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The Great Race for Talent is On!
Your company will either lead the way, follow the pack or be left behind. Don't get caught eating the dust of your competitors. Change is in the air so, take action now!
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What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
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The fastest way to make a good interview go bad is to avoid
questions posed by the hiring manager. The one question candidates
love to avoid is, “What is your greatest weakness?”
Most candidates are quick to respond with superficial answers such
as “I’m a workaholic” or “I’m a perfectionist.” Not only are those
responses boring, but they are also predictable answers interviewers
are used to hearing. So much so that an interviewer’s comeback line
often is, “That doesn’t sound like a weakness. Now why don’t you
tell me about a real weakness?”
Ouch. What an uncomfortable position to be in—when a decision
maker challenges you during an interview. Just like you, the
interviewer wants the process to go as seamlessly as possible, and
they quickly become resentful when they are placed in a
confrontational position.
When answering questions surrounding your greatest weakness, my
advice is to tell the truth—to a point. Though I don’t advocate
providing a play-by-play of every area that may need improvement, it
isn’t a good idea not to cop to a weakness either. A happy medium
does exist, and it lies in focusing your response on an area that
doesn’t have a major impact on your ability to do the job. This
should be an area that you are on your way to improving. Note, not
an area you’ve already improved, but one that is well on its way.
Interviewers recognize that jobseekers aren’t forthcoming when
answering the “greatest weakness” question. As a result, there is a
new trend in hiring circles of interviewers cleverly disguising the
question and using a variation of the theme. In doing so,
interviewers are successfully stumping candidates, and are receiving
responses that uncover the not-so-pleasant side of candidates.
Cleverly Designed “Greatest Weakness” Questions:
- We all have aspects of our job we prefer not to do. What
aspect of your day-to-day responsibilities do you dislike?
In hopes of making you feel comfortable, interviewers may ask
questions that start with “we.” The psychology behind this is to
make you feel as though you are with a friend, which can cause
you to let your guard down.
- Think back to your last review. What suggestions did your
supervisor have for improvement? The chances are extremely
high that your supervisor offered suggestions for improvement.
Interviewers are aware of this and anticipate that you will
disclose the details of your most recent evaluation.
- Describe a project you worked on that didn’t turn out as
well as you expected. Interviewers find that job seekers
reveal more when they are asked to tell a story. The assumption
is made that the more you talk, the more likely you’ll disclose
your weaknesses.
- In what area of your work do you think you can be more
effective? This question is very similar to “greatest
weakness” question. However, interviewers believe the way the
question is phrased will make you feel less threatened, and
therefore more likely to answer freely.
Bottom line: whether or not you want to divulge sensitive
information during an interview, an interviewer is going to try his
or her darnedest to dig for skeletons in your closet. Interviewers
want to uncover any reasons why they shouldn’t hire you, and they
hope those reasons will come straight from you. So be prepared.
- Linda Matias
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of
experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for
her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search
strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a
number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday,
Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and
the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at
www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.
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How to Write an E-Mail Cover Letter
More and more employers are asking job applicants to
reply by e-mail. Here's how to make the best first impression:
by
Liz Ryan
Dear Liz,
If you send your cover letter and résumé to an employer via e-mail, is it
best to write an e-mail message and attach your cover letter and résumé
documents to it? Or should you skip the cover-letter attachment, and make
the e-mail message itself your cover letter?
Thanks,
Dawn
Dear Dawn,
Skip the cover-letter attachment, and turn your e-mail message into a
cover letter. A great cover letter shares a bit of your background but
mostly talks about the company's need (for a marketing research manager, an
actuary, or whatever) and describes why your experience is perfectly suited
to the opportunity. One paragraph is the perfect length. Here's an example:
Dear Amy Smith (use www.Linkedin.com to find the HR manager's real name),
I saw your posting on Craigslist for a marketing research manager, and
wanted to reply right away. With your recent acquisition of XYZ Corporation,
I imagine that understanding the needs of your new customers, integrating
product lines across the two companies, and refining your product and
service offerings are major priorities.
My seven years of marketing research experience at QRP Industries has
given me a terrific background in survey, focus group, and a wide range of
other research approaches and a great feel for client needs and concerns.
I'd love to chat with you about the opportunity at your convenience; my
résumé is attached.
Sincerely yours,
(Your Name)
Make sure that your résumé is a clean Word document that won't be garbled
as an e-mail attachment, and use your professional e-mail account (not
hiphopboy56@msn.com) to send your message. If you do your research (via the
company's own Web site, Google, and LinkedIn) and still can't find the HR
manager or hiring manager's name, write to Hiring Executive, and send your
message to the company's general résumé-intake e-mail address. If you have
to send your message into the void, send a hard copy to the company's HR
chief (that person is certain to be identified on the company's Web site)
and the functional chief of whatever area you're interested in—in this case,
marketing— as well.
Yours,
Liz
Liz Ryan is a former corporate HR executive and an author and speaker on
the new-millennium workplace. Liz is the CEO of WorldWIT, the global network
for professional women. Reach her at
lizryan@corp.worldwit.org.
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