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A Reflective Analysis of My Strengths And Weaknesses

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What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? (+ Example Answers)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

UPDATED 5/20/2022

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? By asking tough questions like, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Interviewers want to see what happens when they rattle your cage and throw you off balance… which is why they love questions like this. Plus, it helps them learn more about how you view yourself and your capabilities, which is often enlightening.

Luckily, once you know how to answer “what are your strengths and weaknesses,” you can navigate the question like a pro. Here are some insights that can help, as well as some “what are your strengths” examples to get you headed in the right direction.

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

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. 

Do you notice how this question is essentially in two parts?

Don’t worry, we’ve got some strategies to help you turn a potential stumbling block into a launching pad of awesome!

Before we get into your strengths, let’s take a moment to talk about your weaknesses.

What is Your Greatest Weakness?

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 has unique characteristics and should be handled on its own.

However, these two questions will often be asked in a row as they’re obviously connected, so you need to prepare both!

MIKE'S TIP:

So in other words, focus on your weaknesses first!

Although this article focuses primarily on the way you should approach answering “what are your greatest strengths” question, we made sure to prepare a great article addressing how to answer the question “What are your weaknesses?”   Please click here to check it out .

Okay, without further ado, let’s talk about your strengths!

Preparing To Answer About Your Strengths

When you’re sitting down across from a hiring manager, you want to make sure you’re presenting yourself in the best possible way.

By preparing for this question ahead of time and outlining several possible answers, you’ll be in a much better position. You’ll have responses that not only cover the question but make you appear polished, well prepared, and confident.

So, let’s dive into what it takes to showcase your personal strengths in the best possible light.

How NOT To Answer “What Are Your Strengths?”

Let’s start out with what NOT to say when you get asked this question:

THE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT ANSWER:

“Uh, wow. Well, for starters, I have a super good grip, so my mom has me open all her jars for her. Yeah, that’s a good strength. And I have a wicked backhand in tennis.”

If this were a dating interview and not a job interview, an answer like that might earn you some points, but unless you’re interviewing for a job at a jam factory or trying to work your way into a position as a tennis pro at the local club, your answer is irrelevant, confusing, and lets the interviewer know right away that you’re not prepared.

THE OVERLY AGGRESSIVE OR COCKY ANSWER

“I’m a leader with proven results, which means it’s my way or the highway.”

Are you applying for Mercenaries-R-Us? If not, it might be a good idea to tone it down.

THE STRENGTHS THAT JUST KEEP ON COMING

“Well, I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m a great team leader, I work well with others, I’m prompt, I’m focused, I pay attention to details, I’m grounded, I really appreciate hard work, I’m never late, I can work weekends, I’m super excited to be here, I’m motivated, I’m…”

Whoa! The hiring manager isn’t asking you for thirty adjectives to describe yourself. Instead, a hiring manager wants to hear one or two… maybe three (absolute tops) qualities about you that you consider a strength.

THE ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT ME’ ANSWER

“Um, well, I’m super funny and smart, and all my friends say I’ve got a great attitude and I’m really easy to talk to.”

Although the interviewer IS interested in getting to know you better, this is not the question to answer with all-about-you information.  

THE STRENGTH THAT’S ACTUALLY A WEAKNESS ANSWER

“I’m a total workaholic. If I’m on a project, I’m going to make sure to stick with it to the bitter, bloody end.”

Although this might sound like a strength, it’s actually a weakness in disguise! By telling your employer that, you’re letting them know you lack self-reflection. It also comes across as smarmy, which is never good.

Also remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! That’s why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

Click below to get your free PDF now:

Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!

FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you " word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview .

CLICK HERE TO GET THE JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS CHEAT SHEET

How To Answer “What Are Your Strengths?”

Now that you know how not to answer the “what are your strengths?” question, it’s time to talk about the correct approach. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to answer “what are your strengths?”

Do Some Research

Ideally, you want to discuss a strength that aligns with the job and the company’s needs. By reviewing the job description, digging into the company values, and taking other steps, you can find out which strengths match its priorities.

Tailor Your Answer

Once you research the company and role, it’s time to create the foundation for a tailored answer. Choose one to three strengths that you possess that match the job and company’s needs, using those as a starting point for your response.

Match It with a Story

In the world of job interviews, it’s better to show than to tell. Make sure you have practical examples and success stories from your past that support your claims. That way, your answer is more likely to impress.

“What Are Your Strengths?” Example Answers

Now that you know how to answer what you’re your strengths, it’s time to take the next step. Here are a few example answers that can serve as inspiration:

Problem-Solving

“I’m a problem solver. 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 and 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 workflow 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.”

“I’ve always been known for my work ethic. 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. There was a mix-up in the delivery of some key paperwork, and it didn’t get to our office until closing the night before the 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.”

Interpersonal Skills

“I’m a people person. As a customer service rep for the past five years, I’ve learned how to deal with a wide variety of personalities. I enjoy handling tough cases that give me a chance to problem solve, interacting with the public, and outreach.

“Two summers ago, I was lucky enough to be a part of the Black Friday crew. A lot of other employees found it stressful and didn’t enjoy it, but I really found that I loved the excitement and the rush of having so many people come through so quickly. 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.”

Communication

“My greatest strength is my communication skills. During my time in tech roles, I’ve frequently had to take complex concepts and make them accessible to users and stakeholders without technology backgrounds. This allowed me to develop reliable techniques for ensuring clarity, making it easier for anyone to follow critical discussions.

“One example of that involved an upcoming presentation. We needed approval to shift to a new MDM, as our current option was getting shut down in the coming months. As I researched the proposed system, I found ways to highlight the features in accessible ways, eliminating all jargon to ensure that everyone felt fully informed.”

Emotional Intelligence

“My emotional intelligence is easily one of my greatest strengths. I have an easy time putting myself in other people’s shoes, allowing me to understand conflicts and situations from their perspectives.

“In my last role, working in a call center, this was particularly beneficial. I picked up a call where the customer was noticeably frustrated, to the point of using curse words and insults during the conversation.

“While I was taken aback, I knew there had to be a reason. I relied on my active listening skills to dive into the root of the issue and quickly determined that the customer hadn’t felt heard in their past discussions, preventing them from getting a solution to their issue, even after multiple calls. Since I took the time to really understand their perspective, I was able to find the problem and resolve their issue to their satisfaction.”

“Overall, teamwork is my biggest strength. I’m comfortable enough to adjust my approach based on the scenario at hand, allowing me to be an effective team member in a variety of situations.

“For example, in my last position, I was a member of several project teams. While I enjoy opportunities to take the reins, I understand that there are occasions when another person has more expertise, making them more suitable for that role. When that occurs, I focus on offering my support, ensuring they have access to my knowledge and skills and are able to successfully pursue collective goals.

“Ultimately, it isn’t about always being in the spotlight; it’s about doing what’s best for the team. In that regard, I genuinely shine.”

Examples of Strengths You Can Use

If you’re still struggling for good strengths for a job interview, consider trying to fit one to three of these examples of strengths into your answers. They’re valuable in many roles, making them solid starting points.

Many of the skills below are soft skills. Along with applying to most roles, employers are increasingly seeking employees with critical soft skills . As a result, they can be smart capabilities to highlight.

Just make sure you only use this list of strengths as a guide, as what you choose does have to apply to you. While an estimated 78 percent of candidates lie on their resumes, getting caught comes with serious consequences. Along with missing out on the job, you could get blackballed by the company. Plus, the hiring manager might tell their network, hurting your broader reputation.

Additionally, focus on the examples of strengths that fit the job description and company priorities, increasing the odds that the ones you share resonate with the hiring manager:

NOTE: Check out our “ list of strengths article ” for more examples!

• Solid Leadership skills
• Solid Management skills
• Willingness to take on responsibilities
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Determination
• Problem Solver
• Clear attention to details
• Quick Learner
• Strong People Skills
• Team Player
• Able to work independently
• Hard Working

No matter what skill you decide to highlight in your answer, just make sure that it’s applicable to the job and the company and that you have a truthful and solid example to back it up. 

And finally, if you’re still running into walls and can’t come up with something good, ask your co-workers what they think your strengths are.   You might be surprised what they say and not realize something you take for granted or do without thinking is actually a valuable strength!

And as always…Good luck!

FREE : "What Are Your Strengths & Weaknesses" PDF CHEAT SHEET

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!

PLUS the DO'S & DON'TS so you don't fall into any of the common traps associated with this question.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE CHEAT SHEET

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

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.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. 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. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?”

• Joel Schwartzberg

Advice and examples to help you craft an authentic answer to this common interview question.

Don’t take common interview questions lightly just because they’re predictable. Underpreparing for them can make the difference between moving ahead and moving on. One question that often comes up: What are your strengths and weaknesses? In this article, the author outlines clear steps for how to describe your strengths and weaknesses along with sample language to use as a guide.

Some questions come up again and again in job interviews . At the top of the list: “ Tell me about yourself ,” “ Why do you want to work here? ” and “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?”

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

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How to Showcase Your Strengths in Your College Application Essays

Your admission essay is an adcom’s greatest insight into who you are as a person. It can also be a tool to showcase your high school accomplishments. So, how can you craft an essay that both conveys your personality and portrays your strengths—without coming off as arrogant? Here are four tips to guide you.

1. Paint a picture.

This is a phrase that English teachers have drilled into your head, but it’s true for your college essay and in all your written work. Painting a picture of your accomplishments through examples and rhetorical devices helps adcoms visualize the steps you’ve taken to get to where you are today and the person you are and strive to be.

How can you show rather than tell? There are many ways to express yourself through language, from personalized metaphors —actions, experiences, or objects that mirror and symbolize your journey—to rich, vivid details. This is especially true in your essay, but you can also employ these rhetorical devices and language throughout your application, such as in your extracurricular accomplishment descriptions.

For instance, if you’re a pianist, you might use imagery to describe the progression of your musical development, initially exploring playing one note at a time to learning how to play the music you play today. You could evoke specific sounds and melodies to illustrate this development.

2. Use action-oriented verbs.

Rather than relying on soft adjectives, use action verbs like “implemented,” “facilitated,” and so on. These types of words are much more powerful and demonstrate that you do and make things happen. They also emphasize your ownership of your achievements, signifying that these achievements don’t just happen to you: you made them happen.

For example, rather than saying that you were responsible for speaking on behalf of the student body as student council president, you might say, “Raised awareness of X issue and implemented a procedure for handling complaints.”

3. Offer examples and details.

Examples are an essential feature of your essay. They illustrate your accomplishments, provide context, and show adcoms how you’ve made an impact in concrete ways. You should also use numerical values and other details to quantify your accomplishments.

In this post on successful activity entries, students use details to summarize and portray their accomplishments. While this post concerns another section of your application, you can apply the same concepts to your essay.

Example: “Provided homework and study help to underprivileged kids. I studied with one girl until her Cs became As. I love being the “go-to” mentor.”

Here, the applicant shows the impact of her tutoring, rather than simply stating that she tutored. In doing so, she demonstrates the impact on both her and the students she tutored.

Example: “I have been studying piano and performing in recitals since kindergarten. I’m currently working on Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F minor from Opus 2.”

This entry shows the progression of the applicant’s work by demonstrating how far she has come, exemplified by the challenging piece she’s currently playing.

These examples bring your experiences to life, so you’re not just listing achievements but also quantifying them and pointing to concrete ways in which they’ve affected you and others.

4. Tell a story.

Like any good story, your essay should have a narrative arc. Instead of a list of achievements, it should portray an experience that shaped you. No matter what topic you choose, you should be able to tell an account that captures your reader’s attention and has all the hallmarks of a compelling narrative.

For instance, if you’re a first-generation student, you might begin by describing a specific moment in your childhood when you realized that you would be the first member of your family to attend college and then narrate specific events along your journey, such as encouragement from your parents or teachers, difficulties you faced and how you overcame them, and how you finally reached this moment and are excited about the next chapter. This is much more effective than simply stating that you’re a first-generation student and listing the reasons why attending college is important to you.

If you can’t weave together a compelling story with the topic you’ve chosen, you may want to rethink it. Spend some time brainstorming to hone your topic and ensure that it is one that will both capture your audience and showcase your accomplishments.

Your Essay: A Reflection of You

Your essay is a concise glimpse into you as a person. While other areas of your application detail your accomplishments, grades, and extracurricular achievements, this is a place to showcase your qualities as a person. Still, your accomplishments are most likely integral to your personality. Keep these tips in mind as you craft an essay that both captures your character and your strengths as a candidate for admission.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Why Do Interviewers Like to Ask What Are Your Greatest Strengths?

Different ways of asking the "what are your greatest strengths" question, what are your greatest strengths - how to assess and select your best strengths, what are your greatest strengths - the star technique (2024), what are your greatest strengths - mistakes to avoid, what if you don't know your strengths, final thoughts, how to answer "what are your greatest strengths" (with examples – 2024).

Updated April 10, 2024

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" What are your strengths? " is a classic interview question, often asked in parallel to " What is your greatest weakness ".

It seems simple enough, but these four words present something of a minefield for candidates.

That’s because it requires you to tread carefully between two paths: too humble on one side, and too arrogant on the other.

For that reason, most candidates don’t answer it well.

Too much humility, and you’ll undersell your achievements and skills, leading the employer to think you’re less competent than you are. But oversell yourself too much, and you can easily come across as self-interested and potentially unable to work well in a team.

And both of these can happen by accident if you don’t prepare properly. If you’re caught out, you can easily end up drawing a blank or pushing too hard on the one strength you can bring to mind.

Prepare well, however, and this question can be used to your advantage.

It’s an open invitation to talk about your skills , your accomplishments and to show how you match the employer’s values and requirements .

You must be ready to stand out and demonstrate your unique value as a candidate to bag your dream job.

Interviewers are looking to see how you assess your strengths, and how that fits with the role.

Like its counterpart "What are your greatest weaknesses?" , this question is very likely to come up at your next job interview . In fact, they are often asked together.

