This can be the most difficult question put by the interviewer to check out your honesty and your

confidence level. An experienced interviewer would have heard every clichd answer to this question and will know when you are feeding them a line. The purpose of asking this question is firstly to see how you handle a stress question and secondly how you actually respond to it. You have to prepare an answer for this question for every job interview before you go. The most important thing about what you say is for it to be something resolvable, or an area in which you can improve and to show how you are trying to solve this or that issue. Weaknesses do not exist, just challenges and solutions: Try to tailor your responses to your specific job or task. You should always turn your weakness into a positive attribute. The trick is to talk about your weaknesses so that they can also appear to be a strength. Focus on your strengths, but have an answer regarding a challenge you have met and overcome. Think of any trait or skill you have that pertains to the job you are applying for. Think of instances when you have shown a lot of skill in that area. It is important to answer the question without making it look like you have a weakness that might prevent you from getting hired. At the same time, you don't want to mention a weakness that isn't really a weakness but confidently answer the question by telling how you want to improve yourself by constantly learning from your own self-analysis. Create an honest list of what you think are your strengths or weaknesses and then select a few of them you can remember. Practice your responses so that they sound natural and you are prepared for the question. Don't come up with statements such as I am a perfectionist or I have no weaknesses. Keep your answers career related and precise. So, don't try to portray yourself as Mr/Miss perfect, as we all have some flaws. Just be careful, and state your weak point by adding that you are working towards overcoming it. The best way to answer would be to choose something that can be turned around to look like a strength. The key is to turn the weakness - a negative character trait - into something positive. Examples: "One of my weaknesses is that I do not quit until I get the job done. I want to make sure that everything I do is my best and in the right order". "My computer skills were lacking a little, but I got trained and got my skills up-to-date." Or, you can say that your written communication skills are not amazing, but you are currently (or planning to register) for a course in creative writing, or business communication, or professional writing, etc... Weaknesses that can also be strengths:

Tell about your weaknesses that are also strengths.

I am a hard-worker and sometimes I work too hard I am a perfectionist and want everything to be done right the first time I'm too helpful. A good helper towards those who need it. Tend to go to any limits while helping someone in trouble. I do not care for paperwork, so you try to get it all done by 10AM so I can go on to other things. Strengths:

Your communication skills- you communicate well with others: "One of my biggest strengths is my communication skills. I work very well with all kinds of people, and understand that everyone has different perspectives about projects and work tasks - so when I work with others I realize that everyone comes to the table with different priorities and objectives. I keep this in mind when I communicate tasks that need to be accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on".

You are a people person. "I like to work in team and have been an active participant and organizer at several places". You are a quick learner and love to learn new things. "I have the ability to cope with failures and try to learn from my mistakes". "I am a quick learner. I have great problem-solving skills and am willing to learn new things to get the job done".

You are always punctual. You are a team player. "I am a team player and work well with others. My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As customer service manager at my last job, I was able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive team".

Good attitude is expected of every employee. You should back up what you say with an example. For example, don't just say you have good customer service skills, you have to prove it by also telling how you won a company award or received positive customer comment letters for your good service.

Determined. Able to prioritize. Self-confidence, "I believe in myself." One of my greatest strengths I've acquired during my education is good analytical and planning skills. This has always benefited me to set goals and try to achieve them. But at the same time, I'm driven by the thoughts of success.

Full commitment to my work. Highly energetic. Having good interpersonal skills.

I'm well organized and like to be neat with all of my work. I have great communication skills. Weaknesses:

You are answering the dreaded question without looking like an egotistical maniac, and showing the interviewer that you see yourself as a work in progress, trying to better all of your qualities. You should answer with things you "are improving upon," e.g., "I believe I should always be improving upon myself."

Just pick one weakness that is not going to disqualify you from the job, and then follow up with - this is what really matters - the examples of what you are doing (or have done) to fix your weakness. The most important point here is to show that you learn from your mistakes and your weakness, and you are taking the corrective action to fix the situation - and stress that!

For example, if the job does not require public speaking, you can say that your weakness is you are afraid of speaking in front of the public. Then tell the interviewers that you have joined a Toastmaster club or public speech course to overcome the problem. Remind them that when you identify a problem, you actively take actions to correct it, and that is how you do things.

