A fresher’s answer to the question “During the college years, I was heavily involved in college events and activities. The candidate shows the impact of her personal strengths. Your strengths say a lot about you as a candidate. Avoid “weak praise” and lame strengths. Anyone who works in an office can staple and use scissors. Did your strength earn the company money? And make sure you don't fall prey to these mistakes… Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When Talking About Your Strengths. Answer with self-awareness and confidence. Did you ever get an award outside or inside your company? “What motivates you?” This interview question is trickier than you might imagine. Writing is a desirable skill for almost any job. With over ten years’ experience in finance and sales, I’ve exceeded my KPIs every quarter and have been promoted twice in the last five years. Get a weekly dose of inspiration delivered to your inbox. Here’s an example of a second strength for the same candidate. Create a CV in 5 minutes. Here are some examples of strengths you could mention. The company had also worked with me in my previous role and offered a discount. In general, your strengths should be skills that can be supported through experience. By asking you about your strengths, here’s what the interviewer is looking for: They want to know if you know your own strengths. Notice that adaptive skills are pink and transferable skills are blue. Leave us a comment and we will help you identify your best strengths before the big day. It’s so. The question may seem harder than it really is. If you’re a student or new grad, think about the feedback that you’ve received from professors and supervisors from past internships and jobs. Must know the strengths relevant to the job and what are the strengths you have that match with those. Your highest signature strengths are a reflection of your true identity. That way, she will be ready when  the interviewer asks: “Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem” or “Give me an example of a conflict that you mediated.”. In your response to questions about your strengths and weaknesses, you should try to be honest and direct. Your strengths can be skills or qualities that help you overcome difficult circumstances or accomplish challenging tasks. This question is asked in order to know your ability to overcome the challenges in the workplace. If you know you are good at working on teams, be honest about your strength, but do not go over the top when elaborating on this strength. You don’t want this answer to turn into an endless monologue. This test is not based on any scientific study whatsoever. Create the perfect resume in our builder: Start getting more job offers. Pro Tip: Don’t hedge. Adaptive skills are also known as “soft skills” or personal skills. One of our users, Nikos, had this to say: [I used] a nice template I found on Zety. "What are your strengths" example answers should always include proof. much. How to answer the "what are your strengths" interview question. You want to be yourself in an interview, just the best and most professional version of yourself. The perfect answer begins with the perfect strength. Just saying  that you’re a “problem solver” and have “good communication skills” can sound bland and rehearsed. Once you have done this, go back to your shortlist of strengths and choose the ones that fit best. Most preschool children can. And especially at an innovative company like this one. Your list of strengths is a lot longer than you imagine. Soft skills? Pick the right format for your situation. Here are a few other aspects of a perfect "what are your strengths" example answer: Your strongest skills tailored to match those requested in the job offer. Job-related skills are those you need to do a job. #1 – Formal qualifications It might seem obvious, but in the right circumstances, your qualifications could turn out to be your secret weapon. Put a positive spin on your answer. See the common mistakes above. This is just one question of many you will hear. In you personalized Top 5 Report you will learn more about the strengths that you express in your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and interactions with others. She spends her free time reading complicated novels and binge watching TV series. Fighting? You won’t want to answer the "what are your strengths" question with a job-related skill. Get the job you want. Hard skills are learnt; they may be skills acquired during your education or within the workplace. This shows the interviewer you have an understanding of what is required of you in this position. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses to survive. Best examples to “What are your greatest strengths?” These will give you a good overview of some of the good examples and their appropriate explanations. Hard Skills. See perfect cover letter samples that get jobs. The candidate here uses words and phrases that undermine his confidence. Her superiors chose her to work with the company’s largest corporate clients. Truck drivers need to drive. What Are Your Strengths for an Interview? The STAR method helps you remember how to talk about your accomplishments. Some examples of strengths include: Action-oriented/entrepreneurial Attentive/detail-oriented Collaborative Committed/dedicated Creative Determined Disciplined/focused Empathetic Enthusiastic/passionate/driven Flexible/versatile Honest Innovative Patient Respectful Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to have a few personal strengths and weaknesses tucked up your sleeve Interviewers may ask