One interview question that comes up time and again relates to the candidates weaknesses. I recall that a television sitcom made a parody of this situation in which the candidate answered ‘Eczema’. I found this funny but it did make me think about the best way to answer the ‘Weaknesses question’.
I have interviewed candidates who have told me that they have no weaknesses; I concluded that they had a lack of self awareness and an arrogance which will lead to future problems. Some publications advise that you should choose a characteristic which can be seen as both negative and positive such as being ‘a perfectionist’ or ‘a workaholic’. This is better than not identifying any weaknesses but is still clichéd.
We all have strengths and weaknesses and we do not need to hide these in order to be successful. Whether you are looking for your next career move now or not I would advise you to spend some time conducting self analysis.
In order to carry out self analysis I advise to breakdown the technical and soft skills that are required to carry out your profession and grade yourself for each attribute. This exercise will allow you to identify your strengths and help you to market them in the future. It will also highlight your areas of weakness and will allow you to create a personal development plan.
In our professional lives we are constantly analysing our suppliers, competitors, service offering etc. We work at firms who conduct appraisals to assist our professional development but these appraisals come with an agenda to serve the companies needs more than our own. I am suggesting that you use your comprehensive analytical skills to analyse yourself and create a development plan. This development plan is a document that should continually be updated as your career journey develops and your skill requirements change.
If you believe in the value of continuous improvement and self evaluation then take some time to present your ‘self analysis document’ as if you were going to pass it for your current CEO to read. The more pride you take in this document, the more you will buy in to its contents. A high quality document can be taken as a prop to use in interviews when the ‘weaknesses question’ comes up. You can display that you are aware of your weaknesses and show how you are constantly working on improving them. The likelihood is that the client will want to flick through the document, at this point they will also see your strengths, in text form without you having to brag.
The most important thing is to put time aside to maintain this document, re-evaluate your skills and development needs. It will help you improve in the areas that you need most and enhance your confidence and credibility in the interview room.
Since 2007 Ronin has specialised in the recruitment of Procurement, Supply Chain and Commercial Management professionals. Our focus is on offering a consistent approach with more details and value than that offered by our competitors. We achieve this A* service with our Six Step recruitment process and by pioneering the use of online Video and Competency assessments for both interim and permanent assignments.