Greatest Weakness Interview Question?

[clocks123]

I'm applying to be a First aid instructor and was wondering if it would be ok if I said my greatest weakness is public speaking but that this opportunity will allow me to overcome this weakness and make it a strength?

If not, what are other good answers to this question?

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[Ace-Co-A]

Not sure I follow, but it seems good to point out how you're working on improving (i.e., by doing the first aid instructor thing) what you think is a weakness (i.e., public speaking).

 

[Docility]

That's my greatest weakness, too. I think it's good to go with an actual weakness as opposed to "I work too hard" or "I'm too driven." One of my interviewers actually gave me tips to overcome my fear of public speaking.

 

[clocks123]

Sorry if it was confusing. Ill try to make it more clear. I have an interview to become a First Aid instructor. If they ask me my greatest weakness, can I still say public speaking even though the job kind of requires that skill? I was planning to say that getting the job will help me overcome that weakness.

 

[Docility]

Ignore my response. I'm not sure how well it would go over in an interview for a job that requires public speaking skills.

 

[Goro]

Any fool that answers that question this way will immediately be skewered by my next question, which is "why do think a virtue is a weakness?"

"I work too hard"

 

[I Love Cats]

I'm applying to be a First aid instructor and was wondering if it would be ok if I said my greatest weakness is public speaking but that this opportunity will allow me to overcome this weakness and make it a strength?

If not, what are other good answers to this question?

"I'm too damn humble." - That's what I usually tell them.

Honestly this question is about being honest by picking something you struggle with that is a non-essential for the position you're after. For example, do not tell them that you are "selfish". Like maybe you're disorganized in some way. Disorganization usually my go to response for what I struggle with.

 

[chillaxbro]

Is public speaking a bad answer if you're at a med school interview?

 

[I Love Cats]

Is public speaking a bad answer if you're at a med school interview?

I don't think it is a bad one at all for medical school. just be able to tastefully describe why you struggle with it and why you need to get better at it without alluding to any deeper, more general antisocial issues (not that you have them). Don't want to plant any silly ideas into an interviewers mind.

 

[snowflakes]

For what it's worth, I've answered work-life balance before when I've been asked to identify areas of improvement, or general goals for myself (so not exactly the same as greatest weakness, and I usually answer work-life balance as one of a couple answers I give). I think it's gone over fine with my interviewers--some of them have whole-heartedly agreed that this is very important and also difficult to manage. I don't think it ever came off as me saying "I work too hard" and making it seem like a secret strength. If anything, it may have come across as a time management/learning to prioritize thing. In my answer, I say how family, friends, and my non-academic pursuits are important to me. I explain that I'm learning that it's crucial to set protected time aside for these pursuits or they'll always be put on the back burner, and that I've found making time for such things actually improves the quality of the work I do in my work time. I give an example and say this is largely what motivated me to do X (a life decision where I devoted full time for a while to a completely non-academic pursuit). I then go on to say that I know it's only going to get more difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance when I move forward, but that I'm learning to be committed to keeping some protected time aside each week aside for the non-academic things I value.

Also, a few med schools I've looked at actually list something like self-care or work-life balance as one of the competencies they want students to learn.

 

[Ashley1989]

I'm applying to be a First aid instructor and was wondering if it would be ok if I said my greatest weakness is public speaking but that this opportunity will allow me to overcome this weakness and make it a strength?

If not, what are other good answers to this question?

If you're applying to be a first aid instructor I would avoid this answer and go with something else. I'm a first aid instructor myself and it requires a lot of speaking in front of the class. I would be concerned to hire someone who is afraid to speak in front of a crowd because then I would be asking myself "is this person going to mumble, speak softly, or be so nervous that it will be difficult for the students to learn from them?"

I would go with some other weakness if you're applying to be an instructor. You don't want to use a situation where students are paying for a class to "overcome your weakness"

 

[mehc012]

If you're applying to be a first aid instructor I would avoid this answer and go with something else. I'm a first aid instructor myself and it requires a lot of speaking in front of the class. I would be concerned to hire someone who is afraid to speak in front of a crowd because then I would be asking myself "is this person going to mumble, speak softly, or be so nervous that it will be difficult for the students to learn from them?"

