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Worldwide Panel LLC, a small market-research firm, is getting flooded with resumes for four vacancies in sales and information technology.
However, officials expect to reject numerous applicants after asking them: 'What is your greatest weakness?' Candidates often respond 'with something that is not a weakness,' say Christopher Morrow, senior vice president of the Calabasas, Calif., concern. 'It is a deal breaker.'
The weakness question represents the most common and most stressful one posed during interviews. Yet in today's weak job market, the wrong answer weakens your chances of winning employment.
Some people offer replies they mistakenly assume that bosses love, such as 'I am a perfectionist.' That response 'will be used against you' because you appear incapable of delegating, warns Joshua Ehrlich, dean of a master's program in executive coaching sponsored by BeamPines Inc., a New York coaching firm and Middlesex University in London.
A careful game plan could help you cope with the shortcoming query in a way that highlights your fit for a desired position. Job seekers who field the question well demonstrate that they can 'take initiative and improve themselves,' Mr. Morrow says.
The key? Thorough preparation. Career specialists suggest you take stock of your weaknesses, focusing on job-related ones that won't impede your ability to perform your duties. Tony Santora, an executive vice president for Right Management, a major outplacement firm in Philadelphia, says an information-technology manager flubbed a 2007 interview by choosing a personal foible as his reply: 'My true weakness is that I am a terrible cook.'
Rehearse your responses aloud, role play with a friend or videotape yourself -- but don't memorize your words. As you review the video, look for aspects 'you would like to change so you can continue to get better as you practice,' says Peggy Klaus, a leadership coach in Berkeley, Calif.
The IT manager changed his tune after practice sessions with fellow job seekers and a counselor in Cincinnati for Right Management. He instead said he worked such long hours that he found it difficult to stay current with world events. So, he spent 30 minutes every evening catching up at home.
When the manager pursued an opportunity at a global drug maker, his revamped response 'really resonated with the interviewer,' says Mr. Santora. The manufacturer hired the man.
It's equally important that you consider an employer's corporate culture. While being interviewed by a start-up, 'you could say, 'My weakness is I get bored by routine,'' says Ben Dattner, a New York industrial psychologist.
Last month, an aspiring executive director of a nonprofit group in suburban San Francisco nearly jeopardized his selection because his reply to a variation of the weakness question ignored one of its core values, according to Ms. Klaus, a board member there. Near the end of his interview, she wondered whether he might have problems with any aspects of the job. 'No, I am confident I could do it all,' the prospect declared.
His flip comment dismayed Ms. Klaus, because she felt he lacked awareness of his weaknesses. She says his response raised doubts among board members that 'he would be able to take critical feedback,' an attribute the organization values highly.
Because the man was well-qualified, the board gave him a second interview -- and demanded a fuller explanation of his weak spots. He said he had been 'unprepared for that question and nervous about coming out with a big fatal flaw,' then described his tendency to make decisions too fast during workplace crises. Board members' doubts disappeared, and they picked him for the nonprofit's top job.
Ideally, your reply also should exclude the word 'weakness' and cover your corrective steps. Dubbing your greatest fault a 'window of opportunity' signals your improvement efforts should benefit the workplace, says Oscar Adler, a retired Maidenform Brands sales executive and author of the book, 'Sell Yourself in Any Interview.' For instance, he suggests, a salesman might note that he sold more after strengthening his facility with numbers.
When an interviewer pops this nerve-wracking query, your body language counts as well. The wrong nonverbal cues undercut your credibility. Certain candidates hunch over, glance furtively around the room or wring their sweaty palms. 'They sort of look like they're being asked a question they can't handle,' says Mr. Adler.
Maintaining eye contact, regular breathing and a broad smile impress employers that 'you're prepared for the weakness question,' says psychotherapist Pat Pearson, author of 'Stop Self-Sabotage!'
For the same reason, you seem thoughtful if you pause before responding. But don't wait too long. 'If you're going to take a minute,' Mr. Morrow cautions, 'I've just identified your weakness.'
