Ask a Manager

Rowan Manahan at Fortify Your Oasis has started a new project, “The Definitive Guide to Clearing Job-Hunt Hurdles,” in which lots of bloggers are contributing advice on various parts of the job-seeking process. Here’s some advice from me on a topic that seems to stymie even savvy job-hunters: the weaknesses question.

Some variation of “what are your weaknesses?” is going to come up in every interview. How do you talk about weaknesses when you’re trying to sell yourself?

First, here’s what not to do: Don’t try to offer up a strength taken too far — perfectionism, you work too hard, you can’t leave the job at the office, etc. This is widely recognized as disingenuous b.s. and you’ll be seen as evading the question.

What should you do? Well, I’ll warn you up front that my approach to this is unorthodox, but I believe it’s the right one.

When I’m interviewing you, I’m not your adversary, so don’t treat me like one by trying to snow me. If you’re a good fit for the job, I want to find that out and hire you … and if you’re not a good fit, I want to find that out so that I don’t put you in a job that you’ll struggle with and even risk getting fired from. Assuming you want to land a position where you’ll thrive, this should be your goal too — and honesty is more likely to get us there.

So that means you should come clean about weaknesses. I’m not going to be shocked to discover you have some; we all do. The question is just how they’ll fit with this particular position, something we should both be interested in.

Here’s part one of formulating your answer: Think seriously about your weak points. What have you struggled with in the past? What have past managers encouraged you to do differently? If you could wave a magic wand over your head and change something about your work skills or persona, what would it be?

And here’s part two: What are you doing about it?

Your answer in the interview should consist of both parts. It might sound something like this: “When I first started in the work world, I found that I wasn’t as naturally organized as I wanted to be. Without a system to keep track of everything I was juggling, I had trouble keeping all the balls in the air. So now I make lists religiously and check them every morning and every afternoon to make sure that nothing is slipping through the cracks and all my priorities are correct. I’ll never give up my lists, because I know that without them, my natural state is a less organized one.”

I like this example because it takes a weakness — disorganization — that normally would raise a huge red flag for me, and instead shows how the person is neutralizing it as a problem.

[Now, occasionally your interviewer might follow up with (as I sometimes do), “That’s a great description of how you overcame a weakness. Tell me about one you’re still struggling with.” If this happens, you should still use the two-part formula — follow up the weakness with what you’re doing to work on it. It’s okay that you’re not perfect yet; no one is. The question is just how it will impact the job.]

I know this goes counter to a lot of the advice out there about not showing any real weaknesses. But I think that plays to the wrong goal. Your goal shouldn’t be to get a job, any job. It should be to get the right job for you.

A reader writes:

I’m interviewing for a new job while still employed. Last Friday I had an interview, and the woman who interviewed me was very enthusiastic and mentioned she wanted me to come back for a second interview. (She said if the person she wanted me to meet with was in, I would have met him then, but he was out of the office.) I told her I would love to come back in, and mentioned I had availability on Thursday of the following week due to taking a vacation day, as well as availability Friday, because my office has summer hours. She noted this, said she was really looking forward to me meeting more people at the company, and would contact me.

Saturday morning I sent her a thank you note (by email) and she replied on Monday morning saying that she thought our meeting was great, and that she would be in touch. I have not heard back for her as of yet (Wednesday).

Since my availability is very limited because I’m still employed, I really only have Friday afternoons to set up interviews. Various companies have contacted me this week to set up interviews, but I really am more concerned about this second interview (since I would really like to work for this company), and want to make sure I don’t overbook myself. Would it be wrong or too forward of me to touch base with her and inquire about setting up the second interview, since she knows I’m currently working and I have limited time? Or should I just wait it out and let her contact me?

Give it a few more days. There have only been three working days since your interview, which can be nerve-wracking on your side of the process but is hardly any time on most hiring managers’ sides. I’d say send her a quick email on Friday morning reiterating your interest and asking what she expects her timeline to be for the next interview. (It’s completely legitimate to ask this; employers assume you have other balls in the air and need to be able to plan.)

Meanwhile, move forward with setting up those other interviews. Until you have a firm offer from this company, you have to proceed as if you don’t, since ultimately you can only control your side of the process — so keep setting up those other interviews! Let us know how it goes.