Don't try to use a clich or try to present a strength as a weakness by saying your weakness is that you are a workaholic. No one will believe that answer. Being too emotional will make the recruiter wonder if your interpersonal skills are lacking. Give a true weakness but one of modest size. Shows that you have taken steps to correct the weakness. For example you want to improve your MS Excel skills so you are taking a course on that now.

I used to have trouble with procrastinating, now I have learned to write down a list of things that I need to do, and keep a calendar to keep track of deadlines. I have found that this not only helps me to finish things on time, but it has also helped me to be more organized.

For my weakness, some people say I'm over-friendly. You can't go wrong with that one. Usually, the person interviewing is like "Oh, that's not a bad thing at all." I'm a little egoistic when it comes to winning things and get a little ruthless too. I lose patience sometimes when I am not in a position to complete the assigned job in time. I have to work on having more patience and giving myself a break, because I always want everything done at once. I am too focused on my work and I need to find more time to relax. I'm too focused on work and need to develop some after-hours hobbies. Never actually choose something that will be seen as a liability. Try to think of a weakness that can actually be seen in some sort of positive light.

Examples of combination strengths and weaknesses:

I'm a workaholic person and love to dedicate myself to the work I'm doing. But at the same time I forget to keep a balance between other things which I'm trying to improve on. Take whatever is your best quality and also describe it as your worst. It often is, as we are all made up like two sides of a coin. Try it out with different qualities and accomplishments and see how it works. For example: The best thing about me is that I am able to see the big picture in a situation. The worst thing about me is that I can see the big picture in a situation. This is the best thing because I can remove myself from the emotion of a decision that needs to be made and act accordingly. It is a bad thing because I often can see the conclusion quicker than the other participants in a project and that can cause frustration sometimes amongst them.

"My strength is my ability to be flexible; I've seen companies go through changes in structure and management philosophy. I've had to adjust my style to the new environment several times. My weakness is my tendency to over-work so I pace myself now."

Similarly "My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As a software developer at my last job, I was able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive team" If you lack experience or skills, state this but also tell that you are willing to learn, or that it is an area which you would like to improve on. Example 1:"I do not have much experience with customer service, but I would like to gain experience in this area. I get along well with people, I am able to listen and am a good communicator so I feel that I would get on well in a customer based environment."

Example 2 "I am not too experienced with computers, but I am always willing to learn new skills. I have used computers a little in the past and this is one area which I would like to improve on. I am usually very quick at picking up new skills especially when it is something that I need to learn.

Strengths:
Easily adopt to any environment. Positive attitude. Honest for work. Self motivated. Self confidence. Hard working. Goal oriented. Quick learner.

Helpful nature. Time management. Stress management. Cooperative. Disciplined. Punctuality in my work. Good listener and outspoken. 1) willing to learn. 2) adaptable and adjustable. 3) accepting of challenging tasks. 4) self confidence. 5) sportive and spontaneous I am always doing my work honestly. Punctual for timing. Quick learner. Positive thinking. Self motivate and believe in myself. Easily adopt to any work environment.. Time management. Team player. Multitasking. Negotiation. Stress management. Adaptable. Able to work anywhere &any environment. Honest for work. Quick learner. Convincing skills. Hard working. Sporting spirit. Multitasking.

Weakness: Sensitive nature. Cogitative. Meticulously. Quality conscious. Perfectionist. Too much optimist. I am a workaholic. I forget about my personal needs and time when I am working. * I have extreme analytical skills. I like to weigh both the positive and negative sides of everything before I come to a definite conclusion. This sometimes delays the decision process. * I am a people's person. I like to take my group along with me mentally. I would want friendliness and harmony in my group and goes to lengths to achieve this for my team members. * I want everything to be perfect. I think I am a perfectionist which poses a problem as I am not satisfied easily with the final product.

* I am particular about meeting deadlines. Delayed work definitely makes me upset. I have crowd phobia, reserved by nature Sometimes I develop jealousy towards peers.

