Prepare a response ahead of time for a focused discussion of greatest strengths.
Employers use interviews to gauge the likelihood of how well candidates will perform in their companies. Prospective hires meet with one or more company representatives for discussions about qualifications, previous experience and skills they can contribute. Interviewers use questions to elicit information both directly and indirectly from candidates. Asking potential employees to describe their greatest strengths is a common interview question, so candidates should develop responses ahead of time to make a strong impression.
Definition
The strength question asks candidates to assess their work ethic, qualifications, professional approach and personality and determine what they consider to be their strongest asset. Employers may directly ask candidates, "What is your greatest strength?" Other questions pose the same query in a different way; for example, "Of which personality trait are you the most proud?" Responses provide insight into what employees bring to the table, but employers are also interested in the thought process in justifying selections and linking the strength to their workplace.
Strength Strategies
Interviewees should choose greatest strengths strategically. In all likelihood, job applicants may have many strengths that could be discussed to exemplify desirability as an employee. In preparing responses, the job applicant should think about the potential employer's needs and workplace culture. For applicants interviewing with a highly competitive law firm known for its professional aggression and cutthroat tactics, discussing inherent passion and empathy for fellow human beings might be a misstep. Compassion may indeed help an employee be a better attorney, but that employer probably wants candidates who describe their self-motivation, fearlessness, discipline or self-confidence as strengths.
Examples
Examples of strengths might include communication skills, industry knowledge, passion for the field, organization or problem solving aptitude. Applicants should provide concrete examples of how strengths benefited previous employers in the past. For example, if a job seeker's greatest strength is leadership then she might talk about managing a project involving 45 employees in several departments that doubled an employer's profits. When talking about industry expertise, applicants might explain that identifying and capitalizing on an untapped customer demographic helped expand a previous employer's company into a new territory.
Counterpart
Interviewers who ask candidates to discuss their strengths frequently ask the notorious counterpart to that question: weaknesses. Employers want to hear a real weakness; bashfully owning up to being a "perfectionist" doesn't count. Potential employees might pick something that they're already working to improve. For example, job applicants might state that they haven't mastered a particular software program yet but are currently enrolled in a continuing education course to learn more.
Tags: greatest strengths, ahead time, applicants might, describe their, greatest strength
