Ever been stumped 🤔 by the dreaded 'what's your weakness' question in an interview?
Let me tell you a story.
Once, during an interview with Barclays, I replied,
'My weakness is I have no work-life balance. I am so passionate about my job that I often voluntarily work weekends.'
A commonplace response, perhaps, but the deputy head of research of Barclays Capital Markets didn't see it that way.
He stared back at me and bluntly replied, 'Sameer, that's a 🐂 Bull S*** answer.'
"Ouch" I can tell you first hand that REALLY HURT 🤕.
The takeaway?
Give a legitimate weakness, yet ensure it's extraneous i.e. completely unrelated to your core job responsibilities.
For instance,
'I have poor hand-eye coordination, impacting my racket sports.'
Or even better, expose a past learning curve:
'Once, I led a university case-competition-winning team - yet, my feedback was too blunt.
Looking back, I could have sugar-coated my advice and taken a more diplomatic approach.'
Remember, how you tackle this question can make or break your interview.
That's why our 8-week summer investment banking program equips students with real-world interview experience.
Conducted by seasoned bankers, students undergo three mock interviews 🤝.
This ensuring they're well-prepared for the real deal.
Remember - when asked about your weakness.
🎯 Make it real
🎯 But keep it unrelated to the job.
Are you ready to transform your interview skills?
Lecturer at Barking & Dagenham College
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