>> I struggle with work-life-balance and working on it. If I can overcome that and learn how to take breaks timely I might be more productive.".
.. HR didn't like it because it was not one of the canned responses she was expecting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just curious, how do you know that (a) you failed in HR (b) that it was this question and (c) for this reason?
I ask because it's unlikely that this was literally the feedback given you. Also, "I work too hard" does sound a bit canned.
>> The technical interviews, 6 of them in a row!, felt more like they were wanting to see me fail spectacularly rather than focus on my approach of solving whiteboard problems.
I do think this is more "in your head" that real. Nobody shows up to an interview wanting the other person to fail, but "how they solve whiteboard problems" isn't the goal either. It's more about - how does the person, think, collaborate, make tradeoffs and drives to an outcome - the goal being specifically to translate that outside the whiteboard space.
Yeah even if the person came to this answer of their own independent thought process, this answer to the weakness question either comes off as:
1. "I work too hard" which is one of those classic canned answers to avoid that makes you sound like a suckup
or
2. "I can't manage my time to the point where I am in danger of tanking my own productivity or burning out or both", which even if true (plenty of us suffer from this), it is obviously not a great answer to give in a hiring process.
> (a) you failed in HR (b) that it was this question and (c) for this reason?
A very close friend on the same team (the one who referred me but he didn’t do the interview, obviously) but yes according to him that’s exactly why I failed. The recruiter told me exactly the same thing when he gave me the “bad news”.
> “in your head”
Maybe but almost all of them were being very condescending. And I have been on the both sides of interviews a few times so I’d know.
> I do think this is more "in your head" that real. Nobody shows up to an interview wanting the other person to fail
You say that but I've known interviewers who have taken delight in putting pressure on candidates and then showing off how clever they are in comparison. These types of interviews definitely aren't the norm but sadly it does happen from time to time.
Just curious, how do you know that (a) you failed in HR (b) that it was this question and (c) for this reason?
I ask because it's unlikely that this was literally the feedback given you. Also, "I work too hard" does sound a bit canned.
>> The technical interviews, 6 of them in a row!, felt more like they were wanting to see me fail spectacularly rather than focus on my approach of solving whiteboard problems.
I do think this is more "in your head" that real. Nobody shows up to an interview wanting the other person to fail, but "how they solve whiteboard problems" isn't the goal either. It's more about - how does the person, think, collaborate, make tradeoffs and drives to an outcome - the goal being specifically to translate that outside the whiteboard space.