Looking for a job? If so, be prepared to answer the usual quesions taught in Hiring 101. Such as: "Why did you leave your last job?" "What can you tell me about your former boss?" And the most dreaded question of all: "What are your weaknesses?"
You can’t say that you don’t have any, because everyone has some weaknesses and many people have many. But if you reveal all your weaknesses, and they’re relevant to the job you’re seeking, you’d be shooting yourself in the foot (or elsewhere) and probably won’t be hired. So you have to admit that you have some, and mention one or two relatively harmless ones.
In his recent book, Sell Yourself in Any Interview, Oscar Adler—who has decades of experience interviewing and hiring (or rejecting) salespeople and support staff, offers this advice: "You need to ask yourself the following questions: ‘Do you recognize your weaknesses?’ ‘What are they?’ ‘What have you done about them?’ ‘What are you continuing to do about them?’ ‘Have they diminished?’
"Let’s say that your weakness is being a poor listener. Perhaps you recognized this weakness several years ago. Once you recognized it, you may have read books on listening, taken seminars, and practiced listening skills with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have any performance reviews documenting your improvement in this area, be sure to bring copies with you to the interview."
Of course, it’s important to know what the duties and responsibilities are of the position you’re seeking...before the questioning starts. So be prepared with a few weaknesses you might mention, and talk about the one that matters the least.
