What are your strengths?

Ever sat in an interview and wondered how on earth you should respond to this question?

It’s a fine balance between coming across as arrogant or lacking confidence.

But relax. It’s not a trap. Interviewers are trying to understand how self-critical you can be but also how well you perceive yourself and the ability to assess your skills.

Here’s what not to say:

“Oh, there’s too many to specify. I am good at everything. Hire me and you’ll find out.”

“Um, I am friendly. I’m not sure really.”

The problem with either of these types of answers is that neither give a tangible example that sets their skills in the workplace.

Here’s a better example of what type of answer could be given:

“I believe my work ethic is my strongest trait. I always ensure that everything I have done in my roles and tasks are completed to the very best of my ability. I take a pride in the work I do and I am not afraid of hard work to get the best end result for the company. One such example of this in action was when….”

This type of answer is neither arrogant nor lacking in confidence. Clearly this candidate has an awareness of what they can bring to the company and is able to validate their answer with a tangible example of their strengths in action.

Of the three answers, who would you expect to be hired?

As a career coach I provide real support to help people find work they love… want to know more, contact me for a no-obligations chat.

#LiveDaringDreams

Scroll to Top