
How to answer 'what is your greatest weakness?' in an interview - neiljohnson
http://fragile.org.uk/2013/01/your-greatest-weakness/
======
edw519
_...it requires a great deal of honesty and openness...An interview is a place
for none of those things._

Wrong. It's exactly the place for both of those things.

For every instance in the class QuestionsAskedToMe, including "What is your
greatest weakness?", I have a simple rule: Just tell the fucking truth.

If you're so concerned that the telling the truth in an interview can come
back to haunt you, then you shouldn't be interviewing with that company in the
first place.

[My answer: I am very impatient. I always have been. People close to me have
even pointed it out. (My brother reminds me for every time I make a hasty
decision.) Sometimes this has served me well, but it's also caused problems
when working with others. I have made a lot of progress trying to be more
patient, but I still have a way to go.]

~~~
ArcticCelt
It's kind of funny that your honest answer is the stock slightly dishonest
answer that most people give while answering that question.

~~~
caseyohara
Second only to (I invest too much in my work|I care too much|I overcommit
myself).

I find it hard to be honest on this kind of question without sounding cheesy
or insincere. Revealing personal weaknesses to complete strangers is
extraordinarily difficult. Ironically, answering dishonestly can itself be
quite revealing.

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jklp
I can't believe how much negative feedback there is for this question, and I'm
even more surprised at how rude the suggestions have been for responding to
this question, like walking out, or making fun of the person asking the
question.

I've had to do a couple of interviews in my time, and when I ask this
question, it's usually at the tail end when we've evaluated their technical
skills and we're convinced they have the chops for the job.

So now all I'm evaluating is if they'll be a good cultural fit and when I ask
this question, I'm not really evaluating what their responses are, I'm
evaluating how well they respond to it.

If someone responds by storming out, then obviously they aren't going to work
well if a team or programming problem comes up, which is a little out there
which they don't like.

If they read a prepared textbook answer, then I know they like to be over
prepared, which might be a good / bad thing depending on the position they're
applying for.

But if they chuckle, then think about it for a bit, and give me an honest
answer, it tells me that even though they have come up against something
ridiculous, they're willing to give it an good go and try their best to work
the problem (which I think is a good trait to have, especially in an
engineering environment).

Interviewing is a lot more than giving a correct answer, even more so when
trying to figure out if someone will be a good cultural fit or not.

~~~
ucee054
There is _NO_ reason for thinking that someone who walks away from the
"weakness question" would walk away from difficult or tedious work.

That is a dishonest rationalization that _you_ have bolted on to hide your
_real_ motives.

You want to know how much the candidate will _take bullshit from YOU_. And
that is why you ask the question.

It is a useless question for any other purpose, such as assessing talent.

~~~
jklp
> That is a dishonest rationalization that you have bolted on to hide your
> real motives.

Wow, personal attacks already. I'm an engineer so interviews I've done have
been to find engineers to work with, not to boss around ...

> It is a useless question for any other purpose, such as assessing talent.

As mentioned above, usually when this question comes up talent has already
been assessed and we're just looking for cultural fit.

It's actually a lot harder than it looks to asses if someone will get along
with you, so sometimes asking "out there" questions are a good way to tease
people out.

~~~
ucee054
_Wow, personal attacks already_

It _is_ dishonest to say you are checking if someone "is a cultural fit" when
what you actually mean is "will take my crap".

God forbid you do your job and try to work with "difficult" people; you'd
rather pass on the greatest engineer in the world than do that.

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dccoolgai
My answer to this one won me my current job; THEM: So what would you say is
your biggest weakness? ME: Well, I think it's rather obvious and rude for you
to ask that... THEM: <Shifty, uncomfortable silence> ME: <Comic eye-roll>
Clearly it's food! THEM: <Laughter>

I'm slightly overweight (probably a lot of devs are), so it worked well...feel
free to steal my routine...mileage may vary based on condifence/comic-timing.

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whichdan
It's definitely a mediocre question, but I don't see why so many people get
defensive about it. Is it really that hard to think of one or two personality
traits that keep you from steamrolling through your day?

My answers may very well be different in 5 or 10 years, but for now:

1) If someone asks me for a time estimate, I always try to immediately come up
with a rough number, which never takes into account "the last 20% takes 80% of
the work." I'm trying to get better at not committing before having a spec,
but I still have that habit.

2) I tend to get lightly emotionally invested in the code I'm currently
writing. If I've spent two or three days working on something and find out
that the requirements have changed, or that I need to architect my solution a
different way, I usually need to work on something different for a day before
I go back to it - otherwise, I stress out about having just wasted that
effort.

Any interviewer that finds these answers unacceptable either shouldn't be
asking the question, or is representing a company that I absolutely would not
want to work for.

