When you’ve gone for an interview, you may have been asked, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Did you pause for a moment to consider your response and your course of action? Some of us have to go through interviews frequently, causing us to question what the interviewer wants to know, while others may ace their first one.
We will share the following details with you in this article:
- Why do interviewers ask for strengths and weaknesses
- Examples of strengths
- Examples of weaknesses
- Tips on answering strengths and weaknesses questions
Why do interviewers ask for strengths and weaknesses?
According to Angela Smith, CEO of Angela Smith Consulting and Muse’s career coach, interviews are basically about getting to know you. The interview, she continues, “is really about getting to know the individual so that you can make the best decision that you can. I know some people feel like the interview is trying to trip them up or put them in an unpleasant position. That is the perspective I have when I ask those questions.
The specific qualities and faults you mention certainly don’t matter as much as how you discuss them. Smith claims, “I’ve given a lot of interviews over the years, and when pressed for the answers, I can’t remember the responses. . The interviewer’s evaluation is likely to go deeper than the answers to the questions, but it doesn’t mean the questions aren’t essential at all. They want to know what kind of worker you would be and how you would act in the position.
“My concern is: Are they sincere? Do they recognize themselves? Can they take professional and mature ownership of their actions? Is this a person with whom we may discuss our growth and development? Will they run into a brick wall when it comes to providing them with feedback? says Smith. “How they respond to that question reveals the response to all of those other questions and those are the things that count,” I said.
Examples of strengths
You can base your responses to these questions on the potential strengths and flaws listed below.
- Strengths examples for job interviews
- Being flexible
- Taking charge
- Developing a willingness to go above and beyond to assist others
- Generating creative solutions
- Composing correspondence delegating
- Demonstrating emotional acuity
- Knowing an issue that the business is now experiencing
- Learning how to use a piece of software efficiently
- Receiving or providing constructive criticism
- Resolving disputes
- Analyzing information and/or outcomes
- In charge of projects
- Energizing workers
- Observing minute details
- Putting public speaking first
- Observing patterns
- Setting time limits
- Quickly switching between tasks
- Self-motivating
- Using critical thinking
- Performing well under duress
Examples of weaknesses
- Being an idealist
- Self-criticism that is too harsh and attention to detail
- Having anxiety before giving a speech or making a phone call
- Avoiding or explaining away constructive criticism
- Committing to a specific viewpoint or method of operation
- Losing track of projects, deadlines, or deliverables
- Making mistakes in basic maths or being unable to mentally calculate maths mistakes in writing
- Keeping a healthy work-life balance
- Not feeling at ease with ambiguous directions
- Lacking confidence
- Not being open to rethinking your position
- Not knowing when to clarify something
- Failing to recognize nonverbal clues
- Ignoring due dates
- Ignoring minute details
- Procrastinating
- Struggling to manage your time
- Overcommitting rather than delegating
- Writing unclearly
Tips on answering strengths and weaknesses questions
All right, it sounds wonderful in theory, but what must you do in practice to effectively share your strengths and weaknesses?
1. Be truthful
An answer that seems genuine and authentic will impress, whereas one that sounds generic, contrived, overblown, or humblebrag will have the opposite effect. This may sound cliche, but it’s also true.
A boss won’t want to hire someone unable to acknowledge and take responsibility for both their contributions and their areas of improvement. If you can recognize and use your strengths as well as accept and improve upon your limitations, you’ll be a better employee. Therefore, you should demonstrate in the interview that you can engage in that kind of self-reflection.
2. Relate a tale
Another cliche worth remembering is “Show, don’t tell.” It’s something that everyone who has ever taken a writing class, whether in middle school or graduate school, has heard. It’s something to keep in mind while responding to just about any interview question, and it’s useful in this situation.
“Anytime you can use a tangible or real-world example, that’s an excellent idea. It merely aids in slightly contextualizing the remark, according to Smith. “We simply comprehend ideas and circumstances better through stories. So it’s always useful if you can provide a story that exemplifies your theory.
3. Keep in mind to reach the insight
A sincere response that includes an example is a terrific place to start, but it isn’t finished until you answer the question, “So what?”
The final sentence of your response should relate the strength you’ve been describing to the position and organization you’re applying for. Explain to the interviewer how that skill would be advantageous for this position at this company. Then, returning to the example of the revised client proposal, you could add, “Since things move rapidly at [Company], this would allow me to come in and earn a new team’s confidence and develop a trusting team culture while also ensuring we’re all reaching our goals and providing high-quality work.”
4. Make it brief
These responses don’t need to take up half of the interview. Depending on how the question was worded, you can keep your response brief and concentrate on one or two strengths and/or problems. Think quality, not quantity is another useful but overused expression to add to our collection. Avoid launching into a list of your perceived strengths and weaknesses without providing any context. Instead, focus on it and provide more specifics.
5. Relax a little bit
Try not to worry too much, even though you should prepare and give your replies you’re all. According to Smith, “I have never known an employment decision to hinge on how someone answers those questions.” “It’s only one data point among many that are connected. So, don’t place too much stock in it.