Let me guess. You’re just too good, right? Too passionate. Too focused. Too hard of a worker. Right. This is not what interviewers want to hear. Why? Because it’s bullshit. You know it. And they know it. How do they know? Because they probably answered the same way once upon a time. And they probably hated that question as much as you do.

Polishing a negative until it looks like a positive is widespread advice, but not really the best. It comes off as fake as it feels. When an interviewer hears, “My greatest weakness is being too dedicated to my job,” it immediately translates to, “I’m lying and just saying the easiest thing. It’s not honest. I’m not original.” Yikes. So what should you stay instead?

I’m not by any means advocating that you fill in a potential employer on your penchant for getting a little saucy at happy hour, or that you are a perpetual procrastinator. You know where the line is for what is appropriate to share. But you can and should be honest. There must be something you’re not that great at. If there isn’t, then you’d probably already be gainfully employed. Maybe you’re stuck on certain technology or have trouble with public speaking. An employer would much rather hear that you’re facing a real challenge. And then they want to hear what you’re doing to overcome it. Maybe you’re spending extra time studying that new software package, or you’re taking a class in public speaking. This is the time to share that. It’s ok not to be perfect, just be trying.

Anyway, you know what will impress in an interview? A customized online portfolio! It shows that you’re tech savvy, current, creative, and willing to go the extra mile. And guess what? We’ll make one for you — check out The Capitalista Contest if you haven’t already.

Happy hunting!

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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

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