Interview Question: How to Answer What are your greatest strengths?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

You probably have already answered this question in your last job interview and you are expecting it again. What are your weaknesses? or what are your strengths? These questions seem so easy, right? It is indeed easy, only if you know how to identify and present your strengths and weaknesses.

A few interview questions like what are your strengths and weaknesses are designed to assess your personality as a whole. The interviewer is probably trying to assess if you are a good cultural fit or not. 

In this article, we are going to discuss one of the most important questions asked in a job interview, and how to answer it. We’ll also share tips on, list of strengths and weaknesses, key strength examples, key weaknesses examples, employee strengths and weaknesses, how to identify strengths and weaknesses, personality strengths and weaknesses, what are your weaknesses answers and how to answer what are your strengths and weaknesses with sample answers.

Why this question, what are your strengths and weaknesses?

We all have several personality traits like creativity, openness, flexibility, initiative-taking, that make us better than others. These traits help us perform our jobs to the best of our capabilities. At the same time, a few qualities like insecurity, self-criticism, anger issues make us vulnerable at the workplace. The hiring manager’s job is not just to identify if the candidate is qualified enough for the job, but also if the applicant is a cultural fit. This question is designed to shorten the list of shortlisted job applicants and choose the most suitable option. 

How to answer what are your strengths and weaknesses?

It’s easy, isn’t it. You’d say I know what to say. 

Anybody can talk about strengths and weaknesses, but let me warn you. You don’t want to sound as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to talk about weaknesses that can ruin your chances. 

You know that your main strategy is to find your interviewer’s greatest requirement and expectations before you answer questions. Prior to any interview, you must have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You must also have a specific example or two, which talks about each strength, preferably, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.

You must have this list of your strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that you can recite them coldly after being shaken awake at 2:30 AM. 

At the same time, you must be extra careful at the time of answering the question. 

I must tell you that the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever with your last assignments…especially if your achievements match up with the goals of the interviewer’s organization and needs.

2. Intelligence, I’d always prefer a smart worker than 10 idiots.

3. Honesty…integrity…a decent human being. 

4. Good fit with corporate culture, someone to feel comfortable with, a team player who meshes well with the interviewer’s team.

5. Likeability…positive attitude…sense of humor.

6. Good communication skills.

7. Dedication…willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose…clear goals.

9. Enthusiasm…high level of motivation.

10. Confident…healthy…a leader. 

What are your greatest weaknesses?

If you’d ask me about one question that haunts most of the candidates, it’s this one. Here, we’ll try to help you understand this question and also frame a winning answer. 

How to Answer What are your greatest weaknesses?

Beware – this is an eliminator question, one wrong move and you’d done. It’s designed to shorten the application list. Should you be honest? Should you lie? 

Unfortunately, any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview. 

GENERAL ANSWER:  Find a strength that you can disguise as a weakness.

Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. 

I enjoy working with a sense of urgency and not everyone shares the same wavelength.”

Drawback:  This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it’s so widely used, that your interviewers are already tired of it.

BEST ANSWER: (And why I said you must research your employer, requirement, and job description before you answer questions): With full confidence, Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review your strongest qualifications.

Example: “Nobody’s perfect but supported what you’ve told me about this position, i think I’ d make an impressive match. When I hire people, I search for two things most of all. qualifications and motivation. Everything in my background shows I even have both the qualifications and a robust desire to realize excellence in whatever I combat. So I can say altogether honestly that I see nothing that might cause you even a little concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you do not yet know enough about the position to speak about such an ideal fit):

Rather than confessing a weakness, describe what you wish most and like least, ensuring that what you wish most matches up with the foremost important qualification for fulfillment within the position, and what you wish least isn’t essential.

Example: for instance, you’re applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, i prefer to spend the maximum amount of time as possible ahead of my prospects selling, as against shuffling paperwork back at the office. In fact, I went back and learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and that I roll in the hay conscientiously. But what i actually like to do is sell (if your interviewer were a sales manager, this could be music to his ears.)