People Share The Best Answers To The 'What Is Your Biggest Weakness?' Interview Question
You know it's coming.
[rebelmouse-image 18356687 is_animated_gif=Literally, it's the most uncomfortable question of the entire job interview process, which is really something, because asking millennials "Where do you see yourself in five years?" is like asking a starving person "Where's your lunch?" Somehow, this question surpasses it. "What is your biggest weakness?"
Well, PlatypusFez wanted to be armed with a better answer before they got trapped:
When an employer asks 'What is your biggest weakness', what are some good responses?
Read and learn.
Honesty Is The Best Policy
[rebelmouse-image 18346089 is_animated_gif="What is your biggest strength?"
I can make decisions quickly in high-pressure situations.
"What is your biggest weakness?"
I make awful decisions.
Roundabout
[rebelmouse-image 18356688 is_animated_gif=Interviewer: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Me: I'd say my biggest weakness is listening.
Ball's In Your Court
[rebelmouse-image 18356689 is_animated_gif="I tend to react violently to bad news."
"Um..."
"So, am I hired or not?"
Do You Struggle With This, Too?
[rebelmouse-image 18356690 is_animated_gif=I recently went with "I sometimes take on too much work myself rather than delegating to other people". I then follow it up with how I've worked on it and had to get a lot better at it in my last job.
Other Weaknesses
[rebelmouse-image 18356691 is_animated_gif=At my last job when I was asked this I said "I can't fold a fitted bed sheet."
Everyone kind of tittered and I said "It's true, every week I pull that sheet out of the dryer and think, "this is the week" and then I fail. But I keep trying every week".
I got the job.
And yes, I've watched videos, I've had people show me in person-I still can't get it right.
It Isn't So Hard
[rebelmouse-image 18356692 is_animated_gif=My wife always says 'parallel parking'.
Don't Set Us Up To Fail
[rebelmouse-image 18348908 is_animated_gif=My stock answer to this has always been :-
"I can get bored easy and become unmotivated unless I'm fairly busy."
It's never let me down yet, although I'm more the interviewer than the interviewee these days and would never ask this question in an interview.
TBH now I'm thinking about it, if they ask you this then your interviewer is probably not very good.
Extreme
[rebelmouse-image 18356693 is_animated_gif=I once said:
"Look, I know I'm meant to take a positive and spin it as a negative, but I feel that's dishonest. So my weakness is that I don't like playing mindgames with my interviewer."
Yeah don't do that. The feedback I got was that I'm extremely arrogant, and I didn't get the job.
SAT Words
[rebelmouse-image 18356694 is_animated_gif=It can be anything, as long as it's realistic and as long as you follow up with ways you've worked on fixing it or improving. For example, I always say that I have a hard time with time management and prioritizing different tasks, but then I follow up immediately with how I've worked on ranking different projects based on certain criteria (deadline, expected time to finish, etc.) and sorting them that way. Compartmentalizing and sh*t. Compartmentalizing is a great word. Throw that in there.
Heyyy Wait A Sec
[rebelmouse-image 18356695 is_animated_gif="I lie to avoid hurting people's feelings."
Then you compliment the interviewer's shirt.
No Patience
[rebelmouse-image 18356696 is_animated_gif="I have absolutely no patience for office politics, conspiracies, bullying, micro management, or corporate cheerleading. I want to work somewhere friendly and open and fair, where I can treat colleagues as equals and be pretty much left to do my job - in return, I can do it extremely well." Said this at the interview for my current job, been here a year and a half and everything is good. I've worked some places where everyone was horrible to each other, and it just isn't worth the cost to your soul.
Obligatory
[rebelmouse-image 18356697 is_animated_gif=Pick anything relatively innocuous (stay away from "motherf-cker looks at me wrong, I waste 'em") but still plausible. Any normal, reasonable human character flaw. "I can be impatient with people who don't grasp or follow things as quickly as I do." "I overanalyze tasks before I begin them, which leads me to procrastinate actually starting the work." "I do a lot of processing and reflecting internally before I speak, which can lead people to believe I'm not contributing to a conversation."
