Strengths and weaknesses

[nomi]

Hi guys, can you guys help me in listing what could be your main strengths and what are your areas of developments when applying for a railways company for entry level

Thanks in advance

 

[ComUtoR]

Know your role.
Each job has different requirements and your skill-set must be tailored to suit.

Know your company.
Employers look for entrants who have some knowledge of the company itself and those not looking for just a job.

Know yourself.
You can't blag it anymore and you should present yourself in an open and honest manner.

I have no weakness. I am pure awesome. Confidence is important too.

I guess the first question is. What position are you applying for ?

 

[nomi]

For the position of customer service assistant

 

[TDK]

The question is asking for strengths, only you know these, they are not actually asking for work based weaknesses. My weakness is cakes as I eat a lot of them My strengths are reliability, professionalism, organised, punctual etc. etc. Get the drift?

 

[nomi]

I understand about strengths but I am unsure about weaknesses as I thought this was also work related, and if it is work related, then what would be good weaknesses to put down that does not effect your application in a negative way and become unsuccessful.

 

[TDK]

I understand about strengths but I am unsure about weaknesses as I thought this was also work related, and if it is work related, then what would be good weaknesses to put down that does not effect your application in a negative way and become unsuccessful.

It depends on what question they ask, if they ask what are your weaknesses and don't mention work why offer some weakness to them that may affect your application.

 

[ComUtoR]

Or try the Weakness is a positive...


"my weakness is that I'm a workoholic"
"I try too hard"
"I'm obsessed with always being on time"

 

[JamesTT]

How about I use to have weakness (blah) However doing xyz I have overcome it. I see the resulting change as a strength. I reckon they would lap that up. So for example I use to be anxious with difficult customers. discussed dealing strategies with management and other colleagues, had some training now I see dealing with troublesome folk as one of my strengths

 

[ComUtoR]

How about I use to have weakness (blah) However doing xyz I have overcome it.

I understand your point and you need to be really careful with that.

So for example I use to be anxious with difficult customers. discussed dealing strategies with management and other colleagues, had some training now I see dealing with troublesome folk as one of my strengths

You need to remember that the second you say anything that could be considered negative the interviewer will stop listening. I have been on the other side of the table and when I hear anything negative I take notes and underline in big bold strokes. It can certainly throw an interviewer off so its a knife edge to balance.

Interviews are more about the techniques you use to convey a point rather than the content. You have to come across as a person who they want to employ. The interviewer has seen numerous candidates and has heard all the usual responses. Trying to use a textbook response can be detrimental.

Be yourself and be honest. Let the interviewer keep control and let them guide your answers. Be confident and try to sound genuine rather than having a canned answer.

My personal weakness is my kids. That is nothing to do with the job and is specifically personal to me. In an interview I would give that as a personal weakness (used as a positive) and let the interviewer decide and lead where that applies to the job. I then hit them with the coping mechanisms and how I would make small sacrifices because in the long term it benefits my kids and the flip to a positive is in my control. Not once does that become a negative toward the role advertised.

EG.

ME: My weakness is my children.
DM : Working shifts means you lose some important days
ME: I maintain the balance. I may lose harvest festival but I get Easter and vice versa.
DM : What if you lose both ?
ME : I make other days more special. Its just a change of perception. I accept a shift worker life because the benefit is that I get other days that some parent don't
DM : So you are sacrificing your children for a job ?
ME : I want the children to be proud of me and being a Train Driver allows me to do that. Its an important job and doing the best I can in that role makes them proud.


Seriously you can flip a weakness without saying anything negative. Again; that is me and it is personal to me. There is no black and white response and any interview should flow naturally. Even online applications aren't black and white. The generic response is said by everybody.

Strengths and weakness' are a personal thing.

 

[JamesTT]

Of course I would not suggest lying. I was just saying that if you had a weakness that you have been able to address and is now a strength surely that is a good thing

 

[ComUtoR]

I was just saying that if you had a weakness that you have been able to address and is now a strength surely that is a good thing

Only if it is something beyond your control. Turning things around can be good and you should use an example of why it happened and what your actions were but I wouldn't use it from a strength/weakness point.

There is a question on the MMI about how you dealt with an emergency. That is the time where you should be showing how you managed to overcome and how you turned things around from a bad situation.

It isn't wrong to show a weakness from before now being a strength but something that you need to be more careful with. Saying negative things will prick the ears up of the interviewer.

With more and more interviews having structured questions and the traditional questions taking a back seat many people all sound the same. What makes you stand out is personality.

 

[JamesTT]

Is it more likely the questions related to this will be some along the lines of. Tell me a time when you used a strength? Tell me a time you overcame a weakness. There is one thing if the interviewers see any admittance of weakness current or resolved as a big no no. Does this not run the risk of employing arrogant narcissists who will never admit if they are wrong.

 

[Greenback]

I have to say I haven't heard questions like 'What do you consider are your strengths?' and 'What do you consider are your weaknesses?' for a while now. I think it's more likely to be along the lines of what James TT quoted these days.

 

[TDK]

I have to say I haven't heard questions like 'What do you consider are your strengths?' and 'What do you consider are your weaknesses?' for a while now. I think it's more likely to be along the lines of what James TT quoted these days.

In many interview scenarios many candidates do not really listen to the question correctly for example:-

Name a time when you have spent a lot of time alone

Answers given - I haven't done a job where I have been on my own but have worked on my own a couple of time.

The question didn't ask name a time when you have worked alone it asks name a time when you have spent time alone - fishing, cycling, walking, driving, metal detecting etc.

It's the same when they ask you for weakness - mine is cream cakes

 

[Greenback]

You are right. TDK. It's important to listen to the wording of the questions very carefully.