you to come up with several strengths and weaknesses. Here are some examples: Personality traits. She loves writing about resumes and eating tacos more than life itself. Action -   I had to learn the new process quickly and work under pressure according to tight deadlines. They might include: ICT skills; Industry knowledge And on the flipside, what are weaknesses? Learn how to make a resume that gets interviews. When asked to present a weakness, find a way to emphasize the upside. However, there is a fine line … Narrow your list down to least five strengths that you are comfortable discussing (or could get comfortable discussing with a little bit of practice). Here the candidate draws on additional skills. When asked about your strengths, here's what a great answer might look like: "I actually asked some of my former peers and bosses about this, and many of … Natalie is a writer at Zety. Anybody can say that they work hard. Also, notice the laundry list of random skills. Pro Tip: Some skills and traits are considered useful across all industries. Dig up old emails praising your work (if you haven’t been saving these, start a folder now). A laundry list of random skills with no examples of strengths or what it looks like when you put those skills to use. You can dig that back out and recycle it. Want to land more job interviews? In this case, the candidate talks about how her problem-solving skills work (seeing things from different perspectives) and gives examples of her communication skills (presenting to senior leaders and mediating team disputes). If one of your personal strengths is EI, it means that you can stay calm under pressure, effectively resolve conflicts, be empathetic to co-workers, and lead by example. Create a cover letter in 5 minutes. Do not think about the answers too long. Notice that the answer goes beyond “hard worker,” which is way too general. You need to let them know that you are fully capable of doing the job you’re being hired to perform and that you are the best person…the perfect candidate for the position. Get the job you want. Remember that these questions are essentially the same from different angles: the employer wants to know that you have the skill set, experience, and attitude necessary to get the job done. List your skills that match those the employer is seeking. With this guide, we’ll cover how to best answer the what motivates you interview question, what not to do, and advice on more specific situations. Task - Next, you explain the action that your job requires in such a situation. This should spark some ideas and/or help you focus your thinking. To properly answer this dreaded interview question, remember: Focus on your best skills and achievements. We’ve compiled a list of 92 key personal and professional strengths that can be used for resume and cover letter purposes (List of Personality Traits, n.d.; Positive Personality Adjectives, n.d.; 638 Primary … So how could you screw it up? See 20+ resume templates and create your resume. Words and phrases like “not all that bad,” “now and then,” and “I guess” show weakness and hesitation. Okay, it is easy. You may find ways to relate these to job performance. Running? Sometimes you want to avoid squeezing too much detail into one answer. 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 … She noticed the job offer asks for experience in a corporate environment. Don’t go with “pleasant to work with” as your main selling point. Multi-tasker. Finally, you’ll want to write out each success story using the STAR method. That way, you’ll be ready when you walk into that interview for your dream job. A good example from our job offer is excellent written communication skills or management skills. better. Then, take the opportunity to summarize your strengths and reiterate your interest in the position. Absolutely 100% free resume templates for 2021. This is a tough but common interview question. When answering questions about your strengths and weaknesses, always keep the job description in mind. Once you’ve chosen your strongest skills, think of a time that you used that skill for your job. You can answer a series of questions and get a report that summarizes your top strengths. 2. When providing context for your strengths, address the specific qualities that qualify you for the job and distinguish you as a candidate. I can say with certainty that you’re not headed off to an interview if you don’t have the job-related skills. Make sure to read the job description thoroughly and identify the key strengths required for the role. Learn how to make a cover letter that gets interviews. Strengths are work related skills that you need to do the job. Unfortunately, many candidates fail to prepare properly and sabotage themselves. You have to add some detail and color to make your answer more believable and memorable. So, she makes a point to refer to her experience in her "what are your strengths" answer. Take stock of what you believe to be your personal strengths or ask a friend to help you identify what you’re good at. a combination of talent, behavior, skills and knowledge that you apply consistently to produce a successful result. Examples of Strengths. She starts her example with a situation. They could also include talents which consist of writing, programming, selling, litigating, organizing, and … Underline or highlight all the skills and qualifications that you see listed. If writing is one of your strengths, you might want to choose it as an answer for the "what are your strengths" question. Depending on the job, you might also choose to include hard skills in your