How to answer: what are your strengths and weaknesses?

Have you ever been asked in a job interview, “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” And did you find it a difficult question to answer? Sometimes it can be hard to know what to list as strengths for fear of coming across too brash, whilst describing your weaknesses seems counterintuitive in an interview situation. Here are some good examples of strengths and weaknesses to use in answer to this question:

Strengths: It can be hard to identify your strengths and it is particularly challenging to balance humility with projecting confidence, but you should highlight traits that support the job role you are interviewing for, with examples where you have displayed these in the past:

• Disciplined/Focused: These traits show your ability to stay on task and your aptitude for getting your work done to a high standard consistently.

• Dedicated/Committed: Emphasise your passion by using words such as committed or dedicated, employers rely on these qualities in their team, it shows stoicism and strength of character.

• Trustworthy/Honest: Trustworthiness and honest are often under-appreciated values, and ones any employer will be looking for.

• Empathetic/Team player: Being able to relate well with your colleagues and work well in a team is often an important skill in most areas of employment.

Weaknesses: Try to avoid bringing to light any traits that might make you incompatible with the role, and instead focus on the qualities that you are actively improving. Provide examples of hurdles you have tackled in past job roles:

• Self critical:  Being able to analyse your own work performance can be a positive trait, but this suggests you're too negative on yourself in the process. It is also a good weakness to aspire to overcome.

• Limited experience: Whilst it can seem problematic to highlight where you lack a skill or specific level of experience, this is also a great way to emphasise your willingness to learn and train further.

• Perfectionist: Similar to being self-critical, being a perfectionist can mean looking too deeply into your work and not organising your time appropriately, but also shows you're passionate about your work.

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