There are several things that your prospective employer may be looking to uncover. For example, they might want to:

• Ensure that your strengths are in line with the skill set required for the role
• Check whether you’re self-aware and able to speak about yourself with confidence
• Test for qualities and experience that set you apart from the competition
• Assess your communication skills
• See how you think on the spot

Because it’s a broad and open-ended question, hiring managers will often word it in different ways.

Don’t be caught out – if they’re giving you an open opportunity to talk about your strengths, then it’s this question.

Learn how to recognise it and how to apply your planning, and you’ll never be thrown off.

Here are some of the common job interview questions you might be asked that relate to strengths:

• "How would you apply your key strengths to this position?"
• " Why should we hire you? "
• "What makes you the ideal candidate for this job?"
• "What makes you a good fit for the position?"
• "What do you feel sets you apart from the competition?"
• " What would your colleagues say you bring to a team? "
• " What accomplishment are you most proud of? "
• "Which traits do you have that make you most suitable for the role?"
• "What is your greatest strength/biggest strength?"
• " Tell me about yourself "

Each of these phrases (and many more) are asking the same essential question: What are you good at and why would we want those skills in our company?

Of course, you don’t want to answer all of these questions in the same way and come across as robotic. Take note of how the question was put to you and tailor your answer appropriately.

For instance, if the question is about your proudest achievement , start by describing an example you’re happy with and then discuss the strengths that surround that example.

Being able to adapt your answer to whatever question is thrown at you will not only put across your key strengths in a more engaging way, but will also demonstrate your communication abilities .

Be prepared for follow-up questions to be asked.

Most often, you’ll be asked something like: "How have you used the strengths you've just mentioned in your previous role?"

This is why it’s important to prepare thoroughly and broadly. You might not get around to mentioning everything in your first answer, but the follow-up should include additional, relevant information.

Your aim is not to convince the interviewer that you are the world’s best employee. Instead, you need to show them that you are the right employee for the job at hand.

You can probably come up with a ton of strengths and personal qualities that you think would help, but you need to choose the best ones to focus on.

Here are some useful tips on shortlisting them:

Step 1 . Identify Your Top Five Strengths

When planning your answers, it's a good idea to categorise the various strengths that you wish to present and prepare a few examples of strengths from each category.

Ensure these are relevant to the job description/person specification for the job you are interviewing for.

Here is a list of soft and hard skills to help you:

Hard Skills: A List

Hard skills are learnt; they may be skills acquired during your education or within the workplace. They might include:

• ICT/computer skills – these might include familiarity with Microsoft Office and email software or could include specialist software such as project management programs
• Industry knowledge
• Social media skills
• University or other qualifications
• Certifications
• Specific training
• Technical skills
• Sales skills
• Marketing skills
• Presentation skills/public speaking
• Project management skills
• Writing skills
• Numerical skills/accounting/finance/budgeting
• Care/healthcare credentials
• Engineering
• Data management
• Risk management

This list is only a small selection and the wide variety of jobs available will result in a huge amount of required hard skills.

The skills you will need for the job will often be specified in the job advert. If it’s a required skill, then it’s probably best not to focus on it too closely (aside from making sure you have it), as every candidate will have that skill. But you will need an example or two to prove your proficiency.

Soft Skills : A List

These are less easy to quantify but could include interpersonal and transferable skills .

For example:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Detail-oriented/attention to detail
• Critical thinking
• People skills/interpersonal skills
• Strong work ethic
• Decision making
• Project management
• Organisational skills
• Ability to handle criticism and learn from mistakes
• Time management
• Calmness under pressure
• Self-motivation
• Ability to prioritise
• Analytical thinking
• Punctuality
• Self-confidence
• Hard working

Step 2 . Link Your Strengths to the Requirements of the Job

Make sure to read the job description thoroughly and identify the key strengths required for the role . Once you have done this, go back to your shortlist of strengths and choose the ones that fit best.

If there is a need for interaction with multiple departments, you can take this to mean that excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be useful.

If the role requires working on your own with clients a lot of the time, they'll be looking for someone who can take the initiative, be independent and be calm.

Step 3 . What Are Your Greatest Strengths - Think Quality, Not Quantity

Focus on a few key strengths and explain these succinctly . That will be much more memorable than a scatter-gun approach. Aim to strike a balance between over-confidence and underselling yourself.

If you list too many strengths, you risk sounding arrogant. Too few implies a lack of confidence or – worse still – a lack of skills.

Step 4 . What Are Your Greatest Strengths - Back up Your Strengths With Examples

Always have an example ready for each strength. A skill without a concrete example means little to someone who doesn’t know you.

For example, if you mention excellent communication skills , you could follow this up with how this helped you run multiple social media platforms during your work experience.

Sample Answers to the Interview Question “What Are Your Strengths?”

When you are asked this question within an interview setting, it can leave you feeling as though your mind has gone blank. For many of us, speaking of our strengths doesn’t come naturally and it can be difficult to think of suitable responses.

You should always try to make your answer sound natural and unscripted. It is also a good idea to try and include some of your own experiences when talking about your strengths. This is especially true if you have a work-related example of how your strengths have helped you to do well in your career.

Example Answer 1

I am highly adaptable to change. During my internship, a new payroll system was introduced and other members of staff were unhappy about it. I taught myself how to use the system in my own time and was then able to train others how to use it.

This answer states concisely what the strength is, before immediately following it up with an anecdotal example from a previous employer to reinforce it.

It’s an example that shows how the candidate’s strength provided concrete benefits to their employer, while also hinting at other skills indirectly, like the ability to learn a new technical system quickly and the initiative and interpersonal skills to help colleagues.

Example Answer 2

I excel when dealing with clients. In my last job, a customer was very unhappy when the delivery of a sample product was not made on time, which meant that they lost out on making a major sale. I went out of my way to listen to the customer's concerns and understand everything that was wrong. I apologised and presented a solution by calling other clients to see if they had any spare samples, which I volunteered to deliver to the customer the following day.

Again, this example begins with a skill and lays out a step-by-step example of that skill in action with a previous employer.

It demonstrates that not only is the candidate good at dealing with clients but that they genuinely care about them, going out of their way to rectify a situation.

In addition to their interpersonal skills , this is a candidate that cares about their job and won’t just do the bare minimum.

Example Answer 3

I’ve always considered myself to have a strong work ethic; I always aim to meet deadlines. As part of a work placement , I was working with a customer who had my team on a strict deadline. For reasons beyond my control, there was some confusion in the delivery of crucial documents, which didn’t get to our office until late in the afternoon before the deadline. Rather than go home, I volunteered to stay late and finish everything, ensuring that the deadline was met and that the work was of a high standard.

With a concrete example, this candidate demonstrates that they are a hard worker who’s willing to be flexible and get on with the job if things don’t go to plan, rather than panicking or complaining.

Example Answer 4

I like to think that I am adaptable and respond well to changes. For example, during the global pandemic, my office needed to quickly change our approach to working remotely. I helped to implement some of the necessary system changes which allowed this to happen quickly and without too many teething problems.

By giving an example of a situation where you have been adaptable, you are showing potential employers that you know what it means to have this strength and also showing that you could be a useful asset to their company.

Example Answer 5

I think that teamwork is a strength that has the potential to be undervalued. The ability to work well as a part of a team, taking responsibility where necessary and deferring to others when required is a skill I am proud to have. Throughout my career, I have worked with a variety of teams for a vast range of projects.

Choosing a strength that isn’t stated as often can help you to stand apart from other candidates. Selecting an option such as teamwork can also help potential employers to see you as a part of the wider company.

Example Answer 6

Personally, I think that one of my most important strengths would be my ability to use my initiative. I look at a task and quickly find ways to tackle it, considering all of the options and looking for ways to make things as easy and successful as possible. I enjoy considering all of the possibilities and potential solutions to find new ways of doing things that save time and money.

Employers like candidates who can offer a variety of benefits to them other than solely filling a role. By speaking about a strength that could have wide-ranging benefits to your employer, such as saving them money, you will be helping recruiters to see the positive attributes that you can bring not only to the position you have applied for but also to the company as a whole.

Example Answer 7

I would say that one of my greatest strengths is my ability to solve problems. When I have come across challenges in the past within my private life, I have worked to assess the situation and find a solution. This can involve learning a new skill myself to complete a task or asking others for help when required. For example, there was a situation within my local craft group where we were organizing an event but couldn’t find a suitable venue within our budget. I successfully located a venue and negotiated with the hirers to ensure that the event could go ahead and it was a success for everyone involved. Then, when the treasurer was unwell, I took on handling the finances. This involved learning how to successfully manage spreadsheets and budgets.

If you don’t have very much experience within the workplace, then you will have to look to your personal life to find examples of strengths. By carefully choosing situations where you have shown the skills that you are talking about, you can show potential employers that you are likely to be able to transfer those skills to a workplace environment.

Example Answer 8

Communication is a vital skill and I am proud to consider it one of my strengths. The ability to communicate effectively with customers, colleagues and supervisors helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures a more harmonious working environment. I try to be as clear and concise as I can while also being polite and taking the time to listen to what others have to say to me.

By stating that the skill you are highlighting is an essential part of the work you do, you will be bringing an employer's attention to how important it is for a successful candidate to possess this strength. This is especially important if you are talking about a less widely recognized strength or something which isn’t automatically associated with the role you are applying for as it can help potential employers view you in a more positive light. It is also a good idea to give examples of how a particular skill can be useful in a variety of ways.

Example Answer 9

I pride myself on being very organized. This helps to make sure that I am on time, where I need to be and prepared for whatever challenges each day may bring.

Being able to organize yourself is important to make sure that you can work efficiently within your role. Showing an employer that you consider this to be an important strength can be reassuring to them as it shows that you understand the value of being prepared.

Example Answer 10

Ever since I was very small, my parents taught me that being unreliable was a sign that I didn’t value others and their time. This is why I have worked consistently throughout my time in school, and now my time in the workplace, to ensure that I am as reliable as I possibly can be. I am very rarely late or sick and I always endeavor to communicate any problems which may occur to affect my reliability to make sure that others aren’t inconvenienced.

Many of us will have strengths that we learned as children and have now almost become a part of our personality, making us the way that we are. Thinking about the things that we were taught as children can often help to identify the strengths and values that potential employers look for in candidates.

Each of the above examples uses the STAR technique . This is a fantastic way to make sure that each of your answers is structured effectively.

The STAR method consists of the following:

Situation – Give the context of the example. What was the project? Who was the client? Were you working in a team?

Task – Now move to the specifics and describe what your role in the project was and what your goal was.

Action – Describe the actions that you took towards that goal. Be careful not to talk about your co-workers' contribution here – this part is your time to shine. How did you bring your team closer to that goal?

Result – Finally, talk about the outcome of your actions. If you can, add some numbers in here. Saying that your boss told you ‘job well done’ is fine, but to be able to say you increased profits by 20% for that quarter is better and more concrete.

When giving answers, candidates will often leave out important parts of the scenario they’re trying to explain. For instance, they might describe their task and what they did but add no context. Or they might talk eloquently about what they did but fail to mention whether their actions brought any success.

By practising using the STAR technique and ensuring all your answers follow it, you can be sure that you cover all bases. It also helps you stay focused and concise, rather than having to jump backwards or forwards to explain important details you forgot to mention.

You can learn more about the STAR technique, including how to use it most effectively and some example answers, by reading this comprehensive article .

Some common errors when talking about your strengths include:

Giving a list of strengths . Some job-seekers fall into the trap of reeling off adjectives without any consideration for the job specification – or without concrete examples to back them up – can make your responses forgettable, and risks making you sound arrogant. Remember to think of the specific strengths you have that make you a good fit for that particular role.

Irrelevant answers . Any strengths you give should be related to the skills expected of the ideal candidate. For example, if you're applying for a job in accountancy, saying you're a great athlete is unlikely to enhance your application. Irrelevant answers may also suggest to the interviewer that your weaknesses lie in areas crucial to the job.

Vague or general answers . You need to demonstrate self-awareness, so it isn't a good idea to say that you're strong in many respects but can't think of anything in particular. Back up your answers with short examples, and make sure you know your strengths in advance – since any hesitation risks undermining your answer. This is not a time to sit on the fence or be overly modest.

If you find yourself struggling to come up with a list of strengths, you might want to try some of these approaches:

Ask someone else . Getting a fresh perspective can help to bring out an accurate reflection of what you're good at. Try asking someone who knows you well (such as a friend or colleague) what they think your strengths are.

Look back on past praise and achievement . Try to recall any praise or feedback you received as a student, or during any internships or work placements . It’s always a good idea to keep a personal file of any positive feedback you received throughout your education and employment. Similarly, review any achievements you have included in your CV and identify what stands out.

Look at the key skills of others in a role similar to yours . Browse LinkedIn and see what skills and endorsements are most prominent in the profiles of people currently doing a similar role to the one you're looking at. Think about whether you have these skills.

It's highly likely that you will be asked questions about your strengths during the recruitment process.

Throughout the interview, try to look out for opportunities to communicate the strengths that are most relevant to the role. If you are asked about your previous employment or experience, try to share an example which relates to one of your strengths.

If you can't find the opportunity, you may be asked if you have anything to add at the end of the interview, at which point you could offer a summary of your strengths and emphasise how they make you the best candidate for the position.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice to take on board is to always be honest . Blowing your interviewers away with talk of your amazing IT skills, only for them to discover one week in that you are a technophobe, will not go down well. It may even have you back on your job search, so think before you speak.

Was that useful? Be sure to check out our article on how to answer the other key question: What are your weaknesses?

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

Or explore the Interview Advice / Interview Questions sections.

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• Interview Questions & Answers

What Are Your Strengths (and Weaknesses): Example Answers + Bonus Tips

Confession time.

Years ago, I landed an interview at a company I really wanted to work for. But I blew it.

