ATCO interview 'what are your weaknesses?'

[xXcocoXx]

hi all
just wondering if there is anyone out there who could help me with the good old interview question of 'what are your weaknesses?' - i mean, what is the right way to answer that?!?
i am an experienced ATCO, who has had many interviews - however each time this old chestnut comes up i either avoid or make light of the answer - as every serious answer i can think of gets twisted round and bites me back?!?

any help greatly appreciated

:)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Treat it humourously - tell 'em you're epileptic with a stutter and two glass eyes!! On my Area board I was asked "What is an RCC?" I responded "A Real Cup of Coffee?" I passed the board..

[divingduck]

That you are a perfectionist and that you have no time for idiots.:E

[eastern wiseguy]

Blondes and single malts.........

[SKOS]

The best way to answer this question is NOT to be brutally honest but rather talk about a weakness that SHOWS UP as a strength by demonstrating your awareness of it and how you handle it!! (In that way, it cannot be used against you as it infact shows a strength!!)

e.g I tend to be bogged down with detail but by being aware of this, I always try to see the bigger picture in order to pace my self much better!!!

[Charlie23]

I said 'red wine and motorbikes' - I passed.;)

[ron83]

Do like chocolate too much and watching TV too much. If u're smoking tell them it's your weakness.
Basically tell them something that's not so important. :ok:

[soaringhigh650]

what are your weaknesses?

For me it's asthma.

[Sideshow_90]

answering interview questions

[Plazbot]

I'm probably a little bit TOO awesome.

[Spitoon]

Maybe use a bit of psychology and twist it back on them - don't even mention weaknesses in your answer. Perhaps tell them that you know your strengths (remind them of a couple you've already discussed if you want) and those areas where you are not so strong.

For ATC a good thing to mention - as divingduck suggests - is that you are a bit of a perfectionist and like everything that you do to be just right, but in ATC you are part of a team and what really matters is that the team does its job properly. The weakness - sometimes you have to accept that your bit can't be perfect in order to fit in with the team's tasks and you can find it a bit frustrating.

Having been on interview boards it's hard to give any definitive advice. The question is usually asked by the HR person (or for their benefit) and - generally - there is no wrong or right answer. Some of the HR people I've interviewed with were looking for an honest recognition on the part of the candidate that they're not perfect, one was looking for the immediate reaction (which apparently told them something significant) and others wanted to know that the candidate did not get flustered or freeze when faced with a diffict situation. Humour can work well if you've developed a good rapport with the interviewers but try to build in a bit of a serious answer too.

One HR person I worked with had a list of five 'HR' questions and really didn't care what the answers were - he said they'd been asked since before he came into the business and they'd be asked long after he was dust. After the interview he offered his thoughts on the candidate in the context of the job they were being considered for and it was usually a most perceptive assessment. It didn't come with the baggage that us 'technical experts' had and when I've been able to see the results, he was always right - a real people person.

One last thought about the original question. If they've used psycometric tests too, don't try and trick the test - the commercial ones provide surprisingly accurate summaries of your character. Then, if faced with "what are you weaknesses" be honest about the areas you can improve in - if you come up with something different from the test they'll probably wonder why you lied. In my limited experience of using the tests, instead of using the results as a pointer toward things to discuss some members of the interview board wanted to trust them completely and almost thought that the interview was a waste of their time - screwed up the selection process completely!

[Tarq57]

One HR person I worked with had a list of five 'HR' questions and really didn't care what the answers were - he said they'd been asked since before he came into the business and they'd be asked long after he was dust.
Any chance of listing these questions?
Do you know how he used the answers (Or perhaps the candidates' behaviour during the answer) to determine character so accurately?

[Gonzo]

When I used to interview, in many cases I didn't really care what the initial answer was......I'd get the real 'answers', the real information I was looking for, from my follow-up questions, which depended entirely upon what the candidate gave first of all.

It's in the follow-up, the twisting of the scenarios, the examination, where the juicy stuff is! :E

[Lord Spandex Masher]

What are your weaknessess?

I'm human.

[peel]

I've been told I'm a selfish lover.
:ok:

[hangten]

What are your weaknessess?

I'm human.

Great answer. So much so that it might be lost on HR...

[s.a.o.]

I remember being told to always take the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive...
eg...
"I always used to leave things to the last minute and as a result my work would suffer. It's something I've worked really hard to better so I now always make sure I get everything done in time and to the best of my ability "
etc...

[anotherthing]

:yuk: 'I'm a perfectionist and this sometimes causes me to become frustrated with others who are less inclined to do things to the best of their ability. I am trying to make sure that this frustration does not have a negative impact and in fact can be used to encourage others to perform as well as I know they can' :yuk:

[Spitoon]

Any chance of listing these questions?
Do you know how he used the answers (Or perhaps the candidates' behaviour during the answer) to determine character so accurately?
The questions - that I recall - were something along the lines of what are your weaknesses, where do you see yourself in five years and tell me about a difficult situation that you faced and how you handled/overcame it.

As Gonzo says, it's the follow-up that can be most telling. As for how my HR friend made his evaluation, he couldn't explain it - I think he just had a natural talent at weighing people up that all of the scientific tests that are invented can only approach! Sadly he's now retired - but I hope enjoying a long and happy retirement. HR often gets a bad rep but perhaps he was the exception that proves the rule - he had a really sensible practical and pragmatic approach to recruiting people. But I guess I would say that....he was on the interview panel when I joined the company!

[WhatMeanPullUp]

Beer, women and a loathing of stupid people. Worked for me. :ok: