What are your weaknesses?

My answer to this question has evolved over the years. It still remains quite frustrating at times, because what we hear is, “Why shouldn’t we hire you?”  It makes it seem like asking about your strengths is more like a setup question in order to ask about all of your short comings. But that is the wrong attitude to have toward this question. It is important for the company interviewing you to know the areas in which you require improvement so they can make the most out of your orientation and training period once you are hired.

My previous advice would have been to answer this question with a clever way of turning your weaknesses into a positive such as:

“I have a tendency to take on too much responsibility”. The strategy here was to send and underlying message that you are an extremely hard worker.  This approach is tired, washed out and over with. It was limiting in its impact and I doubt it ever satisfied its intent or truthfully answered the question.  If you answer this question in this manner, you will sound like everyone else and totally miss an awesome opportunity to differentiate yourself.

I now propose an entirely different approach that is bold and refreshing:  BE COMPLETELY FORTHCOMING AND TRANSPARENT. Go ahead and tell them the areas you are challenged in.  That’s right! If you aren’t detailed oriented, tell them.  If you struggle staying organized, let them know. They are going to find out eventually when you are hired and you don’t want to be the new employee with damaged credibility two weeks in to the position because you fudged an interview question. So tell them your “weaknesses”  but make sure to include this critical addition:  explain what you are doing to overcome your weaknesses. Show them you are proactive and solutions oriented, by sharing the books you’ve read, the training courses you have taken and the tools and techniques you have acquired to improve your skill in this area and overcome this deficiency.

By openly sharing your areas of challenge and the steps you have climbed to overcome them, you establish integrity and display your willingness to invest in your own personal and professional development. Companies want to know that you are interested in growing, developing and willing to do the necessary to perform at your best.

This is the most effective way to turn a weakness into a strength.

Brooks Harper is an Author, Speaker and Career Expert.  His company helps students and professionals discover, develop, market and sell their knowledge, skills and abilities that bring tangible value to the market place.  We turn Learning Into Earning!

Why Should We Hire You by Brooks HarperRecently I had the occasion to hear an owner/operator of Chick-fil-A speak about customer service and what separates them from all other fast food restaurants.  “Our people make the difference!”  Because Chick-fil-A places tremendous emphasis on making customers “feel like family,” they are extremely careful and meticulous about what they look for in potential customer service associates.  It doesn’t matter if you are 15 or 80 years of age, there are 7 characteristics you must possess in order to be considered for hire:

1.  A SMILE on your face.

A smile on your face indicates that you have a “serving spirit” and a love for helping others.  When a customer walks in the door of Chick-fil-A, it is understood that this could very well be the first time that customer has ever been into their restaurant.  They want that customer to be greeted with a warm smile that makes them feel at home.

2.  Enthusiasm

Chick-fil-A believes that having a positive attitude is a choice that all of its associates must make.  Enthusiasm is contagious and employees feed off of each other creating an exciting atmosphere to work in.  Their team’s energy creates an unforgettable experience for the customer.

3.  Eye Contact

When you look someone in the eye it shows you have a high level of attentiveness to their needs.   One of Chick-fil-A’s priorities is to make emotional connections with its customers, and eye contact is necessary to make this happen.  When you ask for the application and meet with the manager, make sure you make appropriate, tasteful eye contact.  If you can make an emotional connection with the manager, then you are one step closer to hearing, “You’re hired!”.

4.  Good Grades and Decisions

Chick-fil-A expects their employees to work hard and grades are reflection of the effort you are willing to put in when you are on the clock.  Making good choices shows you are interested in protecting your personal brand and implies you will protect Chick-fil-A’s brand as well.

5.  “Coachability”

Your ability to accept and apply the training and instruction provided will be critical to your success.  Student applicants are often asked, “What is
some of the best criticism you have received?”  Be prepared to share feedback you have received and how you implemented it to make improvements.

6.  Personal Development

“What do you do in your free time?” is a common question asked of students who apply at Chick-fil-A.  They want to know you are goal oriented and interested in developing as a person and employee.   It is important that your free time activities are closely tied to the goals you have set for yourself.