The worst part came when they asked me “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” I started rambling and didn’t really answer the question at all.

Luckily, I learned from my mistakes. And so can you — so that you won’t have to make your own ones.

To best answer “What are your strengths:”

• Choose strengths relevant to the job (e.g. quantifiable accomplishments, formal education)
• Talk about unique hard skills that make you a good fit (e.g. platform knowledge)
• Don’t shy away from soft skills (e.g. communication, problem-solving, attention to detail)
• Provide examples of specific situations when you displayed your strengths

In this article, you’ll discover:

• Why interviewers ask “what are your strengths” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses”
• How to answer “what are your strengths” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses”
• Examples of typical strengths and weaknesses you can mention

Want to get an offer after every interview? Our interview prep tool will guide you through all the questions you can expect, let you record and analyze your answers, and provide instant AI feedback. You’ll know exactly what to improve to turn your next interview into a job.

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Why Interviewers Ask “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses”

Interviewers ask “What are your strengths” in order to:

Assess whether you have the necessary skills for the job

It’s an indicator of how much time you’ll spend on onboarding and how quickly you can start contributing to the company.

Evaluate whether you’ll fit in with the team

Your strengths could make you a perfect fit with your team and help the entire team level up.

Identify if there’s space for development and growth

This way, they can set development plans for you and see if your affinities fit in with their plan for this role.

On the other hand, they ask “What are your weaknesses” so that they can:

Assess your level of self-awareness

Recruiters want to check the extent to which you know yourself, and if you’re trying to improve.

Evaluate how you handle challenges and failures

If you can admit your weaknesses and if you’re working on overcoming them, it’ll show recruiters you’re open to continuous learning.

Identify areas in which you might need support and training

They might ask you this question in order to create a plan for your onboarding, training, and career development.

Finally, recruiters may combine these two questions and ask you, “what are your strengths and weaknesses?”

They want to give you more space for putting your strong and weak sides into context. It’ll give them a realistic picture of your experience and skills.

The question will allow you to explain why a certain strength is particularly important and why a specific weakness is not a dealbreaker.

See our dedicated guides on how to tackle other common job interview questions:

• Why should we hire you?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Tell me about yourself
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• What’s your greatest weakness?

“Typical” Strengths Examples to Mention in an Interview

Here are some common (and good) strengths you can mention next time they ask you “What is your biggest strength” or “What are your strengths”?

• Problem-solving 
• Communication 
• Critical thinking
• Time and task management
• Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills
• Analytical thinking
• Reliability
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Determination
• Working well under pressure
• Open to feedback
• Emotional intelligence

Experience-related strengths

Everyone has their own path. Let this play in your favor. You probably have a unique experience (life + work) that helped you hone certain skills.

For example, if you don’t have any work experience yet, but you used to spend entire summers at your grandparents’ countryside farm, you probably learned a thing or two. You helped out with the work, got up early in the morning, and developed strong discipline and time and task management. These are lovely transferable skills you can use in every aspect of life — and you can mention them to gain an advantage over other people during the interview (plus, it would be a great story to break the ice and display your personality).

Here are additional examples:

• The work ethic you developed in your boring first job ages ago
• The empathy you gained when you had to navigate a major layoff
• Organizational skills you developed when you volunteered to help with organizing a team-building event
• Self-startedness you mastered when you built your mom’s hand-made accessories Instagram store from scratch

Skills learned on-the-job

Skills learned in your previous positions are probably your strongest assets. These are often hard skills closely related to the industry you are in and what the company you applied for is hoping to achieve.

These skills can be:

• Knowledge of an app/platform (WordPress, Ahrefs, Salesforce, Adobe, Klaviyo, etc.)
• Knowledge of programming languages (Javascript, CSS, etc.)
• Payment processing
• Workflow development (sequential, state machine, rules-driven, etc.)
• Project management (Agile, Scrum, Lean, Kanban, etc.)
• Writing long-form or short-form content (email sequences, articles, blogs, case studies, SMS marketing, landing pages, etc.) SEO knowledge
• Google ads/LinkedIn ads

Formal education

You can highlight a degree or even experience related to your formal education such as:

• Relevant coursework
• Relevant practical exams
• Debate club
• Volunteering
• Extracurricular activities

Soft skills relevant to the position

There’s plenty to choose from, but make sure the soft skills are actually relevant to the position you’re applying for.

You can identify these by asking yourself: what are some traits and skills that complement the key hard skills that make me a good fit for this job? And will they make my life at work easier?

If you’re applying for an HR position, you’ll need to have outstanding interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.

Cashier? You’ll need to be a communicative and quick thinker.

Nurse? Emphatic and quick on your feet.

Most common soft skills are:

• Communication skills
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Stress management
• Attention to detail
• Work ethics
• Goal setting and prioritizing

How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths?”

Here’s how to craft your answer to this question.

1. Choose strengths relevant to the job

Choose and mention only the skills that are relevant to the position.

For this, you’ll need to study the job description, find out more about the company, and potentially speak to someone from the company who works in the same or similar position.

Applying for a project manager position? You’ll need to mention your superb time and task management, people skills, conflict resolution, critical thinking, thinking several steps ahead, and similar.

Content writer? Superb writing and solid SEO skills, friendly and open to feedback, and great attention to detail.

Sales representative? Communication skills, persuasive speaking and writing, friendly, quick thinking, helpful.

Cashier? Friendly, efficient, interpersonal skills, good with money, patient.

Nurse? Experience with ICU/ER (whatever hard skill), people skills, compassion, patience, quick thinking, and nurturing.

You get the drill.

What are your strengths: Sample answer

2. talk about unique hard skills that make you a good fit.

There must be a key hard skill needed for that position you applied for. If you possess it, you need to emphasize it during the interview.

Talk about the background, how and when you acquired the skill, what it helped you achieve, maybe single out the biggest accomplishment, etc.

Pro tip: pair one or two key hard skills with several soft skills that complement them. It’ll put them into context and give recruiters more insight into your experience and personality.

3. Don’t shy away from soft skills

Some candidates don’t want to mention soft skills because they think everyone has them, or they’re too general.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Soft skills say a lot about your personality and as we already said, complement hard skills wonderfully.

For example, you can be a superb medical worker with tons of knowledge and experience. But if you’re not emphatic and if you don’t know how to communicate with sick people’s families and your own coworkers, it can all go to waste. You’ll be remembered as a rude person, difficult to work with.

Don’t underestimate the power of soft skills.

4. Provide examples

In order to make your strengths impactful and memorable, provide examples for each.

It can be a short story about how you acquired a certain skill, how you behaved in a certain situation, or how you achieved certain goals and results.

Anything that will put the skills into context and show how they make you a valuable asset will do! (If you look at the samples above, you’ll see they contain examples and details to prove their point.)

To get more details about learning how to talk about your strengths, click here .

Examples of Typical Weaknesses to Mention

First of all, avoid listing weaknesses such as perfectionism and the tendency to take on too much work. They’re overused, not honest, and (debatably) not actual weaknesses.

Mention your real weaknesses, and make sure you say what you’re currently doing to improve in those areas (it shows awareness and action).

It might happen that the weakness you mention can actually harm your chances of being successful in that job. If you successfully cover it up (which is not likely), you’ll end up burned out, underperforming, and hating your day-to-day. This is why it’s important to be genuine and transparent when talking about weaknesses, both for your own sake and for the employer.

Some of the typical weaknesses you can mention are:

• Getting overwhelmed easily
• Being prone to insecurity or self-doubt
• Lacking presentation skills
• Lacking numbers/analytical skills
• Lacking knowledge of a particular platform
• Lacking industry-related knowledge (SEO, email deliverability, etc.)
• Being introverted
• Being extroverted

Not  entirely  happy with how many interviews you’re scoring?  Maybe it’s time to revamp your resume. These guides will be a good starting point:

• How to Write a Resume
• Resume Formatting Basics  
• Resume Summary Examples
• Resume Objective Examples
• Resume Profile: What It Is & How to Write It
• How to Describe Your Work Experience on a Resume
• How to Create an Education Section on a Resume
• The Best Skills for a Resume
• How to Describe Hobbies and Interests on a Resume

How to Answer Questions About Weaknesses

And here’s how to tackle the weaknesses too, in case the recruiters ask you “What are your strengths and weaknesses”.

(FYI, we have a separate guide on answering the stand-alone question “ What is your greatest weakness ”).

As we already mentioned, don’t try to present strengths (or what looks like strengths) disguised as weaknesses.

“Oh, I work too much.”

“I’m so dedicated that I often lose a sense of time and ignore my personal life.”

“I’m a huge perfectionist.”

All bad answers. You’re purposefully trying to look good. (Plus, if a company actually considers these “strengths”, they probably have a toxic work environment and you should run for the hills.)

Mention things you really consider yourself less-than-perfect at. Try not to sabotage your reasonable chances of getting that job (“I hate people and have a tendency to drink at work”), but don’t try to disguise actual strengths as weaknesses, you’ll come across as pretentious.

Talk about improvement plans

For every weakness you list, it’s best to talk about what you’re doing to improve them.

It will show you’re self-aware and actionable, as you’re actively taking steps to improve yourself.

Let’s revisit the typical weaknesses we mentioned a few chapters earlier and see what you can add to each.

• Getting overwhelmed easily ( but you’re learning breathing and meditation exercises you apply every time you get overwhelmed at work)
• Being prone to insecurity or self-doubt ( but you’re working on accepting your good and bad sides equally; nobody’s perfect)
• Lacking presentation skills ( but you’re throwing yourself into the fire and you volunteer to give a presentation every time you can)
• Lacking numbers/analytical skills ( but you’re regularly making time to go into Google Analytics and dig around)
• Lacking knowledge of a particular platform ( but you took the course on Udemy/asked an expert to help you out)
• Lacking SEO knowledge ( but you’re currently devouring Ahref’s blog posts and speaking to an expert from your company)
• Being introverted ( but you’re making yourself step up and voice your opinions on meetings)
• Being extroverted ( but you’re making a conscious effort to tone it down, let others speak more, ask for others’ options, etc.)

Pro tip: If applicable, explain how a particular strength of yours can outweigh a weakness. You can also try to place it within the framework of your team and show how you complement your coworkers and make up for things you lack.

For example, if you’re not a natural-born public speaker, you won’t run workshops for junior teammates. It’s your weakness. But your strength is writing, so you can participate in the onboarding process by creating documentation and detailed manuals.

For a bunch of additional tips on how to talk about your strengths, sell yourself in an interview, negotiate, and land your dream job, get our free course here !

Remember my disastrous interview experience from the intro? Well, it was all because of the lack of practice. If I had taken the time to at least draft ideas for answering interview questions on paper, I would have done a lot better.

At the time, I thought preparing for interviews was a waste of time. After all, I know how to talk about myself, right? Well, I was wrong.

It was when I started using Big Interview that I realized just how important preparing in advance is.

I remember that I started by watching the “What are your strengths” video to try and figure out the reasons why I failed to answer it.

Then I record myself answering questions and did a self-assessment (but there’s also the option to send the recording to a friend to ask for their opinion). The Mock Practice tool provides awesome feedback too, so I didn’t have to bother people around me.

Whatever you choose, it’s good, as long as you’re preparing beforehand.

Additional Sample Answers to “What Are Your Strengths?”

Below are a few videos for common job positions. Each of them answers the question “What Are Your Strengths?” We hope they’ll get you inspired and craft your own answer to the question.

Sample answer for a Technology Team Lead

Sample answer for a Data Analyst

Sample answer for a Head of Marketing

Sample answer for a Medical Doctor

These were examples for answering “What are your strengths” — but if you want to discover additional common questions recruiters ask during interviews (and how to answer them), check out Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them . 

Summary of the Main Points

• “What are your strengths” is a question you’re likely to hear in every job interview. But recruiters also want to know about the combination of your strengths and weaknesses, so they may ask “What are your strengths and weaknesses”
• Recruiters want to know if you know yourself, if you’re a culture fit, if there are things you can improve, and how you handle challenges
• Mention strengths you gained through experience, on your current job, during formal education, or soft skills which are a part of your personality
• Be honest when speaking about your strengths and weaknesses
• Choose skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for
• Provide examples and stories for each strength
• For each weakness, say what you’re doing to improve it

____________________

Need a hand? There are 3 ways we can help you:

• Don’t know how to talk about yourself? Learn how to succinctly answer the “Tell me about yourself” question.
• Tired of interviewing and not landing the job? Discover actionable lessons and interview practice here (Rated with 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users).
• Use our new Resume AI tool to instantly improve your resume and start landing more offers.

What are some typical examples of strengths employers want to hear about?

Here are some common strengths employers like to hear:

• Strong communication skills: demonstrating your ability to effectively listen, communicate ideas, and work well with others.
• Problem-solving: highlight your ability to analyze different situations and come up with workable solutions.
• Adaptability: emphasize your capacity to adapt and adjust to changing landscapes and priorities.
• Leadership: showcase your ability to motivate, guide, and support others to fulfill their potential.
• Teamwork: exhibit your ability to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals.
• Time management: indicate your aptitude for organizing responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and prioritizing tasks.

What 3 strengths are the most important in the workplace?

The top three strengths that are crucial in the workplace include:

• Communication skills: As they foster collaboration, idea-sharing, and efficient work processes.
• Problem-solving: Because it helps tackle challenges and find innovative solutions.
• Adaptability: As it enables you to adjust to new situations and contribute effectively.

Should I focus on my traits, skills, or achievements?

Focus on your skills and achievements, as they provide tangible evidence of your capabilities. Highlight transferable skills that are relevant to the position, and back them up with specific accomplishments to showcase their real-world impact.

What if I don’t have any unique strengths, just do my job well, in general?

Even if your strengths seem generic, they can still be beneficial. Focus on how you’ve consistently demonstrated your strengths in job-related scenarios, and provide examples of your reliability and commitment to producing high-quality work.

