Comments for Andy Lester

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by irv

irv — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:45:23 +0000

The first time I was asked this, I answered, “I don’t think in terms of weakness. I try to play to my strengths.” The guy who asked it said, “Good answer.” So I’ve continued using it when the question has come up. Of course, that guy didn’t hire me, so maybe it really wasn’t that good an answer.

Comment on Why I’m finally leaving GoDaddy by Joel Berger

Joel Berger — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:16:28 +0000

And now after the JotForms incident there should be no person who keeps their site on GoDaddy. Everyone is vulnerable when hosted there.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Abigail

Abigail — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:39:12 +0000

I haven’t asked this question. I don’t think I ever will, but if I would, it would be one of those questions where I’m not really interested in the answer, but more in how the candidate formulates his answer. Does (s)he draw a blank, rambles, goes on and on, or does (s)he manage to formulate a short, coherent statement about him/herself.

I’ve been asked this question, but mostly during “intake” interviews of recruitment agencies. I usually came up with something that wouldn’t scare off a potential employer. (“I don’t do well with kids”).

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Runar

Runar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:32:04 +0000

I’ve been asked this question many times, and recently also participated in 15-20 interviews of technical people where this question was always asked. It was complemented with several other standard ones (and a few not so standard). Seeing the variety of responses, I tend to think it’s not all that bad.

I do agree that it should be complemented with other, more direct questions about personality and self evaluation. Some people respond better to direct questions, and others to indirect ones. Many also find it easier to handle questions that they are prepared to answer, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Interviews are high pressure situations, and not every kind of position requires advanced skills in handling personal issues with any amount of grace in an interview room. I find having the focus of trying to bring out the best in the other person to be useful.

Of course, it’s definitely less about the answer itself than how that answer is presented. Snark in a response shouldn’t matter much, unless it seems constant or really over the top, and nervousness can usually be ignored as well. On the other hand, someone who feels threatened and responds with anger at these kinds of questions may warrant a few extra questions to determine what’s going on.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by onnao

onnao — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:42:14 +0000

I don’t know how typical that question is in different fields, but it sure doesn’t feel like an urban legend to me! I was asked today, actually, and in the two job interviews before that. My answer was along the lines of “Sometimes I overanalyze and end up not making a timely decision…” (Come to think of it, I instinctively answered in a way that was relevant to the job I was applying for.) In a previous interview I tried to throw in a bit of humor by telling the interviewer “I could give you the cliché ‘I’m a perfectionist’ line, but I won’t…”

And how about these other gems:

Describe yourself in three words.
If you were a geometric figure, which one would you be and why?
Name a wild animal you identify with and why?

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Jacob Kaplan-Moss

Jacob Kaplan-Moss — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:57:02 +0000

I’ve tried to answer honestly — that I’m easily distracted, prone to wheel-reinventing. It’s always a weird moment: I think the interviewer actually isn’t expecting an honest answer (which of course begs the question of why they’d ask in the first place, but…)

I haven’t gotten a chance to use my snarky answer yet; it’s been a while since I’ve been on the receiving end of an interview, actually. If I’m honest with myself, I might not have the nerve to be The Guy if I had the chance. But if I do hear the question again I think I’ll basically write the interview off. I don’t think I want to work for a company that a hiring process so broken that it thinks that’s a good question.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Todd Baer

Todd Baer — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:47:26 +0000

Even great hiring managers from great companies very often ask terrible interview questions. But really, they only want to know a couple things: Can you do the job? And are you a pleasant person to work around. Snarky or dismissive answers will only get you disqualified from a possible great job…nobody wants to work with a dick.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by David T. Macknet

David T. Macknet — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:26:30 +0000

Have been asked this question multiple times. I’ve always tried to come up with an answer which wasn’t a weakness but a strength – because, really, it’s a stupid question.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:22:58 +0000

Sure – I’ve been asked that quite a few times. My most recent answer was this:

“I try to continually evaluate my abilities and shortcomings. I don’t know that I can directly answer your question because I actively work to improve the parts of my life that I’m not satisfied with. My remaining weaknesses – and I’m sure there are many – are the ones I haven’t identified and worked through yet. But if you have to put something down: I’m not as proficient in speaking Mandarin Chinese as I’d planned to be by now.”

I got points for self-reflection and humor.

Comment on Have you ever been asked “What is your biggest weakness?” by Rodolpho arruda

Rodolpho arruda — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:00:55 +0000

Yes, I was asked a couple of times back in 2009/2010. It’s funny because it’s now some sort of a trend in interviews, at least here where I live. People’s reaction have been no less than a canned answer like: “perfectionist! My biggest weakness is to make other people’s lives a nightmare to deliver things as perfectly as possible”. Interviewers know this is cliché at its best form. And, of course, whois cares?