How to answer the What Are Your Strengths? question? Here are some tips.
WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS? This question is asked commonly in an interview and here are some helpful tips to help you answer this gracefully.
What Are Your Strengths?
This is one of the most common interview questions asked during a job interview. Most of the time, we are having a hard time answering this question as we have a lot in mind that you need to share but with a limited time. Most of the time, what we tend to do is speak about yourself positively and explain how you’re improving a weakness you have. But this is not it all.
Why employers ask this?
Mainly, the reason why this is asked as for them to determine how self-aware you are. Hiring managers would like to know your best qualities so you can apply them in the role you are applying for, how these attributes can affect the company, how will these affect the duties and responsibilities of the existing team members.
Sample strengths
- Attentive and detail-oriented
- Patient
- Collaborative
- Creative
- Empathetic
- Entrepreneurial
- Flexible and versatile
- Honest
- Innovative
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Discipline
- Integrity
This question may also hide in other questions like: “When they’re describing you, what is one word your colleagues and managers would use to describe you?”
One of the keys in answering this to be clear, precise, and most of all, honest. Once you have already pointed out your strength, follow up with a context or story. Reflect on your achievements. Make sure that the traits align with the job description. You may also talk about your passions are one’s strengths are oftentimes closely tied to this.
- Align your strength with the job description
- Use concrete and real examples
- Be honest and genuine
- Include soft and hard skills
- Quantify your success
Sample answers (from Venus Gentile, Monster Contributor)
If your answer is “Adaptability”
“Adaptability has always been one of my core strengths. In my previous role, when we faced a sudden shift to remote work, I was quick to reorganize my home office, adapt to new communication tools, and help my team to stay productive during the transition, which actually led to an increase in team output of 15% over the initial months.”
If your answer is “Communication Skills“
“Effective communication is a strength I pride myself on. Whether explaining complex technical issues to clients or collaborating with cross-functional teams, I’ve consistently received positive feedback on my ability to convey information clearly and listen to others’ needs. For instance, when I led a workshop in my previous role, it resulted in our team reducing misunderstandings and increasing project delivery speed.”
If your answer is “Teamwork“
“I’ve always believed that a cohesive team is greater than the sum of its parts. During a major project at my last job, I coordinated with different departments to streamline our workflow. My effort to understand and integrate everyone’s expertise was pivotal in completing the project 20% ahead of schedule and under budget.”
If your answer is “Problem-Solving”
“I excel in problem-solving because I enjoy tackling challenges head-on. For instance, when a critical deadline was at risk due to a supplier issue, I analyzed alternative solutions. I identified a local vendor that met our needs, thereby keeping the project on track without compromising on quality.”
If you want some more, here are some dos and don’ts in an interview you must remember to help you get that job.
What can you say about this? Let us know in the comments!