Interview Question: What is Your Greatest Strength?

"What is your greatest strength?" may seem like one of the easier interview questions
you'll be asked, but it is also one of the most important. The interviewer wants to know
if your strengths align with the needs of the company and the qualifications for the job
for which you're applying. Asking this question helps the employer decide whether or
not you are the strongest applicant for the position.

When you are asked questions about your strengths, it's important to discuss attributes
that will qualify you for the specific job and set you apart from the other candidates. It's
important to show the interviewer that you have the qualities the employer is seeking in
the applicant that they are going to hire.

How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Greatest Strength

How should you answer questions about your strengths? The best way to respond is to
describe the skills and experience that you have which directly correlates with the job
you are applying for. Be prepared to answer by making a list of the qualifications
mentioned in the job posting.

Then, make a list of your skills that match those listed. This list can include education or
training, soft skills, hard skills, or past work experiences. Narrow your list of skills down
to 3 - 5 particularly strong skills.

Next to each skill, note an example of how you have used that strength in the past.

This will prepare you for when the employer asks you to elaborate on a particular
strength. When you answer, you will be sharing strengths that match the qualifications
the company is seeking. The closer a match you are, the more likely you'll be to get a job
offer.

Examples of the Best Answers

Review these examples of answers, and tailor your responses to your credentials and the
job requirements of the position.

I have an extremely strong work ethic. When I'm working on a project, I don't want just
to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule. Last
year, I even earned a bonus for completing my three most recent reports one week ahead
of time.

I have extremely strong writing skills. Having worked as a copy editor for five years, I
have a strong attention to detail when it comes to my writing. I have also written for a
variety of publications, so I know how to shape my writing style to fit the task and
audience. As a marketing assistant, I will be able to effectively write and edit press
releases, and update web content with accuracy and ease.

I am a skilled salesman with over ten years of experience. I have exceeded my sales goals
every quarter and I've earned a bonus each year since I started with my current
employer.

I pride myself on my customer service skills and my ability to resolve what could be
difficult situations. With five years of experience as a customer service associate, I have
learned to effectively understand and resolve customer issues. On a related note, I also
have strong communication skills, which helps me work well with customers, team
members, and executives. I am known for being an effective team member with a talent
for giving presentations.
Answers to Avoid
This is not the time to be humble. While you do not want to exaggerate your strengths,
you should be comfortable articulating what makes you an ideal candidate. Creating a
list of your strengths (as they relate to the job) will help you answer this question with
confidence.

On the other hand, you do not want to answer this question with a laundry list of vague
strengths. Stay focused on a couple key strengths that relate directly to the position and
the company. A focused, relevant answer with one or two examples will impress your
interviewer.

How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question

Although it might be tempting to share a list of your most compelling qualifications for
the job at hand, a more low-key approach will probably help you to develop a personal
rapport with your interviewer.

Try starting out by sharing some personal interests which don't relate directly to your
work. Examples might include a hobby which you are passionate about like quilting,
astronomy, chess, choral singing, golf, skiing, tennis, or antiquing.

Interests like long distance running or yoga which help to represent your healthy,
energetic side are worth mentioning. Pursuits like being an avid reader or solving
crossword puzzles or brain teasers will help to showcase your intellectual leaning.
Interests like golf, tennis, and gourmet food might have some value if you would be
entertaining clients in your new job.

Volunteer work will demonstrate the seriousness of your character and commitment to
the welfare of your community.

Interactive roles like PTA volunteer, museum tour guide, fundraiser, or chair of a social
club will help show your comfort with engaging others.

Transition to Professional from Personal

After sharing a few interesting personal aspects of your background, you can transition
to sharing some key professional skills that would help you to add value if you were
hired for your target job.

Consider using phrases like "In addition to those interests and passions, my professional
life is a huge part of who I am, so I'd like to talk a bit about some of the strengths which I
would bring to this job."

Share Your Expertise

Be ready to share three or four of the personal qualities, skills and/or areas of expertise
which would help you to excel in the job for which you are interviewing. Ultimately, you
will want to share several other strengths before the interview is over.

Make a list of your strengths before you go into the interview, so you know what you will
share. Look at the job description and match it with your skills. Then share the top few
skills which make you an ideal candidate for the job.

However, be careful not to overwhelm the interviewer with too much information. After
mentioning three or four strengths, you might mention that you have several other
assets which you would like to discuss as the interview unfolds.

