Two most common questions that I have heard being asked in interviews, and have asked several times myself are:
- What is your biggest weakness?
- What is your biggest strength?
I addressed the weakness question in a previous post, today let’s talk about the latter. This question can come in many forms, some of them are listed below:
- What do you consider to be your biggest strength?
- What are your greatest professional strengths?
- What is the most positive trait your manager would say you have?
Some people struggle with this question, women more so than men, as it might feel like bragging. We do not like to talk about our success stories, tend to give away more credit than we should, and add negative elements to most of our achievements. If you find yourself struggling with self-promotion, READ ON, as I break down how you can prepare an objective answer to the ‘Biggest Strength’ question, that will make you shine in your next interview!
What is the Question Really Asking?
Through the greatest strength question, the interviewer is trying to understand the fit between your skill-set and those required to excel in the position offered. I personally love to ask strengths and weakness questions to candidates during interviews. It tells me whether the candidate has done the introspection to know their greatest skills and flaws, and whether they have done their homework to know the requirements for the position.
How Should You Answer The Question?
As this is never the first question you’ll be asked in an interview, chances are that you have already hinted at some of your strengths through the previous answers. It is OK to mention those skills again. Talk of no more than 3 strengths if the question asks for multiple strengths, and you may want to mix up hard and soft skills (use the strengths finder to discover your top 5 strengths). Also back up your strengths with examples, preferably from your professional life. The worst answer you can give is to spill out a long string of only “nice” adjectives, without any supporting stories.
Remember RATE as you talk about your strengths:
- Relevant: the strengths must be relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Accurate: always speak the truth. Share what are truly your strengths and not what the interviewer wants to hear.
- To the point: don’t use buzzwords like “good organizational skills”, instead say “good time management skills” or “good at prioritizing”.
- Engaging: every story you tell must make you stand apart from the crowd of candidates the interviewer has been meeting since morning.
All of the above elements are necessary to make your answer a success.
Time to Review a Sample Answer
Question: Tell me about your greatest strength?
Answer: I have strong negotiation skills that I have developed and honed through the last 5 years I spent in Sales. I always try to focus on how to best solve my customer’s problems, which helps me create win-win solutions for my company and my clients. Last year, I negotiated a $50M contract with our largest client and exceeded my sales target by 20%, which earned me the award for the Best Saleswoman of the Year. I am confident that I can bring the same skill-set to the role of Sales Manager at ABC company, to help with the company’s vision to become the number one choice of sporting goods for its customers.
Why is this Answer Great?
The above answer is great because of three reasons:
- You demonstrate that you possess a key skill required for a Sales Manager role
- The answer is supported by a strong quantitative example
- You know about company’s vision, which shows that you have done your research on the company.
Have you ever had to answer the ‘Biggest Strength’ interview question? Tell us in the comments below.
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Happy reading and see you next time!