How to Talk About Your Strengths and Weaknesses in a Job Interview

No one likes to admit their faults and shortcomings, but no one is perfect.

And in a job interview, pretending to be perfect can actually hurt your candidacy.

Common Strengths and Weaknesses

So, what are your strengths and weaknesses?

A man hides behind a water cooler when it’s his turn to interview for a job

The hiring manager or recruiter wont expect you to itemize every single one of your strengths and weaknesses.

Rather, they want to know about your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the job description.

Focus on the things you know you do best and that are most applicable to the position.

If you cant identify your strengths on your own, consider asking a coworker or a friend.

You could also think back to any coaching or performance reviews you received from past or current bosses.

Tie your weaknesses to your professional growth.

Showing them that youre working to improve shows them that you have self-awareness and can be coached up.

Employers usually give you a cheat sheet with many of the answers they want to hear the job description.

This respondent listed several related skills, which is more believable than listing a dozen strengths.

They also use their managers trust in them as evidence of their ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently.

Based on feedback Ive heard in the past, I feel like my communications skills could use some improvement.

Ive taken this feedback to heart, and Ive worked to be more vocal in the workplace.

It also shows that this respondent listened to feedback and took steps to improve their communications skills.

But how can you focus your job search on job opportunities that demand your best skills?

Just tell Phil your experience and your career goals.

Ready for a smarter job search?

Getting started with ZipRecruiter is as simple as creating a free account and uploading your resume.

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