What are Your Strengths - How to Answer

What are your strengths? You need to understand the mindset of the interviewer behind the question. Otherwise, your answer may not fulfil his expectations. You must consider the strengths your interviewer wants to nail this question confidently. 

What Are Your Strengths - The Biggest Mistake

Let me reveal a glaring mistake you might make. You name any strength, such as I am an excellent communicator, passionate, quick learner and so on without understanding/considering what the employer wants. If you answer this question without any consideration, you cannot convince your interviewer. Here you need to understand that what is essential to the interviewer and answer accordingly. 

A sample answer

I am result-oriented, focused, and proactive. Apart from that, I got an excellent command of excel. I was recognized more than ten times by the management of my company for outstanding excel skills.

However, I do not want you to cram the answer.

You need to understand the rationale behind the question so that you can substantiate your answer if your interviewer asks you a cross-question. Let us understand why these attributes (Result-oriented, focused, and proactive are important to your employer).

Result-Oriented

Let me take you through one incident to understand why this attribute is vital to your interviewer.

I was doing a corporate training session in a Japanese company. There was a group of about 40 people comprising junior to middle management members. I asked them the same question, “What are your strengths?” I got about 35 attributes such as good dressing sense, good looking, excellent English communication, great personality, and so on.

The country head of the company happened to attend the session for a short duration. I asked him, “I don’t have any of these qualities. However, I can bring to your table the result you expect from me as I am result oriented. Would you give more importance to the outcome or other attributes?

He said, “My priority is the task I assign you. If you can deliver a task up to my satisfaction, I don’t care if you possess other qualities or not.”

For every employer ‘result’ matters the most and he wants you to be result-oriented. You can easily attract better job opportunities and get a high-paying job if you are result-oriented.

Don't tell people about your plants. Show them your results.

Focused

Ten to fifteen years ago, there were limited distractions. Now, life has become full of distractions such as Facebook, Twitter, text messages, WhatsApp, Instagram, and so on. There are many companies that have the policy to deposit mobiles at receptions, and the employees cannot have their mobile phones at their workstations. These companies understand that mobile phones can kill your time and productivity.

Every company wants you to contribute your best, and mobile phones create distractions and prevent productivity. If you can tell and prove to your interviewer that you are focused, it is considered one of the biggest strength.

Proactive

I will take you through one scenario to understand the third attribute. Suppose you have ten or twenty employees on your team. They have been with you for more than one year, but you have to instruct them, guide them, and remind them every day to get your work done. This attitude from employees will make your life disturbed, and you will never be able to focus on your work as you will invest most of your time guiding and instructing them.

On the contrary, if your workforce works without any instruction, reminder, and follow-up, it saves your precious time, and you can concentrate on your priorities. It is called a proactive approach. Every boss or employer wants you to be proactive.

What are Your Strengths - Additional Strengths

Also, include a strength that you are most proud of. Your confidence will be spontaneous when you talk about strengths that make you work faster and better. It is important to know what your interviewer wants, but you should also be aware of your biggest strength.

Here are 7 Most Important Job Skills for Your Resume.What are Your Strengths -

What are Your Strengths - The Conclusion

If you are not able to substantiate what you say, you ruin your impression immediately.  Suppose your interviewer asks, “Why do you think that you are result-oriented?”  In response to this question, you start scratching your head; you will lose the interview. Hence read the preceding paragraphs carefully so that you can prove your points easily.