I would go with some other weakness if you're applying to be an instructor. You don't want to use a situation where students are paying for a class to "overcome your weakness"

I believe they are asking whether they can still claim 'Public speaking' as their weakness in a Med school admission if they've done a job such as first aid instructor which requires that skill.

 

[corndogger]

Any fool that answers that question this way will immediately be skewered by my next question, which is "why do think a virtue is a weakness?"

"I work too hard"

I agree that these types of answers are a terrible way to answer the question. However, things like perfectionism and working too hard can absolutely be weaknesses. For example, working so hard that you're losing weight and hair, or being such a perfectionist that you're impossible to work with in a group and constantly missing deadlines.

Now these don't apply to me, but I wouldn't use them as an answer if they did because they're likely to piss the interviewer off. They can be weaknesses though.

To answer OP's question: as others have said, it's a bad idea to say that one of your weaknesses is an essential skill for the job.

 

[Goro]

100% agree. I have interview questions in my quiver that can suss out if someone is indeed a work-a-holic or a perfectionist. We want to especially screen out the latter because they're the kind of students who are always in your office arguing why their 87 should be an 88.

I agree that these types of answers are a terrible way to answer the question. However, things like perfectionism and working too hard can absolutely be weaknesses. For example, working so hard that you're losing weight and hair, or being such a perfectionist that you're impossible to work with in a group and constantly missing deadlines.

Now these don't apply to me, but I wouldn't use them as an answer if they did because they're likely to piss the interviewer off. They can be weaknesses though.

To answer OP's question: as others have said, it's a bad idea to say that one of your weaknesses is an essential skill for the job.

 

[Ashley1989]

I believe they are asking whether they can still claim 'Public speaking' as their weakness in a Med school admission if they've done a job such as first aid instructor which requires that skill.

No, I don't think so.
Edit: maybe? The original post is worded weirdly

 

[Ashley1989]

OP are you talking about being asked this question for a JOB interview as an instructor, in an interview TO BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR or in a MEDICAL SCHOOL interview? Because in my experience and what I've heard they ask this question or a version of it in all three.

 

[terp720]

OP are you talking about being asked this question for a JOB interview as an instructor, in an interview TO BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR or in a MEDICAL SCHOOL interview? Because in my experience and what I've heard they ask this question or a version of it in all three.

I have an interview to become a First Aid instructor.

I think your initial understanding was correct..

 

[taffer]

100% agree. I have interview questions in my quiver that can suss out if someone is indeed a work-a-holic or a perfectionist. We want to especially screen out the latter because they're the kind of students who are always in your office arguing why their 87 should be an 88.

If I did the work for an 88, why shouldn't I get the credit for it? Sometimes you have to kick those instructors' asses.

 

[Narmerguy]

If I did the work for an 88, why shouldn't I get the credit for it? Sometimes you have to kick those instructors' asses.

Please tell me this is joking?

 

[Goro]

I can understd taffer's point. But in my case, the example was an 87 being an 87, not an 88, and these kids expend huge amounts of energy and brain power doing mental contortions to reason why the 87 shoulde an 88. If they had just used that time to study the material, they would have the honest-to-God 88 as the grade.

That and 99% of the other students wwould be perfectly happy with an 87, and, pay attention, an 88 isn't going make an iota of a difference vs an 87.


taffer said: ↑
If I did the work for an 88, why shouldn't I get the credit for it? Sometimes you have to kick those instructors' asses.
Please tell me this is joking?

 

[aegistitan]

Would it be bad to say that my greatest weakness is being risk-averse? I would put it in a context that says I am always (neurotically) careful about my decisions to the point where I may have not even considered doing some things in life.

 

[mimelim]

If I did the work for an 88, why shouldn't I get the credit for it? Sometimes you have to kick those instructors' asses.

If being serious...

I select against people like this. If you can't figure out how this is an inefficient and non-effective use of time and resources, you need more time to mature before starting medical school.