This is an eliminator question,
designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weakness or fault
will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.
PASSABLE ANSWER:
Disguise a strength as a weakness.
Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency and
everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”
Drawback: This strategy is
better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is transparent to any
experienced interviewer.
BEST ANSWER: (and another reason
it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the
interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your
performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest
qualifications.
Example: “Nobody's perfect,
but based on what you've told me about this position, I believe I' d make an
outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things most
of all. Do they have the qualifications
to do the job well, and the motivation
to do it well? Everything in my
background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve
excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see
nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong
desire to perform this job with excellence.”
Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about
the position to talk about such a perfect fit):
Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least,
making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important
qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not
essential.
Example: Let's say you're
applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, I like to spend as much
time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling
paperwork back at the office. Of course,
I long ago learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and I do it
conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer were
a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)