When asked about strengths, should I also talk about weaknesses?

Don’t discuss weaknesses when asked about strengths. It may divert attention from your positive attributes. Listen to the question carefully, and focus on highlighting your strengths with specific examples. You can address weaknesses later if explicitly asked by the interviewer.

What strengths should fresh graduates or people with no experience mention?

Fresh graduates or those with no experience should mention strengths such as:

• Quick learning ability: demonstrate your ability to learn and integrate new information quickly from coursework, projects, or internships.
• Initiative: show examples of taking initiative in group projects or extracurricular activities to emphasize your self-starting capabilities.
• Teamwork: showcase your experience working in groups or teams in coursework or volunteer work to demonstrate collaborative skills.

How should you talk about strengths without sounding too arrogant?

To discuss strengths without sounding arrogant:

• Be genuine: speak honestly about your strengths and provide concrete examples instead of exaggerating or sounding self-aggrandizing.
• Stay relevant: focus on strengths that specifically relate to the role you’re applying for, showing that you know which skills are critical for success.
• Balance confidence and humility: express confidence in your capabilities, but also convey openness to learning and improving in your new position.

Maja Stojanovic

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How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Strength?” [With Examples]

Table Of Contents

Why do employers ask about strengths , how to answer “what is your greatest strength” , perform a self-assessment, match your strengths to the role, use the star technique, “what is your greatest strength” answer examples, list of strengths, mistakes to avoid when answering “what is your greatest strength”, making statements without offering proof, body language mistakes , sticking to the script , the bottom line.

In theory, it should be easy to answer the job interview question, “What is your greatest strength?” If you've done your interview prep–and of course you have–you’ve spent plenty of time reviewing your top skills, qualifications, and work experience.

But in practice, talking about what you’re good at can be tricky. Most of us are conditioned not to brag. It’s challenging to present your strengths in a way that doesn’t seem arrogant, falsely humble, or out of touch.

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To make sure you’re ready to answer this tough job interview question , it can help to know why employers ask questions like this. Then, you can formulate potential answers and practice delivering them until you feel comfortable.

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Asking about strengths may seem unnecessary. After all, the interviewer has your resume in front of them. If they didn’t like what they saw, why would you even be in this job interview?

But employers ask about strengths for several reasons beyond just wanting to know about your skills and qualifications. They’re trying to get a sense of the following:

• Do you know your best qualifications and abilities? Answering the strengths question requires self-awareness and the ability to assess your proficiencies. Hiring managers use this question to find out whether you understand your top skills.
• Do your strengths match their requirements? Companies hire employees to solve problems.  Interviewers want to know if your skill set is a match for their goals and needs.
• Will you be a good fit? The ideal candidate will have strengths that complement the team’s strengths and supplement their weaknesses . Employers ask about strengths to assess whether you’ll work well with your prospective coworkers. They also want to know if you’ll fit into the company culture.

This job interview question is an opportunity to showcase your most valuable skills, abilities, and qualifications. To make sure you take advantage of this chance to impress the hiring manager, do the following:

Ask yourself a few questions:

• What are your most valuable work-related skills?
• How did you develop these abilities?
• How has your skill set evolved over time?
• How do you use these proficiencies to solve problems at work?

If you have time, you might also consider asking your current or former colleagues about your strengths at work. You might be surprised at the skills and abilities they highlight. (Plus, it’s always good to go into a job interview with a reminder that you’re a valuable teammate.)

Take a look at the job description and any notes from phone screens or pre-interview research. How do your strengths match with the company’s needs and how would you use those strengths to solve their problems and achieve their goals?

Research from Checkster , a reference checking software company, finds that 78% of candidates lie during the job application process. But just because lying is common, doesn’t mean it’s acceptable–or likely to help you further your career.

Lying about your strengths can come back to haunt you in several ways:

• You could get caught in an inconsistency during the interview process and be dropped from contention.
• Your skills gaps might become apparent once you’re on the job, leading the company to terminate your employment.
• You might land the job and keep it–only to find out that you’ve finagled your way into a role that you don’t enjoy.

Join The Break Community

Human beings are wired for stories. We like narrative structure, cause and effect, and proof of concept. The STAR interview method helps you demonstrate, not just describe, your skills and abilities so that the hiring manager can visualize you using your proficiencies at the company.

STAR stands for:

• Situation (where you were working, what role you had, and any other factors involved)
• Task (the problem you solved)
• Action (what you did to solve the problem)
• Result (the outcome–bonus points if you can quantify it in terms of time, money, etc.)

Your answers to this question will vary depending on your experience and qualifications, as well as the requirements of the job. But these sample answers can help you brainstorm your own.

“My greatest strength is empathy. When I’m dealing with customer complaints, I’m able to really put myself in their shoes and understand how this issue is affecting them. As a result, I’ve been able to maintain my department's highest complaint resolution numbers for the past three quarters.”

“I believe that my greatest strength is flexibility. I’m one of those rare folks who genuinely enjoys change, which is why I like working at startups like your company. You’re never in the same job for long, regardless of whether your job title stays the same. In my current job, I’ve been able to learn social media management, design work, and several project management systems. I love the chance to keep learning.”

“My greatest strength is resilience. I bounce back from challenges and come away with new knowledge about my work, my team, and myself. My last employer underwent a major restructuring and I worked on three teams in six months. At one point, I was briefly assigned to assist the software development team and discovered that this was the place I wanted to build my career. I’ve spent the past few months taking classes, pursuing independent study, and earning certifications.”

Not sure which strengths to highlight in your next job interview? This list may inspire you:

• Attention to detail
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Entrepreneurial
• Flexibility
• Problem-solving
• Time management

Again, the biggest mistake you can make at a job interview is to be less than honest. But assuming that you’re prepared to be forthright and that you’ve done your homework, it’s easy to avoid the other pitfalls of talking about strengths.

Be positive and confident, not arrogant. Remember that you’re trying to help the hiring manager visualize you in the role, and that means coming across as someone who is enjoyable to work with. Avoid statements that rely on hyperbole, e.g., “I’m the best salesman in the world,” or that are difficult to back up.

The STAR technique helps demonstrate that you can do what you say you can do. It will also keep you from writing checks your skill set can’t cash.

Keep your answers concise and to the point. Notice if you’re starting to speak quickly or stray from the story at hand. Take a deep breath when you need it and don’t be afraid of pauses. Ask for clarification when you need it.

Especially if you’re a nervous interviewer, it’s easy to send one message with your words and a very different message with your body language. Sit up straight, avoid fidgeting, and maintain an open and friendly posture. If you’re interviewing with multiple people, remember to address and make eye contact with each of them in turn.

Practice answering this and other questions during your job interview prep, but don’t forget that an interview is a conversation. Be prepared to be flexible, listen to the interviewer, and adapt as the conversation unfolds. You’ll make a better impression and get a real sense of whether you connect with the hiring manager, as well.

Related: How To Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

To talk about your strengths in job interviews with ease, remember that hiring managers want to hear about your talents, skills, and experience. By coming to the interview prepared to highlight your top qualifications, you’ll make their job easier, as well as improve the chances that you’ll land your next position.

Ready to find a job that builds on your strengths? Check out ZipRecruiter and find employers who are eager to hire applicants just like you.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt

Jen is a content editor and writer with over 15 years of experience in the careers, personal finance, and small business space. She has previously written for The Balance and about.com, and now tackles all things hiring for Careercloud. Jen has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst.

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How to Answer “What’s Your Greatest Strength?” (Plus Examples!)

Among the other interview classics—like “ Tell me about yourself ,” “ Where do you see yourself in 10 years ?” and “ What are some of your weaknesses ?”—“What is your greatest strength?” seems like a pretty innocuous question.

But that doesn’t mean you can skip preparing for it. In fact, answer it well, and it’s one of the best ways you can show off your skills and stand out among other candidates.

Here how to do just that.

How to answer “What are your greatest strengths?”

The great news is that answering this interview question really boils down to two basic steps:

1. Choose a strength (or strengths).

Think strategically about what skills will position you as qualified for the job and a good addition to the company. Does the position require client interaction? Communication and relationship building make sense. Or if the environment is fast-paced and constantly evolving—your ability to multitask, adapt, and learn quickly would be good to highlight. A great way to approach this question is to think about skills you really want to emphasize during the interview, but haven’t had the chance to talk about yet.

You can also use this question to show that you’d really add to the company culture. Assuming you’ve done the crucial legwork of researching the company prior to interviewing, you should have a good sense of how the company perceives its own uniqueness. One company might be known for caring about loyalty. Another company might be notorious for how much it values open communication. Of course, you can only use this strategy if your personal values do truly align with the company’s.

To walk that line between confident and arrogant , definitely don’t just list a bunch of nice adjectives to describe yourself. Instead choose one to three attributes you want to mention (depending on whether the question asks for one strength or multiple) and cap it there. The worst response I’ve ever heard to this question was a full minute-long monologue during which the interviewee proceeded to list a string of positive attributes (outgoing, detail-oriented, hardworking, independent, friendly, easy-going, you name it) and just kept talking. One of the adjectives chosen was actually “humble.” I was speechless.

2. Back your strengths up with stories.

What’s more important than the strengths you choose is being able to back up your claims. Don’t just expect the interviewer to believe you without some evidence.

Start off by answering the question directly, and then segue into a story that shows off your skills. Make sure that you give any needed context for your interviewer to understand the story, describe clearly how you used your strength to solve a problem or improve something for your team or company, and share the impact that it had.

For example, your answer could sound like:

“I think some of my greatest strengths are my communication skills and willingness to take initiative. During my last internship, when I was helping to manage several social media accounts, I made sure that everyone on the team was on the same page and knew what our messaging strategy was by taking the initiative to send out a weekly email to keep the team up to date and to seek feedback. This ended up being so helpful that the weekly social media update was incorporated into a full-time staff member’s responsibilities.”

Read More: The Best Way to Talk About Your Strengths and Weaknesses in a Job Interview

50+ example strengths to talk about in a job interview

Struggling to think of one (or two or three) strengths to talk about in your interview? Here’s a list of examples. But keep in mind that these are fairly broad, so you’ll want to make sure you have stories to show how they’re specifically helpful for this job at this organization.

Analytical strengths

These strengths aren’t just important if you’re interviewing for a job with analyst in the title:

• Coming up with innovative solutions
• Interpreting data and/or results
• Making decisions
• Noticing small details
• Recognizing patterns
• Solving problems
• Thinking critically
• Troubleshooting
• Visualizing data

Communication strengths

If you’ll have to interact with anyone inside or outside the organization, your communication skills will be vital.

• Building relationships
• Communicating in writing
• De-escalating conflict
• Giving constructive feedback
• Handling tough conversations
• Listening actively
• Making conversation with new people
• Negotiating
• Providing customer service
• Speaking or writing persuasively
• Speaking to groups of people
• Telling stories
• Writing clearly

Management strengths

Whether or not you’ll be in a formal management role, showing your strengths as they come to leading others could pay off.

• Being aware of disabilities
• Being aware of diversity
• Creating roadmaps
• Focusing on the process
• Focusing on the results
• Handling conflicts
• Identifying employee strengths and weaknesses
• Managing projects
• Motivating employees
• Mentoring employees
• Setting deadlines
• Setting realistic goals

Teamwork strengths

Before choosing one of these strengths, think of how you’ll most likely be working with teams in this role.

• Accepting and incorporating feedback
• Being dependable
• Being willing to go above and beyond to help others
• Communicating across functions
• Having high emotional intelligence
• Noticing when others need help
• Responding to changes in a situation
• Taking charge when needed

Work style strengths

These strengths are more about how you approach things and get them done and they’re a great way to show you’d work well with a team already in place.

• Being adaptable
• Being proactive
• Collaborating with others
• Finding creative solutions
• Focusing on the small details
• Focusing on the big picture
• Multitasking
• Prioritizing
• Switching between different tasks quickly
• Self motivating
• Working well under pressure

Job-specific strengths

Depending on your job function and where you’ll be working, there are likely to be some highly specific strengths you have that would really add to the team or the workplace. Consider if you have strengths in any of these areas.

• Bringing experience with a problem that the company is currently facing
• Bringing knowledge to the table from another area or field that you may encounter frequently (for example, maybe you’re a marketer with sales knowledge, a data analyst who can spot grammar issues in presentations and reports, or someone who’s fluent in a second language commonly spoken by clients or customers)
• Expertly using a common piece of software
• Offering unique but valuable talents or skills that not many people have (for example, knowledge of a new software or quickly changing field)
• Spotting specific types of errors

Sample answers to “What is your greatest strength?”

Here are a few more example answers to questions about your greatest strengths:

A greatest strength answer about identifying patterns

“I’d say that one of my greatest strengths is identifying patterns. For example, as a junior operations analyst, I noticed that at a company my team was consulting for, mistakes tended to happen in clusters, but not always on the same days of the week or ahead of deadlines. But then, looking at the company’s meeting schedule, I noticed that all of the clusters happened on days where there was a staff meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. I realized that after these meetings, people must be either rushing to finish by 5 p.m. or not fully focusing after a meeting so late in the day. Once I pointed this out, the company made a policy where all larger meetings had to be over by 3 p.m., and these spikes in mistakes disappeared, leading to a 15% decrease in refunds.”

A greatest strength answer about building relationships

“My greatest strength is probably my ability to build strong relationships with my clients. I love meeting and getting to know new people so I always approach each new account as an opportunity to make a new work friend. By asking questions about my contacts and really listening to their answers, I’m usually able to build a strong rapport and I credit these relationships with my 90% renewal rate. I’ve even had contacts from clients move to different companies and then request to work with me again.”