My role model:

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself - Joseph Campbell The Ramayana has Lord Rama, the Mahabharata has Lord Krishna and cricket has the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar. Well, it is rightly said that if cricket were a religion, Sachin would be the god. The hero of Indian cricket, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is a national icon to fans all over the world. He has given his life to the game of cricket. He is my favourite hero, because he is the one who is born to break all records. The Zimbabwean player, Andy Flower once said, I have seen two kinds of batsmen in the world. One is Sachin and the second are all the others. He has broken many records till date and even today he is getting stronger and stronger. He is the leading run scorer and century maker both in Tests and ODIs. He is the first cricketer to cross 14,000- run bar in the Test cricket and 18,000- mark in ODIs. He is the only batsman to score a double hundred in ODIs. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the name itself strikes terror in the hearts of bowlers and captains all over the world. He is famously called the Little Master or Master Blaster. This legend and star of Indian cricket was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai. He studied in Sharadashram Vidyamandir, a high school in Mumbai, where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor Mr.Ramakant Achrekar. When Sachin was young, his coach would place a one-rupee coin on top of the stump and the player who got him out world be rewarded. In case he was not dismissed, then that reward was passed on to Sachin. He attended the MRF Pace Foundation during his schooldays to train as a fast bowler, but Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who saw him training, was not much impressed and suggested that Tendulkar should focus on his batting instead. While at school, his extraordinary batting skills got noticed by the sports circuit. The young boy soon became one of the greats in cricket. When he was fourteen, he Indian batting legend, Sunil Gavaskar, gave him a pair of his own light pads. This touching gesture greatly encouraged the budding cricketer, who twenty years later, broke Gavaskars world record of 34 Test Centuries. He stepped into international cricket in 1989, playing his first Test against Pakistan and was bowled by Waqar Younis on 15. Within a month, he played his first debut in the ODI against Pakistan scoring a Duck. When Sachin entered the world of cricket, experts criticized him a lot with regard to his height, but the tallest of the bowlers like Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, etc., have

proven short in front of him. This man 5 ft 5 inch, with his amazing talent, today has become the tallest player in the world of cricket. With each passing year in the international area, he became more and more consistent and a permanent top-order batsman in the Indian team. He became the super hero of a billion people in India. If Sachin plays well, then India sleeps well. Matthew Hayden once quoted I have seen GOD, he bats at no.4 for India in Tests. In 1995, Sachin married Anjali, a doctor and the daughter of a Gujarati industrialist, Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara and Arjun. Tendulkar now sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through a Mumbai based NGO. In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, he made 673 runs in 11 matches which enabled India reach the final. Although Australia won the trophy, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament Award. Till the last World Cup, he had played in five World Cups and finally in his Sixth World Cup in 2011, his dream of lifting the Cup came true. Every individual has his own style, his own way of presenting himself on and off the filed, says Tendulkar. There are no apparent weaknesses in Sachins game. He has his own style and own way. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back foot. He can tackle any kind of bowler. His technique is impeccable and he is very professional in his approach and has made the highest runs in a single calendar year. He packs tremendous power and strength into his short, stocky frame and his ability to time the ball is exemplary. He has been consistent, aggressive, physically fit and most importantly, always down to earth. He has been improving on his excellence every day. He has been hitting Fifties, Centuries, Double Centuries consistently in all forms of the game. If you have observed his game nowadays, you might have noticed, many a time he steps out of crease and if bowlers try to confuse him by bowling bouncers or off stump, one can easily discern that in that situation also, he places the ball in gaps and that is really awesome. He runs in between the wickets like a Cheetah. In his 30s he is running like 20-year-old runner. He has been honoured with many prestigious awards including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Arjuna Award and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Indias highest sporting honour. Today, Sachin Tendulkar is the most admired cricketer in the world. He is a role model. He is passionate about his game. He enjoys every moment of his profession. His dedication, hard world, and sincerity make him achieve success consistently and so he is not only successful in his career, but the is at the top in his profession also. Still he is down to earth. He respects his game, country and his fans. He is very much honest and loyal to cricket, country, his family and his fans. His fame, popularity never make him complacent. Every Indian should be proud of him. Every Indian should be proud of him. None of the batsmen can replace him and no words can express his amazing talent, power and achievement.