7.  Community Involvement

Your level of involvement in your neighborhood and community shows you are concerned about others and want to make a difference.   “Tell me about a time when you helped someone else?”  Your ability to effectively answer this question will display your compassion for others and indicate how you will potentially treat and serve customers.

If you possess these 7 characteristics then you are well on your way to gainful employment at Chick-fil-A or any company that prides itself in providing exemplary customer service.  Learn more about setting yourself apart.

The questions you ask during your interview can be as important as the answers you give to their questions.

Typically when interviewers are through with their questions, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions of your own.  This is a pivotal junction in the interview.  It is an opportunity for you to shine, and it allows them a chance to see how you perform when the roles are reversed.  You now are able to showcase your level of interest in the position and force them to sell you on why you should come to work for them.

Asking genuine, compelling questions, can plant a seed in interviewers’ minds that they must convince you their company should be your employer of choice.  Psychologically their role changes from interviewers to recruiters.  Being recruited is much more fun than being a job seeker.  Once this transformation takes place, it is common for your interviewers to begin telling and selling all the other decision makers on why they think you would be the best “fit” for the position.  Conducted properly, this portion of the interview can close the deal and position you as the top candidate of choice.

Here are 5 questions to consider asking in your next interview:

What do you enjoy about working here?

This gives your interviewer a chance to highlight the positive things about their company.  They may even open up a little more about themselves and discuss their personal successes with the company.  Receive what they say with equal    enthusiasm and you may want to follow up with a statement like this:  “I hope to enjoy that same type of success here!”

How soon are you planning to fill this position?

If you are interviewing with multiple companies, this will help you manage when potential offers may come.  Knowing when the position is to be filled also gives you an indication as to how far along you are in the decision process.  Sometimes the answers you get are vague, and sometimes estimated hire dates are moved based on budgets or a variety of factors.  If you detect a sense of urgency about filling the open position, this could be a good sign for you.

If I am hired, to whom would I be reporting?

It is important to know who you will be working for and whether or not you are professionally compatible with that person.  During your interview with a hiring manager, try to envision yourself working for that person and enjoying it.  Sometimes the hiring manager will be excited about you, but you aren’t getting the same warm and fuzzy feeling.  If this is the case, think long and hard before you accept the position.  It can be better to wait for the right boss to come along.

Do you have any concerns about hiring me?

You may get a textbook corporate/politically correct answer here. Hopefully if they do have some reservations about hiring you, then they are open enough to share them.  This gives you an opportunity to respond to their concerns.  Once you’re out the door and the interview is over, then it is too late to overcome their concerns.  If you don’t ask then that one thing in the back of their minds that bothered them about your candidacy can cost you the position.

If they share concerns, DO NOT BE DEFENSIVE!  Receive the feedback openly and with empathy.  Thank them for their openness and candor, then make your attempt to overcome their concern. 

Whatis the next step in the interview process?

This question lets you know if there are other steps in the process and how many other decision makers there may be.  As long as you’re in the interview you have an opportunity to convince them why you are the best candidate.  Don’t save your best stuff for the interview you give in the car on the ride home.  Once you know what their next move is:  BE SURE TO ASK TO MOVE FORWARD in the interview process!!!!  Some companies eliminate candidates if they don’t ask to participate in the next phase.

When interviewing for a position, remember that it is your responsibility to interview the company and hiring manager as well.  Done properly it will enhance your candidacy and give you the information you need to make your decision.  For more information on how to knock your next interview out of the park check out Brooks Harper’s Book, Why Should We Hire You?

Why should we hire you?

The Grand Daddy of all interview questions!  The next few words that come out of your mouth are going to determine whether or not you are negotiating salary or sending out more resumes.

Let’s assume for a moment that up to this point in the interview you have been knocking every question they throw you out of the park. You have been precise, succinct, articulate and compelling. If you blow this question then nothing else may matter. Don’t forget that you are not the only one interviewing. The competition is fierce. Assume that they have already interviewed 10 other people with similar education and experience, and they were precise, succinct, articulate and compelling as well. It all comes down to: “Why should we hire you?”