Then - this is the key - tack on a piece about how you've learned to manage or compensate for it. "I usually remind myself that I was new at a task once myself, and what may seem second nature to me is less apparent to others. In fact, I take note of the questions the other person asks and develop an FAQ or teaching tool." "I've found it helps if I pick a basic first step and get started, and create deadlines down the line for making major decisions about the task. This helps me keep some flexibility while still making progress." "I usually make a point of saying 'these are just my preliminary thoughts, but...' and then sharing a little bit about my reaction."
The purpose of this question isn't to force you to convey the impression that you're flawless. No one is. It's to check and see if you're self-aware about what your limitations are and to see whether you're actively trying to improve.
(Source: Am HR.)
Not Subtle
[rebelmouse-image 18356698 is_animated_gif="Those eyes"
leans in for kiss
Super Effective
[rebelmouse-image 18356699 is_animated_gif="I'm weak against grass-types"
Once Again, The Honesty
[rebelmouse-image 18356700 is_animated_gif="My biggest weakness is that sometimes in interviews, I have absolutely no idea how to answer some of the questions"
I always get the job
Call Center
[rebelmouse-image 18356701 is_animated_gif=As someone who interviewed literally 10's of thousands of people over the years for entry level jobs with a required set of questions (that included this weakness one), this answer would be enough for me to hire the person (provided everything else was at least okay).
To me, it shows that they understand that interviews are more about getting to know the person and that shows a certain level of intelligence. With that knowledge I can reasonably say that I could teach them the basics of any job I'd need them to do. And who knows, they might have a good time with a humorous attitude.
I'm wondering how well it would go for a job in a more professional setting. I figure just fine, but I could see situations where it wouldn't be as funny.
Showcase It
[rebelmouse-image 18356702 is_animated_gif=Pull a card out of your pocket that has "I over prepare" written on it.
Unexpected
[rebelmouse-image 18356704 is_animated_gif="I'm lazy. Which means I will find the quickest and best solution to complete a task so I don't have to do it twice."
This person actually got hired.
Twinning...With Myself.
[rebelmouse-image 18356705 is_animated_gif=I got this question right after "What is your greatest strength?". My greatest strength is my tenacity. When faced with a problem, I'm going to solve it, no matter how long it takes. My biggest weakness? My tenacity. Sometimes I forget/ refuse to ask for/ realize I need help. They offered me the job three hours later.
Meatbags
[rebelmouse-image 18356706 is_animated_gif=My entire underbelly is exposed to predators. I have a poor diet and no combat training. You could easily hit my viral organs and I'd perish immediately.
Arkansas High School Suspends Student Paper For Publishing 'Disruptive' Investigation Into Shady Football Transfers
Halle Roberts is the editor-in-chief of the Har-Ber Herald, the school newspaper for Springdale High School in Arkansas. The 17-year-old student was suspended after she wrote an investigative piece criticizing the transfer of five football players to a rival school.
Players are not allowed to be transferred to a different school because they would like to play for a different team. They are allowed to transfer only for academic reasons. So Roberts got to digging. Her paper filed FOIA requests and received official information from the Arkansas Activities Association saying that the students were transferred for academic reasons. However, the students themselves said otherwise.
Roberts quoted one student in her paper saying:
"We just want to go over there because we have a better chance of getting scholarships and playing at D1."
Another student told Roberts:
"I just feel like it's better for my future to go out there and get college looks."
Soon after the report was published, the superintendent of the district, Jim Rollins, asked the teacher advisor for the school paper, Karla Sprague, to take the story down. She obliged.
Rollins wrote a letter stating that the piece was:
"intentionally negative, demeaning, derogatory, hurtful and potentially harmful to the students addressed in those articles."
Roberts, undeterred, is still working on a new edition of the story that includes the school's censorship.
Mike Hiestand of the Student Press Law Center had this to say:
"School officials at this point seem to me to have completely thrown up their hands and said, ‘we’re not going to l… https://t.co/PgVYFlVAlM— Amber Jamieson (@Amber Jamieson) 1543687827.0
And Halle Roberts, who dreams of being an ESPN reporter, stated:
“They are like ‘well you raised an uproar, we’re going to try and silence you,’” said Halle Roberts, 17, the editor… https://t.co/6dKFeF0so4— Amber Jamieson (@Amber Jamieson) 1543690272.0
People were impressed with Roberts.