A greatest strength answer about putting yourself in someone else's shoes

“I think that one of my biggest strengths is being able to identify questions and issues that our users will have surrounding a new product or feature. I’m good at putting myself in the shoes of different types of users, and flagging questions the product team may not have accounted for. Sometimes they’re able to fix these issues, but even if they can’t, the product marketing team can be proactive about addressing them. One time, a new product launch necessitated removing the live chat functionality from our website, which made sense from a product perspective but not from a customer service perspective. I knew people were going to have questions about both the new product and our existing products and being able to respond to them quickly is key. Unfortunately the product team wasn’t able to have the chat function ready in time, but they were able to make other ways to contact us more visible on every page of the site and we were able to prioritize answering user emails while the chat function was gone.

A greatest strength answer about emotional awareness and teamwork

“I’m good at reading people, and especially at recognizing when they need help. In a senior business class, we had a group project where each person needed to give a five-minute segment of our presentation in front of a large group. From the first meeting, I could tell that one student was especially uncomfortable with the idea of speaking in front of a crowd, so when it came time to pick our sections, I directed the conversation so that he’d be able to choose what he was most comfortable talking about. I also reached out to him later in the process and asked if he’d like to do some practice sessions together. He was eager to, and he was able to open up about his social anxiety one-on-one. I listened to his concerns, encouraged him, and gave him pointers. We even arranged a few group practices where we each invited friends to watch so that our graded presentation wouldn’t be the first time we were speaking in front of a group of strangers. We ended up acing the project and the other student and I are now close friends, and I know he’s now working at a job where he needs to give presentations regularly.”

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to “What’s your greatest strength?” Your best bet in preparing for the “strengths” question (and questions like it) is to have your talking points prepared and a lot of good stories to turn to. Use open questions like this strategically, and then make sure your answer’s memorable by telling an awesome story. With a bit of preparation, you’ll be ready to take full advantage of this question—and get one step closer to landing the job.

Regina Borsellino contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

35 Smart Answers to “What Are Your Strengths?”

By Status.net Editorial Team on April 13, 2023 — 9 minutes to read

When preparing for a job interview, one of the most common questions you can expect is “What are your strengths?”. It’s important to choose strengths that are not only genuine but also relevant to the job you’re applying for. Let’s discover the perfect answer for your situation.

What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses? (Answers & Strategies)

5 Best Answers to “What Areas Need Improvement?”

30 Best Answers to “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

Why Employers Ask About Your Strengths

This question is often asked by hiring managers to gain insights into your self-awareness , skills, and how well you can communicate your specific abilities relevant to the job.

By discussing your strengths, you’re given an opportunity to showcase your expertise in your field and provide examples of how you have utilized those strengths to achieve positive results in your previous roles. It’s not just about listing your strengths, but also providing verifiable proof and context that demonstrates your expertise.

Sharing your strengths allows you to emphasize how they align with the requirements and preferences of the hiring company. It’s a chance to demonstrate your research into the business and their values, showing your genuine interest in joining their team.

Choosing Types of Strengths

When identifying your strengths for a job interview, it’s essential to consider two primary categories: hard skills and soft skills. By including a balance of both in your answer, you can showcase your full range of abilities and demonstrate that you’re a well-rounded candidate.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are technical or job-specific abilities you’ve acquired through education, training, or work experience. They are quantifiable and easy to evaluate. Some examples of hard skills are:

• Data analysis
• Programming languages
• Project management
• Proficiency in a foreign language
• Graphic design

When selecting your hard skills to mention in an interview, focus on those most relevant to the job you’re applying for. It’s crucial to tailor your response to the position and ensure that your hard skills align with the job requirements.

Soft Skills

Soft skills, on the other hand, are personal qualities or attributes that are harder to measure but equally important in the workplace. They include your ability to work effectively with others, adapt to change, and solve problems. Some examples of soft skills include:

• Communication
• Time management
• Critical thinking

While soft skills might seem less tangible than hard skills, they are essential for success in any role. So, it’s essential to emphasize your soft skills during an interview to show that you can work well with others and adapt to the challenges and responsibilities of the job.

Understanding Job Requirements

Knowing what the employer is looking for will help you tailor your answers, showcasing the strengths that matter most for the position.

• Start by reviewing the job description and listing the most important skills or qualities needed for the role.
• Identify the key tasks and responsibilities involved in the job, and think about which strengths would be most beneficial for performing those tasks effectively.
• Once you have identified the important job requirements, consider how your strengths align with them. This may involve reflecting on past experiences or success stories where you’ve demonstrated these particular strengths.
• As you prepare for the interview, think about how you can present your strengths in the context of the job requirements, using examples to illustrate your competence and readiness for the role.
• It might be useful to research the company and its culture. This will give you insight into the types of qualities and strengths they value in their employees.

30 Best Answers to ‘What Are Your Strengths?’

Answers showcasing communication skills.

“I’m a strong communicator, both verbally and in writing. I’m comfortable presenting ideas to colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, and I’m adept at tailoring my message to different audiences.”

“My writing skills enable me to present information in a clear and concise manner, ensuring my messages are easily understood.”

“I’m great at listening to others, which helps me understand their needs and expectations better.”

Answers Demonstrating Teamwork

“I am a team player and can easily collaborate with others to achieve a common goal.”

“My ability to empathize with team members helps me to effectively resolve conflicts and maintain a positive work environment.”

“I excel at delegating tasks and making sure everyone is on the same page, ensuring timely project completion.”

Answers Highlighting Problem Solving Abilities

“I have a strong analytical mind that allows me to assess complex situations and devise effective solutions.”

“I enjoy breaking down problems into manageable pieces and approaching them from different angles.”

“My creative thinking skills help me to develop innovative solutions to challenges, even when resources are limited.”

Answers Showcasing Adaptability

“I am highly adaptable and can handle change effectively, which allows me to stay productive in a constantly evolving work environment.”

“I am open to learning new skills and technologies, enabling me to stay up-to-date with industry trends and developments.”

“I am able to adjust my approach based on feedback, leading to continuous improvement in my performance.”

Answers Demonstrating Time Management Skills

“I excel at managing my time efficiently, which allows me to prioritize tasks effectively and meet tight deadlines.”

“I am able to juggle multiple responsibilities without compromising on the quality of my work due to strong organizational skills.”

“I use various time management tools and techniques to help me stay on top of my tasks and ensure everything gets completed on schedule.”

You can use the above examples as a starting point for you to craft your unique and personalized answer. You can also use the following phrases:

“One of my biggest strengths is my ability to work well under pressure. I thrive in fast-paced environments and can remain calm and focused even when faced with tight deadlines or unexpected challenges.”

“I’m highly organized and detail-oriented. I have a knack for keeping track of multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, and I’m always looking for ways to streamline processes and improve efficiencies.”

“I’m a creative problem-solver. I enjoy thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative solutions to complex challenges. I’m not afraid to take risks and try new approaches.”

“I’m a team player. I believe in the power of collaboration and enjoy working with others to achieve common goals. I’m able to communicate effectively, listen actively, and contribute positively to group dynamics.”

“I have strong analytical skills and am able to quickly identify and solve problems. I’m comfortable working with data and enjoy using it to inform my decision-making.”

“I’m a quick learner and am able to adapt to new situations and technologies with ease. I enjoy taking on new challenges and expanding my skill set.”

“I’m a natural leader and am able to motivate and inspire others to achieve their best work. I believe in leading by example and setting a positive tone for the team.”

“I’m highly empathetic and am able to connect with people from all walks of life. I’m a good listener and am able to put myself in others’ shoes to understand their perspectives.”

“I’m a strategic thinker and am able to see the big picture while also paying attention to the details. I’m able to develop and execute plans that align with the organization’s goals.”

“I’m a strong collaborator and enjoy working with others to achieve shared goals. I’m able to build strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.”

“I’m a skilled negotiator and am able to find win-win solutions to complex problems. I’m able to advocate for myself and my team while also being respectful of others’ needs.”

“I’m a self-starter and am able to work independently with minimal supervision. I’m able to manage my time effectively and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.”

“I’m a creative thinker and am able to come up with innovative ideas and solutions. I’m able to think outside the box and approach problems from different angles.”

“I’m a positive and enthusiastic person who brings energy and passion to my work. I’m able to inspire others and create a positive work environment.”

“I have strong time management skills and am able to prioritize tasks effectively. I’m able to balance competing demands and meet deadlines without sacrificing quality.”

“I’m a detail-oriented person and have a keen eye for spotting errors or inconsistencies. I’m able to ensure that work is accurate and of a high standard.”

“I’m a good problem-solver and am able to think creatively to find solutions to complex challenges. I’m able to break down problems into manageable parts and tackle them one by one.”

“I’m a good listener and am able to understand others’ needs and perspectives. I’m able to communicate effectively and build rapport with colleagues and clients.”

“I’m a proactive person and am always looking for ways to improve processes or systems. I’m able to identify areas for improvement and take action to make things better.”

“I’m a resilient person and am able to bounce back from setbacks or failures. I’m able to learn from my mistakes and use them as opportunities for growth.”

“I’m a confident person and am able to speak up and share my ideas with others. I’m able to contribute to discussions and debates in a constructive and respectful way.”

“I’m a flexible person and am able to adapt to changing circumstances or priorities. I’m able to remain focused and productive even when things don’t go according to plan.”

How to Tailor Your Answers

It’s important to tailor your answers to the specific role you’re applying for. Here’s how you can customize your response to match the job requirements and showcase your best qualities:

• Analyze the job description : Pay close attention to the skills and attributes the employer is looking for. Note down the key competencies mentioned in the listing and think about how your strengths align with them.
• Focus on relevant strengths : From your list of strengths, choose the top three or four that relate most closely to the position. This will help you provide a concise, relevant answer rather than a long list of generic strengths.
• Provide examples : Instead of simply listing your strengths, back them up with real-world examples from your past experiences. This demonstrates your ability to effectively apply your skills in a professional setting.
• Use the STAR method : When providing examples, follow the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly outline the context, your role, actions taken, and the successful outcome.

Sample structure for a tailored answer:

• Strength: … (Strength related to the job)
• Example: … (Briefly describe the situation and task)
• Action: … (Explain the specific actions you took, using the strength)
• Result: … (Share the positive outcome of your actions)

Dos and Don’ts for Answering This Question

• Reflect on your authentic and sincere strengths. Consider reviewing past performance feedback or personal experiences to identify your core strengths.
• Choose the strengths that are most relevant to the role. Think about the specific job requirements and which of your skills are most applicable.
• Provide examples to illustrate your strengths. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework to demonstrate real-life situations where you have applied your strengths.
• Strike a balance between confidence and humility. Show enthusiasm but avoid coming across as overly boastful or self-centered.

Don’ts:

• Don’t list too many strengths. Focus on the most relevant and impactful strengths, typically mentioning three is advised.
• Avoid exaggerating or making false claims. Stick to your true skills and attributes, and stay honest while discussing your strengths.
• Refrain from using generic statements. Be specific in your answers and tailor them to the role to make your response more compelling.
• Don’t leave out examples. Providing context and evidence of your strengths will make your answers more engaging and credible.
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Essay on My Strength as a Student

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Strength as a Student in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Strength as a Student

Understanding my strength.

As a student, my strength lies in my curiosity. I’m always eager to learn new things and explore different subjects. This curiosity drives me to delve deeper into topics, enhancing my understanding.

Perseverance

Another strength is my perseverance. Even when faced with tough challenges, I don’t give up easily. I believe in trying again and again until I succeed.

Time Management

I am also good at managing my time. I prioritize my tasks effectively, ensuring I complete my assignments on time without compromising on quality.

Lastly, I excel at teamwork. I believe in working together to achieve common goals, which often leads to better results.

250 Words Essay on My Strength as a Student

Self-discipline: the cornerstone of my strength, resilience: the power to persevere.

Another key strength is my resilience. The journey of learning is fraught with challenges, but my ability to bounce back from setbacks sets me apart. I view failures not as roadblocks, but as opportunities for growth. This perspective has allowed me to face academic hurdles with optimism and determination.

Curiosity: The Fuel for Learning

Curiosity is another significant strength of mine. I constantly seek to expand my knowledge beyond the confines of the curriculum. This thirst for learning propels me to explore diverse topics, engage in intellectual discussions and participate in academic events. It not only enriches my understanding but also fosters a broader worldview.

Collaboration: The Art of Teamwork

Finally, my ability to collaborate effectively is a crucial strength. I understand the importance of teamwork in achieving complex goals. I actively participate in group projects, valuing the diverse perspectives and skills that each member brings. This collaborative spirit enhances my learning experience and prepares me for future professional environments.

In conclusion, my strengths as a student lie in my self-discipline, resilience, curiosity, and collaboration. These traits have shaped my academic journey, enabling me to excel and grow as a learner.

500 Words Essay on My Strength as a Student

Introduction.

The journey of being a student is a unique blend of challenges and opportunities. It is a phase where one’s strengths are identified, honed, and utilized to shape one’s academic and personal growth. As a student, my strength lies in my ability to adapt, my commitment to learning, my analytical thinking, and my communication skills. These strengths have played a crucial role in my academic success and personal development.

Adaptability

Commitment to learning.

My strong commitment to learning is another strength that distinguishes me as a student. I am not just focused on achieving high grades, but I am dedicated to truly understanding and mastering the subject matter. This commitment extends beyond the classroom. I actively seek out additional resources, participate in relevant workshops and seminars, and engage in discussions that deepen my understanding and broaden my knowledge.

Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking is a critical strength in academic settings. My ability to analyze complex concepts, connect disparate ideas, and approach problems from various angles has been instrumental in my academic success. This skill not only aids in understanding intricate subjects but also fosters creativity and innovation. By breaking down complex problems into manageable parts, I can devise effective solutions and gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Communication Skills

In conclusion, my strengths as a student – adaptability, commitment to learning, analytical thinking, and communication skills – have significantly contributed to my academic journey. They have not only helped me succeed in my studies but also fostered personal growth and development. Recognizing and harnessing these strengths is crucial, as they will continue to guide me in my future endeavors, be it further studies or a professional career. The journey of a student is indeed a journey of self-discovery, and it is through understanding our strengths that we can truly maximize our potential.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Strengths — A Narrative of My Strengths and Weaknesses

A Narrative of My Strengths and Weaknesses

• Categories: Personal Strengths Self Identity Weakness

About this sample

Words: 903 |

Updated: 30 November, 2023

Words: 903 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Alleyne, P., & Cohen, D. (2013). Identifying strengths and weaknesses in students' learning. In P. Alleyne & D. Cohen (Eds.), Psychology for Cambridge International AS & A Level (pp. 26-27). Oxford University Press.
• Buckingham, M., & Clifton, D. O. (2001). Now, discover your strengths. Free Press.
• Clifton, D. O., & Harter, J. K. (2003). Investing in strengths. In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline (pp. 111-121). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
• Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2009). Positive psychology and personality assessment: A model for understanding strengths and virtues. Oxford University Press.
• Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam.
• Johnson, A. (2019). Building strengths and eliminating weaknesses: A constructive approach to talent development. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology.
• Linley, P. A., Willars, J., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). The strengths book: Be confident, be successful, and enjoy better relationships by realising the best of you. CAPP Press.
• Lopez, S. J., & Louis, M. C. (2009). The principles of strengths-based education. Journal of College and Character, 10(4), 1-10.
• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.
• Rapp, A. L., & Gosling, S. D. (2013). Strengths and weaknesses of personality tests and their implications for contemporary personality psychology. In J. A. Hall & M. S. Scher (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of personality and individual differences (pp. 8-26). SAGE Publications.

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What are your Strengths

Ai generator.

Understanding and articulating your strengths is crucial for personal and professional development. Your strengths are the qualities, skills, and attributes that you excel in and that distinguish you from others. They are the foundation of your success and can guide you in making informed decisions about your career, education, and personal life. Recognizing your personal strengths allows you to leverage them effectively, helping you achieve your goals and contribute positively to your team or organization. Identifying communication strengths is particularly important, as effective communication can enhance your ability to lead, collaborate, and solve problems. Assessing your strengths and weaknesses provides a balanced view, allowing you to address areas for improvement while maximizing your inherent capabilities.

What are your Strengths?

Strengths are positive attributes, skills, and abilities that an individual possesses. These qualities contribute to their success and effectiveness in various aspects of life, such as work, personal relationships, and personal growth. Strengths can be inherent traits or developed through experience and practice. Understanding one’s skills can be enhanced by using skills assessment tips to identify areas of proficiency and areas for improvement. Setting clear objectives of communication skills is essential for developing effective interpersonal interactions and professional communication. A well-crafted resume skills summary can highlight an individual’s key strengths and abilities, showcasing their qualifications and making a strong impression on potential employers.

What are your Strengths Examples

• Attention to detail
• Versatility
• Intelligence
• Interpersonal skills
• Resourceful
• Writing skills
• Communication
• Collaborative
• Work ethics

How to Answer “What are your Strengths?”

1. identify your strengths.

• Reflect on your skills, experiences, and feedback from others to determine your key strengths.
• Consider strengths that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

2. Choose Relevant Strengths

• Select strengths that align with the job description and the needs of the employer.
• Ensure they are qualities that you genuinely possess and can provide examples for.

3. Provide Specific Examples

• For each strength you mention, provide a specific example of how you have demonstrated this strength in a professional setting.
• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples.

4. Connect to the Job Role

• Explain how your strengths will help you succeed in the role you are applying for.
• Highlight how your strengths can benefit the company and contribute to its goals.

5. Be Confident and Genuine

• Speak confidently about your strengths without appearing arrogant.
• Be honest and ensure your strengths accurately represent your abilities.

Example Answer:

Interviewer : “What are your strengths?”

You : “One of my key strengths is my ability to communicate effectively. In my previous role as a project manager, I led a team of 10 people and successfully completed a major project ahead of schedule. By maintaining open lines of communication, I ensured everyone was on the same page and that any issues were addressed promptly. Additionally, my problem-solving skills are another strength. For instance, when we encountered a significant roadblock in our project timeline, I devised a new strategy that not only solved the problem but also saved the company 15% in projected costs. These strengths, combined with my passion for continuous improvement, make me confident that I can contribute effectively to your team and help achieve your company’s objectives.”

What are your Strengths at Work

• Strong Communication Skills : Clearly convey ideas and information.
• Problem-Solving Abilities : Analyze issues and develop effective solutions.
• Time Management : Efficiently organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• Leadership Skills : Inspire and guide a team towards achieving goals.
• Adaptability : Adjust to new conditions and unexpected challenges.
• Attention to Detail : Ensure accuracy and thoroughness in completing tasks.
• Collaboration and Teamwork : Work well with others to achieve common goals.
• Technical Proficiency : Expertise in specific technical skills relevant to the job.
• Creativity and Innovation : Generate new ideas and approaches.
• Customer Focus : Dedication to meeting the needs and expectations of customers.

What are your Strengths for Students

• Strong Communication : Ability to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively in both written and verbal forms.
• Problem-Solving Skills : Capability to analyze problems and develop practical solutions.
• Time Management : Efficiently organizing and prioritizing tasks to meet academic deadlines.
• Adaptability : Flexibility to adjust to new subjects, teaching styles, and learning environments.
• Teamwork : Working well with peers on group projects and collaborative tasks.
• Critical Thinking : Evaluating information logically to make reasoned judgments and decisions.
• Creativity : Coming up with innovative ideas and solutions in projects and assignments.
• Self-Motivation : Driven to achieve personal and academic goals without needing external encouragement.
• Attention to Detail : Carefully completing assignments and projects with accuracy.
• Leadership : Taking initiative and guiding peers in group activities and projects.

What is your Greatest Strengths

• Communication : Excellent ability to clearly convey ideas and information.
• Problem-Solving : Strong capability to analyze issues and develop effective solutions.
• Leadership : Ability to inspire and guide a team towards achieving goals.
• Adaptability : Flexibility to adjust to new conditions and unexpected challenges.
• Attention to Detail : Meticulous consideration and accuracy in completing tasks.
• Collaboration : Effective teamwork and ability to work well with others.
• Technical Proficiency : Expertise in relevant technical skills and tools.
• Creativity : Generate innovative ideas and approaches.

What are your Strengths for Academic

• Analytical Thinking : Ability to critically evaluate and interpret data.
• Research Skills : Proficient in conducting thorough and effective research.
• Time Management : Efficiently organizing and prioritizing academic tasks.
• Writing Proficiency : Strong skills in writing essays, reports, and research papers.
• Public Speaking : Confidence and clarity in presenting ideas and findings.
• Collaboration : Effective teamwork and ability to work well with peers on group projects.
• Problem-Solving : Skilled in identifying issues and developing solutions.
• Attention to Detail : Ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in academic work.
• Creativity : Innovative thinking in developing ideas and projects.
• Adaptability : Flexibility in adjusting to new academic challenges and environments.

Tips to Answer “What are your Strengths”

• Identify Relevant Strengths : Choose strengths that align with the job description and the company’s needs.
• Be Honest : Mention genuine strengths that you possess and can demonstrate.
• Use Specific Examples : Provide concrete examples to illustrate each strength.
• Be Concise : Keep your answers brief and to the point.
• Highlight Unique Strengths : Mention any unique strengths that set you apart from other candidates.
• Connect to the Role : Explain how your strengths will help you succeed in the specific role you’re applying for.
• Show Enthusiasm : Express enthusiasm and confidence when discussing your strengths.
• Prepare in Advance : Think about your strengths and examples beforehand to articulate them clearly during the interview.

How can I identify my strengths?

Reflect on past successes, ask for feedback from others, and take strength assessment tests to identify your natural abilities and talents.

Why is it important to know my strengths?

Knowing your strengths helps you focus on areas where you excel, boosting confidence, productivity, and overall satisfaction in personal and professional life.

How do strengths differ from skills?

Strengths are inherent qualities, while skills are learned abilities. Strengths often enhance the development and application of skills.

Can strengths change over time?

Yes, strengths can evolve with experience, practice, and personal growth, allowing you to develop new strengths and improve existing ones.

How can I leverage my strengths at work?

Identify tasks that align with your strengths, seek roles that utilize them, and communicate your strengths to colleagues and supervisors.

What are examples of common strengths?

Common strengths include communication, problem-solving, leadership, empathy, creativity, adaptability, and resilience.

How can I use my strengths in a job interview?

Highlight relevant strengths by providing specific examples of how they contributed to your past achievements and how they align with the job requirements.

How do strengths impact teamwork?

Strengths contribute to effective teamwork by allowing individuals to complement each other’s abilities, leading to increased collaboration and better outcomes.

Can weaknesses become strengths?

Yes, with self-awareness and effort, you can work on weaknesses and potentially turn them into strengths over time.

How do strengths relate to personal goals?

Aligning personal goals with your strengths increases the likelihood of achieving them and maintaining motivation and satisfaction.

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10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

When You Write

Strengths and Weaknesses in Writing

As a writer, I always strive to be better—and in some categories, the best. I believe that understanding my writing strengths and weaknesses helps me improve my writing skills and become a master of this art.

If one doesn’t understand their strengths and weaknesses in writing, it means they can’t genuinely edit their work and cannot pinpoint areas that need improvement and those that are their strengths.

Constant self-evaluation is the passe-partout of any practice or line of work, but to accurately evaluate yourself you have to know what you’re looking for.

Every writer has strengths and weaknesses. For example, you might have a rich vocabulary—which you efficiently use—or showcase good usage of literary devices. Those two would be called strengths in your writing.

You might also have weaknesses in your writing such as lack of coherence, long-winded sentences, and organization.

Let us delve further into writing strengths and weaknesses and understand how you can use your strengths and overcome your weaknesses!

8 Must-Have Strengths for a Writer

It is also important to know and have some particular strengths as a writer to be more than an ordinary writer.

Here are some of those essential strengths:

Focus is essential in almost everything you do. Without focus, you could have the best skill set and still produce average work dues to errors and complacency.

Every writer wants to stay focused, but it’s not easy. You have to teach yourself to stay focused, whether it involves conditioning your body or tricking your mind.

Do whatever is necessary and within healthy limits. When you start writing and reading routinely, your body and mind start responding to them as the normal order of your day.

Enough sleep and a cup of coffee also help you maintain focus during your writing sessions .

And, get rid of distractions! Put down your phone, turn off your Wi-Fi, and get away from your Tele.

2. A Rich, Diverse Vocabulary

We are not talking about having a rich vocabulary only, but also using the words expeditiously.

This diverse vocabulary should make you write pieces that are not readable and make your readers slave through their reading.

So, you should always make sure that you choose (from this excellent vocabulary and diverse word choice) the right and unique choice of words that would look appealing to your readers.

You have to keep learning new words and the correct usage of those words.

3. A Burning Passion for Reading

I hear a lot of writers—self-published writers to be specific—say that they don’t like reading. For them, writing is a natural talent that doesn’t need to be nourished by reading.

One thing they are oblivious of is that without reading, they can’t understand what they are doing wrong, what they’re doing right, and other things that made other writers successful.

These types of writers put themselves in a “box.”

By reading other people’s works, you get to see writing from different perspectives and you can analyze your writing, a vantage point that helps you perfect your writing skills.

You don’t even have to buy these reading resources because they’re gazillions of blogs, eBooks, novels, and others online.

4. Organized Writing that Follows a Logical Flow

If whatever you’re writing doesn’t flow and therefore isn’t coherent, it is nothing but utter rubbish!

Your writing needs to show a naturally logical progression of thought and must be easy to read for the intended audience. If the progression doesn’t make sense to your reader, then who are you writing for?

Your thoughts should be linked within and between paragraphs. The use of transitional words facilitates this purpose. Words such as “however,” “also,” “yet,” and “although,” among others help you show these transitions.

You should aim at making it easy for your readers to navigate and read through your content.

Organized writing is an essential strength for a writer. The way you present your ideas in sentences and paragraphs impacts the readability and navigability of your content.

Make sure your sentences are short and your paragraphs just meaty enough for the ideas presented in them—and avoid run-on sentences.

Your content needs to have enough signposts and breaks. Be efficient with headings and subheadings, and have so many if the information keeps changing from paragraph to paragraph to make it easy for your readers to find the right information in your content.

5. Creativity

For professional writers, creativity is of the greatest essence. It is even more indispensable for fiction writers.

Our goal as writers is not to bore our readers to death. We always have to think out of the box to craft pieces that will win the hearts of the readers and make them want more of our content.

A good and wonderworking—and sometimes libertine—imagination is necessary to craft unique, stirring pieces.

Sometimes, you have to let your imagination wander off and come back with crazy and wild ideas. If you’re a fiction writer, let your imagination help you create a unique world, with unique characters, using your own nomenclature!

Remember, there’s no single rule on what kind of imagination is bad or good in creative writing.

There are various ways of increasing one’s creativity, but I have discovered that I’m more creative when I take time to appreciate other pieces of art before I start writing. Before I write I listen to some music, read poetry, or just look at a painting.

It’s not for everyone, but it works for me!

Your writing should be as clear as a summer day, as lucid as you can make it.

This element goes hand in hand with the organized writing I discussed in strength number 4, your writing should be clear enough for your readers to grasp and appreciate the ideas in your content quickly.

For blogs, newspaper articles, and magazine pieces, writing chunky paragraphs is—for lack of a word—taboo. You should always be conservative with the size of your paragraph and be straightforward with your explanations.

Just make your writing simple but comprehensible.

7. A Unique Writing Style

One thing all successful writers have in common is a unique style. For example, when you read anything by Dr. Seuss, you understand that his style involved the use of mirthful new words. The best writers write using a distinguished voice or style.

You have to discover your writing style—and for many, it just happens naturally and in some cases, it’s the readers or critics that notice the uniqueness of the writer.

8. Understanding Your Audience

We write because it’s our passion, but if we think about it, that is rarely the sole reason for writing and publishing our work.

