Como falar sobre suas fraquezas na entrevista de emprego em inglês

Se você está participando de algum processo seletivo e vai precisar fazer uma entrevista de emprego em inglês, é muito importante se preparar para possíveis perguntas e respostas. Um candidato bem preparado também mostra que será um funcionário preparado, e isso pode fazer a diferença.

Uma das perguntas mais famosas de uma entrevista é a clássica “what are your weaknesses?”, ou, “quais são as suas fraquezas?”.

Saber responder essa pergunta adequadamente mostra que você tem um bom conhecimento sobre as suas próprias limitações e qual caminho deve seguir para evoluir na sua vida profissional.

E, para você fugir da clássica “sou muito perfeccionista”, faça o exercício abaixo com 10 respostas possíveis e como elas são vistas no ambiente profissional.

EXERCISE
Match the following weaknesses with their corresponding paragraphs.

• I can have trouble asking for help
• I have trouble saying “no.”
• I focus too much on the details
• It has been difficult for me to work with certain personalities
• I could use more experience in…
• It can be difficult for me to maintain a healthy work/life balance
• In the past I have been uncomfortable with ambiguity
• I sometimes lack confidence
• I have a hard time letting go of a project
• I get impatient when projects run beyond the deadline

1. _____
Being “detail-oriented” is a typically a good thing, but if you’re someone who tends to spend too much time on the specifics of a project, it could also be considered a weakness. By sharing that you focus too much on details, you’re showing your interviewer that you’re capable of helping the organization avoid even minor mistakes.

Detail-oriented: paying attention to detail

2. _____
When you’ve spent a great deal of time and effort on something, it’s easy to feel apprehensive about marking it complete or passing it on to another team. There’s always room for improvement, and some people tend to over-criticize their work or attempt last-minute changes, which can threaten the timeline. At the same time, though, last-minute reviews can help eliminate errors and make for a more refined finished product.

To threaten: cause (someone or something) to be vulnerable or at risk

3. _____
Helping colleagues on projects and properly managing your workload is an artful balance. From an employer’s perspective, someone who accepts all requests seems dedicated and eager—but can also be someone who doesn’t know their limits and ends up needing help or deadline extensions to finish their work.

Workload: the amount of work to be done by someone
Artful: clever or skilful
Eager: strongly wanting to do or have something

4. _____
While expressing outward stress or frustration over missed deadlines can be considered a weakness, employers value workers that place importance on deadlines and strive to keep projects within the planned timeline.

Outward: of, on, or from the outside
To strive: make great efforts to achieve or obtain something

5. _____
Each candidate will have areas to improve their expertise. Maybe it’s something specific like building pivot tables in Excel, or perhaps it’s a skill like math, writing or public speaking. Whatever the case, sharing something you want to improve upon shows the interviewer that you’re self-aware and like to challenge yourself. Be sure, however, that you don’t answer with a weakness that is essential to the role.

Self-aware: having conscious knowledge of one's own character and feelings

6. _____
Lack of confidence is a common weakness, especially among entry-level contributors. Experiencing a lack of confidence can sometimes cause inefficiencies in your work. For example, you might feel too unqualified to speak up at an important meeting when your idea could help the team to achieve a goal. While being humble when working with others can be helpful, it is also necessary to maintain a certain amount of confidence to do your job at an optimal level.

Humble: having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's importance

7. _____
Asking for help is a necessary skill both when you are lacking expertise in a certain area and when you are feeling burned out or cannot handle your workload. Knowing when and how to ask for help shows strong self-awareness and helps the organization by getting ahead of a possible inefficiency. While having a strong work ethic and being independent are positive qualities, it is better for the business to know when to ask for help.

To lack: the state of being without or not having enough of something

8. _____
Even the most flexible people can have trouble working with others that have certain characteristics or personality traits. Having good teamwork skills also means having a strong awareness of how you work with others and ways you can adjust your approach to better serve the organization.

9. _____
Finding work/life balance is important to maintain motivation in your job. While it is certainly honorable and shows a strong work ethic to spend your time and energy on work, it is also necessary to prioritize spending time with your family, hobbies, on vacation or simply resting. Doing so can help you feel refreshed when you are at work and can increase motivation, creativity and support a positive outlook.

Outlook: a person's point of view or general attitude to life

10. _____
Many jobs require candidates who are comfortable individually defining tasks and working towards goals. This means they should be experienced, thoughtful and responsible with ambiguity in the workplace. While it is certainly a beneficial skill to closely follow detailed instruction, it is also necessary to be able to determine what it takes to achieve the desired outcome.

Towards: in the direction of
Thoughtful: showing careful consideration or attention
Outcome: the way a thing turns out; a consequence

ANSWER KEY
1. I focus too much on the details
2. I have a hard time letting go of a project
3. I have trouble saying “no.”
4. I get impatient when projects run beyond the deadline
5. I could use more experience in…
6. I sometimes lack confidence
7. I can have trouble asking for help
8. It has been difficult for me to work with certain personalities
9. It can be difficult for me to maintain a healthy work/life balance
10. In the past I have been uncomfortable with ambiguity

SOURCE: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/list-of-example-weaknesses-for-interviewing

E se você quiser aprender mais sobre esse tema, a Companhia de Idiomas está lançando esta semana um curso rápido de entrevistas de emprego em inglês, com encontros online com o professor, e temos um desconto especial de 30% para os 2 (dois) primeiros leitores da Exame que adquirirem a modalidade Encontro Marcado. Clique aqui e use o cupom EXAME30: https://bit.ly/2ybjyMT

Michel Rosas é professor de inglês e gerente de marketing na Companhia de Idiomas.