Weakness question (what challenges do you think you'll face on this vac scheme/training contract?)

[jmosk99]

Hi everyone

Recently, I've noticed that ppl in ACs have been asked "what challenges do you think you'll face on this vac scheme/training contract?" Ik answers will likely vary person-to-person, but rn I'm wondering how to best approach this question. Weakness questions are incredibly challenging.

Could I say something along the lines of "I think one challenge I’ll face during my VS relates to meeting people at the firm. Since the job is only 3 weeks, this will be tough to do, and its something that's quite important to me b/c wherever I go, whoever I met, I’m naturally curious about people. And I find that, outside the scope of my work on the vacation scheme, getting to know a majority of people at the firm and develop an understanding of their practice areas will be a challenge."

Let me know.

 

[AvniD]

With these kinds of questions, you need to approach it with the intention of explaining your process behind identifying and tackling challenges/weaknesses instead of focusing on the challenge/weakness itself.

With the examples you've mentioned, you've identified that certain things in the vacation scheme may be challenging, but you haven't demonstrated 1) why they are challenging to you specifically and 2) how you intend to approach overcoming them.

For 1), draw from your life experiences to identify why XYZ is a challenge, how it's presented itself in the past and how you foresee it coming up in the vacation scheme or training contract.

For 2) again, draw from your life experiences to explain what the steps you took to overcome similar challenges, what the outcome was and what you learnt that will be useful to you in the vacation scheme/training contract.

 

[Beluga]

Hi everyone

Recently, I've noticed that ppl in ACs have been asked "what challenges do you think you'll face on this vac scheme/training contract?" Ik answers will likely vary person-to-person, but rn I'm wondering how to best approach this question. Weakness questions are incredibly challenging.

Could I say something along the lines of "I think one challenge I’ll face during my VS relates to meeting people at the firm. Since the job is only 3 weeks, this will be tough to do, and its something that's quite important to me b/c wherever I go, whoever I met, I’m naturally curious about people. And I find that, outside the scope of my work on the vacation scheme, getting to know a majority of people at the firm and develop an understanding of their practice areas will be a challenge."

Let me know.

Hi jmosk!!

I got asked this during one of my ACs, and wasn't expecting it at all but think I came up with a decent response so wanted to share my example.

I grew up exclusively (before university) in a very conservative country where the education and professional world are very hierarchical and we were taught to never challenge our teachers, seniors or bosses. When I came to university I had this difficulty as well, in giving constructive criticism to tutors or even people in more senior positions in society. So I admitted that I thought I might find it difficult if a senior partner had made a mistake and I had to tell him.

I then said that one way I'd really been trying to tackle this was by becoming a representative for people who needed a voice but didn't have the platform for it, e.g. through student council positions. I had to negotiate certain things on behalf of them with college administration, and I found that this really gave me confidence and helped me find a voice and confidence in myself. The positive outcomes also showed me that people were willing to listen and be convinced and that I could personally make a difference by speaking up.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jessica Booker]

We all have things that either aren’t our strengths, we find uncomfortable, or take us longer to do. It doesn’t mean we don’t do them, just that we know they either take more of our focus/energy to do them or that we might need a little support from others along the way.

It doesn’t matter that we have these things. What does matter is having the self awareness to know that we do have them, and also the maturity/initiative to find ways to deal with them. This is really what the question is asking - are you self aware and how do you make sure things work for you. So think of the question that way rather than the weakness/challenge itself.