Interview question - negative traits
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What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? In my case "procrastination" would be honest, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so that an interviewer would view it in a positive light.
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What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? In my case "procrastination" would be honest, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so that an interviewer would view it in a positive light.
MarSCoZa wrote: What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? Actually, while I've been known to shoot myself in the foot from time to time, I sure ain't gonna do it intentionally even if they are kind enough to hand me the pistol. I usually give an answer that is a positive trait from their perspective cloaked in a negative wrapper, such as, "Well, I'm a bit of a workaholic", "I probably focus too much on error handling", "I sometimes get more caught up in meeting the deadlines than in squeezing that extra three cycles of performance out of the code", etc. Sounds like you're throwing out a negative trait in a candid manner (one of the things their looking for), but in reality you're just giving them one more reason to hire you by telling them what they want to hear. A little devious? Absolutely! Interviews are a chess match. If they're going to play games, posture and position, you can bet that I'm going to do the same. I hate to lose. Especially when a paycheck is on the line... Chistopher Duncan Author - The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World (Apress)
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What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? In my case "procrastination" would be honest, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so that an interviewer would view it in a positive light.
The best way to go about this is to talk about a negative trait that you had. But now of course you have turned that negative trait around and have everything under control. Last interview (last week) I was asked about negative traits or bad habits (whatever they asked me). My answer was "That in my last job it was pointed out to me that I had a bad habit. It was that I was trying to do everything for everyone. I had to learn to say no to people and priorotise my work. I overcame it and eventually was handling multiple customer/issues raised by multiple consultants within my company and getting the work completed." Of course I never had a problem saying no, just not in a business like manner with the ability to put management layers on hold when required. Michael Martin Australia mjm68@tpg.com.au "Don't belong. Never join. Think for yourself. Peace" - Victor Stone
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What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? In my case "procrastination" would be honest, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so that an interviewer would view it in a positive light.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Always phrase your "short-comings" as something that looks positive to the other person: 1) Mention something as a negative that actually is not. For example, "The main problem I have is that I fully throw myself into a project to the exclusion of all. I've had managers demand that I take a day off to prevent burn-out. The thing is that when I get rolling on a cool project, I'm all about the finish line." Obviously, this is thing that most manager want to hear! 2) Mention as a negative something that they don't want or care about. For example, if your applying for a position as a coder you might say "My only weakness is that I'm not a very good manager of other people. I'm really good at taking a project and working within a team to get the job done. However, I'm just not a person to boss others around. I expect that I'm working with professionals." This works great because you've just told the guy hiring you that you're not after his job and that you just want to be a part of the team. Cheers, Tom Archer Author, Inside C#
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Always phrase your "short-comings" as something that looks positive to the other person: 1) Mention something as a negative that actually is not. For example, "The main problem I have is that I fully throw myself into a project to the exclusion of all. I've had managers demand that I take a day off to prevent burn-out. The thing is that when I get rolling on a cool project, I'm all about the finish line." Obviously, this is thing that most manager want to hear! 2) Mention as a negative something that they don't want or care about. For example, if your applying for a position as a coder you might say "My only weakness is that I'm not a very good manager of other people. I'm really good at taking a project and working within a team to get the job done. However, I'm just not a person to boss others around. I expect that I'm working with professionals." This works great because you've just told the guy hiring you that you're not after his job and that you just want to be a part of the team. Cheers, Tom Archer Author, Inside C#
I read all this thread and I am wondering if in the US when you tell your interviewer some bullshit, he believes you everytime. I mean, I come from Italy, and here there are no interviews, resumes, etc, no books on how to pass an interview, etc. It works another way. "Nelle cose del mondo non e' il sapere ma il volere che puo'."
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I read all this thread and I am wondering if in the US when you tell your interviewer some bullshit, he believes you everytime. I mean, I come from Italy, and here there are no interviews, resumes, etc, no books on how to pass an interview, etc. It works another way. "Nelle cose del mondo non e' il sapere ma il volere che puo'."
laphijia wrote: It works another way. hmmm.. .what way is that?:wtf:
"When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it" Nish on life [methinks]
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laphijia wrote: It works another way. hmmm.. .what way is that?:wtf:
"When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it" Nish on life [methinks]
Brian Delahunty wrote: It works another way. hmmm.. .what way is that? Did you forget that mafia is an italian creation, it's sad for me to admit this, but if mafia comes from Italy this means that here the things are slightly different. I write this because I studied in Italian School for years, and now I moved to Thailand and I will go to the american school. And I found a lot of differences: 1- It's a private school. When you go to a private school in Italy it's because you are lazy or stupid, and people that attend private school are generally seen badly. But my new school it's private and they proudly say that not anyone can attend it, that they select the students, etc. 2- For being admitted I had to take some test. SAT or something like this. Standardized tests, nationwide, multiple choice, etc. So there seems to be some ANSI also in the school. No, in Italy multiple choice tests don't exists, and sure not standardized. You write something, an essay, and a teacher looks at it. If that day she is nice you ar IN. 3- Maybe if your father knows somebody, that knows somebody, that knows somebody, that knows that teacher it's all more easy. I don't know if you can understand what I mean, but I have the feeling that in the US all is standardized, so there can be books on how to pass an interview, etc etc. And if you follows the rules for an interview, but you tell the interviewer some bullshit, you are OK. I just add this. If you want to get a VISA for US you give all the reasons, you fill some form, you take all the paper, and if everithing is ok you get the VISA, if something is missing, you don't get the VISA. But somebody needs to get an Italian VISA, it's up to the EMBASSY to decide whether they can give it or not. So if you have a work, the money in the bank, etc etc, but you for the empoyer in the embassy you look like somebody no-good, you don't get a VISA. But if you have an italian friend that lived with you some time and he says to the embassy that you go with him on a vacation, you get the visa the next day, maybe without any money in your bank, nor a work in your homecountry. After when you are in Italy, when your VISA expires you just wait till the next new law that says that all the people that are illegally in Italy from before..... 1,2,3 years ago, are given a Permit of Stay of 1 year, renewable. And if this looks weird to you, if it looks that in Italy is impossible to live, etc etc. For me, that new I am approaching the US
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What would be a good response to that classic interview question about your negative traits? In my case "procrastination" would be honest, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so that an interviewer would view it in a positive light.
You can always say that you have no negative traits that you are aware of. Obviously they might express some surpise at this answer but you can qualify it by saying that if you had any negative traits that you knew of, you'd do evertthing possible to correct them. Perhaps then offer them some examples of what negative traits you've had that you "fixed". I find that sort of interview question really annoying to be honest. I mean, what sort of answer do they want? Isn't it really just some question that they ask, not really knowing what sort of answer they want? I think they should show the candidate more respect. They should be concentrating on what the candidate can actually do. because once the candidate is in the interview, he is only really there to verify what he's claimed in his CV, unless the interviewers are just interested in some sort of conveyor belt approach - just wheel 'em past and they'll pick one they like. I like turning questions around to interviewers, asking them things like "how do you think my skill set will benefit your company", "how do you see someone like me progressing within your company". ------------------------ The folly of man is that he dreams of what he can never achieve rather than dream of what he can.