Another stupid interview question

[ad_sharp]

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At two of my interviews, I was asked what my greatest weakness is. I thought that this was a dumb question. It's not like I'm going to tell them that I'm a horrible student, even if I am. I'm just curious to see if anyone else has had this question, and how did you answer it?

I said that I sometimes stress too much over schoolwork and don't pay enough attention to people around me. Probably not the best answer, but I tried to be honest.

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by ad_sharp
At two of my interviews, I was asked what my greatest weakness is. I thought that this was a dumb question. It's not like I'm going to tell them that I'm a horrible student, even if I am. I'm just curious to see if anyone else has had this question, and how did you answer it?

I said that I sometimes stress too much over schoolwork and don't pay enough attention to people around me. Probably not the best answer, but I tried to be honest.

I hate that question, too, but I got it in my interview.

It is best to be honest, while not really trashing yourself. I think I said something along the lines of getting wrapped up in doing things just right. Kinda like your stress answer.

I also got a question about how my friends would describe me. I thought that was a tough one to answer because I'd never really thought about it.

 

[umass rower]

Dr. Mom in the Pre-Allo forum?!?! I don't believe it! I don't think I've ever seen you in here.

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by umass rower
Dr. Mom in the Pre-Allo forum?!?! I don't believe it! I don't think I've ever seen you in here.

She's watching, always watching. She wants it, she wants the precious!

 

[Amy B]

I got that question at every interview I have ever had. It seems like a double edged sword. If you have a weakness and tell them, they might think it is a weakness that would worry them. If you say you don't have a weakness they will think you are full of yourself and won't want you either.

I told them that sometimes I had trouble separating family from school.

 

[jbish]

Yeah, I got that question. Well, maybe not "greatest" but a weakness...I said I was bossy and demanding. haha. My worst interview was definitely at Tufts where this ob/gyn treated me as his personal dictionary. The man sat there asking me questions such as: what is life? what is death? what is intelligence? what is intellect? what is philosophy? what is religion? and on and on for the entire interview! It was so aggrevating. And, the student who interviewed me there asked me about what hardships I had been through. I'm sorry, but I don't see how my hardships will affect my ability to be a good physician. Just because my grandfather was an abusive drunk and treated everyone like crap doesn't mean I'll be a better obstetrician one day.

 

[biffbuddy]

Originally posted by Kashue
She's watching, always watching. She wants it, she wants the precious!

ah, I can hear Golom now-yes! I love Lord of the Rings

to the OP though, I think that this is a fair question to ask in the interview- the whole point is just to see how you deal with tough questions and how you respond, not necessarily what you say (with limits)- no one expects you to be perfect, and I guarantee that if you say you have no weaknesses, you will look like an idiot- as the cliche goes, you learn from your mistakes- when this question comes up in my interviews, I say weaknesses that I have because I am only 22- things that I might not necessarily be perfect at, or should be, and that I would like to improve on, like my ability to accurately assess someone's behavior or actions- these things come with experience.
good luck with the interviews, and just remember, as long as you dont get flustered by a question, you will be fine!

 

[Marina9]

Originally posted by jbish
Yeah, I got that question. Well, maybe not "greatest" but a weakness...I said I was bossy and demanding. haha. My worst interview was definitely at Tufts where this ob/gyn treated me as his personal dictionary. The man sat there asking me questions such as: what is life? what is death? what is intelligence? what is intellect? what is philosophy? what is religion? and on and on for the entire interview! It was so aggrevating. And, the student who interviewed me there asked me about what hardships I had been through. I'm sorry, but I don't see how my hardships will affect my ability to be a good physician. Just because my grandfather was an abusive drunk and treated everyone like crap doesn't mean I'll be a better obstetrician one day.

Did you happen to be a philosophy or humanities major?

 

[finnpipette]

It's actually a really common question. I've gotten it at every consulting/i-banking interview. The standard BS answer is that you're a perfectionist...cuz it's actually a compliment to yourself, blanketed as a weakness. But seriously, the purpose of the question is to see if you know yourself...if you critically analyze who you are and are out for self-improvement. Therefore, as long as you give a realistic weakness like I am impatient and get really stressed out waiting for med school apps to be over, it should go over ok. I'd avoid things like...i'm lazy or i like touching little children. Anyhow, the important thing is to show that you recognize what you're weaknesses are and that you're working toward improvement.

 

[jbish]

Originally posted by Marina9
Did you happen to be a philosophy or humanities major?

No! I was a biochem major! I'd never even taken a philosophy class. 😛

 

[jlee9531]

yeah i have gotten that at my interviews as well and pretty much was honest about my weakness. in retrospect i think i made myself sound pretty bad but i got accepted nonetheless. i wanted them to know what my weakness was and not just give a protected answer.

its a good question i think. i never really knew what my weakness was cause i never really think about those things. im glad i know now since i can try and do things to better myself in that area.

 

[beanbean]

When I interview I always ask the following question:

Tell me about a mistake or an error in judgement that you made and what you learned from the situation. It can be personal, professional or academic.

I think this is a better question than the standard "tell me about you greatest weakness' question. It requires a bit more thought and insight and is less likely to be answered with a rehearsed response.