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Comments for
Weird Interview Question - don't have a clue how to answer

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Aug 02, 2011
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Strengths and Weaknesses can be the same
by: Sarah

In regards to weird interview question... a lot of times our strengths ARE our weaknesses. For instance, I love to talk and am very customer service oriented and can and will, talk about anything. That's my strength. Now, I can also talk too much and the customer/client is now engaged in a full conversation. Not OK these days in our fast paced- need to rush- hurry up lives. So that's how it becomes my weakness. Because someone is usually waiting, however they tend to enjoy the same treatment. I suggest finding your strength that has your equal (yet positive) weakness. Yes our weaknesses can be positive. For everything good there is something equally bad. And that is OK! Embrace it. Hope this helps....

Happy interviewing, Sarah Truelove

Mike Petras comments:

Thanks, Sarah. Good points. I never thought of it this way. Appreciate you sharing this with us. All the best.

Jan 15, 2010
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Focused on results vs tasks
by: Michael

Elizabeth-

One of my strengths is I'm very organized. I have good filing and tracking systems and can find things easily.

As a manager, I frowned on subordinates who had cluttered desks or relaxed ways of organizing things. I pressured them to do things my way. For example, I use a Franklin Organizer. I believed in this system so much I required my entire department to attend their workshop and use the system.

After doing this I sensed some people were uncomfortable with the Franklin Organizer and basically started using it as a calendar and place to store slips of paper and business cards.

The funny thing is that despite using this system the wrong way, these associates were very successful using their own home grown organizational systems--if you can call it that.

What I learned from this is that it's more important to get results and to be effective at what you do instead of how exactly you go about it.

After this experience I gave people more freedom to organize their work space and projects. I learned my organizational strengths actually slowed some people down and cramped their style.

Hope this helps. Best of luck with your interview.

Michael

Jan 10, 2010
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I had this one too.
by: Anonymous

While interviewing for my current employer I was asked this same question. At first I was really surprised by it. I took a deep breath and a moment to think. I took my answer from a personal experience. Here is how I answered: I think that one of my strengths is the ability to get many things done in a short time however, while in a chairman position for a volunteer organization I was in charge of a large camping outing. My strength of being able to do many things in a short time period turned into a weakness when I started taking on the responsibilities of the other volunteers as well as my own. To overcome this problem I learned to trust in others to do their part in their own time.

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