The standard advice during interviews when this question comes up is to pick a mild fault and put a positive spin about how you are dealing with it successfully. I suspect interviewers foolish enough to ask this question hear a lot about perfectionism and workaholic behaviors.
For fun I thought about what I would say if I had to speak the real truth with no softening or anything else.
Would I really say that I am generally unassertive and conflict avoidant.? There is a lazy streak present where I am always tempted to take the easy way out. I work part-time because I can and would rather not deal with all the stress of full-time work; it also lets me avoid staff meetings and nursing committee requirements. Hire me and you can be sure I will never be voted nurse of the year.
What would you never say for that interview question?
My weaknesses are pretty much identical to yours, OP.
Work smarter, not harder is one of my lifelong mottos, and it stems from that ever present lazy streak I have that will probably never go away.
I will consider calling into work every day (at least momentarily), just because I don't want to get out of bed.
I hate confrontation because I hate rejection/burning bridges, so I'll either let myself be walked on or I'll disappear without saying a word.
I'm a perfectionist. Not the cool type that scrubs the linoleum with a toothbrush every day. The unproductive type that gets so overwhelmed with the idea of doing everything perfectly that I give up before I even get started, or waste all my time planning.
If you make a rule a don't agree with, I'll probably break it at some point. Even if I don't organically want to. Just on principle.
Are we the same person?
I generally dislike people. Of all sorts. I prefer to be left alone to work/eat/exist.
I have a nasty habit of interrupting people. Not to be rude...usually because I have a "me too!!" comment that just can't wait until the end of their long story.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
"I say what I mean and I mean what I say."
That never seemed to me to be a weakness, but I'm surprised at how many people cannot "hear" something that isn't sugar coated. Unfortunately, I'm not real good a sugar coating.
"I'm lousy at playing politics" is another major weakness of mine.
I generally dislike people. Of all sorts. I prefer to be left alone to work/eat/exist.
I have a nasty habit of interrupting people. Not to be rude...usually because I have a "me too!!" comment that just can't wait until the end of their long story.
I, no lie, had a section in my post about my bad habit of interrupting. I deleted it because my post just kept getting longer and longer. Bizarro.
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FDW630
219 Posts
Are we the same person?
I generally dislike people. Of all sorts. I prefer to be left alone to work/eat/exist.
I have a nasty habit of interrupting people. Not to be rude...usually because I have a "me too!!" comment that just can't wait until the end of their long story.