Answer “What Are Your Strengths” with Ease

Summary: Take these tips for answering this question that more often than not is asked during an interview so that you look confident and prepared.

The first part to any interview is to answer any questions with confidence. This will take preparation beforehand to ensure you are prepared to answer any question that might be thrown at you. One of the more challenging questions to answer is the dreaded “What are your strengths?” or similar variations, because no one wants to feel like they are bragging about themselves.

When you are asked this question, don’t sit there for a minute without saying anything. When you do finally starting talking, don’t bring up skills that go against the job description, such as saying you work great independently, when the job is for a team position.

Direct your strengths to align with the skills needed for the job and express how you will be able to apply your strengths in such a way that you will add value to the company. Don’t just say “I have great customer service skills.” You need to demonstrate the skill with an example such as, “I am a patient person, which allows me to treat customers in a respectful and attentive way.”

Here are some other great answers to this question with examples:

• Time management

“I schedule my work projects in order to meet deadlines.”

“I organize my workload so that I can meet deadlines for high priority items but still accomplish those of lesser priority.”

• Positive attitude

“Having a positive attitude allows me to lead by example and also inspires those around me when things are difficult.”

• Confidence

“Having confidence quickly relieves feelings of failure when things don’t work out the way I plan.”

“The ability to take on challenges with confidence helps me to overcome them easier.”

• Motivation to learn

“I want to continuously learn in order to improve my skills and competencies.”

“I firmly believe in constantly learning. I believe that if you stop learning you are an ineffective member of an environment that is constantly changing.”

• Respect for others

“I keep an open mind when it comes to problem solving by not getting fully engulfed in my views.”

“I don’t think I am always right in every situation. I take opinions of others into consideration and analyze them from a critical viewpoint.”

Read these articles about interviews to prepare more:

• 20 Most Common Interview Questions
• The Most Off-The-Wall Interview Questions
• Top 6 Job Interview Questions and Responses

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