Series: Awkward Teaching Interview Questions - Part 2

In the second post in my series about the questions that can be difficult to answer in an interview, is one where we are asked to be our own critic.

What are your weaknesses?

You may be wondering why an interviewer is looking for you to reveal weaknesses when surely, they expect only the most confident of responses from a good interviewee. Perhaps you are the one who is reluctant to show any weakness at all in an interview. We are all human; we all have our weaknesses.

Why ask?

Interviewers use this question to get a sense of your own self-awareness and to see how you react to what is an emotive issue. Admitting weakness does not come naturally to us all. The way you respond and your attitude when asked, will tell your interviewer a lot about you. If you know your weakness, you can tell your interviewer what you are doing to improve. This will show a level of self-awareness on your part and will assure them that you have the maturity to find solutions to your issues.

Careful now...

You are trying to land your dream teaching job here. If you are an awful timekeeper and are always late, it is not a good idea to say this. Instead, put things in place to help you become a better timekeeper. There is rarely a good excuse to be consistently late and it shows that you value your own time over others’.

Perhaps you are one of these people who says ‘yes’ to everyone and then you struggle to get your own jobs done. Having an awareness of this and communicating how you are going to manage your time better, will show an employer your willingness to be a team-player, without comprising the high standard of your work.

The Awkward Interview Questions Series:

• Series: Awkward Teaching Interview Questions - Part 1

• Series: Awkward Teaching Interview Questions - Part 4

• Series: Awkward Teaching Interview Questions - Part 5

Interview confidence comes with time and practice. You can contact me at hello@orladempseycoaching.ie or find out more here if you need to prepare a winning SAF & CV or to avail of Mock Interview Practice.