9 Ways to Ruin a Job Interview

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Asking a candidate about his or her weaknesses is inappropriate and thoughtless. To probe into the personal and private self-assessment of the subject of the interview is not only impolite, but yields no useful results.

Unskilled interviewers often probe potential employees with similar nonsensical questions like this one. The expected answer fro m a candidate worth employing does not tell bout his or her weaknesses and strengths, but about his or her creativity in inventing an answer that placates the silly interviewer.

By the same token, a candidate, faced with questions along this line, should consider whether he or she would like to work for an employer who would use the power of employment to intrude upon his or her private and personal self-assessments. Certainly if the interviewer is a hiring manager, rather than a sadist employee, a candidate would be well-advised to look for a decent place to work!

To avoid such stupid waste of time on silly questions, a brief meeting is usually held about the vacancy with the interviewers. The discussion is about the areas of interest in every candidate, and making certain that, if any doubt exists about the performance of a potential candidate, it is detected through his or her own description of his or her previous career and achievements.

Sadly the internet is replete with similar questions, purposeless and usually deemed supremely clever by novice interviewer. In a sense, it is a cover for a failure of the interviewer to be able to assess people and characters, and expecting the potential candidate to do the work for them.

The purpose of a face-to-face interview is not to find an excuse top through a candidate out, but to find out how best he or she can fit the requirement of the job. Here again we are touching on the a,mature interviewer and the skilled and objective one.

Hermann Helmoholtz of CA 7:11PM December 26, 2012

I got Abuse by an Houston Policeman , He lied unther Oath 3 years ago.,, The 3rd Felonies charge on me was dismisted after 21 Courtdays was spended for the last 3 yeasr...without approved for my requested for a trail...But its still stays in my records ..for the rest of My Life and all of Houston Court System.. hope me to forgive and forgot ..everything..ask me to look for a job that dont check my records with chip rate... I am 43 years old and they want me start to do so.... because they dont want any parts of my stories go to the public...

I lost my Life and My Family... I cant not go to work with good paid like the last 18 years...with the messy record cause by Houston Police.

Your Advices was very good for me to againts someone tried to cover the my stories about the abuse power of one bad seed of police forces in Houston, Texas.... They ALL want I have to close my mounth and back to work with the cheapest pay..and pay Tax to feed a bad policeman..

Agains.. They was break the Federal' Laws when denied all my requested for an jury Trail ... I never have an Jury Trail to bring up everything in Justice..

Thanks verymuch..for your adviecs

Minh Nguyen or Edwind James Gaside jr of TX 3:54PM June 11, 2009

I got Abuse by an Houston Police man , He lied unthe Oath 3 years ago.,, The 3rd Felonies charge on me was dismisted after 21 Courtdays was spent for the last 3 yeasr...with out a my requested for a trail...But its still stays in my records ..for the rest of My Life and all of Houston Court System.. hope me to forgive and forgot ..everything..ask me to look for a job that dont check my records whit chip rate... I am 43 years old and they want me start to do so.... because they dont want any parts of my story go to the public...

I lost my Life and My Family... I cant not go to work with good paid as the last 18 years...with the messy record cause by Houston polices.

Your Advices was very good for me to againts someone tried to cover the my stories about the abuse power of one bad seed of police fores in Houston, Texas.... when they want I have to close my mount and back to work with the cheapest pay..

Aganins They was break the Federal' Laws when denied all my requested for an jury Trail ...

Thanks verymuch..for your adviecs

Minh Nguyen or Edwind James Gaside jr of TX 3:35PM June 11, 2009

Except as a former Fortune 1000 Head of HR, I disagree about sharing real job related weaknesses. Interviewers want to know your weaknesses so they can disqualify you. If you share real insights about weaknesses that could impact your job performance you won't get the job.You might appreciated someones honesty but you'll hire the candidate who doen't have (or share) job related weaknesses. My advice is to make a joke when you answer that question. For example: " I have a terrible sense of directions." hardly a job disqualifier unless you are applying to be a cab driver.

Lee E. Miller

YourCareerDoctors.com

Lee E. Miller of NJ 11:42PM December 31, 2008

I work for a temp agency, and I get candidates who bring their entire family to the interview/registration. It's truly unbelievable, but we're constantly asking them to leave their children, babies, grandmas, etc outside so as not to cause disruptions. It's unfathomable to me but somehow they think nothing of dragging the whole clan with them. Not good.

Aimee of NJ 1:52PM December 30, 2008

Wonderful advice! Thankyou.

berry connell of IN 7:46PM December 26, 2008

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