Some questions are almost always asked in interviews, and one of them is “what are your strengths and weaknesses. This is one interview question people should always prepare for, but oddly, it is the one question many people answer poorly. Fun fact, this is a question that could come up even when you are making a pitch to an investor or group of investors.
I will give you some hacks on answering this question excellently, but first, keep in mind that the interviewer is not trying to gun you down with the answer. This question is primarily to examine your level of self-awareness. The interviewer wants to see how well you know yourself, your strengths, your weakness, and what possible steps you may be taking to address the weakness.
Also, the interviewer may be trying to determine your thought pattern and your values. By hearing what you consider a strength or a weakness, the interviewer can guess what your moral values and work ethics are. Some strengths could be analytical, communication, and leadership skills, the ability to collaborate, and work as a team.
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Understanding this will give you peace and make you more comfortable as your answer the question.
Hack number 1
Use case studies. As you state your strength and weakness, give examples from your last job explaining how it helped the team achieve a goal, or prevent them from making a mistake. For instance, when talking about your weakness, it is important to think of and mention one time when that weakness helped achieve something good for your employer. This should not undermine what you are doing to get better.
For example, a weakness could be that you pay attention to many tiny details and sometimes get derailed from the big picture. But if you search your memory, you can also come up with that one time where your attention to tiny details saved the team from overlooking a small flaw that would have caused damages in millions. Do you catch my meaning?
Hack number 2
Be honest and sincere. Your answer is supposed to sell you as a good fit for the job, but this is no reason to tell lies or claim to have skills and competencies that you do not have. You don’t want to end up disgraced when you cannot deliver on a task you claimed to be your strength. Don’t pretend to be perfect. Instead, demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn.
Hack number 3
Relate all of the traits you talk about to your job. Of course, you can have a million flaws but the interviewer is not asking you to reel out your life story to him. Go straight to those traits (strength or weakness) that relate or can be connected to your new role in some way. The traits you talk about should help you better perform in your new role in one way or the other. Note that what is considered a strength in one job role, may be a weakness in another. Always keep the job description in mind.
Hack number 4
Avoid weaknesses that disqualify you for the position. For example, if the job requires a lot of technical skills, you don’t want to say that your weakness is using technology.
Hack number 5
Show that you are consciously trying to be better. Do not forget to say what actions you have taken or are taking to build your strengths further, and to make up for your weakness. This shows your commitment to self-development.
You can see now that this is not a question you answer at the spot or go copy some answers from a website somewhere. It is something you sit back to reflect and think about.
Keep in mind that the interview is your 15 minutes of fame; it is your time to shine. When you have years of experience in the field, or you are at entry-level, answering the question is your opportunity to sell yourself and do it right. Your resume may be misunderstood but not your answers. Even if you are at entry-level, you should be able to explain how you’ve already tackled the obstacles towards the new career—by taking new courses, connecting with people from the industry, and applying their advice. The question about strengths and weaknesses can provide an opportunity to show how your skills are a perfect match for the job—or they can be a trap. It all comes down to your answer. Demonstrate not only your confidence but also your ability to get the job done.