张彧
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[转帖]"What is your biggest weakness?"
Indeed, this question has stumped the most brilliant interview subjects. How does one answer this question honestly and still expect to get a job? On a job interview, the objective is to impress the interviewer with your skills, your dedication, and your angelic disposition. Most people are understandably reluctant to blurt out their vices on an interview. This unresolved dilemma has led to some horrific interviews. There are essentially three alternative ways of handling the "weakness" question: with phoniness, with humor, and with brutal honesty. Whichever method you choose, there are no guarantees that your response will satisfy the interviewer. I have used all three methods and have met various responses, ranging from a polite nod to a shotgun incident resulting in a two-week hospital stay. The phony response to the "weakness" question is a mechanical response usually attributed to Ivy League graduates with shiny Armani suits and starched undergarments. What is their weakness? Perfectionism. "My weakness is that I am never satisfied until all my work is done efficiently and flawlessly." Then they blather on about how they are workaholics who are incapable of taking lunch breaks. With such weaknesses, I wonder, who needs strengths? A few employers eat this stuff up, but most will roll their eyes and send the impostor packing. Some interview mavens suggest using humor as a means of deflecting attention away from the awkward question. They fail to consider that many interviewers are humorless stiffs. "My biggest weakness?" I ask, "I would say chocolate, especially milk chocolate. A nice piece of milk chocolate makes me weak in the knees." Scowling, the interviewer scrawls the words "milk chocolate" on his oversized legal pad and proceeds to ask another question. "Wait," I say, trying to salvage the situation, "my weakness isn't chocolate; it's my dancing. I've got two left feet." He is not amused. He puts his right foot on the desk and slowly rolls up his pant leg, revealing a prosthetic. "Just be grateful that you've got your own feet," he says. "I didn't mean tha... I'll just show myself the door." For those who believe in the adage that "honesty is the best policy," they will be disappointed to learn that the truth will set them free, as in job-free. Interviewers will not hire those foolish enough to candidly announce their shortcomings. They do not reward such honesty with an employment contract. The following responses are examples of candor that failed to evoke positive results: "Weakness, eh? Let me see ... oh yeah, I pilfer office stuff. Mostly small stuff, like pens, post-it notes, copy machines." "My biggest weakness would have to be my laziness. My friends call me the king of sloth." "I've dabbled in cannibalism." Alas, people raised by nurturing parents who stressed the importance of always speaking truthfully are now jobless. To protect the integrity of such people and keep them employed at the same time, I am currently petitioning all employers to refrain from asking the "weakness" question. Just last week I interviewed for a position at the prestigious law firm of Little, Doe, & Lott O'hours. Of course, the unsuspecting interviewer posed the dreaded question: "What would you say is your biggest weakness?" I snapped. I felt veins popping out of my neck; my face turned a remarkable shade of crimson. I was angry, infuriated, and I knew that this was one job I would never get. With nothing to lose, I vented my wrath on this poor fellow. "I'll tell you my biggest weakness," I roared, "I have no tolerance for asinine questions like the one you just asked me. I hate that question; it drives me to the brink of insanity. My weakness is my lack of patience for interviewers who are so uncreative – they spit out textbook interview questions. That is my biggest weakness." "Congratulations," he said, offering a handshake, "The job is yours if you want it. You can start tomorrow." "No thank you," I said, "I would love to take it, but I have a problem with commitment. That's my second biggest weakness."
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[楼 主]
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Posted: 2006-02-22 22:18 |
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