Interview FAQs: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Hey guys! What’s up? In this post, I'll explain why interviewees get this question thrown at them frequently, and how to answer it in an accurate and impeccable manner.

Why do interviewers ask this question? Why do they want YOU to know your strengths and weaknesses?

• Interviewers want to know how well you know yourself, how well you understand yourself, and your level of cognizance regarding your own self. They want to check whether or not you are the kind of person who is self-aware. Look! If a person is oblivious, how can one expect them to be cognizant about their environment at college or work. Lack of self-awareness might indicate both; personal negligence and a degree of recklessness in your decision-making process. Recruiters do not normally accept such people. Hence, the applicants who give this question some prior thought would usually have a better chance with the recruiter.

How to find a perfect answer to this question?

• First things first! Do not, I repeat, do not search for the answers on Google or YouTube. That's a big NO! Avoid giving cliché or vague answers like: "I am hardworking" or "I am determined" or saying that "I am Mr. Perfect." Remember, everyone is distinctive and one of a kind and their answers should be equally distinctive and unique. I'll share a few tips for finding your own unique and perfect answers. Let's kick it off...

It's time to navel-gaze! This is going to be a fun activity. Close your eyes, and take a trip down memory lane. Try to remember all the activities you have done until now. Try to remember all your activities at school, in college, or your employment. Recall all the awards and compliments you have received. Reminisce about all of your successes as well as your failures. Ponder on your interests, hobbies, and passions. You may also ask your friends, family members, or colleagues what they consider to be your admirable qualities, and what it is about you they believe needs work.

After all this brainstorming, all you need to do is to ANALYZE. You need to ask yourself a few questions. For example, what are the reasons for your successes and achievements? What are the reasons for your failures or past poor performances? After you analyze and interpret your answers to all these questions, you will begin to see the cause of each one, and this will allow you to list your strengths and weaknesses. 

I'll illustrate some instances below to help you understand more fully:

Suppose John has scored exceptionally well in Mathematics throughout his academic life, then his "Quantitative Ability" is his strength.

If Rachel has participated in various group activities during her school or college days, then she can say that her strengths are being a good team player and coordinator.

And, if Tony has never participated in any sort of extra-curricular or co-curricular activities, then he may have a plethora of weaknesses, such as lack of leadership, poor communication skills, low self-confidence, or lack of enthusiasm.

Now, of course, you don't have to broach your weaknesses upfront in an interview. It is supposed to be addressed cunningly in a smarter way. You will figure it out as you keep reading further...

When it comes to weaknesses, remember, you don't have to be completely candid, but at the same time refrain from lying. All you need to do is play it safe. Avoid confessions! Speak solely about those weaknesses which they can already see in you or your profile/resume. Also, make them believe you are the type of person who is eager to grasp any good opportunity placed before them.

Example:

If you are a fresher, you can say that having no work experience is your weakness, but you will counterbalance it with your sheer enthusiasm. Then talk about the internships and live projects you have worked on, and make them believe that you are the type of person, with an ability to grab any good opportunity placed before them.

If you have underperformed in your 12th board examination, don't hesitate to talk about it, because they already know that. It's written on your resume. You are not revealing anything new. Tell them that a low 12th score weakens your profile, but that mistake has not been repeated by you again during your further academic pursuits.

Most importantly, if you are appearing for an MBA college interview, never say that you lack time management skills or multi-tasking skills. If you admit this, you are only increasing your chances of getting rejected. In the B-schools, it is expected that student managers are already able to manage time properly with their multitasking abilities. Even if you lack these qualities, you can simply avoid bringing it up during your interviews.


(Bonus Tip: Whenever you talk about any of your strengths or weaknesses, always have a story or a shred of evidence attached to it.)

Lastly, knowing your strengths and weaknesses not only helps you during interviews, but also makes you more self-aware, so that you can utilize all the opportunities around you, and at the same time, be able to deal with threats or avoid them completely. Strengths and weaknesses are internal attributes, whereas opportunities and threats are external. Why don't you try out a personal SWOT analysis?

Note:

• In case you have any queries, feel free to message me on Instagram. 

Relevant posts:

• Interview FAQs: What are your interests, hobbies, and passions?

 

That's it from my side.

I hope you convert all your interviews.

 

BEST WISHES!