Announce Weaknesses & Mistakes When Asked

When my dad worked at Altec® — a manufacturer of commercial utility vehicles — he left for work before my time to catch the bus. That means if I missed the bus, my dad wasn’t an option to give me a ride to the school 4 miles away.

My grandmother could give me a ride to school or possibly one of my aunties if I could catch one before they left for work. For all the times I missed the bus, I never felt compelled to tell my father what happened. In fact, I would be amazed if my dad was aware of any time I missed the bus. Only another family member could’ve revealed that I missed the bus.

My point? Be honest about your weaknesses, mistakes, shortcomings, etc, but don’t broadcast them if no one is asking.

Consider elements of hiring process

I give myself this advice because I feel like giving you a reason to doubt my ability in any way doesn’t help either one of us. Consider this: you build a resumé to neatly list your strengths and achievements. We know that strengths and weaknesses are things a hiring manager cares about because we’re asked about both during an interview.

So, why don’t we list our weaknesses on the resumé? That’s a rhetorical question, but I suspect that we don’t add in our list of lesser qualities because it’s uncomfortable. The irony is that it shouldn’t be any more uncomfortable than asking someone to talk about them. 🤔