I often ask "What are your shortcomings?" during interviews. This question seems simple, but every time I answer it, I feel that it is almost meaningful. If you also have such confusion, then you must read this article carefully.
1. Key points
Before answering, first, we need to figure out the following two key points:
- Key points of the problem: First of all, you have to think clearly about why the interviewer asked this question? Maybe the interviewer wants to know youSelf-cognitive ability, see if I am honestand whether I am actively improving my shortcomings. so,You must not be too honest or too hypocritical when answering. You must find a balance point。
- Answer key points: Point oneReal, non-core disadvantages, explain how I realized this problem, and took some specific measures to improve it, and finally emphasized the current progress and effectiveness. This not only demonstrates the ability to reflect on one's own, but also reflects the attitude of actively solving problems, which is in line with the purpose of the interviewer's inspection.
2. Don't say these words
What are the shortcomings that must not be mentioned, here are a few simple examples:
- Apply for sales position: Avoid saying that you are "introverted".
- Apply for a financial position/audience position: Avoid saying that you are "careless".
- Apply for a public relations position: Avoid saying that you are "irritable and emotionally unstable".
- Apply for R&D position: Avoid saying that you are "individualistic".
- Apply for a manufacturing position: Avoid saying that you are "lazy".
- Apply for e-commerce jobs: Avoid saying that you "love procrastination".
3. Answer and suggestion
1. Choosing disadvantages that are not related to the core ability of the job
Avoid mentioning disadvantages that directly affect the core skills of Java development, such as "unfamiliar with multithreading" or "unfamiliar with mainstream frameworks".
Non-fatal weaknesses can be selected, such as:
- The balance between technology breadth and depth: Too focused on a certain technology stack, such as Spring, and have a shallow understanding of other fields, such as the front-end.
- Over-pursuing code perfection: Sometimes the progress is affected by optimizing the code, but you have learned to prioritize management.
2. Avoid "fake shortcomings" or general answers
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Error demonstration：
- “I’m so pursuing perfection” → seems insincere.
- “I work too much overtime sometimes” → Implicit efficiency issues.
- Correct demonstration: "I have a strong interest in new technologies, but I have influenced the main task by distractions. Now I use my spare time to systematically study and develop a priority list to ensure my work is focused."
3. Answer template sentence format
“I had [specific shortcomings] but realized in [a certain experience] that it could affect efficiency/collaboration. For this, I took [specific measures] and now I can [improve the results], such as [cases].”
4. Based on specific cases, emphasize reform and action
Use actual experience to illustrate how you proactively solve problems, such as:
“I used to delay progress due to over-designing a module in a project. Later, I could quickly iterate by dismantling tasks, setting phased acceptance points, and using code reviews to quickly iterate, and now I can balance quality and efficiency more efficiently.”
4. Answer example
- "As a Java developer, I have been too focused on technology implementation and neglected business communication. When I was involved in a microservice project, the products and requirements developed were deteriorated due to insufficient understanding of the requirements, resulting in rework. After that, I will be developing. Check the details with the product manager before and repeat the requirements with the flowchart to ensure a consistent understanding, thus avoiding the recurrence of such problems.”
- "I have a strong interest in new technologies, but I have influenced the main task by distractions. Now I use my spare time to systematically study and develop a priority list to ensure my work is focused."
summary
- Answer sentence format: True shortcomings (non-fatal) + Improvement measures (specific actions) + Positive results (data/case).
- Taboos: Negate core skills, expose personality defects, and lack of solutions.
This article has been included in my interview site, which includes: scene problems, concurrent programming, MySQL, Redis, Spring, Spring MVC, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, MyBatis, JVM, design patterns, message queues and other modules.