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews I'm so proud of you! You're not just fighting for yourself, you're fighting for student… https://t.co/hjVIvzstZ1— 🌺Lisa Daily is writing⛱ (@🌺Lisa Daily is writing⛱) 1543718652.0
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews I shared your story on my Facebook page and am so proud of you kids for telling the stor… https://t.co/9gekpHSwey— Derryl Trujillo (@Derryl Trujillo) 1543694164.0
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews Keep up the fight Halle!!— Katie Maner (@Katie Maner) 1543762811.0
Some had harsh words for the school's administration.
@BuzzFeedNews @KatinaParon The principal and the superintendent should be fired, not the teacher. And the students… https://t.co/AfE6JTmowp— Jody Beck (@Jody Beck) 1543754569.0
@ambiej @BuzzFeedNews Abuse of power by the school administration— Lovehersports50 (@Lovehersports50) 1543686742.0
@ambiej Hey @sdaleschools School board members. Why are you allowing Arkansas Har-Ber High School Principal Paul Gr… https://t.co/8pdT0St1FO— Nancy Levine (@Nancy Levine) 1543693785.0
And most had high praise for Roberts and the other student journalists working on this piece.
A great example of investigate student journalism, and why it needs more recognition. https://t.co/s4MBLn0HiN— Gabija Gataveckaitė (@Gabija Gataveckaitė) 1543692451.0
Much to appreciate about @ambiej’s reporting on this Arkansas school district’s effort to suppress a high school pa… https://t.co/fIk5vTaWCZ— Pat Berry (@Pat Berry) 1543688372.0
High school students do real journalism, school district immediately tries to shut them down, despite state law gua… https://t.co/HqOgXTv1bl— Jeff Amy (@Jeff Amy) 1543692270.0
Oh this is the good stuff. I love this editor. Great work. Stand for journalists. https://t.co/QlrTTzrqs8— Scott Lewis (@Scott Lewis) 1543693549.0
And Halle Roberts herself closed by saying:
thank you so much. #freedomofthepress https://t.co/LsjWT7nycD— halle roberts (@halle roberts) 1543685392.0
Fight on, Halle!
This Store Clerk's Reaction To A Stolen Sneaker Prank Should Earn Him Employee Of The Month
Twitter user @HarvinthSkin decided to give a sales associate as his local shoe store a heart attack with a silly prank. All over the internet, people are sharing the prank and sending their well-wishes to the poor worker who experienced a moment of pure panic!
I had to give it a try? 😂🤷🏾♂️ Instagram : @harvinthskin https://t.co/Am45kGWYLQ— Harvinth Skin (@Harvinth Skin) 1543237039.0
Don't worry too much about the unfortunate sales employee, however—it turns out he was given a raise as a consolation shortly thereafter!
I apologised and gave man like Martin a hug after that! 😂😂😂 JD Sports, give him a raise! 💵 Do not try this unless you’re Zizan ⛔️— Harvinth Skin (@Harvinth Skin) 1543238141.0
The owner of the shoe store made clear to Skin that his employees were not to be messed with.
IM SO HAPPY THAT MAN LIKE MARTIN IS SEEN HERE WITH THE BOSS OF JD SPORTS ASIA AND IS GETTING A RAISE FOR HIS VALIAN… https://t.co/vL5QO2xCB5— Harvinth Skin (@Harvinth Skin) 1543300966.0
The Big Boss of JD Sports MY! Fuck me 😂😂😂🙃🙃🙃 https://t.co/nq3O0bdS92— Harvinth Skin (@Harvinth Skin) 1543239495.0
On Twitter, people loved the sales clerk's reaction to Skin running out of the store.
@harvinthskin That sales be like https://t.co/0i27D7vIWK— Ignasius Kurniawan (@Ignasius Kurniawan) 1543239042.0
@harvinthskin Best one yet cause he went out the store lmao— Andradé (@Andradé) 1543265867.0
Some thought they may have reacted differently in the same situation...
@harvinthskin @thirdeyescribe Me watching you run out of the store like https://t.co/31kkJcHjOV— The Count 🙎🏼♂️ (@The Count 🙎🏼♂️) 1543370777.0
But everyone got a good laugh out of the innocent prank.
@harvinthskin @kxsxhh This shit was so funny....it made my day— Manvir (@Manvir) 1543247327.0
@harvinthskin @queenb0414 😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/bejrX57i6w— 💙 (@💙) 1543275269.0
@harvinthskin @iced_coffeee https://t.co/bqP08ZK3r9— Manuel Jr. (@Manuel Jr.) 1543358200.0
The incident also gave us some priceless reactions!
