CNA job interview weakness?

[ksvid]

Hello there,

I have recently got my CNA certification, and I was trying to prepare for an interview. I have no previous job experience besides working at a barn, I hope it can still help out though seeing as I did many of the same CNA duties but for horses. My main concern is the "what is your greatest weakness?" question, should I go with:

1: My lack of experience in the field, however, I am a fast learner and very dedicated to my tasks. I am also not afraid to ask questions when I don't know something.

Or

2: Time management, I can get caught up in my tasks because I want to make sure I do them right, I would rather double check something just to make sure. I also don't want patients to feel like i'm rushing and that their care isn't my top priority.

Would barn experience be bad or good to bring up in the interview, since I have nothing else to go off of?

Any other tips? I'm quite nervous and don't want to screw this up!

Thank you!

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

"What is Your Greatest Weakness?" is a commonly asked interview question> Here's an excerpt from my book (link below)

Your stomach's churning just thinking about how to answer the "What's your weakness?" nursing interview question. It is a nerve-wracking question, but it won't be once you're prepared. In fact, it is a golden opportunity!

Good news! By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to confidently answer the "What's your weakness?" nursing interview question as well as know the answer not to give.

The first thing to understand is- they don't really want the truth! They definitely don't want to know your personal weaknesses (you binge on ice cream, you're insecure, you get jealous). You won't get points for candidly coming clean and telling them you forget your mother's birthday.

It's designed to see if you demonstrate self-awareness and are willing to adapt.

Then how should you answer this question? Whenever you have to talk about a negative, turn it into a positive as soon as you can. No more than a third of your words should be spent on describing your weakness. A brief, matter-of-fact statement is best. Don't repeat yourself and don't go into detail.

When they think about you, you want them to have positive associations.

Don't dwell on the negative

Frame your weakness as an opportunity you've identified for professional improvement and growth (self-awareness)

Give an example of what action steps you've taken (positive)

Describe the progress you've made in a story or example (positive)

End on a positive note

In this way, you have skillfully turned a negative into a positive while still owning it.

Choose your weaknesses

When choosing your weakness, pick something work-related and fixable.

Make sure that it's not something critical to the job, but that it is something germane to the job.

For example, don't say "I struggle with math calculations" because you are going to be passing medications and your aptitude and safety will be brought into question.

Don't say "I'm no good with Power Point" because this is not a skill for a bedside nurse. It will be seen as chickening out or skirting the question.

Avoid "I work too hard" Or "I'm a workaholic" as these are overused and they will know you googled your answer.

Your goal is to present a genuine weakness that does not damage your potential for the position but also does not come across as unrealistic or staged.

What's your greatest weakness? answer examples

"English is my second language. I read and write well, but I want to be more comfortable with idiomatic English. I'm taking an English as Second Language course at the community college."

" I don't always delegate as much as I should, because I always want to do everything myself! I've come to see that delegating is important in order to work as a team and get everything done. Every shift on my last rotation, I made it a point to delegate more each day. It's still out of my comfort zone, but I'm improving daily."

"I'm working on my time management skills. I'm learning to batch my duties whenever possible, and to carry enough needed supplies with me. When I anticipate what my patients might need, I'm better prepared and save time."

Hope this helps! If you are looking for answers to all of the moat commonly asked interview questions, plus sample resumes and over letters,check out my book below. :) Best wishes!