What does it mean when one is asked about his weaknesses?
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What does it mean when one is asked about his weaknesses?
Personally, I think it's a way of checking candidate sincerity and willingness to learn/change & develop.
It's easy to point to things that are ur strengths but weaknesses imply areas that u have to work on. You have to be able to explain that there are issues that you are conscious of (preferably not serious issues) and that you are developing yourself on them and they can even be turned to strengths that will benefit organizations that want to employ you......u just have to 'sell it' right.
If the 'tell us your major weakness' question comes up in an interview, try not to say perfectionist...everybody says that. Find something about yourself that's not that bad and can actually be turned to a strength in an organization. For example you could say that you are naturally goal oriented and wants to meet your original targets so u tend to push ideas for longer than necessary...that's actually a good thing in disguise. U can then mention that you are currently working on yourself to be able to make realistic assesments of the tasks you undertake and adjust your goals accordingly....irrespectively of how deeply you have involved yourself in them.
How about other questions that may come up in the course of a personal interview, like why should we give you this job?
Well as to why should we give u the job...u have to demostrate 2 things:
1. Your uniqueness...what makes u stand out from the person they just interviewed or the person coming after u? Sell urself..let them know that u are a person of value and can add to their organization
2. An understanding of their organization.. u have to tie this to the first answer...demonstrate an understanding of the company...talk about something like their corporate vision or culture...then tell them that are an ideal candidate to help the company achieve it's goal(s).
Interviews are often more about attitude than aptitude. Believe in urself and with God on ur side, u'll surely shine!
Wishing u the best
Yinka,
How possible will it be for us to have a one on one?
I have a load of questions which need answers.
Sure it will take deal of time to answer them, but u will be doing me a favour.
share with us all..bros.
A loaded person like Yinka should have us too as audience...
ageb we wan learn o...abi una wey remain...wetin i talk no good? :)
Hi guys,
How best should one answer the question "where do you intend to be in x years time career wise?".
I was once asked this question and i gave an honest answer but someone on the panel made me feel so . (even though its about a year ago).
I said i hope to be in top management then in 5 years time and the person was like maybe in my father's company. I think that was very rude of that person.
Its less than 2 years and i am already in management so what's stopping me from getting to my goal in the specified no of years.
Pls i would like you guys to comment on this.
GOD BLESS
I think i agree with u...that comment about ur father's company and all was uncalled for...sometimes those panels can seem like serious beef...that's anoda story....
Anyways i think u have to answer that question a 'role' perspective rather than a 'job description or title perspective'. Focus on an answer that emphasizes the unique benefits u hope to be adding by the knowledge and experience u would have gained.
Something along the lines of......''I hope to be in a position where i will be able deploy knowledge, skills and experience gathered in improving company performance....'
Yes u'll get to management level (as u have been able to right now) but remember that most people are so crazy about power...they might think u are timing their job(s).
Emphasize that u are looking forward to being more of a contributor to organisational performance. Try and down play issues of position, particularly depending on the way u sense the people on the panel are.
Remember, the title u wear is not as important as the task u perform.....
Wishing u the best.
hi yinka i must commend you on your contribution- welll done.
let me also attempt the question:
@ the first question-
What does it mean when one is asked about his weaknesses?
It is indirect way of saying:
1. what are you not telling us,
2. How well do you know yourself in terms of your personality,
3. where should be place you?
@ question 2
why should we give u the job?
It is indirect way of saying:
We have received other CVs and are interview people who seem fit for the job like you.SO
1. what are do you have and they dont,
2. how can that uniqueness help our bottom line.
;)
HI GUYS. SEGUN ONIBIYO ARE MY NAMES. I THINK TO ADD TO WHAT THE OTHER GUYS HAVE SAID CONCERNING WEAKNESSES, I STILL WONDER WHY ANYONE WOULD EXPECT YOU NOT TO LIE-GIVEN THE TENSION IN THE AIR DURING THE INTERVIEW.
BUT AS TENSED AS ONE MAYBE, YOU CAN STAND OUT IF YOU TRYYY VVVERY HARRRD TO REMEMBER TO PICK ONE OF THE PANELISTS, THE WEAK ONE ...STARE AT HIM OR HER WITH A SMILE AND CONFIDENCE AND DELIVER YOUR LINES. NO EMS, NO DART-LOOKING, NO STARRING AT THE FLOOR/CEILING-WHEN YOU DO ANY OF THESE, IT'S BELIEVED THAT YOU'RE LYING. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK THEM SQUARE IN THE EYES, YOU DEMONSTRATE CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE. IF PERMITTED, TURN THE INTERVIEW ROOM INTO A LECTURE THEARTRE...SCHOOL THEM!