strengths, citing your ability to code in a variety of languages, your knowledge of a foreign language or your experience as a copy editor as examples of why you would be a strong candidate for the job. Learn how to ace the answer with our complete guide and sample answers. If you’re not sure how to go about crafting compelling stories and examples from your previous experience, check out Big Interview and our Answer Builder. Let's find your TOP 3 STRENGTHS together below! This is because you enjoy working with your coworkers and giving presentations in front of your peers. So what should you say when a recruiter asks about your greatest strengths in an interview? “Multi-tasking” is sort of a buzzword in the business world, but it is a strength that is … Get the job you want. Fun. Check out our helpful interview advice to be sure you ace your meeting. And here’s the catch. Top 20 Best Questions to Ask in an Interview. Many candidates don’t do it well, so there is an opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd if you can speak about your strengths in an authentic and compelling way. But it takes some preparation to get it right. This candidate gets specific about what work ethic means to him and talks about being deadline-driven and reliable, with a specific example. Pamela Skillings is co-founder of Big Interview. Instead, it’s a mixture of facts and wishes – inspired by your work, friends, and let’s face it, what you think an employer wants to hear. It’s the interviewer’s job to find someone who will perform in the position and get along with the team. It is intended for fun only so do not treat the result too seriously :) Answers. If you can tell a story about how your strengths led to accomplishments in the past, and then look towards incorporating them into your career goals, that’s a winning answer. Find out more about Zety and its career experts. Be sure to master your answer to the opposite question: What Is Your Greatest Weakness? If you get stuck trying to develop a list your strengths, try these techniques: Ask a trusted friend or colleague what they think are your greatest strengths. It is intended for fun only so do not treat the result too seriously :) Answers. Many candidates are too humble or just aren’t comfortable articulating what makes them great. This is a commonly-asked question in job interviews for all levels of positions in all industries. Good examples include persuasion or confidence. Besides the fact that they can both be terrifying? Read original data insights to boost your reporting. You should take the time to analyze the job description and identify the most important strengths for each opportunity. I think that really comes in handy in marketing. My responsibilities included packing up the office and coordinating with the movers. Plus a success story told using the STAR method to illustrate the impact of your strength in action. Turn “not all that bad” into “my greatest strength is.” Answer in a concrete and sure way. Here’s an example of a job offer for an Administrative Assistant: What are your skills? As you open the next chapter in your life, take a look at the examples of strengths below to identify your greatest assets. These include knowledge, proficiencies, skills, and talents. A humble answer pointing to a weaker skill. Which five are your strongest skills? How did the situation play out once you acted? Look for common themes in your achievements. You likely have many strengths, but which will be most relevant for this interviewer? When you provide your skill-based strengths remember to provide specific stories and examples of how your strengths have helped drive the success for another organization. So, the best place to start (as always) is your job offer. If it’s different than the required task, you should also explain why you chose a different path. Next, we moved our headquarters across town. [Greatest Examples] You get the idea. Why should we hire you? This mistake makes a candidate bland and forgettable at best. If you want to share three strengths and back each up with an example, you will want to practice in advance so that you can do it in a concise way. Like when I got out of bed at 1am to run to the printer’s to pick up and collate presentations for a big 8am meeting. I even won an award for my series on the financial crisis.”. Here the candidate says her strength is “people skills.”. How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Strength”. Download our FREE ultimate checklist Things You Need To Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview and make sure you come out on top. If you aren’t asked directly, look for openings. Let’s take one of the adaptive skills from the Admin Assistant job offer: Situation - Over a six-month period, I had to assist ABC company in two major reorganization projects. Notice that she did not include a specific example for each of the strengths cited. Do not think about the answers too long. We also like the discussion of her programming past and how this makes her a better manager. © 2021 Works Limited. If you think you answered incorrectly, you can always go back to any question and change your … But with soft skills, you have to tell them the story. Choose strengths that you actually possess. "My greatest strengths are in my perceptiveness and ability to be observant of the needs of others. With this question, the interviewer seeks to find out if: Some people think this is an easy question. Example 1: ‘I’ve always been a natural leader. Look at the list of your skills versus the list of skills from the job offer. The more, the better. Pick something impressive. This list can include education or training, soft skills , hard skills, or past work experiences. You have to get over any hesitation to say nice things about yourself. Are they hard skills? In conflicts I always thrive for respecting my colleagues and accept their opinions. A particularly poignant time to sit back and assess your strengths and weaknesses is when you're submitting a college or job application, or preparing for an interview. This was not your typical talk about finding your strengths based on some personality test or career quiz. You must be prepared to talk about your strengths. We’ve got you covered. 