Maybe not all companies ask these stupid questions anymore, but two interviews I have been in asked me for my strengths and weaknesses. People always have the most cliche strengths, like "I'm a hard worker and I get along well with others." In an interview, its best to assume that the person interviewing you expects everyone to say this, whether its true or not. So, I would give them something novel, so that they know I really consider it a strength and am not just rehashing something I read in the packet I got from the Marquette Career Center. Like, if I were asked what my biggest strength is, I would probably have to say that I'm a good sock accountant. This is a major problem for some people. Every time they do laundry, they lose a sock. On the other hand, I almost never lose any socks at all. I think I went for three years at one point without seeing any third wheel socks come out of the dryer. Even when I do lose one, I realize right away where it went. I'm all "Oh! I bet I lost it when I was driving home with the windows open and it was really windy and my dirty laundry was in back, and when I glanced at the side view mirror I saw a flash of white out the side. No, I didn't see the red stripe, but it could have been facing the other direction." Thats how precise I am. If Sock Accountant were a well-paying job, I would drop what I'm doing right now to apply. But then I wouldn't be able to finish this entry.
The question about weaknesses gives rise to even more hideous cliches. People say things like "Well, I work so hard that sometimes my co-workers get jealous and neglect their families to try and match my hours," or "It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm allergic to unproductivity." Except they usually don't phrase it as creatively as I just did. In any case, this is whats known as the "making weaknesses seem like strengths" approach. Straight out of the career center handbook. When a potential employer hears this, they just think, "what an asskisser." I like to just lay out my real weaknesses, under the assumption that honesty is considered a bigger strength than manipulation. Except, in a Machiavellian twist, the weaknesses I list will be stuff that is totally unrelated to the job I will need to do. In other words, yes, I do have weaknesses, but fortunately none of them will make me do my job any worse. For instance, saying something like, "My biggest weakness is that I am sexually attracted to office equipment" may be dangerous, because there is a lot of office equipment in offices to tempt you. Instead, say something like, "My biggest weakness is that I can't fall asleep without masturbating" or "My number one flaw is that when people say 'What's up?' I sometimes reply with 'Good.'" See the idea? Not really that bad of a weakness. Even if it was, it doesn't affect your work life, so it's not too bad in the eyes of an employer. Feel free to send me thanks in monetary form for any jobs this advice helps you get.
Posted by mill1991 at August 5, 2004 09:55 AM