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We spent a fun weekend in the Catskill Mountains with our wonderful friends Bonnie and Mike. We saw gorgeous waterfalls and had a yummy picnic in a meadow with an airy view for miles around. Here’s a photo of Stan and me on top of the meadow. If you’re near New Paltz, New York, I recommend a great restaurant called Beso, on Main Street. There, I experienced one of the best meals I’ve ever had. And the dessert, coconut bread pudding, put me in 7th Heaven! If you’ve had a tough time coming up with your answer to an interviewer’s question: “what are your weaknesses?” read on for tips on how to get more comfortable with your response. Finally, Bonnie Mincu, ADD coach extraordinaire, offers a one of a kind resource to help ADD adults thrive at work. If you suspect you have ADD, you owe it to yourself to read more in the recommended resource section below. Have a fabulous May!
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Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths The question every job applicant dreads is “what are your weaknesses?” If you’re uncomfortable answering this question, join the club. Most job candidates struggle to develop a plausible response. Here are tips and examples to help you effectively answer this question: |
- First,
forget about saying you’re a perfectionist. This
response is over used and interviewers don’t buy it.
- Better
to cite a weakness that you’ve worked to improve.
Example: “I am a hard driving manager but I’ve learned to
solicit and incorporate feedback from my staff to make the team more
effective.” Or, “I tend to want to do everything myself
but I’ve realized I can be more effective if I delegate certain
tasks.”
- If
you lack a required skill, don’t try to hide it.
Before the interviewer has a chance to eliminate you, develop a strategy
to compensate for your knowledge gap. And use it to respond to the weaknesses
question. Example: a compensation specialist lacked technical knowledge
in one of six required areas. Before she interviewed, she researched
certificate programs. During her interview, she mentioned this “weakness”
by saying she was prepared to take the program to get up to speed as
soon as possible.
- Cite
a weakness that’s not a deal breaker. For instance,
if you are applying for a copywriter’s position, you could say
that you’re not a great public speaker. Copywriters typically
aren’t called upon to give speeches. Make sure you carefully review
the job requirements before you cite a weakness that might be buried
in the fourth paragraph of the job description!
- Don’t say you have no weaknesses! This is a dead giveaway that you’re ill prepared or hiding something.
Finally, the employer is aware that nobody is perfect. Admitting that you have faults is okay. What’s key is how aware you are of your weaknesses and what you’ve done to improve upon them.
Recommended Resource Bonnie Mincu, seasoned ADD coach, author and speaker, offers a one of a kind resource to help adults with ADD thrive in organizations. If you are challenged by tendencies to disorganization, procrastination, poor follow-through, inability to prioritize, lateness, poor time-management and feel overwhelmed, you may have adult ADD. Learn specific solutions to cope at work with "ADD at Work" downloadable audio and notes. Click here for more details. |
About Dale:
Dale Kurow, M.S. is an author and a career and executive coach in NYC. She works with clients across the U.S. and internationally, helping them to become better managers, figure out their next career moves and thrive despite office politics. Click here for more information about her services.
Contact
Dale by e-mail
dale@dalekurow.com
or ...
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