At this point, most people begin to relist their attributes that they just spent the last 30 to 60 minutes talking about like: I’m an ethical, hard-working, team oriented, do-what-it takes, individual with an entrepreneurial spirit….blah…blah…blah. They’ve heard it. They asked you, “Why should we hire you?” They didn’t ask you to summarize everything all over again. Most people remember you by what you say or do last. This is your chance to culminate everything that is great about you into one final closing statement. It would be similar to the closing arguments in a court case. All the facts have been presented. The evidence has been thoroughly examined. Now the attorney stands and delivers his final remarks to the judge and jury, whose verdict will determine the fate of their client. This is your closing argument and the content and strength of your delivery will determine whether or not they hire you or someone else.

Personally, I live for this moment. I consider myself a closer. Not everyone is. I have used multiple closing statements in interviews, the most memorable being my Michael Jordan story, to close the deal. As I have progressed in my career and interviewed for higher level positions the expectation for this moment has increased. The Michael Jordan story was extremely effective coming from a 21 year old recent college graduate, but it may seem a little elementary coming from a seasoned professional. I have developed what has proven to be one the strongest closes that I have ever heard. This may seem biased, but the fact is I have received a job offer every time that I have used it. If it works for me it may work for you, at least in some variation. You may need to adjust it a little to fit your situation.

To find out more about the Michael Jordan close and how I answer the question: “Why Should We Hire You?” check out my book with the same title at the store page of my website: Click Here

The interview is going great. You can sense the company you are interviewing with is “buying-in” to what you are selling. They’re picking up what you are putting down, mopping up what you’re spilling, eating what you’re cooking, and drinking what you’re pouring. Here are 7 things you want to avoid saying that could cost you from hearing, “You’re Hired!”

1) I don’t know.
Even if you don’t know the answer to the question they’re asking, “I don’t know,” is definitely not the right response. Come up with something. Even if you simply restate the question they asked, it beats, “I don’t know.”

2) I don’t have any weaknesses.
Interviewers will ask what your areas of opportunity are for improvement. Rephrased: “What are your weaknesses? If you say you don’t have any weaknesses you may come off as arrogant. You should take areas of opportunity and “spin” them into positives such as: “I have a tendency to take on more than I should.” This covers an area of opportunity while also revealing the positive fact that you have a strong work ethic.

3) How much money do you make?
You’re thinking to yourself: someone would have to be an idiot to ask that question. You’re Right! But there are idiots in this world. It is however, a good idea to ask about the success of the person who is interviewing you. Successful people usually enjoy talking about their career victories. Once they have shared and highlighted their wins, be sure to say, “I hope to enjoy similar successes once I am part of your team!”

4) I couldn’t stand my last boss.
Though your last boss may have been an incompetent jerk, get creative in how you phrase your dislike for that person. This is a tricky thing to do. When you are in an interview, the person asking the questions often is visualizing you working in the position and what managing you will be like. A negative relationship with your last boss can trigger the impression that you are difficult to manage. In addition, your body language when discussing your former employer can be more powerful than what you say. Make sure your non-verbal communication matches your answers.

5) I wasn’t fired at my last job. I was asked to resign.
Overcoming a legitimate bad job experience can be tough. The good news: Your prior employer has to be extremely careful in explaining the details of your departure. They typically will offer your hire and start dates, positions, verification of compensation, and eligibility for rehire. Their vagueness gives you an edge in articulating and phrasing the details surrounding your departure.

6) How many vacation and sick days do I get?
If this is something you need to know before you make a decision, ask to see a copy of the statement of benefits. This is something you would want to ask for after you have been offered the job. You don’t want to give the perception that absenteeism is going to be an issue if they hire you.

7) Well, I really want to be a ___________________!
It may be the job you are interviewing for is just what you need to hold you over until you land your dream job. Talking about your dream job can reveal an excitement that you have not shown up until this point in the interview. This simultaneously reveals the lack of excitement you have for the position you are interviewing for and can cost you the offer. Emotional consistency is essential when answering interview questions.

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