@harvinthskin “whew my bruce lee almost came out” https://t.co/SOUOZ4IzBE— Nyree. (@Nyree.) 1543344926.0
@harvinthskin @ClassyyMocha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦♂️Saw his whole life n last paycheck that fast!!— ♈FZA of FUPA-Tang Clan🇧🇿 (@♈FZA of FUPA-Tang Clan🇧🇿) 1543288463.0
@sofarhangone @harvinthskin @ChiSupreme @llma95_ Run up? More like run out!! https://t.co/HwHu2TT4vO— Desi Kubrick (@Desi Kubrick) 1543320755.0
Remember, everyone: it's important to try before you buy!
@harvinthskin @mjcz1 @LeeODell84 @reevesyboi93 try before you buy. why not— 494949494949 (@494949494949) 1543512590.0
High School Administration Under Fire For Breaking Into A Bathroom Stall While Transgender Student Was Using It
Cece is a 16-year-old transgender girl from Maple Grove, Minnesota.
She is a student at Osseo Senior High School and recently had a traumatic experience at school.
On Wednesday, Cece posted two videos, one of which is very disturbing, to her Facebook regarding an incident she experienced.
While Cece was using the bathroom at school, staff forced their way into the stall she was in.
Again, Cece is 16 years old.
Her post reads:
"SCHOOL OSSEO SEINOR HIGH 🚨
I Guess I Can't Use The Girls Bathroom Just Because I'm Transgender 😔 Share This & MAKE IT GO VIRAL ‼️ I Been Violating By Principal and Admin and Hallmonters
This Was Today 11/28/18 🕚 Ms Smith Had Nothing To Do With This"
One video showed all of the school officials she wanted to publicly name who participated in the incident.
The other showed the actual incident.
Cece's self-recorded video shows her sitting on the toilet with her pants down while a school official uses a makeshift device to reach over the stall to unlock the door.
A spokesperson for Osseo Schools stated:
"Social media posts are significantly misrepresenting the incident and that staff works very hard every day to help ensure an inclusive school where all students feel welcome, respected and safe."
They refused to comment further saying:
"We wish we could provide additional details about this incident but are committed to protecting the student's right to data privacy."
Some reports claim that Cece had previously been told not to use the women's restroom.
However, in 2017 the Minnesota Department of Education (MDOE) ruled in favor of students like Cece.
MDOE guidance states:
"Transgender and gender nonconforming students should be afforded the opportunity to use the restroom of their choice."
People also can not help but note the fact that at age 16, Cece is a minor.
Adults forcing themselves into her stall while she used the bathroom is even more appalling.
Moriah Skai Kiskaden (Facebook)
Look, guys, when a kid is in the bathroom stall with their pants down, and you pry open the stall, exposing them to… https://t.co/rzMktZEkEB— Thomas Page (@Thomas Page) 1543690840
This should be sexual assault assault of a minor. Anyone involved should IMMEDIATELY be relieved from their positio… https://t.co/M5ByUSBvBP— CrystalshineMarie (@CrystalshineMarie) 1543626160
Regardless of the unknown circumstances, the internet is outraged over the adult school staff's actions.
1st thing I saw this AM & now I can’t stop thinking about it. Unless she was assaulting another student, there is… https://t.co/nkeudm8mAN— BadAssGrandma (@BadAssGrandma) 1543679009
Transphobic adults literally busted the bathroom door open on a trans high school student today in Minnesota bc the… https://t.co/rojArsFW9Q— mother sister (@mother sister) 1543465561
Look at the face of the woman who has unlocked the bathroom door!Arrogant assholes https://t.co/X98JSgHgMx— Teresa Culhane (@Teresa Culhane) 1543698568
Cece's video and story has indeed gone viral. But what happens now remains to be seen.
H/T: Pink News, Facebook, Daily Dot, Bring Me The News
This Brand's Tweet History Is A Hilariously Fitting Representation Of A Brand's Life Cycle 😂
Carl's Croutons tried their hand at social media to advance their brand.
But their objective got derailed when their tweet ignited a confusing thread that sent everyone down the rabbit hole.
@topherflorence captured highlights from the thread that received over three thousand retweets for its zaniness alone.
