Strengths and weaknesses

[Guest]

Test No. incompl/advan-56 "Interviews and Jobs", question 9

One of the most popular questions asked of interviewees is to explain their strengths and ..........

(a) weaknesses
(b) varieties
(c) virtues
(d) variables

Test No. incompl/advan-56 "Interviews and Jobs", answer 9

One of the most popular questions asked of interviewees is to explain their strengths and weaknesses.

Correct answer: (a) weaknesses

Your answer was: incorrect
One of the most popular questions asked of interviewees is to explain their strengths and varieties.
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Well, it is sort of weird for me to explain in an interview my "weakness" as it will denote at the same moment I would lose some points not to get the job!?

[Alan]

It's always a searching question because everyone is good at something and also bad at something and the interviewer wants to know if the candidates have actually thought about themselves. Let's face it - nobody's perfect!
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[Torsten]

Exactly, if you admit that you know your areas of improvement , you prove to the interviewer that you have analyzed yourself objectively. It also allows gives your future employer and idea as to how they might be able to measure your progress.
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[Abecedarian]

[Rich7]

I happened to have an interview a while ago where the person in charge of a recruiting office was grilling me about my strengths and weaknesses but she was pretty adamant that I had to have more weak points than I mentioned, she kept pushing me through the questioning till the time that she heard something she wanted to hear, I'm not sure what it was.
My question here, is, what is the real purpose when they ask you about your weaknesses? I mean, I can understand when asked about our strengths but not the other way around.