Worldwide Panel LLC, a small market-research firm, is getting flooded with resumes for four vacancies in sales and information technology.

However, officials expect to reject numerous applicants after asking them: 'What is your greatest weakness?' Candidates often respond 'with something that is not a weakness,' say Christopher Morrow, senior vice president of the Calabasas, Calif., concern. 'It is a deal breaker.'

The weakness question represents the most common and most stressful one posed during interviews. Yet in today's weak job market, the wrong answer weakens your chances of winning employment.

Some people offer replies they mistakenly assume that bosses love, such as 'I am a perfectionist.' That response 'will be used against you' because you appear incapable of delegating, warns Joshua Ehrlich, dean of a master's program in executive coaching sponsored by BeamPines Inc., a New York coaching firm and Middlesex University in London.

A careful game plan could help you cope with the shortcoming query in a way that highlights your fit for a desired position. Job seekers who field the question well demonstrate that they can 'take initiative and improve themselves,' Mr. Morrow says.

The key? Thorough preparation. Career specialists suggest you take stock of your weaknesses, focusing on job-related ones that won't impede your ability to perform your duties. Tony Santora, an executive vice president for Right Management, a major outplacement firm in Philadelphia, says an information-technology manager flubbed a 2007 interview by choosing a personal foible as his reply: 'My true weakness is that I am a terrible cook.'

Rehearse your responses aloud, role play with a friend or videotape yourself -- but don't memorize your words. As you review the video, look for aspects 'you would like to change so you can continue to get better as you practice,' says Peggy Klaus, a leadership coach in Berkeley, Calif.

The IT manager changed his tune after practice sessions with fellow job seekers and a counselor in Cincinnati for Right Management. He instead said he worked such long hours that he found it difficult to stay current with world events. So, he spent 30 minutes every evening catching up at home.

When the manager pursued an opportunity at a global drug maker, his revamped response 'really resonated with the interviewer,' says Mr. Santora. The manufacturer hired the man.

It's equally important that you consider an employer's corporate culture. While being interviewed by a start-up, 'you could say, 'My weakness is I get bored by routine,'' says Ben Dattner, a New York industrial psychologist.

Last month, an aspiring executive director of a nonprofit group in suburban San Francisco nearly jeopardized his selection because his reply to a variation of the weakness question ignored one of its core values, according to Ms. Klaus, a board member there. Near the end of his interview, she wondered whether he might have problems with any aspects of the job. 'No, I am confident I could do it all,' the prospect declared.

His flip comment dismayed Ms. Klaus, because she felt he lacked awareness of his weaknesses. She says his response raised doubts among board members that 'he would be able to take critical feedback,' an attribute the organization values highly.

Because the man was well-qualified, the board gave him a second interview -- and demanded a fuller explanation of his weak spots. He said he had been 'unprepared for that question and nervous about coming out with a big fatal flaw,' then described his tendency to make decisions too fast during workplace crises. Board members' doubts disappeared, and they picked him for the nonprofit's top job.

Ideally, your reply also should exclude the word 'weakness' and cover your corrective steps. Dubbing your greatest fault a 'window of opportunity' signals your improvement efforts should benefit the workplace, says Oscar Adler, a retired Maidenform Brands sales executive and author of the book, 'Sell Yourself in Any Interview.' For instance, he suggests, a salesman might note that he sold more after strengthening his facility with numbers.

When an interviewer pops this nerve-wracking query, your body language counts as well. The wrong nonverbal cues undercut your credibility. Certain candidates hunch over, glance furtively around the room or wring their sweaty palms. 'They sort of look like they're being asked a question they can't handle,' says Mr. Adler.

Maintaining eye contact, regular breathing and a broad smile impress employers that 'you're prepared for the weakness question,' says psychotherapist Pat Pearson, author of 'Stop Self-Sabotage!'

For the same reason, you seem thoughtful if you pause before responding. But don't wait too long. 'If you're going to take a minute,' Mr. Morrow cautions, 'I've just identified your weakness.'