Can you follow?
the history of every brand on twitter somehow https://t.co/fWVXsElCvr— D🌑CFUTURE (@D🌑CFUTURE) 1540403954.0
The bread crumbs company endeavored to stir excitement for the brand by encouraging participation with the following tweet:
"Taking our first steps on the www!! tell us your favorite crouton recipes! #croutons #yum"
Harmless, right?
But somewhere along the way, the brand mixed business with politics. @religiousgames noticed that Carl's Croutons issued a one-word directive: vote.
The Twitter user asked, "What does it mean?"
@topherflorence What does it mean? https://t.co/IKifvva7ba— Vincent Gonzalez (@Vincent Gonzalez) 1540408943.0
Did the Carl's Croutons account manager get his social media account wires crossed? Possibly. But then we're not sure.
@topherflorence responded by saying, "lol that wasn't me i would posted something way dumber."
@religiousgames lol that wasn't me i woulda posted something way dumber— D🌑CFUTURE (@D🌑CFUTURE) 1540409220.0
The following tweet from Carl's Croutons attempted damage control:
"Carl's Crutons [sic] regrets the inappropriate tweet from earlier and we sincerely apologize to the people of The Republic of Malta."
So how did Carl's Croutons insult the Republic of Malta?
@topherflorence @oggborbis ...how did they insult Malta? I need to know.— astronaatti (@astronaatti) 1540405285.0
@Bestorb shed some light on why the Southern European island country may have been insulted by sharing a YouTube clip of episode 1008, "Final Justice," from Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Did it have something to do with the country's dominant population of women?
@astronaatti @topherflorence @oggborbis https://t.co/9imm31y8cM— Nick Bestor (@Nick Bestor) 1540429565.0
The thread spun off in all different directions.
@topherflorence @xoxogossipgita laughing hardest at crouton recipes— super normal internet (@super normal internet) 1540492558.0
@topherflorence That last one is life 🙌🏽— Rich F. Santiago (@Rich F. Santiago) 1540418084.0
@topherflorence WOW this was a ride.— Jackal's Husband, Yuko (@Jackal's Husband, Yuko) 1540405005.0
@ItsBobberto @topherflorence @austin_walker Late stage social media.— Mr. Jackpots (@Mr. Jackpots) 1540435914.0
There were many takeaways from the esoteric thread, but the one directive really stood out.
@topherflorence @MaxKriegerVG Haha, you got me. But seriously, vote.— Benoit Doidic (@Benoit Doidic) 1540414697.0
@topherflorence @zoebread Clever girl. https://t.co/i5VB74s8F9— brott rambler but spooky (@brott rambler but spooky) 1540478919.0
@topherflorence @NoraReed This was a wild ride.— Queer Eye for the Animorphs Reboot (@Queer Eye for the Animorphs Reboot) 1540412903.0
@topherflorence @seangentille I’m experiencing a new level of cringe right now— Helle Hansen 🌸 (@Helle Hansen 🌸) 1540423182.0
@topherflorence @ZaaackKoootzer This is the greatest thing I've seen all day— your very own monica bellucci dream (@your very own monica bellucci dream) 1540406700.0
@topherflorence @spacetwinks Optimistic engagement. Regret. 'How do you do, fellow kids.' Unity through shared outr… https://t.co/6VGrLNPZVp— Ink-stained @ MFF 2018 (@Ink-stained @ MFF 2018) 1540405582.0
@topherflorence @spacetwinks 2 is where they decided to hire a social media manager. 3 is when they decided to hire a different one.— Ink-stained @ MFF 2018 (@Ink-stained @ MFF 2018) 1540412100.0
@LaserBlade @topherflorence yeah i actually think they're pretty good croutons but then again they pay me to say that— cool dog mowing lawn (@cool dog mowing lawn) 1540436982.0
@topherflorence @mattfx This is magically funny like Goofy doing an unannounced set in a small black room— M💎R (@M💎R) 1540482697.0
@topherflorence @ZaaackKoootzer This is the greatest thing I've seen all day— your very own monica bellucci dream (@your very own monica bellucci dream) 1540406700.0
There's still an unanswered question.
@topherflorence I need to know the Malta story tho— NeoSorosbot (@NeoSorosbot) 1540423045.0
So who is Carl's Croutons anyway? Nobody knows. Just vote.