We want our audience to love our content or appreciate the message in it. So, it’s all about our interests, but also the needs of our audience.

If you want to make your audience happy, you have to know what they like first. Dr. Seuss understood what kids want to read and what characters would work well with a young audience. If you’re writing on a tech-related topic, tech experts and geeks like; likewise, if you’re about MLS, know what soccer fans like.

Armed with that knowledge, you can craft pieces that strike a chord with your target audience, leading to the success of those pieces.

Weaknesses in Writing and Ways to Overcome Them

1. lack of substance.

You might be a yeasty writer with much-needed experience, but if your writing lacks substance, it’s bound to run into negative reviews, and hence it is going to be less impactful!

This is especially crucial for nonfiction content, if your writing straggles and wanders all over the place, your content will be shallow.

For your content to have depth, you have to concentrate on one particular argument at a time.

And, to give your argument more depth, give supporting points and sprinkle some stats here and there.

How do you deal with the lack of substance in your writing?

Here are some tips:

• Focus on the depth of your arguments rather than the length of your article (you could have a cherry-sized paragraph that is more insightful than a chunky paragraph).
• Use literary devices to make your arguments more perspicuous.
• Use stats, case studies, or research findings to further exemplify your key arguments (use infographics where necessary).
• Your content should answer questions relevant to the topic.
• Offer tips to readers.

2. Your Writing Is Too Draggy for Your Readers

Among the 8 strengths that I explained in the previous section was understanding your audience.

If you don’t understand your audience or ignore them when writing, you end up communicating with nobody.

It’s like you’re speaking to yourself, in a big hall!

As said in the previous section, we write to touch our audience in some way; whether we want them to laugh, inspire them, inform them, or educate them.

It is a terrible idea to think that you write for yourself! If that’s the case, why don’t you just hang your content on your wall?

Here are some tips for polishing draggy content:

• Understand who you’re writing for and write for them. It doesn’t matter who (it could be you, your imaginary friends, anybody!).
• Write to solve the audience’s problems. Your writing should be a solution to your reader’s pain, personal struggles, and it should also improve their lives in some way.

3. Lack of Rhythm

Ignore the importance of rhythm at your peril. In truth, writing cannot entertain without rhythm, especially creative writing.

Just like in music, rhythm steers writing and acts as a guide for the reader.

Readers can feel your writing’s rhythm and that alone can be stimulating (that is if your writing has rhythm).

If your content lacks rhythm the pace seems invariable, it neither speeds up nor slows down.

The content also seems to lack a lot of natural pauses.

This is how you can improve it:

• While paying attention to context, mix up your sentence lengths; a long one here, a short there.
• Use transition words to maneuver the passage from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph.

4. Chaotic Flow

Imagine listening to a 5-year-old talk about all the wonderful things she experienced during the day: school, her cousin’s weird laughter, the dog’s thievery.

Unloading all that without any logical arrangement of information. None, at all!

I’d have said that that’s how your readers feel, but they are not listening to an adorable 5-year-old, are they?

They’re looking at a piece of writing—written by a supposedly mature individual—that’s full of hiccups and abrupt endings.

Your writing needs to be structured to unload information step by step. Your readers need to know that from A, they go to B. They need to know this is because of that, and this and that are related.

Your content has to answer your readers’ questions, give tips the reader would care about, and have contextual solutions.

Here are a few tips on improving flow in your writing:

• Go through your main points and ascertain whether they feel logical. If they aren’t, re-organize them in a logical order or start all over again.
• Look at the questions your content is answering and For every section, write down which question the content answers (or summarize in one bullet point)
• When editing , slowly survey the content for inconsistencies. There are little details you could miss if you read fast.

How to Turn Your Writing Weaknesses into Strengths

Nobody is perfect. We all have weaknesses. But, some of these writing weaknesses can be turned into strengths.

As a writer, how can you improve your writing?

• Ask for help . You can strengthen your writing skills on your own (no doubt about it), but it’s a lot less tedious when you reach out to other writers to help identify your weak areas and offer other insights.
• Read . Not only will you get an education from books and publications, but you’ll also find inspiration.
• Persevere . Perseverance can help you deal with problems such as writer’s block. It is also perseverance that will see you through periods during which you’re suffering from imposter syndrome.

Final Words on Strengths and Weaknesses in Writing

To be a better writer, you’ve got to know which areas to strengthen and which weaknesses to overcome.

 You’ll—in abundance—focus, perseverance, creativity, and a lot of humility. It will be laborious work but worth every joule expended and every second used.

You have got to believe in yourself as a writer, but don’t let your confidence blind you—there will always be something that your writing is missing.

Recommended Reading...

How to get over writers block: 30 ways to unleashing your creative potential, 9 effective ways to overcome your fear of writing.

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© 2024 When You Write

The Power of Your Personal Strengths

Research shows how using your strengths can make a major difference in your life..

Posted July 15, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

• What Does "Self Help" Mean?
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• Research shows that many of us are feeling isolated and disconnected from a deeper sense of ourselves.
• Discovering and using our personal strengths can bring us greater meaning and fulfillment.
• Positive psychology research shows how discovering and using our strengths can help us flourish today.

In our challenging world today, too many of us are languishing. Across the country and around the world, there are alarming rates of anxiety , loneliness , and depression (Murthy, 2023; World Health Organization, 2024). In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, and unsettling changes in our lives, many of us are feeling hopeless, helpless, and disconnected from a deeper sense of ourselves.

Centuries ago, in the wake of the bubonic plague pandemic, people began believing in themselves and their strengths, which led to the unprecedented creative flourishing of the Renaissance. For centuries, during the Middle Ages, theologians had taught that while most people merely worked to survive, only priests, monks, and nuns had a divine calling to live formal religious lives.

Then Reformation theologians began teaching that everyone had a calling, possessing personal God-given strengths. They maintained that it was the duty of every person to discover and use these strengths to fulfill their destinies, serve God, and contribute to their communities (Luther, 1535/1963, Calvin, 1536/1960).

In what was later known as the “self-fulfilling prophecy” (Rosenthal, & Jacobson, 1968; Rosenthal, 1994), when people believed they had been given these personal strengths, they began to discover and use them. This led to a new belief in their potential and unprecedented contributions to science, culture, religion, politics , and the arts.

Transcending the class system, Leonardo da Vinci, Desiderius Erasmus, Galileo Galilei, St. Teresa of Avila, and others become artists, writers, scientists, saints, and leaders in their fields. In one memorable example, a poor boy in the English countryside, whose parents could only sign their names with an X, brought his strengths to the London stage as William Shakespeare (Dreher, 2012).

My research has convinced me that we can bring new joy, meaning, and creative possibility to our lives by discovering and using our personal strengths and that it is never too late to become more creatively and authentically ourselves (Dreher, 2008). Studies in positive psychology have validated this Renaissance belief with research showing that using our personal strengths can make us healthier, happier, and more successful (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). And, we can begin living more creatively at any age or stage of life (Worth, 2010).

Discovering Your Own Strengths

What are your personal strengths and how can you begin using them more often? Here are three ways you can begin discovering them:

• Remember what you loved to do as a child. I enjoyed playing games outdoors and exploring with my friends, gardening, painting, arts and crafts, and playing the piano. Ask yourself, “What did I love to do?” Then look for the strengths your young self was demonstrating. What were your strengths—Love of nature? Relating to others? Playing on a team? Following your curiosity? Art? Music? Or something else?
• Recall a time in your adult life when you felt filled with joy, energy, and vitality. What were you doing—Engaging in a sport? Working with a partner? Creating art or music? Solving a problem at work? Feeling a sense of awe in nature? Or something else? (Dreher, 2008)
• Positive psychology research has identified twenty-four character strengths common to all humanity: creativity , curiosity, open mindedness, love of learning, perspective, bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality, love, kindness, social intelligence , citizenship, fairness, leadership , forgiveness , humility, prudence, self-regulation , appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude , hope, humor , and spirituality (Peterson, & Seligman, 2004). The researchers found that each of us has five top strengths, or “signature strengths,” and that using them can bring greater joy to our lives, help us flourish and begin living more creatively (Seligman et al, 2005).

In today’s challenging world, you can bring greater joy and meaning to your life by discovering and using your personal strengths. And if enough of us use our strengths, we, too, may create a new Renaissance for our time.

__________________________

This post is for informational purposes and should not substitute for psychotherapy with a qualified professional.

© 2024 Diane Dreher, All Rights Reserved.

You can discover your top character strengths by taking the free online VIA Strengths survey

Calvin, J. (1960). Institutes of the Christian religion (J. T. McNeill, Ed., & F. L. Battles, Trans.). Philadelphia, PA: Westminster. (Original work published 1536).

Dreher, D. (2008). Your personal Renaissance. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.

Dreher, D. E. (2012). The gifts of vocation: Finding joy and meaning in our work. In T. G. Plante (Ed.). Religion and positive psychology: Understanding the psychological fruits of faith (pp. 127-142). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Luther, M. (1963). Lectures on Galatians. Chapters 1-4. In J. Pelikan (Ed.). Luther’s works (Vol 26, pp. 3-461). St. Louis, MO: Concordia. (Original work published 1535).

Murthy, V. H. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

National Institute of Mental Health (2024). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics

Peterson, C. & Seligman, M. E. P, (2004). Character strengths and virtues. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom. The Urban Review , 3 (1), 16-20.

Rosenthal, R. (1994). Interpersonal expectancy effects: A 30-year perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 3, 176-179.

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N, & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421.

Shakespeare portrait. The Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare by John Taylor. (1610) In the public domain due to its age.

Worth, P. (2010). Four questions of creativity: Keys to a creative life. Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing.

Diane Dreher, Ph.D. , is an author, researcher, and positive psychology coach.

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How to Answer "What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses" in an Interview

July 11, 2024

Interviews usually consist of a combination of new and innovative questions as well as a few cliché ones. An age-old question from the latter kind is: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Despite being extremely overused, it still finds its way into modern interviews because of how much insight it can provide into a candidate. It’s a double-edged sword — one that offers you an opportunity to either showcase your strong points, but also poses a risk of over-exposing your potential downsides.

Nevertheless, it’s one of the trickier questions you can encounter in an interview no matter what type of industry you belong to. This article will serve as a specialized guide to help you knock the ball out of the park if and when this question presents itself.

Remember, confidence is key to conquer any interview, and that often only comes from solid preparation. So, let’s begin!

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Understanding the Purpose

To tackle the interview question “what are your strengths and weaknesses”, you first have to understand the hiring manager’s intent behind the question.

Interviewers ask your about your strengths and weaknesses to judge several aspects of your professional persona:

• Self-Awareness: Are you objective enough to realize and express your own strengths and weaknesses to the interviewer? It’s all about being able to mindfully notice what your weaknesses and strengths are. The reality is, most people get feedback at work all the time. When people speak to you regarding areas of growth and improvement, do you listen to their thought process and become aware of what you need to work on.
• Honesty: Are you transparent and truthful enough about your strong points and areas requiring improvement? Honesty can be tricky in an interview, you want to tell the truth about who you are without making yourself seem terrible or over-inflating yourself. It’s about a level of candidness in knowing what you need to work on and what you really shine at.
• Growth Mindset: Do you recognize your weaknesses? Are you willing to proactively take steps to work on them? People with growth mindsets tend to believe they’re changeable and can get better with more effort, practice, and time. People with fixed mindsets tend to believe that they were born good and bad at certain things and can’t improve their traits. Recruiters often look for people with growth mindsets to find candidates who will actively take feedback positively and work on flaws to become an even better employee at their company.
• Role Suitability: Are your strengths in line with what the employer is looking for? Are you weaknesses manageable for the organization — especially for the role you’d be filling. There needs to be an alignment between the role that’s being filled and your skillset. If the things you’re great at are exactly what the company needs, then great. And if your weaknesses are no big deal for this kind of role, you’ll keep passing through interview stages.

Preparing Your Answer

Preparation is key to answering this “What are your strengths and weaknesses” interview question effectively. Here are some steps to follow to ensure you come to this interview prepared:

Step 1: What Are Your Strengths?

Reflect on your previous roles. Obtain and/or recall feedback from your prior and current colleagues and supervisors. You can also actively ask for feedback from colleagues asking about your strengths. Taking the time to find out what your strengths are is key to knowing what value you’ll add to your next company. For example, if you’re a writer, are you prolific or maybe have a witty sense of humor in your writing. You’ll see hints at the type of person they’re trying to hire in the job posting, so thinking about your true strengths and looking for jobs that look for those kinds of things will help you stand out come interview.

Identify role-specific strengths in your character, work experience, and skillset. When it comes to strengths, you need to think in terms of the total package. People often hire people for both their hard and soft skills. It’s not just about what work you can do but also how you interact with others, what your personality is like. Having a combination of strengths that relate to you as a person but also you as a worker will help people get a well-rounded look into who you are.

Think about qualities and unique experiences that may make you a strong candidate for the job you’re applying for. Share the insights of your strengths using stories and experiences that help people see your growth as a person over time.

Step 2: What Are Your Weaknesses?

Identifying a weakness requires introspection. You should aim to be honest but strategic in choosing a real weakness. However, it shouldn’t be critical for the job as it may be a deal-breaker. The weakness you choose also needs to be fixable or helpful in certain situations. Either you explain that the weakness has worked favorably on several important occasions but can still be difficult during certain times. Or you can share a weakness that you’re actively working on.

Focus on weaknesses that you have already taken steps to mitigate or get rid of. If you’ve already taken the baby steps to improve the weakness, it puts you in the position to showcase that you actually take people’s feedback and consideration seriously. You might share a story about how a few weeks ago someone gave you feedback that you needed to improve your public speaking skills, and you signed up for a public speaking course recently and even signed up to speak at a conference later in the year so you can practice your communication skills.