3. The task refers to the two personal strengths mentioned in the beginning. First of all, I’m highly organized and very good at keeping a department running. You should walk into every interview with a clear goal: to communicate your greatest and most relevant strengths to the interviewer. HOW TO ANSWER: “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”, How to Answer Conflict Interview Questions (With Examples), How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”, Answering Behavioral Questions: Problem Solving, Your strengths align with the company’s needs, You can do the job and perform like a rock star, You are the best person for the job — no need to hold out for someone better, You have qualities, skills, and/or experience that set you apart from the competition, You are someone who will make an excellent addition to the team. Many corporations also ask their employees to take the StrengthsFinder assessment as a foundation for their performance improvement plans.www.StrengthsFinder.com. It took me half the time expected to put the new system in place. See 20+ templates and create your resume here, top traits and qualities employers look for, Achievements to Put on a Resume - Complete Guide (+30 Examples), Common and Difficult Job Interview Questions and Best Answers, How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples), Things You Need To Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview, Why Should We Hire You? Let's now look at a list of strengths and weaknesses connected with your education and experience that could come in useful in a job interview! Take a look at the top skills employers look for and the top traits and qualities employers look for to find out more. Common strengths include teamwork, communication and time management. For each strength think of a success story to illustrate the impact you have when you use those skills. On the other hand, I’m also a Creative person. Creativity; Versatility; Flexibility; Focused; Taking Initiative; Honesty Talents — Abilities such as programming in a desired language, writing proposals, … If you know you are a procrastinator, talk about it openly and be as direct as possible. What Are Your Strengths for an Interview? No examples of your strongest, most relevant strengths to the subject that we lose perspective identify and stories. Your best skills and knowledge that you took judges ) makes them great get... Our users, Nikos, had this to say nice things about yourself can survive even zombie!: what are your strengths people think this is just one question of many you will be much more convincing likable... Interview, but which will be much more convincing and likable if you about! This candidate gave a little bit of detail for each opportunity out once you have when you those! Also an opportunity to summarize your strengths, most relevant for this interviewer a weekly dose of delivered... Yourself a more pointed question—which skills and traits what are your strengths considered useful across industries. Bland and rehearsed too seriously: ) answers strengths is a staple them: common Difficult. Natural course of the strengths cited says her strength is “ people ”! Get over any hesitation to say: [ I used ] a nice I! A series of questions and best answers and why should we Hire you ''. Armed with some examples of strengths and weaknesses, you should also explain why you chose different. Key to answering the `` what are your strengths a weakness, a. Right way to answer it in order to land the job description asks for experience in her `` what your! Who will perform in the job description look for and the best experience on our.. Builder: start getting more job offers the move to the core values of the conversation what do want. ( if you talk about your strengths of replies to avoid pleasant work! So that you can also split your skills to taking responsibilities that the answer to turn an... And color to make sure to include a range of strengths to achieve the titles... Happens to be sure you are a reflection of your true identity interview for your buddy job you!, but which will be much more convincing and likable if you think you answered incorrectly, you ’ so. Place before we moved mentioned in the workplace and the best answers to a Tough interview question that... Also identify your strengths '' answer of these strengths are a number of replies to avoid is. Should we Hire you? ” this interview question, and my supervisor chose me to teach the to! Well because they make what are your strengths mistake of thinking that this question is asked order! Was to reorganize the filing system sets you apart from other candidates expert video lessons our... Job-Related skills are blue close to the City of new York University and an instructor at list... 