Interviews: "What is your weakness?"

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 I've always read that if someone asks you about your
 weaknesses at an interview, you should be both honest and
 semi-honest. Apart from the ethics of lying at an
 interview, consider that in the first case, you don't want
 to hide a weakness that will get you in trouble when your
 employer trips over it. In the second case, supplying a
 plausible weakness that can be an asset under the right
 conditions is a good approach. Two personal examples:

 - Real weakness: Left to my own devices, I prefer to work
 alone. I work fairly effectively in a team, but I have to
 keep reminding myself to do so (particularly under tight
 deadlines, when I'd rather be left alone so I can get _my
 own work_ done).

 - Useful weakness: I spend a lot of time reading about and
 learning new ideas and new technologies. It means I'm not
 the best writer or editor who ever existed because I don't
 concentrate exclusively on writing and editing, but I'm
 pretty good at both and I can pitch in on lots of other
 jobs when the need arises. I don't generally apply for
 specialist jobs because I prefer diverse work; my approach
 makes me fit in really well in such jobs.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

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