[msluyter]

I don't think the weakness question has much to do with your actual weaknesses. It a) tests whether a candidate has minimally prepared for the interview (if they stumble over this question, then the answer is "no.") and b) whether they're socially/emotionally sophisticated enough to finesse the question.

Think of it as sort of a game. You may think (as I do) that the game is basically bullshit, but something is in fact being measured by the question, even if it's only how well you play this particular game. And, to be fair, I imagine that if you're good at this game, you'll be good at other useful games (bullshitting, negotiating, etc...)

[philwelch]

Yup, it's a good question for bullshitters and negotiators, and there's plenty of demand for both, but for those of us in the substance-based professions, it's a terrible question.

[DanBC]

What happens if you answer reasonably honestly?

"I don't know any COBOL and I've never done anything in ADA. My C isn't as strong as I'd like it to be, but -as I mention on my resumé- I'm working in some open source projects bug fixing to get it stronger."