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How To Answer This Tricky Job Interview Question: “What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”

Jan 20, 2023 Share
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There’s an unforgettable job interview scene In the 2013 comedy movie, “The Internship.” In this scene, two candidates for a Google internship, Nick and Billy, played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan, are asked a weird question by the interviewer:

“You’re shrunken down to the size of nickels and dropped to the bottom of a blender. What do you do?”

Billy: “You take it flat on your back and…”

Nick: “Right, right, you just lay back. You just enjoy the ride. You enjoy that breeze!”

Billy: “You are light as a feather…”

Nick: “You pretend it’s a fan.”

Billy: “You let the blades whip all around you like, It’s like getting an MRI.”

Interviewer: “Once this blender’s on, it’s on forever.”

Nick: “Respectfully I’ve gotta disagree. We’ve sold blenders and even the best model in the world is only gonna run maybe 10 or 11 hours. So, we’re getting out and when we do, we’re better off for it because whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Billy: “It’s not so much getting out of the blender, it’s what happens next. That’s the question.”

Nick: “You’ve got two nickel-sized men free in the world. Think of the possibilities.”

This oddball interview question and even more oddball answer is what led Nick and Billy to landing the internship at Google. Why? Because they answered an unanswerable interview question with confidence and authority.

Of course, you’ll probably never be asked this same question in a job interview, but you will be asked some other tricky questions: Namely, “what’s your biggest weakness?”

Unlike Nick and Billy’s answer, the answer to “what’s your biggest weakness?” doesn’t have to be as creative. In fact, there are five great ways to answer this question, and they’re all rather simple.

Now, before we get to these five simple answers to this tricky job interview question, you’ll first need to find that great job you’ve always wanted and get an interview invite. FindYourJobNow.com has made finding that job easy.

Simply go to FindYourJobNow.com and use the search bars to discover the hundreds of different jobs that are available to you, right now!

While you’re there, sign up for the free job alerts (HERE) and you’ll be emailed new job opportunities that fit your search criteria, the moment they become available.

Once you find the job you’re looking for and have been invited in for an interview, you’ll need to know how to answer, “what’s your biggest weakness?”

According to Jane McNeil, a director at the job recruitment company Hays, there is no right answer to this interview question… but there are five good answers you should consider, and five answers you should avoid.[1]

Let’s begin with the answers to “What’s your greatest weakness?” that you should avoid.

  • I’m a perfectionist
  • I work too hard
  • I’m too passionate
  • I care too much
  • I don’t have any weaknesses

Clearly, everyone has weaknesses. So, saying you don’t have any makes you look like a smug know-it-all.

And now, the five ways to properly answer “What’s your greatest weakness?”

  • I take on too much at once
  • I’m quite self-critical
  • I’m too competitive
  • I don’t delegate enough
  • I’m afraid of public speaking

These five answers indicate you have good self-awareness. However, you shouldn’t’ simply stop your answer with one of these five responses, you should expound on how you’re overcoming your weakness.

For example, if you answer, “I’m afraid of public speaking,” you may want to let your interviewer know that you’ve been taking a public speaking class or are open to the idea of doing so. This not only shows self-awareness, but shows you are continually working to overcome your weaknesses…

An attribute most employers actually look for!

Now that you know the five best answers to “What’s your greatest weakness?”, head over to FindYourJobNow.com’s Resources Page to discover additional tips on how to write your resume and nail a job interview.

But if you’re already prepared to find a job, FindYourJobNow.com has hundreds of great jobs available for you, today. Simply use the search bars, HERE, and a world of opportunity opens.

As Owen Wilson’s character, Nick, said at the end of his Google interview, just “think of the possibilities!”

[1] Top employer reveals best and worst answers to the ‘what’s your biggest weakness’ interview question | Daily Mail Online