Is it okay to use one of the following to answer it
- Self-critical
- Too competitive
- Take on too much responsability
If not, can you please suggest other options that could be a good answer for this question?
Thanks
Is it okay to use one of the following to answer it
- Self-critical
- Too competitive
- Take on too much responsability
If not, can you please suggest other options that could be a good answer for this question?
Thanks
Hi Anonymous,
I would structure the answer to this question as follows:
Too competitive may be perceived as a red flag – you need to be a team player in consulting. Taking too much responsibility seems instead a point of strength presented as a weakness.
The best way to find a “good” weakness is to avoid standard ones such as public speaking. Rather, go through the following approach to identify real weaknesses:
This allows to have “natural” weaknesses which show personal improvement.
For more help on the typical behavioural questions asked in consulting interviews please feel free to PM me.
Best,
Francesco
!. Create a list of your weaknesses. Be honest.
2. Cross out "red flags" weaknesses for consultant (bad with numbers, low stress resistance, etc.)
3. Cross out weaknesses that makes you look like you promoting yourself (perfectionist, too responsible, etc.)
4. Cross out weaknesses that are irrelevant for consulting job (can't make myself to go to gym, afraid to perform on big stages, etc.)
5. From the rest options, pick the ones where you can show that you work on it. It's important to show that you not only know your weaknesses, but you doing specific actions to improve it.
6. Try your answer on case partner/ coach. Correct it if needed.
Best!
Please ignore all the bullsh*t advice you can find in typical interview preparation books! Just reflect and come up with a REAL weakness. Explain it to the interviewer (ideally with a little anecdote that illustrates it), and then outline how you are working on it and how you intend to further improve going forward. That's it! What you need to demonstrate is the ability to self-reflect. Coming up with a fake answer will do nothing but sabotage yourself.
Cheers, Sidi
Hi there,
Welcome to PrepLounge and thanks for asking your question on our Consulting Q&A.
Have you already checked out our new feature Self Study Mode?
You can find a number of personal fit questions such as "What do you consider to be your weaknesses?" including best practice answers by our experts.
Maybe this helps you for your further practice.
We wish you a great case prep!
Best,
Astrid
PrepLounge Community Management
The most important thing I can tell you is this: be honest. Don't go in there and blurt out a "fake weakness" like a lot of people try to do. For example, when people say they work too hard or that they are too much of a perfectionist. Having interviewed people myself before (disclaimer: for non-consulting jobs), when candidates would do this it would just make me cringe.
It is OK to show that you are human, to talk about what your real weaknesses may be. That being said, because this is an interview, it is also important to show that you are actively trying to overcome your weaknesses on a day to day basis. My advice here would be to be ready to provide in-depth examples of ways in which you are addressing your weaknesses every day and the progress you have made so far.
In my humble opinion, making progress on a real weakness and showing commitment to change is much more powerful than appearing to be perfect.
While it is important to be honest, you should, at the very least, avoid mentioning characterisitcs that are vital in the industry field as your weaknesses. If you apply for consulting roles, do not say you have poor communication skills, or you hate numbers. You may risk leaving a negative first impression even though you manage to explain how you try to improve afterwards.
Hope it helps!
Besides being great at case cracking you also need to convince the interviewer that your personality fits into a case team or in the company as a whole
Tell me of a situation where you had an opinion and no one seemed to agree with you. What was your goal when you decided to join university / work / clubs / a sports team? Did you have a goal that you were not able to reach? What did you do? What do you want to be remembered for and how are you ... Open whole case
What arouses your interest when you are working / studying / doing another activity (from the CV)? Tell me of a time where you had no idea what you were doing. When did you use an uncommon approach to do something? Have you ever had responsibility for other people? Tell me of a situation where ... Open whole case
Tell me about a difficult situation you had to cope with. Tell me of a task which you didn’t like doing and explain why you performed it nevertheless. Why do you do things? What do you like doing most / What is your favorite hobby? Walk me through a situation where you showed leadership skills ... Open whole case
Questions Tell me something about your background. Why should we hire you? Describe a difficult situation and how you handled it? What did your boss or colleagues criticize about you? Do you rather work in a team or independently? Open whole case
What books/films have you enjoyed recently and why? What is the worst thing that you have ever gotten away with? How do you define and evaluate successful work? Do you fear anything? How would you rate me as your interviewer? Open whole case