~~~
summerdown2
> I don't see why so many people get defensive about it.

Because it's a trap. The question isn't trying to see how much you know, or
how good you'll be in the job. It's taking you at a vulnerable point and
asking you to implicate yourself.

In addition, there's no good truthful answer. If you give a real weakness, you
get beaten in interviews by those who lie about being a workaholic. If you
dissemble, then you feel the interviewer has just forced you into a lie. This
is infuriating for those who value honesty.

~~~
whichdan
I can see that. Do interviewers really fall for the "I'm a workaholic" line,
though?

------
lbrandy
"I don't react charitably to bad interview questions. I tend to get pretty
indignant and perhaps make a mockery of it. In some ways though this can be
thought of as a positive since it tends to act as a filter against me taking
bad jobs."

------
rikacomet
I would go with this: My biggest weakness, hmm, if it is .. what I think it
is, I rather feel that I should not share it, because, I feel that while I'm
fixing something, I should not promote the fact that I'm open. Similarly to
how, when you are fixing something in a apartment, while trying to sell it to
a customer.

if the other person is still not convinced yet, I would carry on and say:

Well, honestly, it is something not that big, which is proven by the fact that
your experienced eyes have yet not caught it, so yes, in a way, I can say, the
question should not be what is your biggest weakness, but instead, does it
make you unqualified for this (job/opportunity/etc), and the answer would be
NO, it doesn't.

its actually a general question, towards your self-confidence. Because any
experienced person knows, that weaknesses can be overcome, failures made up
for. What matters is the awareness of it, and will to change.

~~~
LargeWu
If I heard a BS answer like this, and I do from time to time, interview would
instantly be over. Sure I might carry on out of a sense of decorum, but you
just lost the job. Good luck with your search.

And by the way, your answer did in fact reveal a weakness. What your answer
just told me is that I can rely on you to give me patronizing answers instead
of being direct. And that, my friend, does in fact make you unqualified to
work for me.

~~~
Jach
I think the patronizing tone is well-deserved in the second "carry on and
say.." portion. Here's a shorter honest (from me) answer that resembles
rikacomet's first section I would probably give at first (after all, good
companies can still have crappy hiring practices): "I don't know you well
enough to reveal that information." If the interviewer persisted, then I'm
with the rest of the group here who are done with the interview at that point,
screw how good the company might have been on the inside.

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redact207
I'm surprised at the comments here. Cliched as this question is, it can help
demonstrate your ability to identify areas for improvement and show how you're
addressing them.

The best way to answer this is: 1) Identify: "Addressing large groups of
people is something I struggle with" 2) Importance: "It's something I want to
get better at, as my job often needs me to collaborate with a wide set of
stakeholders" 3) Action: "I've joined the local Toastmasters/started
presenting at XX user group etc"

It's not a negative question - it's a good opportunity to show your candor and
dedication to self improvement and learning - something us developers do
anyway.

------
mhurron
"Do you want the rehearsed, canned response you have heard a hundred times
already or a real answer that would immediately disqualify me in most
interviewers eyes?"

~~~
krapp
They want you to be perfectly honest, forthright, and to candidly tell them
exactly what they want to hear.

~~~
mhurron
No they don't, they wouldn't ask stupid questions if they did. They are
playing a game. If they really want honest answer then the question they are
asking is "Please tell me the reasons not to hire you so I don't have to do
any thinking."

~~~
danielhunt
Reread the comment :)

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IvyMike
I've always wished I could quote Trainspotting:

 _The truth -- well, the truth is that I've had a long-standing problem with
heroin addiction. I've been know to sniff it, smoke it, swallow it, stick it
up my arse and inject it into my veins. I've been trying to combat this
addiction, but unless you count social security scams and shoplifting, I
haven't had a regular job in years. I feel it's important to mention this._

------
goodcanadian
I am surprised by all the "If they ask this stupid question, you don't want to
work for them."

It is hard to say why any potential employer might ask this question, but if
it were me, I would be looking for some indication that you have an
understanding of your own limitations. A stock answer or an attempt at
redirection would not impress me. Of course, I don't expect you to incriminate
yourself.

