“What would you say is your biggest weakness?”

Don’t you hate that question in interviews? You’re supposed to turn it into a positive, right? “Working too hard!” “I can never leave before the job is done!” I think most interviewers can see right through that crap nowadays though. 

In my last interview I decided to be honest about this. And what was my answer? I sometimes feed off my colleague’s stress. I’ve gotten pretty fantastic at managing stress (through therapy and meditation, mostly) but when my coworkers get stressed out, I sometimes have trouble not letting it affect me.

I’m fine in stressful situations, but watching someone next to me crumble and huff and puff over something that’s not life-threatening? It’s not necessary and it’s not helpful, to themselves or anyone in the room. 

So next time you’re getting stressed out, think about how you’re effecting the energy of the room and take a breath. Unless you are saving lives, it’s not a life-or-death matter. 

Oh, and I got the job. I start on Monday and I’m super excited to be transitioning from finance to digital media. Sometimes it pays to be honest 🙂