Here we go again with more unsolicited advice for job interviews.
How can a person possibly discuss their own weaknesses without talking the employer out of hiring them?
You know yourself well, better than anyone else I would hope, you know your good traits just as much as you know the not-so-good ones. And now you're laying in bed looking at your phone and wondering whether you could slip up during your job interview tomorrow and ruin your chances at that dream position.
I'm not preaching, I don't think I've ever slept well (if at all) on the night prior to a job interview. I'm not telling you not to stress, for all I know a little anxiety makes you a better worker and that's just your way of doing things, what I am telling you is there is probably no reason to stress. Why? By the time an employer requests an interview, you're basically hired.
They already saw your resume, and if you're trying to begin a career in the blockchain industry the likelihood is that more effort will be placed into running a tighter background check than with any other employment you've previously had.
They already like you, or they think they might, your job during the interview process is to be as truthful as possible without offering reasons to dislike you.
And perhaps that's where a big part of the anxiety comes in for a lot of people, knowing that the perception another human has about you during a very limited timeslot can shape your future in some way. But like I said, you're basically hired by the time you get a call.
I'd say the most notable challenge during interviews for candidates would be to present a balanced enough view of themselves and their achievements. Ultimately the employer is looking for red flags about your personality or your history, they are also making an assessment of how well you communicate in relation to the requirements of the job they're looking to fill.
One of the most useful questions for recruiters to gain an idea into the personality of job applicants is by asking that dreaded question about one's own weaknesses.
Often times the question is phrased somewhere along the lines of "Can you tell me some of your strengths and weaknesses?." Make no mistake, they are not asking you about your strengths, they are asking about your weaknesses.
Calm down! Take a moment to breathe, you are entitled to a moment of thought, own your moment.
Then calmly acknowledge the question, and start right away with the bad. What is the bad? Nothing is! That should be your attitude! Bad is illegal. Bad for business are lies, unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, complacency. You? You are great!
The way you survive this question is by humanizing your weakness. You want to let them know why you think a certain attitude or behavior can be negative for business, better if you can describe an example about the very business you're interviewing for. Next, you're going to tell them about an example of you employing that negative behavior in a personal area, not TMI but not related to business. Then you're going to talk about what you think some good practices are to avoid the behavior or attitudes that you were just describing as a weakness.
If you notice the job interviewer starts nodding or agreeing, because sometimes people just can't help to display approval even if they know they should refrain, pay attention to your way out. Watch and listen close for that moment in which you can just shut up, and close that mouth as soon as possible before you say too much. You are understandably nervous, but that's only because you think you need the job more than they need you to work for them.
Pro Tip: Look up a few good jokes from the internet to have handy in case you feel like you absolutely need to dig yourself out of awkward silence, or in case you feel like you've messed up and said something wrong to lighten the mood leave things on a brighter note.
Remember, people want to work with others who are easy to get along with. Try to put a smile on their face when you interact and they might favor you over others with the same qualifications.
I could answer this question honestly
but i have had such knowledge used against me too many times.
I should just say something like "Aspergers" and just leave it at that, like they know exactly what that entails.
But, if i try to actually explain it, everyone shuns me.
You aren't normal, we are very afraid... they back away slowly.
And, like i have said, they use it as a stick to bludgeon me.
Maybe i have just never worked with a good group of people...
I can relate to your pain. This is something for recruiters and HR personnel, hiring managers, to consider as well.
Of course, there are job positions in which unusual ways of perceiving and/or communicating are not ideal...but there are job positions in which this trait is actually an asset.
It might be that you haven't come across the right company with the right people. But this is actually a symptom of what I believe is a bigger problem still plaguing the free market..
What is the problem? We say we love competition when we really don't.
People who don't conform can be recognized for their greatness, but very few are willing to risk working with them because they are afraid this person can't be molded into exclusivity or loyalty. They don't want to train super-smart people to then have them leave for the competition or due to boredom.
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