Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on
Learn how to answer the question, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” in a job interview.
It is very common for hiring managers to ask about your strengths and weaknesses during a job interview. Like any question, your response holds weight. An interview’s purpose is to evaluate your ability to get the job done. Think of this as an opportunity to highlight your positive qualities and demonstrate a growth mindset.
Everybody has both strengths and weaknesses. Answering this question gives you the opportunity to provide a contextual example of how you use your strengths to shine and how you work to improve any weaknesses that are relevant to the role.
This article explains why interviewers ask this question, lists examples of strengths and weaknesses, and offers suggestions to help you answer wisely.
Why interviewers ask about strengths and weaknesses
This common question is a helpful tool for interviewers to understand your personality and working style. When hiring managers ask about your strengths and weaknesses, they evaluate a few things:
How you conduct a self-assessment
Whether you are aware of your positive traits and how you use them in the workplace
Whether you can address your weaknesses and how you’ve worked to improve them
How your skills and traits will balance out those of current team members
Read more: 15 Insightful Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager During Your Next Interview
Strategies for talking about strengths
It may be helpful to first reflect on this question from the hiring manager’s perspective. What qualities or competencies are they looking for in this specific role? Consider how you can leverage your strengths to align with a key competency of the job description.
For your strengths, be confident. Don't be afraid to brag a little. This is your chance to highlight what makes you such a great fit for the job. Mention one or two top strengths, and provide examples of how you’ve used them in the workplace. If you can back this up with measurable results, even better. Reflect on these two questions as you formulate your answer:
Why are you good at X?
How does X help you at work?
Here is a sample structure for a response:
I am [STRENGTH]. I learned this through [HOW YOU DEVELOPED STRENGTH], and this allowed me to [IMPACT of STRENGTH] at my current/previous job/experience.
Read more: Interviewing Skills to Benefit Your Career
When you approach this question, think about the positive qualities you embody and the skills you possess that serve you well in the workplace. Here is a list of strengths to consider:
Entrepreneurial
Detail-oriented
Collaborative
Creative
Empathetic
Passionate
Problem solver
Flexible
Patient
Honest
Dedicated
Positive
Leadership skills
Team player
Writing skills
Expert in a particular skill or software
Read more: What Are Interpersonal Skills? And How to Strengthen Them
Sample responses to “What are your strengths?”
These examples can give you an idea of the type of structured response. They demonstrate that you are confident of this strength and that you will use it to succeed in this specific role.
1. Collaborative
I am very collaborative. I’ve always enjoyed working on teams and it is one of my strongest attributes. In my previous job as a marketing research analyst, I led a project that involved diverse stakeholders, focus groups, and extensive field research, which taught me about my ability to inspire others in stressful situations. The client used our insights to create a sustainable (both environmentally and financially) product.
2. Technical know-how
I love staying up-to-date with trends in the tech industry. From my current role, I know the ins and outs of SAP very well, so I can anticipate problems before they arise. I get excited about tinkering around with gadgets in my personal life, and this trait has come in handy in the workplace when I get to know a piece of software or program intimately.
3. Detail-oriented
As a content creator, I love brainstorming new approaches to reach our consumers. But I am most known for my attention to detail. I care a lot about word choice because I believe that precise language can transform a piece from good to great (and I never miss a deadline). My blogs and articles consistently perform well and reach the top of Google searches.
4. Positive attitude
My positive attitude is definitely one of my strengths. I have been a restaurant server, a tutor, and a health aide in the past decade, all jobs that require plenty of energy and endurance. I can view a situation from multiple perspectives and empathize with my customers, students, and patients to understand their needs at any given time.
5. Solving problems
I am a solutions-oriented person and a quick learner. In my role as an electrical engineer, I learned to perform well under pressure when designing equipment because our team would not be able to win a contract unless we produced the blueprints quickly, with as few resources as possible. In these circ*mstances, I am not afraid to ask questions to figure out the challenge. I do extensive research for every client, so I can be extra prepared.
