me when or if you headed up a team of techies to accomplish a task."
or
"I see on your resume that you lead a team of technology architects, can yow tell me the greatest challenge and what was achieved from that effort."
Or something to that effect - I have found on many interviews that the interviewing manager just had a standard list of questions - and didn't really look over my resume until the interview... Those didn't last long.. I also informed their HR of that as well.
by jimhm
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