😗 no stumbling over strengths & weaknesses again!

Strengths and weaknesses may come across as a very simple or cliche interview question. However, it is crucial to prepare for these even if you think that the chances of you being asked are slim. It is when you are unprepared and caught off guard that you tend to share not-so-value-adding strengths and not-so-great weaknesses which may cost you the job interview!!! 😭 So here are some tips on navigating such interview questions!

💪🏼 Strengths

• Align your strengths to the role. Analyse the job requirements and highlight the strengths you possess that would help you exceed in the role.

• You should highlight at least 3 strengths and it is best to include a mix of role-specific skills/expertise (hard skills) and personal qualities (soft skills). Always provide examples to back up your points but remember to be concise.

• Personal qualities can either be linked to back to what the job scope entails (e.g. stakeholder management) or a company’s culture (e.g. adaptability or comfortable with ambiguity - this is key if you are applying for startups)

• Avoid stating overly simple strengths. E.g. “hardworking” does not necessarily help you stand out from other candidates. Instead, deep dive into what you really mean by “hardworking”. Perhaps you can try reframing it as “tenacious/resilient” in order to capture how you would continue to put in effort even during difficult times or “strong work ethic” to emphasise your commitment to work.

• Avoid starting off with “My manager/peers told me that…” as this reflects a lack of self-awareness/reflection on what your strengths are. You may however, highlight the strength that you are aware of/have been told and boost your credibility by saying “this is also a positive feedback that I have received from my managers/peers previously”.

• Highlight the impact of your strengths on the role/company. How can you contribute with these strengths?

🥹Weaknesses

• Reframe it as “an area for improvement/growth” to show a growth mindset.

• Always elaborate further on what you have been doing to address/overcome/correct the weakness and if you have seen any improvements after taking action. Do not simply state your weakness alone.

• You should also pick a weakness that is not central to the job and would not jeopardise your chances. E.g. If you are applying for a sales role, sharing about your fear of speaking to strangers or an inability to persuade people would definitely not be ideal.

• The last thing you would want to do is to state that you have no weaknesses or can’t think of any weaknesses. No one is perfect 🤦🏻‍♀️

📝 How to structure responses for strengths and weaknesses (This reminded me of PEEL structure haha)

1. State your strength & weakness.

2. Elaborate with examples (e.g. specific instances/projects that emphasise your strengths or the implications of your weakness). Keep it concise.

3. Link it back to how your strengths can contribute to the role/company. Share what you are doing to improve on your weakness and how that has been going so far.

Hope these tips help! ☺️

Check out other career-related posts below!

🤹🏼‍♀️ How I juggled part-time internship with university

🤔 What you should ask during your interviews

😍 My favourite company perks

👩🏻‍💻 What’s it like working in a startup?

🙅🏻‍♀️ 8 things to avoid in interviews

👀 6 things to look out for in internships

☁️

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