If I get asked this question, I always stop intentionally as if I’ve never been asked this before, look out of the window (if there is one), then look back at the interviewer and say - with lots of pathos: well, I guess I’m too much of a perfectionist
Yes, that's the classic standard response to this question, because it makes a kind-of positive outcome.
But, really, isn't this the only kind-of positive response to this question? Is there any other response that works this way? And hence, why are interviewers asking this question in the first place? I pretty sure they know they will always get some variant of "I'm a perfectionist" as response, because that's the textbook answer to this textbook question.
I had one guy who was serious about this and I learned a lot through that: he sincerely asked this, but differently: “What are the things you are working on to be better at?”
At first, I was kinda startled and couldn’t answer really, tried to bullshit him like the answer I gave above. He called it though and said that he is disappointed by such an answer and that he’d expect everybody to work on 2-3 things. Otherwise, he concluded, there is a lack of introspection to be assumed. Fair point, I thought
The interviewer may be looking for self awareness, in which case any honest answer will be positive.
I am good at lots of things and bad at others. I will be most valuable on a team with others who can mitigate my weaknesses. I don’t want to be hired for a role where I will be expected to excel at my weaknesses.
If someone asks me this question, I dig deep ad give an honest answer. There are lots of jobs. I don’t think of my interviewer as an adversary. When I’m interviewing I’m looking for someone who wants to hire me with eyes open.
> But, really, isn't this the only kind-of positive response to this question? Is there any other response that works this way?
It's not a good question. People answer it in many different ways. Some people give a clearly rehearsed stock answer that they've read online. Some people give an example of something they're not great at, and how they think they have started to rectify it. A small number of people give an open and honest answer.
Some people will flip it back at the end of the interview when they're asked if they have any questions. "Earlier you asked me for my biggest flaw, so what's the w biggest flaw with this company?"
> And hence, why are interviewers asking this question in the first place?
Ideally they don't, but if they are asking it they should be looking for either honesty, or for interview preparation (because some variant of this question is routinely asked).
Also if the interviewer is a naive, cultureless soon-to-be corporate tech drone, fresh from the saccharine bleatings of their politically correct and sex-less, drug-less university days, with no concept of sarcasm, or human complexity, or of what a hideously self-important and embarrassing answer it is.
Completely agree. I also think, "disingenuous" since it's the most obvious fake answer, and also "uncreative" since they couldn't come up with anything better.