Clichés like “I’m a perfectionist” which are an indirect compliment to yourself are a no-go, unless you can genuinely back it up with specific examples. You don’t want to give common answers that people hear all the time either. Having a weakness isn’t a terrible thing, you want to be able to take something that isn’t a big deal.

Step 3: Provide Examples

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to strategically structure and deliver your answer.

Provide particular examples to demonstrate all or most of the strengths and weaknesses you mention. Your ability to convey an engaging story about your strengths and weaknesses will help the conversation flow more seamlessly in the interview as well. Rehearsing your answer and knowing a story well enough to share what your strengths and weaknesses are will show that you prepared for the interview. Your body language in telling the story will matter too. If you share the story with a sense of shame or embarrassment, it’ll make the interviewer view you negatively. Yet, if you share the story with a sense of curiosity in your own growth and willingness to take yourself to the next level, you’ll come across more positively, especially if you’re demonstrating a growth mindset.

Illustrate to the interviewer how your strengths have benefited your prior employers, and how they can yield value in the role you’re being interviewed for. Sharing some of your biggest wins that helped grow another business will help get hiring managers excited about you as a candidate. You still want to share your strengths with a sense of humility though.

Step 4: Show Improvement

Whenever you discuss a weakness, try to also shed light upon the steps you’ve already taken to improve it. Highlight any training, courses, or experiences that have helped you improve. Show a commitment to personal and professional growth.

Many companies look for people who can take critical feedback and evolve into something better. People who shrink with feedback often end up performing worse at work. A hiring manager is going to look for people who can rise to the challenge of negative feedback to become the best version of themselves they can be.

Crafting Your Answer

Answering about strengths, 1. choose relevant strengths.

• Pick 2-3 strengths that align closely with the job description.
• Examples: “I have strong project management skills,” “I thrive in startup environments ,” or “I excel at data analysis and interpreting complex information.”

2. Provide Evidence

Strengthen your claims with evidence to promote reliability. Here’s an example:

“One of my key strengths is my ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. For instance, in my previous role, I led three major projects concurrently, all of which were delivered on time and within budget. The projects I worked on helped the company surpass their quarterly financial targets by 200%.”

Answering About Weaknesses

1. choose a manageable weakness.

Select a weakness that is not a core requirement for the job. You want to choose a weakness that is also fixable.

Examples: “I sometimes have difficulty delegating tasks,” “I can come across as too direct via written communication,” or “I can be overly detail-oriented.”

2. Show Improvement

Show the interviewer(s) that while you lack in a certain area, you’re also working on it and getting better. You want to show that you take people’s feedback about you to heart and are genuinely interested in improving yourself for the better. For instance, one might say:

“One area I’m working on is my tendency to be overly detail-oriented. I’ve realized that while attention to detail is important, it can sometimes lead to inefficiencies. To address this, I’ve started using project management tools to help me prioritize tasks and focus on the bigger picture.”

Dos and Don’ts

• Be Honest: Authenticity is valued by interviewers, and being strategic with your responses does not mean having to be deceptive. It’s advisable to get your point across honestly no matter what the question may be. Your honesty should lean positively instead of negatively, though.
• Be Positive: Frame your weaknesses in a way that shows you’re proactive about improvement and genuinely enjoy the growth opportunity the weakness provides. End your sentences on a positive note by sharing how you plan on improving, and what, if anything, has already worked for you.
• Be Specific: Use direct examples to elaborate the points you make about your strengths, weaknesses, or character traits in general. Storytelling can be an effective way to share your examples to show the journey of improving your weaknesses and the road to your strengths.
• Technical preparedness: Many interviews these days are conducted virtually, so make sure you’re technically prepared for an online meeting. This includes having a fast and stable internet connection, and preferably using a free VPN for Mac to protect your data and privacy.
• Practice your answer : Considering this is one of the most common interview questions you’ll be asked, it’s crucial that you prepare an answer and a story in advance. Practicing variations of this question will help ensure your interview will go smoothly.
• Be Overly Critical: Avoid harshly criticizing yourself. Instead, adopt a positive tone and pick words that soften the blow of any weaknesses you might share. The tone you should approach for the interview is that you’re a work in progress and you find it enjoyable to transform your weaknesses into strengths.
• Be Vague: Generalities don’t provide insight into your abilities. The interviewer will also be judging your communication skills indirectly with each question, so be precise and clear in your responses. You don’t want to beat around the bush with your answer.
• Choose Irrelevant Strengths: Focus on strengths that matter for the role to improve your chances of success. For instance, being a great cook does nothing for your employer if you’re being interviewed for an accounting position. Pick your best career strengths or character strengths that’ll make you a great fit for the job and fun to work with.

Practice Makes Perfect

Once you’ve brainstormed all of the areas discussed above in this article, it’s time to start practicing. Knowing what to say is one thing, but executing it properly is what will drive the performance home in your interview.

Rehearse your answers, but be careful not to sound too rehearsed. Practicing with a friend or mentor can help you refine your responses and gain confidence before the big day.

Answering “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” effectively requires a balance of honesty, self-awareness, and strategic thinking. By preparing thoughtful, specific examples and demonstrating a commitment to growth, you can turn this question into an opportunity to shine and leave a positive impression on your interviewer. Remember, it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it that will make the difference. If you’re currently interviewing for jobs, you can track your interview calendar using Huntr to manage all your job applications and more. Sign up for Huntr today !

Nicole Martins Ferreira

Nicole Martins Ferreira, Senior Writer at Huntr, brings a rich background in marketing, tech, and ecommerce to craft insightful content on job search strategies and career advancement. With experience from Super Magic Taste to Shopify, she excels in creating engaging, actionable advice for job seekers. Nicole's expertise in SEO and content marketing, honed across diverse roles, enables her to effectively guide individuals through the complexities of the job market. Her contributions at Huntr are vital, offering readers valuable tips and strategies to navigate their professional journeys successfully, making her work an invaluable resource for job seekers everywhere.

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Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths

This essay is about the significance of resilience and adaptability as essential strengths in today’s world. Resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from setbacks and face adversity with a positive attitude, while adaptability refers to the capacity to adjust to new conditions and environments. The essay highlights how these traits are interlinked and crucial for success in personal and professional life. Examples are given from various contexts, such as job loss, personal development, entrepreneurship, and education, to illustrate how resilience and adaptability help individuals overcome challenges, embrace change, and transform obstacles into opportunities for growth and innovation. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of cultivating these traits for a fulfilling and successful life.

How it works

One of the most important skills a person can have in the ever-changing modern world is the capacity to deal with change and hardship. Not only are resilience and adaptation trendy terms, but they are critical qualities that define success in both the personal and professional spheres. These traits—which are frequently related—allow people to flourish in the face of adversity, turning setbacks into chances for development and creativity.

The ability to bounce back fast from adversity and setbacks called resilience.

People who possess mental toughness are able to confront hardship with optimism and a will to succeed. This strength is developed from experiences—both good and bad—rather than being innate. Failure is not viewed as a defeat by resilient people, but rather as a brief setback that teaches important lessons. They are distinguished by their tenacity, optimism, and capacity to stay goal-focused in the face of adversity.

Conversely, adaptability is the capacity to change with circumstances and surroundings. Adaptability has become essential in a world that is changing quickly due to global events and technology breakthroughs that continuously modify our reality. Individuals that possess adaptability are receptive to novel concepts, flexible in their thinking, and capable of prospering in a variety of circumstances. Instead than adhering to strict plans, they are adaptable and welcome change as a chance for advancement and creativity.

The interplay between resilience and adaptability can be observed in various contexts, from personal life to professional environments. For instance, consider a professional who loses their job due to economic downturns. A resilient person would acknowledge the setback but would not be demoralized by it. Instead, they would use this challenge as a catalyst for self-improvement, perhaps by acquiring new skills or exploring different career paths. Simultaneously, their adaptability would enable them to adjust to the new job market demands, network with professionals in different fields, and ultimately find new opportunities that align with their strengths and interests.

In the realm of personal development, resilience and adaptability play a significant role in mental health and well-being. Life is unpredictable, and everyone encounters hardships, be it in the form of personal loss, health issues, or other crises. Those who are resilient are better equipped to manage stress and recover from traumatic experiences. They view difficulties as part of the human experience and use these moments to build inner strength. Adaptable individuals, meanwhile, are more likely to find alternative solutions and coping mechanisms, ensuring that they can maintain a balanced and fulfilling life despite the challenges they face.

One of the most poignant examples of these strengths can be seen in the stories of entrepreneurs and innovators. Take, for example, the journey of someone who starts a business. The path to entrepreneurship is fraught with uncertainties, failures, and unforeseen challenges. A resilient entrepreneur does not give up in the face of failure. Instead, they analyze what went wrong, learn from their mistakes, and persistently pursue their vision. Their adaptability allows them to pivot their strategies, embrace new technologies, and respond to market changes effectively. This combination of resilience and adaptability often leads to groundbreaking innovations and successful enterprises.

Educational settings also highlight the importance of these traits. Students who exhibit resilience and adaptability are more likely to excel in their studies and personal growth. They do not see poor grades or academic challenges as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities to improve and refine their skills. Adaptable students are open to different learning styles and methods, allowing them to absorb information in diverse ways and succeed in various academic environments.

In conclusion, resilience and adaptability are indispensable strengths in today’s dynamic world. They empower individuals to face adversity with courage, embrace change with enthusiasm, and transform challenges into stepping stones for success. Cultivating these traits can lead to a more fulfilling, balanced, and successful life, both personally and professionally. As we continue to navigate the complexities of the modern world, the ability to remain resilient and adaptable will undoubtedly remain one of the greatest assets anyone can have.

Cite this page

Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths. (2024, Jul 16). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/

"Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths." PapersOwl.com , 16 Jul 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/ [Accessed: 17 Jul. 2024]

"Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths." PapersOwl.com, Jul 16, 2024. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/

"Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths," PapersOwl.com , 16-Jul-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/. [Accessed: 17-Jul-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Embracing Resilience and Adaptability as Core Strengths . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/embracing-resilience-and-adaptability-as-core-strengths/ [Accessed: 17-Jul-2024]

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July 11, 2024

Vet School Personal Statement Examples to Guide You

You’ve done the work you needed to to prepare yourself for vet school. The academic work. The volunteer work. The clinical work. And now you must answer the VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service) essay prompt “Why do you want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?”  You have just 3,000 characters with which to do so.  

Many vet school candidates find writing scientific lab reports or manuscripts easier than writing a narrative vet school personal statement. And there are so many suggestions of what you should and should not do when writing a personal statement that it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  

To help you better understand what a strong vet school personal statement looks like, in this post, we present the following example, which was written by an Accepted client who ultimately received several offers of acceptance.  

Titans. In Greek mythology, the Titans were the pre-Olympians, the elder gods. They ruled the Earth and had enormous amounts of strength. In my childhood, I had a titan too, a canine. At the age of nine my family adopted a healthy Leonberger puppy that we named Titan. Little did we know at the time that his name would not only represent his size but also his unwavering strength. At the age of one, he was diagnosed with a multitude of chronic health issues and was not expected to make it to two years of age. However, as a true titan, he proved everyone wrong. I watched his bravery and will to live as the veterinarians went above and beyond to help Titan with numerous treatment plans all while showing great kindness and empathy. This helped me realize I wanted to be a veterinarian to help other animals and foster strong relations between clients and veterinarians; Titan was my defining moment.

Growing up, I lacked self-confidence and avoided talking to people I did not know. With Titan as my constant companion, I had a plethora of strangers ask me questions about him, thus fostering my interpersonal communication skills. Being able to confidently answer questions about Titan, his breed, and his health helped to prepare me for similar conversations I currently have in my position as a veterinary assistant. I am able to handle both easy and difficult conversations with pet owners by being an engaged listener, an empathetic pet owner, and having confidence in my knowledge of animals and in myself. I also recognize that not all owners have the courage or understanding to ask the questions needed to best support their animals. With this in mind, one goal I have as a future veterinarian is to help bridge the gap of knowledge that exists between animal owners and those in the veterinary industry by providing more education for owners about their animals.

 Another aspect that I will bring to the veterinary profession is inclusivity. My older brother has special needs and I have seen the progress he has made through interactions with our dogs and cats. He has gained confidence, become more social, and is able to more freely express himself. My long-term goal to contribute to the field of veterinary medicine is to create a veterinary practice that employs people with disabilities. My future practice would offer a valuable and engaging place of employment by helping decrease the stigma surrounding the capabilities of those with special needs, and foster meaningful relationships between people and animals.

The connection and experiences I had with Titan started me on my path to becoming a veterinarian. I have persevered through every opposition I have faced, learning from my mistakes and successes while remaining dedicated to my goal of becoming a veterinarian. By being a strong communicator and working well with others I have shown my ability to lead by example. All of these attributes and more are why I will be a successful veterinarian. 

This vet school personal statement has three key strengths: 

#1: The initial narrative about the applicant’s childhood pet, Titan, coupled with the writer’s ability to be vulnerable (e.g., stating that they lacked self-confidence), allows an adcom reader to form an image of the candidate and want to learn more. Furthermore, the connection between the candidate and their dog clearly lays the foundation for their interest in the field of veterinary medicine.  

#2: This applicant not only refers to their position as a veterinary assistant but also notes very specific skills they’ve cultivated in that role, such as being an engaged listener and their ability to have difficult conversations. This demonstrates that the applicant is actively invested in the process of learning as much as possible while working.  

#3: The applicant does a great job of highlighting their vision of their future as a practitioner, both holistically (i.e., wanting to be a good educator) and specifically (i.e., wanting to employ staff with special needs). This lets the adcom know that the applicant is thinking not just about the point of matriculation but also about being a provider who will contribute to the growth and development of the field.  

As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherley worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

Related Resources:

• Highlighting Your Leadership Experience in Your Application
• Four Tips for Displaying Teamwork in Your Application Essays
• How Personal Is Too Personal In Your Application Essays?

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