How to answer job interviews strengths and weaknesses
Job interviews require a staggering amount of self-awareness. One of the most dreaded and personal interview questions is:. Recruiters are probing for honesty, commitment to personal growth, and ability to learn from mistakes. To avoid a TMI gaffe, tailor your answers to the job description and research the interview process ahead of time. Choose personal strengths that enhance your perceived suitability for the role and avoid weaknesses that detract from it.
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How to answer job interviews strengths and weaknesses
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Content:
- What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? (+ Example Answers)
- The Right Way to Answer “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”
- Interview Advice
- Three types of job interview questions – and how to answer them
- Answering the “Strengths and/or Weaknesses” question
- How to Answer “What Is Your Weakness” Interview Question
What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? (+ Example Answers)
Mike Simpson 0 Comments. By Mike Simpson. Have you ever played chess? How about the board game Risk? What do both of these games have in common? They also require you to think multiple steps ahead of your opponent in order to project the best possible outcome and ultimately, win the game. An interview is exactly the same. When a hiring manager goes into an interview, they have one goal in mind: find the best possible candidate for the position.
So how do they do this? Through a process of elimination using carefully selected questions. Parroting back prepared answers to standard questions does little to tell an interviewer about who you really are. Interviewers want to see what happens when they rattle your cage and throw you off balance…which is why they love questions like…. At first, it might seem like a ridiculous question, but the strategy behind asking it is actually brilliant.
The interviewer is intentionally trying to get you to answer a question that is designed to trip you up. As we mentioned above, when asking about your strengths a hiring manager will often also want to try and learn about your weaknesses.
In reality, it is pretty rare for a hiring manager to ask you them together as one question, but you still need to be prepared in case this question comes up. Generally speaking, you should prepare for these questions separately, because each of them have unique characteristics and should be handled on their own.
However, these two questions will often be asked in a row and are obviously connected so you need to prepare both! You want to leave a good taste in the hiring manager's mouth, so make sure the last thing you say in your response is something that leaves you in a positive light. Well for starts, I have a super good grip so my mom has me open all her jars for her. And I have a wicked backhand in tennis. Are you applying for Mercenaries-R-Us?
If not, it might be a good idea to tone down the testosterone. A hiring manager wants to hear one or two…maybe three absolute tops qualities about you that you consider a strength. It also comes across as smarmy and can be perceived as you trying to pull a fast one… Never a good idea. Well this question is the perfect place to put those skills to good use! Start out by researching the company and finding what they value as far as strengths and qualities go.
Then look at the job itself. Can you pull out a few core needs that you know you can meet with confidence? Now take all those pieces and put them together in one single answer and make sure that you have practical examples and success stories from your past that support your claims.
You want to make sure your answer shows them that your strengths are in line with what the company needs and is looking for. Need some inspiration? Here are a few sample answers to get you started:. I love taking a problem and looking at it from every angle. I enjoy work that challenges me and pushes me to think outside the box. I enjoy situations where I am allowed to work with other people to come up with creative solutions.
At my last company we were asked to come up with ways to increase our work flow without decreasing our accuracy. By really analyzing what every department was doing and finding ways to work together more efficiently, I was able to not only streamline the process, but made it possible for us to beat our previous deadline by three days with a superior product as an end result.
This is a great answer because it lists three strengths in quick succession without bogging down. The interviewer now knows the candidate is a problem solver , likes challenges and enjoys working as a team. I am committed to meeting deadlines and taking responsibility for the quality of my performance. A few months ago I was working with a client who had us on a tight deadline. Rather than go home and ignore the problem, I stayed late and finished the project, making sure that our deadline was not only met, but that the report was accurate.
The hiring manager now knows that this candidate is a hard worker who cares about doing the job right and on time.
Three highly valuable qualities in any good candidate! I enjoy handling tough cases as it gives me a chance to problem solve. I enjoy interacting with the public and love doing outreach. Two summers ago I was lucky enough to be a part of the Black Friday crew. Not only was I constantly engaged, but I was able to provide one on one shopping assistance to a few last minute gift buyers. Not only did I have a great time but my team had the highest receipts for the entire weekend! It felt great.
This is the kind of person you want to hire. Of course these are just examples. And obviously make sure they apply to you! You might be surprised what they say and not realize something you take for granted or do without thinking is actually a valuable strength!
Get our handy cheat sheet! In it you'll get word-for-word sample answers that cover various scenarios and positions. Use them in your next interview! Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?
By Mike Simpson Have you ever played chess? About The Author Mike Simpson. Search The Blog Search for:.
The Right Way to Answer “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”
Though truth-telling abounds in grade school platitudes, it seems scarcer the older we get. Dishonesty can be taught. To cut a long story short, Graham told Ballinger to his face that his startup idea sucked — a tough-love approach Ballinger now extols. The real hard work in a startup, however, is being able to openly admit that the current strategy is just not working — no matter how uncomfortable it is, or how much has been invested in getting to that point. And yet college career centers continue to operate in a 20 th century world in which top talent was funneled into careers in mature, staid organizations and industries.
Interview Advice
Where shall we send your critique? Now, we just need to know where to send it! Our review will help you with tips on the design, structure and content of your resume. While you wait, we have plenty of expert career advice on our blog. This common interview question can throw a candidate for a loop. Prepare ahead and ace the interview. Among the possible interview questions, the greatest weakness interview question causes universal dread in most job candidates.
Three types of job interview questions – and how to answer them
Example to showcase your Strengths in some areas:. Example to showcase your Weaknesses in some areas:. In this blog, I will cover key points of strength and weakness that you may mention in your interview to perform exceedingly well and impress the interviewer. During the interview , your interviewer may ask you to describe your strengths and demonstrate them with some examples.
Answering the “Strengths and/or Weaknesses” question
We're committed to your privacy. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our privacy policy. Written by Caroline Forsey cforsey1. You don't want to respond, "I tend to work too hard," or "I am too much of a perfectionist.
How to Answer “What Is Your Weakness” Interview Question
If you're going for a job interview, you're probably dreading the interviewer asking you to talk about your biggest weakness - and that's totally normal. This very common interview question puts you on the spot and requires you to evaluate and talk about yourself in a somewhat negative way. To minimise the risk of freezing up or saying the wrong thing, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for this question. It might seem a little strange for an interviewer, who should be interested in your achievements and experience, to want to know about your biggest weakness. But the reason they ask this question is quite simple: they want to get past your smart, rehearsed interview facade to understand what you're like as a person and what you're like to work with.
A good, or even great, answer will depend on your skills and experiences. However, there is a correct way to answer it. This is a common interview question and should be an exciting moment for you, as it gives you the chance to show off the attributes and skills that you might not have been able to get across at another point in the conversation. You can also reinforce the positive image of yourself in the mind of the interviewer.
You may have read another article we wrote on what buzzwords to avoid in your CV. What next? It is also a genuine way of getting an overall view of a candidate. This is not limited to junior or graduate candidates. Senior managers and professionals often fall victim to these mundane and obvious answers.
Your answer to this question will be telling, so the way you respond is important. Here are some suggested guidelines for discussing your strengths and weaknesses in a job interview. There are any number of personality traits you may choose to highlight as strengths. You could also say that one of your strengths is the value you place on the patient experience within the organization, and then provide more details with an example. But a job interview is the time to be assertive while maintaining a level of humility and relatability. This is the only way nurses should be practicing, especially in high-stress situations. Nor does having children make you a great school nurse.
Information on this website may not reflect the current situation in Alberta. Please visit alberta. Meanwhile, questions about your biggest weakness can seem like a trap.
I hope, you will come to the correct decision. Do not despair.