Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Forever]

I keep getting asked at interviews -

What are your positive strengths in teaching?

and

What are your negative strengths in teaching?


for the positive, I usually answer "I have a clear, loud voice in the classroom and I am always moving around the classroom trying to ensure the students are interested".

for the negative - It always stumps me, I am not sure what I should say.

any advice.

p.s. (I have a SMOE interview tomorrow morning)

[Perceptioncheck]

[Forever]

[edwardcatflap]

[Forever]

thank you edwardcatflap.

Thats the type of advice I need.

(I have been doing badly during interviews lately) and this year seems more competitive than previously.

[djsmnc]

If these are for hagwon jobs, a positive strength might be:

I juggle well

and negative might be:

Sometimes I smell like alcohol, so I smoke heavily to cover it up

[Radius]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[UknowsI]

[Troglodyte]

Anyone who would ask for you for your best and worst traits in a job interview either isn't experienced at interviewing or doesn't care what you answer. I've interviewed people for jobs before (in ELT and other fields). No one will truthfully tell their worst trait. At best that question (or anything where the interviewee can choose the ideal answer) will tell the interviewer how creative and skilled the interviewee is in the fine art of BS-ing. A more experienced/serious interviewer would ask things like "What would you do in situation X, Y or Z?" and then see how realistic and feasible your solution is. Or they will ask you other questions that will test your ability.

If they are asking you for your best and worst characteristics, then just tell them what they want to hear. Your best characteristic is something like "I love working with kids." "I am creative." "I'm always learning new methods." etc. Be creative. Your worst characteristic is something like "I spend too much of my free time working." (Don't say "workaholic" because some Korean interviewers have very bad listening skills and might hear "alcoholic".) You could also say, "Sometimes my co-workers don't like that I don't drink with them. But i just don't like the taste of alcohol." Basically you need something that COULD be considered a bad characteristic, but could ALSO be considered a good one (and at least not a very bad one).

In short, if they are asking your such a BS question, give them a BS answer.

[GTG09]

If it was a job dealing with little kids I would say I have patience.

When they ask you for a negetive just answer with a positive that you say is excessive, like organization.

[conrad2]

My strength is that I know that the term "negative strength" makes no sense.

[Steelrails]

[Nuggets]

Op, of course you want to say something that will help you and not hurt you in anyway. Make it simple and ambiguous that it would be hard to pursue the subject any further.

For instance: "I think I work too hard sometimes." Perfect. It's simple, to the point and in no way really -negative. You just give it a negative tone, but the meaning will be positive.

It doesn't have to be drawn out and then you have to explain yourself like all the advice about drinking.

[CapnSamwise]

I think outside the box to revolutionize paradigms and invert the pedagogical hegemony that oppresses differently abled learners.