小型市場研究公司Worldwide Panel LLC準備招聘4名銷售和IT技術人員，結果收到了大量簡歷。

不過，招聘人員預計，在向應聘者發問“你最大的缺點是什么？”之后，會有很多人被淘汰。Worldwide高級副總裁莫羅(Christopher Morrow)說，對這個問題，應聘者的回答往往并非缺點，他們因此過不了關。

“缺點”問題是求職面試中最常見也最讓人頭痛的一個問題。而在眼下就業市場疲軟的情況下，不恰當的回答將降低你贏得工作的機會。

一些應聘者會給出誤以為老板會喜歡的答案，比如，“我的缺點是過于追求完美”。對此埃里奇(Joshua Ehrlich)提醒說，這個回答會對你求職不利，因為它顯得你似乎沒有能力授權給他人。埃里奇是一個由紐約職業培訓機構BeamPines Inc.和倫敦米德塞克斯大學(Middlesex University)合辦的經理人碩士班培訓項目的負責人。

為對付這個問題，可事先精心設計好一個答案，以凸顯你適合所申請的這個職位。莫羅說，出色回答這個問題的求職者表現出他們能夠“主動行動，改善自己”。

關鍵在哪里？那就是充分的準備。職場專家建議，你可以整理一下自己的缺點，挑出其中跟工作有關、但又不會妨礙你行使工作職責的方面。費城大型職業介紹機構Right Management執行副總裁桑特拉(Tony Santora)說，2007年一位IT經理在參加面試時，在有關缺點的問題上敗下陣來：他的回答居然是，“我真正的缺點是，我的烹飪技術很糟糕。”

大聲朗讀答案，可以找朋友或自己用錄像來一番角色扮演。不過，不要背誦自己的答案。加州管理培訓師克勞斯(Peggy Klaus)說，回頭看錄像的時候，找出你覺得可以改善的地方，這樣在練習時可以做得更好。

那位IT經理在辛辛那提和其他求職者及咨詢師一起參加Right Management的訓練課程后改變了思路。他后來的回答是，由于每天長時間忙于工作，他發現自己很難及時了解世界大事。因此，他每天晚上在家花30分鐘惡補這方面的信息。

桑特拉說，當他后來在一家全球性制藥企業求職時，他的回答讓面試官很有共鳴。這家公司最后雇用了他。

考慮目標公司的企業文化也同樣重要。紐約心理學家達特納(Ben Dattner)說，如果到一家初創公司面試，你可以說，“我的缺點是容易對日常的循規蹈矩感到厭煩”。

克勞斯說，上個月，舊金山郊區一家非營利組織的一名熱情的執行董事差一點兒毀掉他的機會，原因是他在回答一個變相的弱點問題時忽視了這家機構的一項核心價值。克勞斯是這家機構的董事。面試快結束時，克勞斯想知道他對那個職位的各個方面是否還有什么問題。“沒問題，我想我都能解決，”這位求職者回答到。

他這么輕率的回答讓克勞斯有點失望，因為她感覺他對自己的缺點缺乏認識。她說，他的回答讓董事們懷疑他是否能聽取批評性意見，而這家機構對這一點非常看重。

但因為這位申請人其他條件很好，董事會給了他第二次面試機會，并要求他對自己的缺點作更充分的說明。他說，他第一次面試時“對那個問題毫無準備，擔心會說出什么大的致命缺陷，”隨后，他向面試官提到自己在工作遇到危急關頭時，往往會過于倉促地做出決策。董事會的擔心消除了，最后安排他擔任了這家非營利機構的負責工作。

理想的情況是，你在回答中應盡量避免使用“缺點”這樣的詞，同時還可以提到改正措施。Maidenform Brands銷售主管、《在面試中推銷自己》(Sell Yourself in Any Interview)一書的作者阿德勒(Oscar Adler)說，將你最大的缺點轉化為“機會之窗”，表明你的改善措施將使工作受益。比如他建議說，銷售人員可以說，在強化數學能力后，銷售業績上升了。

當面試官突然提出這樣的刁鉆問題時，你的身體語言也能反映一些問題。不當的肢體語言會削弱你的可信度。某些求職者會蜷縮身體，茫然地瞟著房間四周，或是扭動出汗的手掌。阿德勒說，他們看起來就有點像遇到了他們沒法對付的問題。

心理學家皮爾森(Pat Pearson)說，保持視線接觸、正常呼吸和明朗的微笑可以讓雇主覺得“你對有關弱點的問題有所準備”。皮爾森著有《停止自我摧毀》(Stop Self-Sabotage!)一書。

同理，如果你回答問題前稍作停頓會讓你看起來深思熟慮。不過不要時間過長。莫羅警告說，如果你的停頓時間長達一分鐘，那我已經能發現你的弱點了。