[Job-Discussions] Interview quest: weaknesses

Sat Jun 15 17:07:55 UTC 2024

This is an interesting and timely discussion. In my opinion, getting a job has never been more difficult for anyone than it is today. Potential employers would rather use software tools to filter out potential employees based on their cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn profiles. The pattern I have noticed in my own case is that interviewers want an elevator speech before they ask specific questions. I think the elevator speech is the hardest thing to do for anyone getting a job. If I have sufficient time between when I learn about a job and the interview, I make practice recordings using my iPhone. I try thinking of questions the interviewer may ask to stump me. I have found in some interviews the interviewer wants to know how you handled a bad situation. Some interviewers have asked me personal questions though the questions weren’t any different than ones they would have asked a sighted person. I had one interviewer who asked me about what a dream job would be. I hadn’t anticipated that and could have given a better answer. I think it was a lost opportunity but a learning experience.

Blind people have additional challenges. I’m glad there is the JAWS feature to help center yourself in a camera frame. This is helpful. I turn speech off and use my Braille display so I can be as unobtrusive as possible. Most long-term jobs I have had resulted from networking rather than a response to a job listing and a formal job interview. There’s a lot of competition in the job market which makes things even more difficult for blind people. My only advice is being resilient and persistent which isn’t always easy.

Dan

From: Job-Discussions <job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sandra Gayer via Job-Discussions
Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2024 6:34 AM
To: Job Discussions internet Mailing List <job-discussions at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sandra Gayer <sandragayer7 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Job-Discussions] Interview quest: weaknesses

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I'm only catching up with this thread. Weakness questions are best answered in a positive frame, pointing to a skill the company may want. IE, my greatest weakness is my meticulous attention to detail. There was a politician here in England who described himself as "Spreadsheet Phil,", in short, outlining his focus on spreadsheet accuracy as a weakness. What employer wouldn't want that?

Very best wishes,

Sandra.

On 15/06/2024 04:49, Ms. Jamelle Word via Job-Discussions wrote:

Hi Darrell,

Thank you for sharing this with me. 

From: Job-Discussions  <mailto:job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> <job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Darrell Hilliker via Job-Discussions
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 7:56 PM
To: 'Job Discussions internet Mailing List'  <mailto:job-discussions at nfbnet.org> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org>
Cc: darrell.hilliker at gmail.com <mailto:darrell.hilliker at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Job-Discussions] Interview quest: weaknesses

Hi Jamelle,

Dovetailing from what David has already stated, I think the direct questions about “weaknesses” are largely going away in interviewing. More and more, it is about how you have handled various work-related scenarios and you are asked to tell short stories that answer the questions.

The other kind of question you’re likely to get will be something specific about a skill required for the role to which you have applied.

I occasionally interview candidates for support positions, and here is a generalized example of some of the questions I have asked:

Please tell me about a situation in which you actively considered someone else’s ideas even when they sharply disagreed with your own.

Our engineers are expected to complete several different kinds of tasks in any given work day. Please describe how you prioritize your work and what tools you have found helpful.

When you are testing a component against WCAG Success Criterion 2.1.1, please describe the meaning of that criterion and outline some techniques you find helpful.

Rather than focusing on how I can reject a candidate, I am actively listening to their answers to get a better understanding of how their experience and their unique, authentic characteristics could benefit our team.

And, as David has already stated, it is a very good idea to really sit down, take some serious effort and time to think about not only those opportunities, vulnerabilities or “weaknesses” you should address, but also to inventory your strengths and really think about how they could be useful tools to set you up for success. I’d even recommend taking notes during this time or, if writing is something you enjoy, draft a stream of consciousness where you just write down anything that comes to mind when you think about employment, experience, knowledge, skills, weaknesses, etc.

Please just keep in mind that, at the end of the day, the potential employer has work they need to get done, and they need to find the best person for the job. 

Thanks,

Darrell Hilliker, NU7I, CPWA

Innovation: Technology is not innovative if it is not accessible. In fact, it is unintentionally ableist, or even racist or misogynistic, when technology is designed without inclusion as a first principle. And being ableist is not innovative at all. Being ableist is an outdated way of doing things. Choose not to be outdated. Be intentionally innovative and include people with disabilities throughout your project lifecycle, starting from the beginning in the design and planning stages.

From: Job-Discussions <job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Ms. Jamelle Word via Job-Discussions
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 1:48 PM
To: 'Job Discussions internet Mailing List' <job-discussions at nfbnet.org <mailto:job-discussions at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: jmail201586 at yahoo.com <mailto:jmail201586 at yahoo.com> 
Subject: [Job-Discussions] Interview quest: weaknesses

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask about the question weaknesses. If you don’t know what your weaknesses are how do you answer this question?,

Thank you in advance

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