The question – what are your strengths and weaknesses? – is a common one in the hiring process. But it can be tricky to answer. Here’s how to get yourself off the hook by honing in on the correct answers:
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Plan Your Answer
If you’re applying for a job, planning your answer is essential. You should think about the job you are applying for and what the interviewer is looking for in their answers.
Be honest and concise; don’t ramble or take too long with an explanation. If there’s something that isn’t relevant to the question, then don’t include it!
Consider the Job Description
The first step while looking for a job is understanding the company’s requirements. Do they want someone who can get things done? Or does the company need someone who can think outside the box?
Once you’ve got a sense of what your employer is looking for, it’s time to turn your attention toward yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses as an employee? How do they relate to this job description?
Once again, consider how well those skills might apply in this new position. If one of your strengths is being able to handle multiple tasks at once while still maintaining high-quality standards on each task (and if it’s not), then maybe using those skills would help solve some problems or make life easier on others who might rely on them—such as co-workers or clients— for them perform well enough so that both parties don’t feel stressed out about anything else happening around them during work hours.”
Stay Away from Clichéd Answers
You don’t have to be the person who can do anything. You do have strengths and weaknesses, just like everyone else. And while it may sound clichéd, some answers are best avoided because they aren’t accommodating at all. Here are a few examples:
- Being a team player isn’t really something you should brag about because it’s not unique to you; it’s part of what makes your job easier when working with others in an environment where everyone has their strengths and weaknesses!
- Saying that you’re a hard worker won’t help anyone but yourself—and maybe your boss (and maybe even him/her). Everyone knows how much work goes into running any large company or organization these days—it doesn’t matter if one person does more than another because everyone needs their moments off from being productive members of society! So please don’t lie about this one unless there’s some legitimate reason for doing so.
Add Context to Your Answers
When you’re asked to share your strengths and weaknesses, it can be easy to default to the old “I’m a good person, but I have a weakness for chocolate cake.” But what if you could add context?
For example, if someone asks about your weaknesses and says, “I am bad at remembering appointments but good at remembering names,” they might ask why this is true. How does it help them? What do others think about this trait of yours? Would sharing more information about how these two traits relate in practice help them or hinder them?
If someone says they see themselves as strong in one area but weak in another (like strength + weakness), how does this make sense from their perspective? Why wouldn’t anyone else see themselves this way instead of saying, “I’m not very good at ______.”
Share Examples from the Past
The next step is sharing past examples that demonstrate your strengths. These should be specific and relevant and shouldn’t be too personal or negative (unless they’re true).
You can also use these examples to help you understand what it means to have a particular strength, so do try this if you haven’t already done so!
Conclusion
Having strengths and weaknesses are common and ordinary. So, make sure you are genuine with your answers. You can’t fake expertise or experience, but you can show how you’ve gained that knowledge and experience through life experiences.
