If you have an interview lined up, there’s a good chance that you will be asked about your strengths. So how do you go about mentioning them without sounding arrogant? There are ways to highlight your strengths during an interview. Learn more about them right here.
How to Assess and Pick Your Best Strengths
The first step to preparing for this question is to identify what your strengths are. Once you have a list, you need to pick the five best ones. You should also keep in mind that these skills should be relevant to the specific job you are applying for.
Identify Your Top Five Strengths
When planning your answers, it’s good to take the time and put your skills into categories. This includes, hard skills, soft skills and others.
Hard Skills
Hard skills are learnt during your education or within the workplace. These skills are often included in the job advert. Some examples are:
- Computer skills
- Industry knowledge
- Social media skills
- Languages
- Qualifications
Soft Skills
Soft skills are non-technical skills that relate to how you work. They include how you interact with others, solve problems and manage your work. A few examples of soft skills are:
- Communication
- Flexibility
- Teamwork
- Planning
- Problem-solving
Some other strengths worth mentioning includes:
- Attention to detail
- Organisation
- Punctuality
- Working under pressure
- Self-confidence
Link Your Strengths to the Job Requirements
Take a good look at the job description and find the key strengths that are needed to the role. Once you have done this, go back to the list of strengths you made and choose ones that fit.
For example, if there is a need for interaction between multiple departments, then strong communication skills are important.
Ways to Highlight Your Strengths During an Interview
“What are your strengths?” – This question sounds simple enough to answer. But there is a lot of thought and practice that needs to go into it. You need to have your answer ready to go by the time you get to your interview.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Select three to five of your strengths to focus on and prepare answers for when you’re being interviewed. Consider the skills required and how your skills complement them.
Backup Your Strengths With Personal Stories
Find stories you can use to demonstrate previous experiences. Start by directly answering the question, then follow up with a personal statement.
Use the STAR Technique
The STAR technique is a method you can use to prepare for interview questions related to behaviour and structure.
- Situation – Set the scene by providing the context around the situation or challenge you faced.
- Task – Go into further detail by describing what your role in the project was, as well as your goal.
- Action – Mention the actions you took towards achieving that goal. This is where you can go into more detail.
- Result – What was the outcome of your actions? Try to be as specific as possible, instead of just saying your goal was achieved.
What Should I Avoid Doing?
When talking about your strengths in an interview, there are some common errors you should try to avoid. This includes the things listed below.
- Listing your strengths – Giving a list of your strengths without any examples to back them up is meaningless.
- Irrelevant answers – The strengths you give should be related to the skills needed for the ideal candidate.
- Vague or general answers – Offering vague answers can make you seem doubtful. Make sure you know how to back up your answers.
Reveal Your Strengths the Right Way!
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