WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESSES?

TRAPS: Beware – this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an ”A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.

PASSABLE ANSWER: Distinguish a strength as a weakness.

Example: “ I push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength..”

Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it’s so widely used, it is transparent to any experienced interviewer.

BEST ANWSER: (and another reason it’s so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer’s needs before you answer questions):assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.

Example: “Nobody’s perfect, but based on what you’ve told me about this position; I believe I’d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well? Everything in my background shows that I have both the qualifications and a stronger desire to achieve excellence in what ever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you don’t yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit):

Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not essential.

Example: let’s say you’re applying for a teaching position. “ if given a choice, I like to spend as much as time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling paper work back at the office. Of course, I long ago learned the importance of filing paper work properly, and I do it conscientiously. But what I really love to do is to sell ( if your interviewer were a sales manager, this should be a music to his years.)

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS?

TRAPS: This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don’t want to come across as egoistical or arrogant. Neither this is a time to be humble.

BEST ANSWER: You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer’s greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And you know how to do this: see TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.

Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.

You should, have the list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2.30am.

Then once you uncover your interviewer’s greatest wants and needs, you can choose those achievements from your list that best match up.

As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever…especially if your achievements match up with the employer’s greatest wants and needs.

2. Intelligence…management “savvy”

3. Honesty…integrity…a decent human being.

4. Good fit with corporate culture…someone to feel comfortable with… a team player who meshes well with interviewer’s team.

5. Likeability…positive attitude…sense of humor.

6. Good communication skills.

7. Dedication…willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose…clear goals.
9. Enthusiasm…high level of motivation.

10. Confident…healthy…a leader.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

TRAPS: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the interviewer is buying. This is the single most strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it’s imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer’s greatest need, want, problem or goal.

To do so, you may take these two steps:

1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person’s wants and needs ( not the generalized need of the industry or company)

2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what the position entails. You might say : “ I have a number of accomplishments I’d like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc..)

Then, always follow up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it’s usually this second or third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.

You might ask simply, “And in addition to that?...” or “Is there any thing else you see as essential to succeed in this position?”

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer’s wants and needs will your answers make more sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you are competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you’ve succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

OTHER IMPORTANT INTERVIEW STRATEGIES

1. Turn weaknesses into strengths (you will see how to do this in a few minutes.)

2.Think before you answer. A pause to collect your thoughts is a hallmark of a thoughtful person.

3.As a daily exercise, practice being more optimistic. For eg, try putting a positive spin on events you would normally regard as negative. This is not meant to turn you into a Pollyanna, but to sharpen your selling skills. The best sales people, as well as the best liked interview candidates, come off as naturally being optimistic, “can do” people. You will dramatically raise your level of attractiveness by daily practicing to be more optimistic.

4.Be honest. Never lie.

5. Keep an interview diary. Right after every interview note what you did right, what could have gone a little better, and what steps you should take next with this contact. Then take those steps. Don’t be like the 95% humanity who say they will follow up on something , but never do.

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT, THAN SHOW THEM HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM GET IT.

Find out what an employer wants in his or her ideal candidate, then show how you meet those qualifications.

In other words, you must match your abilities, with the needs of the employer. YOU MUST SELL WHAT THE BUYER IS BUYING. To do that, before you know what to emphasize in your answers, you must find out what the buyer is buying... what he is looking for. And the best way to do that is to ask a few questions yourself.

You must remember the strategy above all: BEFORE BLURTING OUT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS, YOU MUST GET SOME IDEA WHAT THE EMPLOYER WANTS MOST. Once you know what he wants, you can then present your qualifications as the perfect “key” that fits the “lock” of that position.

GENERAL GUIDELINES IN ANSWERING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Everyone is nervous on interviews. If you simply allow yourself to feel nervous, you will do much better. Remember also that it is difficult for the interviewer as well.

1. In general, be upbeat and positive. Never be negative.
2. Reherse your answers and time them. Never talk for more than two minutes straight.
3. Don’t try to memorize answers word by word.

Use the answers shown here as guide only, and don’t be afraid to include your own thoughts and words. To help you remember key concepts, jot down and review a few key words for each answer. Rehearse your answers frequently, and they will come to you naturally in the interviews.