what are your weaknesses? learn how to answer this job interview question

What Are Your

Weaknesses?

( L e a r n h o w t o a n s w e r t h i s j o b i n t e r v i ew

q u e s t i o n )

What Are Your Weaknesses? 1

Let me start by saying your greatest

weakness is your greatest weakness.

It’s not your greatest strength taken to an

extreme and portrayed as a

weakness

“First things first,

let me introduce

myself. Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager

MBA, PMP, PMI-RMP, CMA

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Let’s continue…

I have come across way too many HR professionals recommending that you should just take your greatest strength, take it to extreme, and then say that it ’s your weakness to the interviewer.

They suggest you say things like these;

I am a perfectionist



I don’t delegate as much as I should

I work too hard… (Right…)



“seriously! What

are you are trying

to do? Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager






“all this great

education, years of

experience were so

you could be known

as a bullshitter?

Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager






This question is not about your

weaknesses. Interviewer is smart enough

to know that you wouldn’t shoot yourself

in the foot. But… “

It’s all about honesty. They want to see if

you can honestly share your weaknesses

with them. It doesn’t take a genius to

figure out someone who lies in an

interview will continue to lie when she

gets the job…

“

“I hope I am being

clear here when I say

how honesty plays an

integral role in your

application… Deniz Sasal

PwC Consulting Manager






I have a mental checklist when I interview candidates, and it goes like this;

Is she honest and trustworthy?

Does she have self-entitlement? Can she say sorry when she messes up?

Is she committed? Or is she just looking to park here until the next best offer comes in?

If a candidate passes these questions,

then only I carry on to evaluate the hard

skills. “

“then, how do you

answer this question? Deniz Sasal







I can’t know your own weaknesses. So, you have to figure them out. But, let me help you by sharing my very own weaknesses (I feel vulnerable!)

Here you go

Although I am very good with applications of PowerPoint, its tools and functions, I am not the best when it comes to designing the slides.

I am confrontational. A bit too much perhaps. This has given me many problems in the past, especially with clients from regions where confrontations are discouraged, such as; Japan, and Philippines. Although I mastered the art of confrontation, in certain cultures, confrontation itself is frowned upon. So, there isn’t really anything I can do about it other than being honest with the partner and excusing myself from those projects, and not including those uber-sensitive people in my own teams. It’s rare to find consultants who run away from confrontation but hey they are out there

“want more?

Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager






Here you go – contd.

We have a strategy development tool at work called “Transform”. I am just not good at using it. Prior to PwC, I used different methodologies and frameworks to develop strategies and somehow I can’t get rid of the thought-processes I developed earlier. That doesn’t mean I am bad at strategy development but I am just not very good at following “Transform”

I get bored very quickly. My motivation peaks at 1st day of a new engagement, stays at peak for about a month or two. Then drops very quickly after 6th month. As a result, I try to get projects that are shorter than 6 months in duration. This is not a problem as 95% of our projects are less than 6 months in duration.

What am I doing? I am giving

you the weakness but then

explaining that it’s really no big

deal. It’s not something that is so

great that you will fail me. “

One simple suggestion I have for

you is that you state your

weaknesses, then talk about what

you are doing to be better at them.

Remember, they are still work in

progress. They are still indeed your

weaknesses.

“

So, now get to work. And start writing down all your weaknesses in an excel list like below;

Now filter those weaknesses based on below criteria;

Does mentioning this weakness hurt your chances?



Is it something vital to your performance at work?

Is it something not fixable if you work on it? Certain weakness cannot be easily fixed



“eliminate all those

that you answered “Yes” Deniz Sasal







Let’s say you really thought long

and hard and still couldn’t find

anything and you feel your best

bet is to lie…

After all, if you are a fresh

graduate, you may have very

little relatable experience.

Understandable.

“

“then, why don’t you

say it that way to the

interviewer?

Like this… Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager






If you are a fresh graduate, then go ahead

and say the following;

“Well, here is the thing. As much as I want to

share my professional weaknesses, I still

haven’t accumulated enough work experience

to share with you a list of my weaknesses. It’s

not that I won’t have. I am sure I will have

many of those. But I guarantee you that

whatever they will be, I will work on them. If

you are interested in my weaknesses related

to my personal life, I’d be happy to share with

you all. How much time do you have?”

“

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“I have 1 more

awesomeness for

you today! Deniz Sasal PwC Consulting Manager






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