How to Describe Your Strengths During a Job Interview

Along with "tell me about yourself," "describe yourre-entering the work force after an absence, you'll
strengths" is one of the questions that you know you'llneed to be more creative. If you're switching from
be asked in a job interview. At first blush, it sounds likegraphic design to sales, for instance, you can relate
an easy question. But because it's such a broad topic,how your dedication to on-time delivery and creative
it can actually be quite difficult to answer well. Belowcustomer presentations would be a huge plus in your
are a few guidelines to help you prepare for andnew job.
deliver a great response.Â- Relate your strengths to the new company or
Â- Identify your strengths. You should think veryjob. It's no secret that candidates need to research the
carefully about your personal strengths well beforeprospective company, as well as the specific job
you step foot into your interview. It's not unusual forthey're after if possible. But you may not realize how
even the most ambitious professional to be at a lossvaluable that information can be when you're relating
as to her own strengths. Try viewing resume samplesyour strengths. If you know that the culture of the hiring
and notice some of the strengths that come across.company is customer-focused, for example, you
Do any of those apply to you? Another good sourceshould make sure to convey that customer service is
of "strength identification" is to ask your friends andone of your strengths. The company doesn't care
family what they see as your positive attributes. Areabout your strengths in an abstract sense; they want
you organized? Decisive? Detail-oriented? It's a goodconcrete evidence that you can hit the ground running
bet that these qualities come through at work as well.for them.
Â- Limit your strengths. Of course you want toÂ- Give concrete examples. Too many job
impress the hiring manager with your many and variedseekers begin well with their "strengths" answer, but
strengths, but it's a good idea to put a lot of thoughtthen stop short of an impressive response by, well,
into just three or four, rather than make a catch-all liststopping short. Don't just say that you're persistent;
to regurgitate. If you try to sell the fact that yourback your assertion up with a story about the time
strengths cover every single thing that could possiblyyou courted a new client for six months to secure a
arise-ever!-two negative things are likely to happen:huge deal for your previous firm. Or demonstrate your
your interviewer probably won't believe you, and youattention to detail by showing your interviewer a
won't have enough time to expound upon anythingcompany newsletter that you edited.
(and, hence, miss the opportunity to lend credibility toÂ- Be prepared for the follow-up. A good
your claims).interviewer knows that you'll expect questions about
Â- Avoid over-used catch phrases. It's temptingyour strengths and weaknesses and that, if you're
to say things like, "I'm a people person" because itsmart, you will have prepared a good answer. So to
sounds like it should be the right answer. But it's far toomix things up a bit, some interviewers ask questions
vague to convey anything other than the fact that youthat force you to defend your assertion. If you
don't know how to interview well.describe one of your strengths as being able to sell ice
Â- Make sure your strengths are transferable. Ifto an Eskimo, the hiring manager may pick up a stapler
you're interviewing for a similar position as the one youand ask you to demonstrate your no-fail sales
have now-or with your current company-it'll be fairlytechnique. The best way to prepare for follow-up
easy to describe how your strengths relate to yourquestions like this is to make sure that you actually
potential new job. But if you're changing careers orpossess the strengths you say you do.