At first, you should only mention the asset and allude only briefly to some proof of how
you have tapped it to your advantage.

For example, you might say that you love to give presentations and that has helped you
to generate lots of leads at sales dinners for prospective clients.

Later in the interview, you will want to be more specific and detailed in discussing
situations, interventions and results flowing from your strengths.

Avoid Politics and Controversy

Typically, you would steer clear of controversial topics like politics or religion. It's
important to avoid any references to topics that would cause concern about your ethics,
character, productivity, or work ethic. You also don't need to share personal information
about your family.

There is no need to discuss spouses, partners, children, or any other strictly personal
information. Here are some of the things you should never say during a job interview.
What Are the Most Difficult Decisions to Make?

There are no right or wrong answers to questions like “What are the most difficult
decisions you have to make?” or “Have you ever had to make a really tough decision at
work?" Employers simply want to see that, when you face a difficult decision or
situation, you are able to handle it. They also want to see what kind of decisions you
consider difficult.

These are behavioral interview questions designed to discover how you handled certain
situations.

The logic behind these types of questions is that how you behaved in the past is a
predictor of what you will do in the future.

The Best Ways to Respond to Tough Questions

When answering these questions, give one or two concrete examples of difficult
situations you have actually faced at work. Then discuss what decisions you had to make
to remedy the situations.

You want to come across as confident and capable of making big decisions. Avoid
examples that make you seem indecisive or uncertain.
Also keep your answers positive ("Even though it was a difficult decision to lay off that
particular employee, I did so in an extremely professional manner, and this decision
ultimately led to improvements in efficiency and productivity throughout our
department”). Whatever answer you give, be specific. Itemize what you did and how you
did it.

The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is
to refresh your memory.

Skim through your resume and reflect on some special situations you have dealt with or
projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories
that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.

Examples of the Best Answers

Decisions I have to make within a team are difficult, only because these decisions take
more time and require deliberate communication between team members. For example,
I was working on a team project, and my colleagues and I had to make a number of
choices about how to use our limited budget. Because these decisions involved group
conversations, our team learned how to communicate effectively with one another, and I
believe we ultimately made the best decisions for the team.

As a manager, the most difficult decisions I make involve layoffs. Before making those
tough decisions, I always think carefully about what is best for the business and my
employees. While I do not relish making those kinds of choices, I do not shy away from
this part of my job. A few years ago, I had to let some employees go due to the economic
climate. This was a hard decision that was ultimately necessary for the good of the
company and everyone working for the organization.

Interview Questions About Your Goals for the Future

One of the questions typically asked during an interview is about your future goals.
Employers want to be sure that you won't be moving on to another job right away. New
hires are expensive to bring on board and expensive to train. If you leave in a hurry,
they'll be right back at square one.

This question is also a good way for them to determine if your career goals are a good fit
for the company.

The most successful candidates are the ones whose ultimate aims align with those of the
organization, even if they don't spend their entire career working for the same employer.
(And let's face it, most don't.)

Finally, asking about your goals for the future is a way for the hiring manager to make
sure that you have some – in other words, this question shows whether or not you have
direction and some sort of plan. You don't need to wind up exactly where you're
planning to be in five years, but you need to be pointed in the right direction.

How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Goals for the Future
The best way to respond to the interview question "What are your goals for the future?"
or "Where do you see yourself in five years?" is to refer to the position and the company
you are interviewing with.

While you don't want to lie during a job interview, it's best to stick to the parts of your
vision that include the organization.

For example, if you're a newly minted Registered Nurse, and the hospital you're
interviewing with doesn't have a lot of openings for Nurse Practitioners, now is not the
time to mention that you're considering going back to school in a few years.

This is another reason why it's important to do your research before you arrive for the
job interview.

Knowing what the company wants will help you emphasize your ability to solve their
problems.

Similarly, don't discuss your personal goals outside of work, such as having a family. This
information is not relevant and could knock you out of contention for the job. Rather, you
want to connect your answer to the job you are applying for.

Think of your goals and that of the company as a Venn diagram: you want to keep your
conversation confined to that overlapping section.

Example of Best Answers

Examples of good responses include:

My long-term goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take
on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much of value as I can.

I see myself as a top performing employee in a well-established organization, like this

one. I plan on enhancing my skills and continuing my involvement in (related)
professional associations.

Once I gain additional experience, I would like to move on from a technical position to
management.

In the XYZ Corporation, what is a typical career path for someone with my skills and
experiences?