------
Swizec
Being truthful is a good thing in interviews, you're there to judge fit as
much as they are. Hiding things helps nobody since the relationship will just
blow up 3 months down the line ... do you really want to waste 3 months of
your life in a job you don't like? Of course not.

Therefore, the only real answer is "I don't like bullshit questions."

------
russell
I tell them I dont have any greatest weakness. I say, I've been in this
business long enough to develop strategies to deal with it.

Other times I say sales. That's why I'm in programming.

Either answer usually gets them off that topic.

------
refurb
It's a BS question, but one thing that has always served me well is to choose
a weakness that isn't fatal and is relatively easily remedied.

For example, if you're apply for a job where you have no direct reports, your
weakness can be "I don't have that much experience in formal leadership, but
I've had numerous examples in my past of informal leadership in teams, so I'm
confident that given the opportunity, I could quickly come up to speed."

~~~
summerdown2
> one thing that has always served me well is to choose a weakness that isn't
> fatal and is relatively easily remedied.

In other words, lie? The question is directly asking for your biggest
weakness, not one that's palatable.

This is why so many people find the question infuriating: it can't be answered
honestly. Everyone has weaknesses, but no one wants to explain them in
competition with others who might lie.

------
jcampbell1
"I sometimes give smart ass answers to stupid questions."

------
steve_g
How about, "That's not a very good question for a variety of reasons, so I'm
not going to answer it. This is both an answer and a meta-answer."

~~~
davidkatz
Sadly, that just invites a discussion. Laughing it off nips it at the bud and
allows everyone to climb down from the idiot tree.

~~~
maeon3
Most of the time you get a baleful stare because it's off-script.

Would you want to date a person or marry a person who was physically unable,
or grossly offended by you raising a discussion about the idea that an
interview question isn't optimal? If not marry, then why work with them 8
hours a day for the rest of your lives?

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ChuckMcM
Actually just ask what is your greatest strength, that will be your greatest
weakness. Non-intuitive but happens to be true most of the time. First exposed
to this at a religious program for 'finding your gifts' and again a couple of
times at various executive off sites.

Nobody minds answering the question.

------
boyter
I always thought that the response by Daria Morgendorffer
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daria>) was one of the better ones to this
question.

Q - "What is your greatest weakness?"

A - "My inability to answer stock questions with stock answers."

~~~
rikacomet
well thats a risky answer, without the buttering tone. If he is in the bad
mood just that day, or out of focus, you are out 9/10.

~~~
boyter
It is risky, but unless you are desperate for the job (and that shows to the
interviewer) any company asking this I probably don't want to work for anyway.

BTW I have said this a few times. Usually I get a laugh out of it.

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cema
I think the question is not designed for engineers who work with computers and
do not need to sound right but instead for salesmen and other professionals
who work with people and need to sound right.

------
neiljohnson
Site is slow, article text.

"So, Mr Johnson, what would you say is your greatest weakness?"

Worst. Interview. Question. Ever.

In isolation, it’s an interesting question to ask yourself, it requires a
great deal of honesty and openness on the part of the individual and it
requires trust that there will not be repercussions for the answer.

An interview is a place for none of those things. Candidates need, and are
expected to, go out of their way to impress their interviewers and actively
admitting weakness is a high risk strategy.

And yet it’s popularity remains, company’s still ask it and candidates still
find a thousand and one tortured methods to say “I’m a workaholic”. In a novel
attempt to get around this, Data Connection used to ask for your three
greatest weaknesses. I’d love to know what they gained from this.

So how should this question be answered? From personal experience, responding
‘My left elbow’ sadly does not work.

In comes down to framing, strengths and weaknesses are pretty much alternate
views on the same characteristic. Above a certain level of competence it is
rare to find people truely good at certain pairings.

For instance, think those people who you admire for their vision. These people
are inspiring, charismatic they lift you up and show you a world that you
dimly knew existed but couldn’t quite realise. Wonderful people, but tell me,
how are they on detail? How good are they are dotting the Is and crossing the
Ts and meticulously going through the minutiae of a project, ensuring that
everything is as it should be. Not so much huh?

Clearly there will exceptions but Richard Branson, just isn’t a details kind
of guy and nor should he be. Conversely I want an Accountant to be exactly the
opposite, they need to get down to the details.

Since the question is now framed in terms of strengths it is much easier to
answer. Just figure out what strength of yours you wish to highlight,
determine how that makes you weak and then go for it.

Not convinced? Here is an example.

Imagine for instance the Great Remallo, Lion Tamer extraordinaire, sitting for
an interview. His CV/Resume contains plenty of past experience dealing with
many different types of lion and as the inventor of the lion proof cape he
clearly knows his stuff. As the final question of the interview the Circus
owner, Mr Top, fires out the big kahuna:-

Mr Top: Mr Remallo I have one final question for you. Tell me, what is your
great weakness?

The Great Remallo: Well, Mr Top, if I had one weakness it would be that I seem
to have trouble accurately assessing the level of danger I might be in at any
given time, even as a small child when I used to play in traffic. Actually
it’s something that really helps me as a lion tamer, I should think that if I
ever truley understod the peril I put myself in everyday I would be petrified
and never even enter the ring.

Still not convinced? Let’s try the same question for a Software Developer.

"My biggest weakness is that I can’t stand not knowing how things work, it
used to drive my family crazy as took everything I owned (and somethings I
didn’t) apart in order to see what was going on under the hood. To this day I
really struggle to take things at face value if I can’t look and see what is
going on. I suppose it’s one of the reasons I became an engineer in the first
place, this drive to understand how things works stands me in good stead when
wrestling with a gnarly code base or diving deep into library code, bug
hunting."

I’m sure you can come up with something better yourself. Just remember if you
reframe the question as an opportunity to talk about strengths, it’s then just
a question of determining the flip side to that strength and using it as an
in.

Anyone else got a good answer to this question?

------
VeejayRampay
Ask yourself whether or not you want to be working for a company that sieves
through applicants using washed up interview questions from a 1950's HR
textbook.