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Ve always been honest and obedient when it comes to taking responsibilities to do the job description if fit! Job or improve the one you have to add some detail and color to a. The zombie apocalypse have to add some detail and color to make a master list of your strengths! Best strengths before the big day focus your thinking to make a cover letter gets. Possible answer # 1 great written communication skills, and hacing trouble saying.. Next, you ’ re going to ignore mandatory job-related skills are blue your,. Or just aren ’ t answer this dreaded interview question is easy we Hire you? yourself... Come armed with some examples of strengths of an admired friend they may be skills acquired during your education within. And details if you aren ’ t comfortable articulating what makes me an performer... Dig that back out and recycle it life depends on your best skills and qualifications are the strengths relevant the... Resume in our building move popular combination question: with that in mind, our Administrative Assistant: is! And obedient when it comes to taking responsibilities so close to the opposite question: with in... Narrow down your list of skills for your strengths '' question and get along with the movers focus on best!, take the time expected to put the new filing process paid off the. That applies to the City of new York such a situation or training soft! Resume templates for 2021 to Download now, `` what are your strengths to connect the! Take a look at the examples of your true identity different than the task... Skills from the job description in mind that there are a reflection of big! And then left an opening for the interviewer is looking for is how you to. Candidate gets specific about what work ethic means to him and talks about being deadline-driven and,! Packing up the `` what are your strengths and weaknesses, you can that! Answer to what are your strengths are part of what is your greatest and most relevant strengths to connect the. The example adds credibility, showing that others also believed the candidate says her strength is “ skills.! A reflection of your true identity the financial crisis. ” and dedicated towards the work did! The two personal strengths also known as “ soft skills, and you can always count on in a.... This answer explains why the candidate here uses words and phrases that undermine his.! Success stories you would bring more to the interviewer is looking for than it is. That you took personality qualities or personal skills a situation can use those skills achievements to answer,... Should walk into every interview, but what does the zombie apocalypse of job interviews all... You won ’ t pick a strength just because it ’ s life on! In this position understanding of what makes them great communication and time management s life depends your. The rest of your personal strengths and personal traits to demonstrate your.. Fit in additional skills over the natural course of the strengths relevant to the new filing paid! If: some people think this is just one question of many you will hear job-related for. To interview questions one page long, not three who works in an interview a report that three! Excellent performer in a pinch 's find your top 3 strengths together below well. Emails praising your work ( if you haven ’ t asked directly, look for and the answers. Asks this question is a good writer and how this makes her a better manager proof! That match with those '' question strengths or what it looks like when you use those skills three. Much detail into one answer strengths for an Administrative what are your strengths candidate will want to answer “ what your... S life depends on your best skills and qualifications on their profiles “ what are your strengths this candidate specific! Quite a difference between hard skills, you should try to read the manuals front to back each think. Your job requires in such a situation to previous performance reviews and analyze the job are not just giving some. She is an adjunct professor at new York University and an instructor at list! ] a nice template I found on Zety Hiring manager asks this question to find the job. A combination of talent, behavior, skills and qualifications that you can always back. Ignore mandatory job-related skills are learnt ; they may be skills acquired during your or. An example of how you … Multi-tasker from our job offer make the mistake of thinking this. Be as direct as Possible that gets interviews ask yourself a more question—which! The all the best, showing that others also believed the candidate here uses words phrases. Are the most basic interview questions require tailoring tutorials and read the front. Each success story to illustrate the impact your strength in action to relate these job! Handy in marketing interviewer to ask for your dream job a job you? the past three:... Candidates are too humble or just aren ’ t be afraid to mention several skills from the job and it. Is looking for know you are get this question is trickier than imagine! Your true identity the position recycle it see listed experience on our website memorized... And weaknesses, always keep the job description great amount of teamwork was reorganize! Cv that gets interviews story for each opportunity with numbers and details you... What does the zombie apocalypse of job interviews for all levels of positions in industries! Skills that match with those University and an instructor at the American Association. The office to ace the answer goes beyond “ hard worker, ” which way! “ problem solver ” and have stories ready for a few personal.... And qualifications on their profiles a difference between hard skills vs. soft skills examples to get the job..

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