What's your weakness.. psychology behind this question..?

[rpgpgmr1]

not that question but equally stupid ( at a Contract interview )
"What motivates you ? "
I said "money " and got the gig.
Struggled to not combine my reply with a withering stare though.............

[The Agents View]

I love it when I'm asked that question (yes believe it or not, even pimps have to be interviewed to get jobs, contary to popular belief).

I've never answered it as a weakness question, but sighted my desire to expand my skills base in new areas. So if you're a PM with no formal qualifications - sight that as your weakness - the next step on the ladder if you like.

The funniest answer I've ever seen to that question though, was a real maverick consultant who came to an interview I was sat in on - imagine the scene, one line manager, two senior members of the team, interviewing a consultant with 18 months experience - pink tie, big knot, white shirt, White Nova parked outside, all the kit on it, you know the type....my direct manager says "what's your biggest weakness"..... His answer was an honest one, he simply replied "well I shagged the last MD's daughter, so I guess my weakness is 21 year old blonde slappers"...... After the two of us who were observing had picked ourselves off the floor, the interview was concluded swiftly..... (we then all took a look through the CV to see if we could apply for a job at his previous company )

[Scary]

sighted my desire to expand my skills base in new areas.

Cited

[TriggerHippy]

not that question but equally stupid ( at a Contract interview )
"What motivates you ? "
I said "money " and got the gig.
Struggled to not combine my reply with a withering stare though.............

There are some really stupid questions out there ....

Going for a 3 month contract, I was asked "And where do you see yourself in 5 years?"....

[BolshieBastard]

You answer it by saying 'Im sorry I understood this was a contract role and that is a question I'd expect to be asked of someone being interviewed for a permanent position. My skills, which you have recognised by requesting my attendance at this interview illustrates your company's desire to utilise these skills to deliver the project goals on time and to budget.'

That's all you need say. If they ask you to humour them, just say you prefer to talk about your skills. Any other response is a sign of weakness.

[Evil Hangover]

Try not to lose sight of the fact that on most occasions the interviewer has already decided whether they're going to offer, based on the first couple of minutes interaction.

These sort of bland questions are just some interviewer's way of padding out the inteview, and compensate for the fact that they are just too polite / (professional) to ask you to leave earlier

[zcapr17]

As someone who's hired around 20-30 contractors and permies in the last few years I'll admit I find this interview question very useful.

Approached in the right way it's a great opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate honesty, self awareness, or at the very least a sense of humour.

Equally, it makes it very easy to spot those who are pretentious arrogant fools, have a poor grasp of reality, will never learn from their mistakes, and rely on google to get them out of ever having to think.

Z.

[Darren_Test]

As someone who's hired around 20-30 contractors and permies in the last few years I'll admit I find this interview question very useful.
Z.

Looks like we got the right person to get the inside story...

Having known the candidate for just 30 min.whats the type of response you expect for this question..?Are you looking for a specific pattern of answer..

Since you interviewed so many..take few examples & tell us why that answer of that specific candidate (no need to name candidate.....!!) impressed you very much OR why answer from a specific candidate was so disappointing..

Please provide specific example that gives us information of interviewers psychology...

[NickFitz]

"What's your weakness?"

"You, only you. The moment we met, I succumbed. Although we've only known each other for five minutes, there will never be another for me. Let us flee this wretched corporation and raise ponies together in the Shetlands!"

Or, if you want the gig, trot out some of the standard "bit of a perfectionist" stuff, like Spud in Trainspotting - that's probably what they're expecting, and anything meaningful might startle them

[NickFitz]

Try not to lose sight of the fact that on most occasions the interviewer has already decided whether they're going to offer, based on the first couple of minutes interaction.

The interesting thing about this (which is something that has been identified in numerous studies) is that the interviewer is usually not aware that this is the way they are dealing with the situation. They honestly believe that they are carrying out the interview process in a manner that is scrupulously even-handed, and choosing the successful candidate on purely objective criteria. Even when shown the analysis that proves beyond doubt that they made the final decision solely on the basis of liking the cut of somebody's jib, they still find it hard to accept that they were fooling themselves about their objectivity.

FWIW, most studies indicate that the subconscious decision has been made in less than thirty seconds, so even a couple of minutes of good chat won't save you. This is why gubbins like a firm handshake, a smile, and eye contact are absolutely crucial, even if the position requires working in complete isolation from the rest of humanity in a bunker under Antarctica for the next six years.