Below are the overview which I could pull from How do you answer the interview question “What is your greatest weakness” and think that might help you better understand and come up with a way to tackle this question:

1. 

Before the interview, make a list of your top 6 skills/selling points/strengths. Order them from your number 1 strength to your number 6 one.

When you get asked “What are your strengths?”, respond with the top 3 strengths as they relate to the job in question. When you get asked “What are your weaknesses?” reply with strengths 4-6.

It’s not stuff that’s actually bad, but it’s stuff that you know you could improve upon.

This shows that you can reflect on your own performance and identify areas that could be improved, which is the basic gist behind the “weaknesses” question.

2.

Just be honest and don’t give a bullshit answer. Basically they want to see that you recognize that nobody is perfect, we all have our flaws. The important part is that you can see yours and that you actively address them instead of blaming someone else.

3. 

he truth. Not THE truth, but tell something true anyway, they’re also looking if you’re lying… And end with HOW you want to change that.

Once I said : « I find it hard to get up in the morning ; I should get to bed early » and it worked!

4. 

What I say is this, “I have trouble working well when I don’t have a true passion for what I am doing, which is why I want to work here, where I can (fill in whatever you will be doing)

5. 

The best thing is to say something that is a flaw, but unrelated to work, like “I am very jealous of my girlfriend” or “I eat a lot of unhealthy food”. Trust me, I worked and HR, and we are trained to know when someone is giving the “flaw that is actually something you want in me” tactic.

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Think about computing a Fibonacci number by recursion:

Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2  (with F0 = 0, F1 = 1)

Lets explore the two different solutions. one without the caching and other with caching.

read more here.

The problem is quite simple. You are given 8 identical-looking balls, one of which is heavier than the other 7 (all of which weigh the same).

Solution:

You can identify the heavier ball in only 2 weighings! The secret is not to get fooled into the “divide and conquer” approach where the input is halved in each iteration as explained above. To achieve this in only 2 weighings, you first put 3 balls in each bowl on the scale, e.g. {1,2,3} against {4,5,6}. Should the scale balance, you have only 2 balls remaining which you can compare by putting each in a separate bowl on the scale, e.g. {7} against {8}. Should the scale not balance, however, take the 3 balls from the heavier bowl on the scale (e.g. 1,2,3). Pick any 2 balls and compare these against each other, e.g. {1} against {2}. If the scale balances, you know it is ball 3 is the heavier. Is the scale moving, you know it’s the ball on the heavier side.

Solution:

Number the balls 1, 2, 3, … 10, 11, 12

Start off with them in 3 groups: [1, 2, 3 and 4], [5, 6, 7 and 8] and [9,10,11 and 12]

Weigh 1, 2, 3 and 4 vs 5, 6, 7 and 8 with 3 possible outcomes:

1. If they balance then 9,10,11,12 have the odd ball, so weigh 6,7,8 vs 9,10,11 with 3 possible outcomes:

1a. If 6,7,8 vs 9,10,11 balances, 12 is the odd ball. Weigh it against any other ball to determine if heavy or light.

1b. If 9,10,11 is heavy then they contain a heavy ball. Weigh 9 vs 10, if balanced then 11 is the odd heavy ball, else the heavier of 9 or 10 is the odd heavy ball.

1c. If 9,10,11 is light then they contain a light ball. Weigh 9 vs 10, if balanced then 11 is the odd light ball, else the lighter of 9 or 10 is the odd light ball.

2. If 5,6,7,8 > 1,2,3,4 then either 5,6,7,8 contains a heavy ball or 1,2,3,4 contains a light ball so weigh 1,2,5 vs 3,6,12 with 3 possible outcomes:

2a. If 1,2,5 vs 3,6,12 balances, then either 4 is the odd light ball or 7 or 8 is the odd heavy ball. Weigh 7 vs 8, if they balance then 4 is the odd light ball, or the heaviest of 7 vs 8 is the odd heavy ball.

2b. If 3,6,12 is heavy then either 6 is the odd heavy ball or 1 or 2 is the odd light ball. Weigh 1 vs 2, if balanced then 6 is the odd heavy ball, or the lighest of 1 vs 2 is the odd light ball.

2c. If 3,6,12 is light then either 3 is light or 5 is heavy. Weigh 3 against any other ball, if balanced then 5 is the odd heavy ball else 3 is the odd light ball.

3. If 1,2,3,4 > 5,6,7,8 then either 1,2,3,4 contains a heavy ball or 5,6,7,8 contains a light ball so weigh 5,6,1 vs 7,2,12 with 3 possible outcomes:

3a.  If 5,6,1 vs 7,2,12 balances, then either 8 is the odd light ball or 3 or 4 is the odd heavy ball. Weigh 3 vs 4, if they balance then 8 is the odd light ball, or the heaviest of 3 vs 4 is the odd heavy ball.

3b. If 7,2,12 is heavy then either 2 is the odd heavy ball or 5 or 6 is the odd light ball. Weigh 5 vs 6, if balanced then 2 is the odd heavy ball, or the lighest of 5 vs 6 is the odd light ball.

3c. If 7,2,12 is light then either 7 is light or 1 is heavy. Weigh 7 against any other ball, if balanced then 1 is the odd heavy ball else 7 is the odd light ball.

via mathisfun

A midlevel market researcher went to a job interview the other day and told me about it. He was struck by the first three questions. “The interviewer came out of the gate at full speed,” he said. Still, he thought he did pretty well. Here’s a more or less accurate transcript:

…

via A Tale of Two Interviews – BusinessWeek.

1. Thinking the interview is about you.

2. Failing to translate your skills and experience.

3. Being unprepared.

4. Lacking candor.

5. Not asking any questions.

via Five Deadly Interview Mistakes – BusinessWeek.

via What’s Safe to Ask During an Interview?.

A good job seeker prepares. Take your suit to the cleaners. Think about your answers. Arrive for the interview in plenty of time.

But the one factor that can throw everything off is the type of interviewer you get. When you sit down at that table, the interviewer's line of questioning and attitude will change what you say and how.

To give you a little extra help, here is a list of 10 types of interviewers you might encounter and how to deal with them.

via 10 types of interviewers and how to deal with them – CNN.com.

• Why are you leaving?

• What did you like/dislike about your job?

• Did you have the training and support to do your job? If not, what did you need?

• Was it clear exactly what your job responsibilities were?

• Did you get adequate feedback?

• Did you discuss any issues you were having with a manager before deciding to leave?

• What do you like/dislike about the company?

• How is your relationship with your manager?

• How could that person improve?

• What is your opinion of management?

• Would you recommend us if a friend wanted to work here?

• How is employee morale?

• What would make this a better place to work?

• What qualities should we look for in your replacement?

via How to Ace the (Exit) Interview – BusinessWeek.