Use your weakness to show strength in job interviews (Part 1) (How to deal with the worse job interview question)

Use your weakness to show strength in job interviews (Part 1)

Imagine facing a panel of seasoned interviewers, their gaze fixed on you.

You may have gone through a good half a dozen interview questions, and you may feel it is going fairly well only for them to turn around and say “What are your weaknesses?”

I know dozens of people who have told me over the years, it is their least favourite interview question, and it does strike fear into the hearts of even the most confident job seekers. However, it is a question that you can turn into a strength if you put a little thought into it.

An article on LinkedIN by recruitment expert Lee Harding advises to tell your interviewer a story about what you did to address your weakness, and use it as an opportunity to highlight something you’re proud off.

I’ll talk about my personal answer in a moment, but a list of answers I would never dream of giving includes the following:

1)?????? I'm a perfectionist.

2)?????? I work too hard/care too much.

3)?????? I get frustrated when colleagues don't pull their weight.

4)?????? I get lost in the details.

5)?????? I don’t tolerate idiots well (My Dad’s favourite).

6)?????? Chocolate (I know somebody who gave that answer)

7)?????? Disorganised (This one surprised me)

8)?????? I don’t handle pressure very well.

I hate this kind of question, I really, really do but whenever I get asked it, I will simply talk about my Dyspraxia and the problems I occasionally this can cause, but what I do explain is how I overcome this problem, for example, some of the problems I’ve had with letter writing and the way I overcame this by using Grammarly or another alternative programme.

What these display as a candidate, it allows me to talk about two specific points:

1)???? Firstly, this shows it problems will not stop you from achieving your goals.

2)??? While this can be a challenge, it's also made me a more patient and detail-oriented individual. I've learned to appreciate the importance of clear and concise communication and I'm always striving to improve my skills in this area. I've successfully [specific accomplishment, e.g., "led a complex project that required meticulous attention to detail"]."

By following these tips, you can turn a potential weakness into a strength and impress your interviewer with your honesty, resilience, and problem-solving abilities.

Beyond the CV is out now and can be purchased at all of the usual places including https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-CV-Lessons-Unemployment-2024-ebook/dp/B0DJ7BQQ17?ref_=ast_author_mpb

My second novel ‘Death’ will be out in 2025

More non-fiction pieces can be found on my substack page https://andynartist.substack.com/

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