>>>I won't say I disagree with you here, but I'd be surprised if the job ad was written by anyone above the mentality of your
>>>average headhunter or HR type. I seldom place much weight in a job ad if I sense it was written by anyone other than an I.T. type.
>>>
>>
>>Agreed. Of course, if you are interested in the job/company you have to get past that technically challenged gatekeeper first. For the job I most wanted, ever, I had to get past an HR lady whose big question was "What was your favorite college class, and why?" The company hired mostly new grads but I was in my mid 30s at the time and she didn't change up the act at all. I knew she had her little list of check points going. (Amazingly enough, I got the job).
>
>
>I was well versed in how to respond to that “lovely HR lady”. One SOP question I enjoyed was, “What is your greatest weakness”?
>
>In many cases your technical skills will not get you a job. It helps to be an actor and address the players accordingly. What does this person expect? That is what they receive. :)


I think that approach only goes so far. Most people involved in hiring, whether they are gearheads or not, seem to have developed BS detection ability. Having been on both of sides of the interview process, there is hardly a bigger turnoff than BS. How can this person be expected to do what we want when they're playing games already?

That question about what is your greatest weakness has been almost standard in my experience. And there are lots of good answers to it. What was yours?