小型市场研究公司Worldwide Panel LLC准备招聘4名销售和IT技术人员，结果收到了大量简历。
不过，招聘人员预计，在向应聘者发问“你最大的缺点是什么？”之后，会有很多人被淘汰。Worldwide高级副总裁莫罗(Christopher Morrow)说，对这个问题，应聘者的回答往往并非缺点，他们因此过不了关。
“缺点”问题是求职面试中最常见也最让人头痛的一个问题。而在眼下就业市场疲软的情况下，不恰当的回答将降低你赢得工作的机会。
一些应聘者会给出误以为老板会喜欢的答案，比如，“我的缺点是过于追求完美”。对此埃里奇(Joshua Ehrlich)提醒说，这个回答会对你求职不利，因为它显得你似乎没有能力授权给他人。埃里奇是一个由纽约职业培训机构BeamPines Inc.和伦敦米德塞克斯大学(Middlesex University)合办的经理人硕士班培训项目的负责人。
为对付这个问题，可事先精心设计好一个答案，以凸显你适合所申请的这个职位。莫罗说，出色回答这个问题的求职者表现出他们能够“主动行动，改善自己”。
关键在哪里？那就是充分的准备。职场专家建议，你可以整理一下自己的缺点，挑出其中跟工作有关、但又不会妨碍你行使工作职责的方面。费城大型职业介绍机构Right Management执行副总裁桑特拉(Tony Santora)说，2007年一位IT经理在参加面试时，在有关缺点的问题上败下阵来：他的回答居然是，“我真正的缺点是，我的烹饪技术很糟糕。”
大声朗读答案，可以找朋友或自己用录像来一番角色扮演。不过，不要背诵自己的答案。加州管理培训师克劳斯(Peggy Klaus)说，回头看录像的时候，找出你觉得可以改善的地方，这样在练习时可以做得更好。
那位IT经理在辛辛那提和其他求职者及咨询师一起参加Right Management的训练课程后改变了思路。他后来的回答是，由于每天长时间忙于工作，他发现自己很难及时了解世界大事。因此，他每天晚上在家花30分钟恶补这方面的信息。
桑特拉说，当他后来在一家全球性制药企业求职时，他的回答让面试官很有共鸣。这家公司最后雇用了他。
考虑目标公司的企业文化也同样重要。纽约心理学家达特纳(Ben Dattner)说，如果到一家初创公司面试，你可以说，“我的缺点是容易对日常的循规蹈矩感到厌烦”。
克劳斯说，上个月，旧金山郊区一家非营利组织的一名热情的执行董事差一点儿毁掉他的机会，原因是他在回答一个变相的弱点问题时忽视了这家机构的一项核心价值�？死退故钦饧一沟亩隆Ｃ媸钥旖崾�，克劳斯想知道他对那个职位的各个方面是否还有什么问题。“没问题，我想我都能解决，”这位求职者回答到。
他这么轻率的回答让克劳斯有点失望，因为她感觉他对自己的缺点缺乏认识。她说，他的回答让董事们怀疑他是否能听取批评性意见，而这家机构对这一点非常看重。
但因为这位申请人其他条件很好，董事会给了他第二次面试机会，并要求他对自己的缺点作更充分的说明。他说，他第一次面试时“对那个问题毫无准备，担心会说出什么大的致命缺陷，”随后，他向面试官提到自己在工作遇到危急关头时，往往会过于仓促地做出决策。董事会的担心消除了，最后安排他担任了这家非营利机构的负责工作。
理想的情况是，你在回答中应尽量避免使用“缺点”这样的词，同时还可以提到改正措施。Maidenform Brands销售主管、《在面试中推销自己》(Sell Yourself in Any Interview)一书的作者阿德勒(Oscar Adler)说，将你最大的缺点转化为“机会之窗”，表明你的改善措施将使工作受益。比如他建议说，销售人员可以说，在强化数学能力后，销售业绩上升了。
当面试官突然提出这样的刁钻问题时，你的身体语言也能反映一些问题。不当的肢体语言会削弱你的可信度。某些求职者会蜷缩身体，茫然地瞟着房间四周，或是扭动出汗的手掌。阿德勒说，他们看起来就有点像遇到了他们没法对付的问题。
心理学家皮尔森(Pat Pearson)说，保持视线接触、正常呼吸和明朗的微笑可以让雇主觉得“你对有关弱点的问题有所准备”。皮尔森着有《停止自我摧毁》(Stop Self-Sabotage!)一书。
同理，如果你回答问题前稍作停顿会让你看起来深思熟虑。不过不要时间过长。莫罗警告说，如果你的停顿时间长达一分钟，那我已经能发现你的弱点了。
