| Along with "tell me about yourself," | | | | your potential new job. But if you're |
| "describe your strengths" is one of the | | | | changing careers or re-entering the work |
| questions that you know you'll be asked in a | | | | force after an absence, you'll need to be |
| job interview. At first blush, it sounds like | | | | more creative. If you're switching from |
| an easy question. But because it's such a | | | | graphic design to sales, for instance, you |
| broad topic, it can actually be quite | | | | can relate how your dedication to on-time |
| difficult to answer well. Below are a few | | | | delivery and creative customer presentations |
| guidelines to help you prepare for and | | | | would be a huge plus in your new job. |
| deliver a great response. | | | | |
| | | | Â- Relate your strengths to the new |
| Â- Identify your strengths. You should | | | | company or job. It's no secret that |
| think very carefully about your personal | | | | candidates need to research the prospective |
| strengths well before you step foot into your | | | | company, as well as the specific job they're |
| interview. It's not unusual for even the most | | | | after if possible. But you may not realize |
| ambitious professional to be at a loss as to | | | | how valuable that information can be when |
| her own strengths. Try viewing resume samples | | | | you're relating your strengths. If you know |
| and notice some of the strengths that come | | | | that the culture of the hiring company is |
| across. Do any of those apply to you? Another | | | | customer-focused, for example, you should |
| good source of "strength identification" is | | | | make sure to convey that customer service is |
| to ask your friends and family what they see | | | | one of your strengths. The company doesn't |
| as your positive attributes. Are you | | | | care about your strengths in an abstract |
| organized? Decisive? Detail-oriented? It's a | | | | sense; they want concrete evidence that you |
| good bet that these qualities come through at | | | | can hit the ground running for them. |
| work as well. | | | | |
| | | | Â- Give concrete examples. Too many job |
| Â- Limit your strengths. Of course you | | | | seekers begin well with their "strengths" |
| want to impress the hiring manager with your | | | | answer, but then stop short of an impressive |
| many and varied strengths, but it's a good | | | | response by, well, stopping short. Don't just |
| idea to put a lot of thought into just three | | | | say that you're persistent; back your |
| or four, rather than make a catch-all list to | | | | assertion up with a story about the time you |
| regurgitate. If you try to sell the fact that | | | | courted a new client for six months to secure |
| your strengths cover every single thing that | | | | a huge deal for your previous firm. Or |
| could possibly arise-ever!-two negative | | | | demonstrate your attention to detail by |
| things are likely to happen: your interviewer | | | | showing your interviewer a company newsletter |
| probably won't believe you, and you won't | | | | that you edited. |
| have enough time to expound upon anything | | | | |
| (and, hence, miss the opportunity to lend | | | | Â- Be prepared for the follow-up. A good |
| credibility to your claims). | | | | interviewer knows that you'll expect |
| | | | questions about your strengths and weaknesses |
| Â- Avoid over-used catch phrases. It's | | | | and that, if you're smart, you will have |
| tempting to say things like, "I'm a people | | | | prepared a good answer. So to mix things up a |
| person" because it sounds like it should be | | | | bit, some interviewers ask questions that |
| the right answer. But it's far too vague to | | | | force you to defend your assertion. If you |
| convey anything other than the fact that you | | | | describe one of your strengths as being able |
| don't know how to interview well. | | | | to sell ice to an Eskimo, the hiring manager |
| | | | may pick up a stapler and ask you to |
| Â- Make sure your strengths are | | | | demonstrate your no-fail sales technique. The |
| transferable. If you're interviewing for a | | | | best way to prepare for follow-up questions |
| similar position as the one you have now-or | | | | like this is to make sure that you actually |
| with your current company-it'll be fairly | | | | possess the strengths you say you do. |
| easy to describe how your strengths relate to | | | | |