Steve Johnson on technology

"What is your greatest weakness?"

Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a bit of a perfectionist." Interviewers have heard these "canned" answers over and over again. To stand out, be more original and state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you've done to overcome it. For example: "I've had trouble delegating duties to others because I felt I could do things better myself. This has sometimes backfired because I'd end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken courses in time management and learned effective delegation techniques, and I feel I've overcome this weakness."

A friend asked me for some advice on searching for a job and I found this website. The one interview question I always have trouble with is "What is your weakness?" I never really knew what a good answer would be. Mine? "I don't tolerate incompetence well." Not a really good response I fear.

For a typical job interview, see the Generic Job Interview video series at http://crankypm.com/2010/11/video-generic-product-management-interview-part-1-2/