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ARE QUITE UNSETTLING. BUT WITH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT, EVEN DEVIL AND GOD DEY PARLEY! WE GO BREAK THROUGH, AMEEEEEN! GOODLUCK.
Bullet i strongly agree with your point. demondstrate that confident, school them who eva they r, the panel. No mata how strict they may appear, let them know that u v got wat it takes to meet the target.
U GUYZ ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.KIP IT UP
I want to really thank u all for the questions u've asked and the answers. They've been really helpful.
Thanks.
whahup Guy!!! Big Ups towaht u ar doin, it's very encouraging.........
what if one was told:
You are better than this Job..... What do you say or do? when you need the job badly but your credentials place you above the job.
Yinka and ko...
you guys are too much... this are things that happen everyday with many dont know how to overcome the tension while on hot sit.
please no personal mail, let it be open for many to gain.
you can weigh the blessing from God and what it takes for those that applied this logic and secure the job.
love you all....Remain blessed.
wat else can i say, than to say u guys are doing very well, and the good lord we bless us all with a gold job, this is our year of breakthru let all who believe claim it, one lov.
What does it mean when one is asked about his weaknesses?
Here, the interviewer wants to know those work, behavioural and personality (character) areas that you have defects or short coming.
Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.†Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.
You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .†then show them your planner and how you are using it.
Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.
i have being invited for a job aptitude test on test pls tell me wt do i expect am confused
is it a crime to be relaxed at an interview? went for an interview n was told u're too relaxed i ned some1 agressive n this was in a BANK.
so i'm kinda confused if u're relaxed complain, u're tensed complain so wat do we do?
Aige,
Don't get confused, they were only trying to play on your intelligence.
They wanted you to be nervous about that comment and completely demoralize you.
Hope you did not dance to their tune, if you did? too bad.
BUT the Reverse will be the case if what they meant about your being relax was carefree (maybe some form of lackadaisical attitude or sth).
Nevertheless, no cause for Alarm if you have behaved in an acceptable way throughout the interview.
They will surely call you for the offer or subsequent interviews.
Wish you an Absolute Luck!
Cheers
hi guys is it possible 4 some1 who graduated with a 3rd class 2 get a job?i served with a bank but was not retained cos of my class of degree.i don't tink it is fair cos i passed d test and i performed well thru out my service year.now i need a job asap
what next when you've scaled past the test interview and chat wit md. i.ve not haqerd anything and its a week now
hi aquayet!
I Appreciate your zeal and determination in getting a job with a bank.How i wish my beloved country will stop depending on mere certificates and look in to what one can offer!
Anyway i pray we get there.If i may advice,i believe u can stil go for a second degree and stil be applying for a good job.
God is with u.
cheers!
i ve 'd any xperience whatsoever abt interviews,u can share it with d house.Good luck
Hi house members,u guys are talented.keep on doing the good work!
....sky is just d begining.
Cheers!
Hi Pals,
I need tips on the aptitude and skill test for Trainee Geoscientist @ exxonmobil this week.
Thanks.
The trick in the tests is to target just half plus anything else,because you normally have about 1min and fifteen secs to answer any questions so why not resoucre control!.for interviews,you must prepare and remember it is always your CV that they use for verifying anything about you!, and for God's sake smile and relax,you can take deep breathes of air and let out slowly,it oxygenate your blood!.my personal rule of thumb,for every min of presentation spend an hour preparing. always put your best foot forward!
4 intercontinental just relax and do ur talking
blow their minds with ur yarns
they dont hav much to ask just stuff u can handle
make sure u do a good cv
it will speak volumes 4 u
pray. God will giv u wisdom
Iyanuoluwa are u talking abt cash link finance invst plc?cos i passed d test ,interview n chat wit md.doz it mean dat we re in d same shoes?plz reply.
does any one know the procedure/standard of an oceanic bank interview
For all those looking for job, check out this website for top job interview video and more
http://www.seferm.com/careers/videoc...videoindex.asp
I just had my first interview after NYSC today and i think i didnt do well.Just thought i should share it in here and have folks identify my errors so we could learn from it do well in other future interviews.Guess i was a JJC afterall.
question 1
Lets meet with you,that is tell us about yourself
Answers
I then asked if i could start from my educational background,and they replied that i could say as much as i could about myself
I then told them my names,where i was born and brought up.My educational background and all that,the little work experiences i have had during my youth service and all that.
Question 2
What is the company into and how can you be of value to the organisation.
Answer
I didnt really know much about this,cos i was only informed of the interview yesterday,so i didnt investigate into much of the activities of the firm.I just knew they were into database management and software deployment to medium and large organisations.But guess that answer was not good enough from the replies i got from them.They made statements like is that all they do.
To the second part of this question,how can you be of value to the organisation,i guess i went into things i should not have even mentioned i would say.I said i had knowlegde of database management cos i had my OCA results,and that i was a fast learner that was very comfortable with new technology,so i could l learn new things and be of value to the firm after some months of gathering useful experience.Then would i say i blundered to mention that i run a cyber cafe business and i have learnt quite a lot about hardwares and server management,local area networking and some other hardware stuff.Then came replies like that experience is not relevant to the organisation and is useless.
Question 3
What are your career goals and plans
Answer
I said i wanted to become an information system analyst/consultant,and that i was working towards that direction via IT certifications and training.I was then asked to define an information system,which i did.I was not really prepared for this line of questioning cos i was actually applying for a marketing position,but i did the best i could do under the circumstance.
Question 4
I was now asked to bring originals of my credentials.Guess i floored in this area.Had a 2.2 and they kept on hammering on how and why did i get a 2.2 from school when it was'nt as if they specified that only 2.1 should apply.I just told them i had slight problems in my 100L in school when i lost my dad,that it affected my grades i tried hard to make a 2.1 but could'nt catch up with it and the grades is not a true representation of my ability.Then my "o" level results was the real tough one.I have two o level results,one was the normal SS3 WAEC in which i had a deficiency in English language but had 3 A's and the others were C's apart from English,and the other result which was a GCE nov/dec,i had the English language and the other subjects but is was all c's,a C4,C5,and the others were C6's,guess i was only concerned about the English language then,but since i got all the subjects in one piece i started using that result despite the many C6's.I only found out today it was bad for interviews.They launched at me that i was not good enough to have had so many C6's.I tried explaining to them that i had another result in which i had A's but had a deficiency in English language hence it could not be presented,but i guess i had no proof and could not convince them.At this point i had started loosing my composture and was sort of nervous.Guess i'll have to start attaching both o level results from today.
Then came questions like "what are you doing now"
Answer:I am presently taking lectures in preparation for some IT certification exams.I also run a business of my own to at least earn some money for myself and render services to people.Then they asked me if i can manage people and how i manage the touts and yahoo yahoo boys that patronage me.I just told them i have been able to develop my communication skills to deal with various classes of people.
Then they asked me where would i want to be 5 years from now
i said i would want to be in a position where i could apply the knowledge gathered over years of experience working for the organisation to contribute to the growth of the organisation.
I was then asked how much i would want to earn should i be employed?
I said they already have a structure on ground for entry level positions and that i definitely will not be an exception.But they insisted on a figure,so i told them within the range of 50k to 60k will be ok for a start cos i have weighed the place and could make a guess on how much they can pay.
Well thats a summary of my first interview.Please i know i made a whole lot of mistakes and i want to learn how to avoid them and do better in the future.Guess there were things i should not have mentioned and others i should have mentioned or answered differently.Please just help me point out my mistakes and give likely suggestions for future interviews.
Thanks.
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i have an interview 2mrow and going tru this just today has really planted some new ideas into my brain. god knows how he work things out. with him on our side we shall be there.
thank u guys.
god bless
Yinka, pls for a first timer like me,i need some tips on how to build my confidence and manner of answering questions in interviews.Thanks a lot
Yinka, thanx u're a great guy doing a great job
Macmide, pls have u heard anything on procurement systems analyst test result from exxonmobil?
Is it thru u have to have an insider to pass the test?
Hi guys,
I just went thru dis session and i want to say u guys r doing a great job. kudos!
And Yinka i give it to u. u r gud :D
HI HOUSE I NEED TO BE UPDATED ON ANY BANK RECRUITING PRESENTLY!!!!!!!THANKS.....1 HOUSE
Kudos to the guys in the house u re doing a great job.
Oliks 28,i read thru ur interview experience i ll want to assure u that u may not ve done badly as u said.Note that in interviews the interviwee tends to find ur strenghts and weaknesses and since they re not spirits they tend to do that thru face to face contact with their questions.Most times they know when u re lying or not,they want s to see how smart u can be ,remember they too attended interviews themselves,whether u re easily provocated ,to which extent can u be streched in decisiopn making and analysis.SO even when they annoy u or try to embarass you with your grades smile and tell them u ll make it up ,that they should give u a try.For every mistake or failure theres always an excuse so dont bother going into leghty explanations just ve confidence and tell them u ll make it up ,its stil good if u say things like exams not being.............................
So dont loose hope expect good news and testify when it comes,theres always a devils advocate in a panel that must be there to confuse even when u re on the right track so warm uop for good.
hello all pls i need info about workforce scholarship exam,wat kind of questions do they set?is it Gmat or some other kind of questions.The exam is taking place on thur-may 29th.