~~~
rikacomet
well, no question is the old or new, or perfect or not. I believe that what
actually happens is that, the person in front of you, has the job you want in
his pocket, all you have to do is convince him to take it out, and give it to
you. So to convince himself, as long as he doesn't ask you, personal
questions, have you ever kissed a girl? you are to deal with it.

~~~
LargeWu
I would argue that if somebody asked me that question, it is a signal that I
do not, in fact, want the job. It's a red flag that management is not capable
of adequately assessing talent, and that you are likely to be surrounded by
bozos if you get the job.

In a seller's market, (in this case, the market being labor), the applicant is
often interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing the
applicant.

~~~
rikacomet
indeed, but the job is not about working with the person who is asking the
question, but with others, and in a big company, not always, one guy recruits
all alone, based on one question. Would you stand up and leave on hearing that
question? really?

~~~
LargeWu
Yes, because I'm good at what I do and in demand. I'm not going to say I can
just pick where I want to work, I'm not that good, but I do have the luxury of
being picky about the opportunities I am presented with.

------
Yaa101
Easy, the answer is: "You of all people are never gonna know!"

------
dharma1
chocolate

------
maeon3
The best response to this question is: "yeah... I think we're done here?". The
retards who think this is a good way to filter a good programmer from a bad
programmer are idiotic enough to offer you a job because obviously you are
exactly the kind of kick-ass person who can shock people awake and repair the
defective nature of their company, the fact that working there would be like
working at Initech from Office space.

The real source of the question is to sense your desperation levels. If you
answer it the canned response way: "turning the negative into the positive".
It's a sign across your forehead that says: "please....please.... I'm
desperate! Please dominate me!".

Seriously. Just try it once. Laugh at them and excuse yourself, you'll fall
off the chair in memorization when you see the job offer pop into your email
inbox. I've done it.

It'll leave you with existential questions: wondering who the hell designed
this idiotic physics engine we've found ourselves in. How can people survive
making these calibre of poor decisions from day to day?

~~~
davidkatz
This is absolutely true, and goes for any silly question like 'where do you
see yourself in five years?', 'why should we be working with you?', and the
like. If you drive conversation to topics that you think should be discussed,
you will be respected for it.

~~~
maeon3
Think about it, answering the question: "What's your weakness" politely is
"toleration of incompetence". Programmers are not hired as cheerleaders or
sensitivity assesment personnel. We are not expected to beat around the bush
and be "feel-good" companions. We are expected to get in, get shit compiled,
get it working, get it fast and get the hell out. WTF are they doing asking us
questions more suited for a hired female companion/prostitute?

The lack of toleration for complete incompetence is what people need. If not-
tolerating incompetence loses you out on that interview, seriously, you DO NOT
want to work there. They will steal your soul away, and you'll wish you were
dead after a few years of working there.

