Hey, it is Lieutenant Skip with another video for you as you progress through applying to your dream department. Today, I'm going to talk about one of my favourite interview questions that I've used personally, as well as have seen used on several different oral boards that I've participated with.
The question is, "Please provide me three weaknesses and strengths that you have." The reason I like this question so much is that it allows me to see if that applicant understands himself, if he has the self-awareness to be able to describe his weaknesses and strengths, and then present that to the oral board. Most times, people come up with one or two, which is great. However, even that can be a struggle. There are times when I've had people sit there and be stumped trying to come up with a weakness or a strength. What that shows is that you're really not aware of your abilities, your characteristics, and your self-awareness.
With this, though, there are a couple of key things to keep in mind. You want to select those strengths and weaknesses that are relatable, things that are not going to be alarming. For instance, you want to find a weakness that is not going to throw your game so to speak. In response to this answer, one of the things I'd recommend is always to start with the weakness first. Get that out of the way so as you finish, you're finishing strong, you're describing your strengths, and that's going to be the last things that you're going to put on the table for the oral board.
If I had to answer this question, I would say, I do appreciate that one of the weaknesses that I know that I have is procrastination. Unfortunately, I've had some situations where, because of the tendency to procrastinate, it's made me really have to scramble at the end to get things done. That's not the way I like to do things. The work wasn't the quality that I normally put out. I did realize this after this situation so there are steps that I am taking to address that.
One of the things I've done is I realized that even though I start off with great intentions, there are things that are going to come up throughout the week, throughout that month that I have no control over that I will still have to address. Those are the things that really delayed me in accomplishing this goal. What I've done is I'd look at things and understand that there are going to be things that will come up and I start addressing my project right off the bat. I start scheduling time to get things done so that way, even if things do approach, I'm not procrastinating, I'm not holding it off. I'm using my time wisely to get the objective completed.
One of the strengths that I do have is my dependability. One of the things I do realize about myself that I believe is common knowledge to people around me is that I am dependable. Regardless, if you tell me to get something done, I will get it done. If there are issues that come up, I'm going to let my supervisor know and my co-workers know so that way we're all on the same page. However, if it is assigned to me, I do a great job of communicating the timelines, the status, and when it's completed. That way the people who are going to use that information or that project down the road can do so and plan accordingly.
That's just a quick general outline for that answer. Regarding your weakness, talk about it, but make sure you have an answer for what you're doing about that. Yes, I have this weakness, I recognize it, this is what it's doing, but this is also what I am doing to overcome that. As for the strength answer, you want to talk about why this is a strength and how it helps you and those around you. This question is an opportunity for you as an applicant to really allow the board to see you so don't miss this opportunity. You won't be able to make the most of it unless you prepare.
That was just one strength and one weakness, but I really encourage you to take the time and jot these things down. Refine your answer, make sure that it comes second nature to you as you're providing that response, and that is going to be something that will help you stand out from the crowd.
This was a quick oral board question prep, and I hope that you can really spend some time and make it your own. Good luck.
Lt. Skip
Earn My Badge
Law Enforcement Hiring Dynamics
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