Lead With Your Strengths

Dear Sue:
I have a job interview tomorrow. I know I probably will be asked to talk about my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve always wondered how to answer that question. Do you have any ideas?
– Unsure

Sue Says:
It is wise to be prepared for this type of question. Knowing what your strengths are will help you to sell yourself and your abilities. No need to be modest — if you don’t promote your strengths, who will do it for you?
You don’t have to come up with a long list of attributes. Focus on one or two of the qualities you possess and provide a work-related example or some information about how this strength has helped you in the past or may help you in the future.
For example, you could say, “I am very patient and relaxed, even under pressure. This has had a calming affect on my other team members, especially during times of stress when we were forced to wait for information that would enable us to bring a project to closure.”
Although it is equally important to know yourself well enough to know what your weaknesses are, you don’t want to accept this as an opportunity to sell yourself short or convince this person not to hire you. Whatever the weakness is, try to find ways in which the weakness works for you as well. For example you might say something like, “I can become impatient when things aren’t moving along as fast as I might like, however, I have found that this has enabled me to move my team forward when we may be stuck and unable to make a decision.”
Thinking about your answers ahead of time is helpful and important. The time you took to prepare will be obvious and will most likely be viewed as an additional strength — and one you won’t even have to mention.
— Sue Morem is a professional speaker, best-selling author and syndicated columnist. Her books include How to Gain the Professional Edge, 101 Tips for Graduates, and the just released How to Get a Job and Keep It, Second Edition. You can send questions to her by email at asksue@suemorem.com or visit her web site at http://www.suemorem.com.
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