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Old 07-14-2012, 11:20 PM
 
Location: Tucson, Arizona
44 posts, read 156,967 times
Reputation: 31

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Personally, I think this dumbest question interviews ask is "What is your weakness"

Quote:
Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy View Post
I been getting mixed answers to this question. Some say you are only supposed to sell your "personality and character" and then some say you are supposed to talk about your strengths and linked them to the job you are applying for. I struggled with this question last month because no one never asked me this question on a job interview and it showed because the interview went downhill from the beginning.


So what type of response is best for "Tell me about yourself?
I usually do what I just bolded.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 313Weather View Post
What I will tell you is, whenever that question is asked, there's a good chance you're not getting the job.

I mean, think about it, why would they ask you to "tell me about yourself" when everything they need to know is listed in your cover letter and resume?

Translated, they basically want to know why the hell are you wasting their time when you're not hardly qualified for this position?
Not true.
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Old 07-14-2012, 11:24 PM
 
Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,900,631 times
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You could start with something like this:

"I'm a real weirdo, a FREAK, but I really, really WANT this job. Please, Mother of God, give me the job!"
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Old 07-14-2012, 11:24 PM
FBJ FBJ started this thread
 
Location: Tall Building down by the river
39,605 posts, read 58,897,019 times
Reputation: 9451
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noscut View Post
Personally, I think this dumbest question interviews ask is "What is your weakness"



I usually do what I just bolded.



Not true.


I don't get the weakness question anymore since I came up with a good answer

"Well I type about 50 WPM now but I want to increase that to 85 WPM so I can complete even more reports during the day"


Both interviewers were impressed with that answer
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Old 07-14-2012, 11:29 PM
 
Location: USA
4,978 posts, read 9,499,339 times
Reputation: 2506
When you're sitting in front of one of those business-ey HR people and they ask you, "What are your weaknesses?", feel free to dive right into your professional lexicon and describe some very deep process you might like to learn more about. Watch their eyes GLAZE over. They usually will say,"Oh I don't know about all of that." As if they just uttered some command, as if they are telling you off, and putting you in your place for talking about something THEY don't know anything about.
Well, of course, but they asked. So you tell them you'd love it if the company would send you to a seminar on it so you could become a real expert in micro-advanced-electro-optical-magnetic-conductors. Super semiconductors. Applying General Relativity to basic light optics. Yeah, that's MY weakness. Help ME out here!
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Old 07-14-2012, 11:30 PM
 
Location: USA
4,978 posts, read 9,499,339 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy View Post
I don't get the weakness question anymore since I came up with a good answer

"Well I type about 50 WPM now but I want to increase that to 85 WPM so I can complete even more reports during the day"


Both interviewers were impressed with that answer

That's a spin on the old, "I'm sometimes too much of a perfectionist" or "I sometimes work TOO hard" response! Good job, TVguy.
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Old 07-14-2012, 11:33 PM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,176 posts, read 10,667,898 times
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Funny. Every job interview I ever had did the "Tell me about yourself". I did as Noscut emboldened, listed my strengths as applicable to the job. I always got the job.

My most recent one asked me for my weaknesses; and I gave them two - one was that I was a little OCD, and would concentrate so hard on what I was doing that my face would look forbidding and serious. This stood me in good stead later when my supervisor - who had been the one interviewing me - told me during my first eval that "Sometimes I am afraid to approach you because you look like you will bite my head off!" I reminded her of what I had told her in the interview, and it struck her (finally - she wasn't very bright) that I had been absolutely honest...
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Old 07-15-2012, 12:17 AM
 
1,359 posts, read 4,843,901 times
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I think many times interviewers are trying to trick people with the weakness question, usually I would say it's best to address something that you have since corrected or have adapted to make it more of a strength. I've heard the old "I'm a perfectionist/workaholic" answer usually is not good because they know you're probably lying.
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Old 07-15-2012, 04:54 AM
 
Location: FL
1,710 posts, read 3,132,111 times
Reputation: 1893
Quote:
Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy View Post
I would LOVE that question. What's stupid about asking why you want to work for the company?
Ok, so how would you handle the question? Why do you want to work for the company?
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Old 07-15-2012, 04:59 AM
 
1,463 posts, read 3,260,768 times
Reputation: 2828
Quote:
Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy View Post
I been getting mixed answers to this question. Some say you are only supposed to sell your "personality and character" and then some say you are supposed to talk about your strengths and linked them to the job you are applying for. I struggled with this question last month because no one never asked me this question on a job interview and it showed because the interview went downhill from the beginning.
So what type of response is best for "Tell me about yourself?
This would be a tough question during an interview; not sure I was ever asked this question. I think the obvious would be to stay away from any physical, medical or personal issues. Less is better. I agree that personality and character without going into anything religious would be good; or political for that matter. I would say something positive about why I was applying for the position that is open and why I think I would do a good job...thats about it. I would be aware that this question is rather "probing" on the employer's part so be careful.
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Old 07-15-2012, 06:58 AM
 
3,111 posts, read 8,042,295 times
Reputation: 4272
It's a common question that is often used as the first question, because it is seen as an easy transition into the interview. It's so common, it's in every interview book out there, and you should have an answer to it.

The "Why do you want to work for this company?" is an easy one, if you spend a little time researching the company. I would just state some facts I learned about the company, their growth, or how I want to be part of their team, because __________.
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