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Strategies for talking about weaknesses
We all have weaknesses—that's just a part of being human. But your capacity to recognize a weakness and work toward improvement can actually be a strength. The key to talking about your weaknesses is to pair self-awareness with an action and a result:
What's the weakness?
What have you been doing to improve?
How has that improvement had a positive impact on your work?
Variations of the weaknesses question
Your interviewer may approach this question in different ways, so you’ll want to be prepared for the possibilities. Variations might include:
• What would your current manager/colleagues say is your biggest weakness?
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
• How do you bounce back from mistakes?
• What areas in your career do you feel you could improve?
Explaining that you are aware of a particular weakness and have taken steps to improve is a sign of maturity and drive that is attractive to employers. Here is a sample structure for a response:
I used to have trouble with [WEAKNESS]. I've been working to address this by [ACTION] and I realized I was improving because [IMPACT].
Read more: How to Describe Your Weaknesses in a Job Interview
When preparing to discuss your weaknesses, choose one that gives you the chance to demonstrate growth and enthusiasm for learning. Here are some weaknesses that you might select from for your response:
Self-critical
Insecure
Disorganized
Prone to procrastination
Uncomfortable with public speaking
Uncomfortable with delegating tasks
Risk-averse
Competitive
Sensitive/emotional
Extreme introversion or extroversion
Limited experience in a particular skill or software
Sample responses to “What are your weaknesses?”
It's normal to feel uncomfortable with the prospect of airing your weaknesses to a potential employer. But remember, this is an opportunity to showcase your ability to honestly assess your performance, respond to feedback in a positive way, and continually improve—essential traits in almost any role.
The following examples can help you formulate your response.
1. Self-criticism
I can be quite critical of myself, which can lead to negative self-talk and eventual burnout. I've found that I can avoid this by recording my goals, objectives, and key results and setting aside time to celebrate milestones and achievements, big and small. This not only helps me focus on how I'm benefiting the team, but it also has also helped me get better at prioritizing my most impactful tasks.
2. Fear of public speaking
I am a naturally shy person. Since I was a kid, I have always felt nervous presenting in front of the class, and that translated into the workplace. A few years ago, I led a big project and was asked to present it to board members. I was so nervous, but I realized I had to overcome this fear. I signed up for Toastmasters as a way to practice public speaking. Not only did this help get me through that first presentation, but it also helped me feel more confident as a leader. Now I'm helping my own team build presentation skills.
3. Procrastination
Procrastination has long been a bad habit of mine. I think it stems from a fear of failure, to be honest. In my last job as a real estate agent, keeping up with appointments and critical paperwork was essential to success. I started using Google Calendar and apps like Trello to manage my time better. Crossing things off my to-do list makes me feel accomplished, and I've learned to tackle harder tasks early in the day when I'm feeling refreshed and less likely to put them off.
4. Issues with delegating tasks
I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I sometimes struggle to delegate tasks to my teammates. This has led to taking on too much. As a manager, I've tried to be intentional about recognizing the strengths of those on my team and delegating tasks that match those strengths. It was hard at first, but I've seen that by communicating clear expectations and trusting my team, they rise to the occasion and I'm able to manage projects more efficiently.
5. Lack of experience with skill or software
I haven't had as much experience with Python as I'd like. When I decided to make a shift into data analytics, I knew I'd need to use a statistical programming language to perform efficient analysis. I signed up for a Python for Everybody course, and I've found I really love it. I'm excited to start applying the techniques I'm learning to help make my workflow more efficient.
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Updated on
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.
As a seasoned career development expert with extensive experience in talent acquisition, human resources, and professional development, I've had the opportunity to observe, analyze, and guide individuals through various stages of their careers. My expertise stems from practical involvement in the recruitment process, continuous research in industry trends, and a commitment to staying abreast of the evolving dynamics of the job market.
Understanding the nuances of the strengths and weaknesses question in job interviews is crucial for both candidates and hiring managers. It serves as a key tool to gauge a candidate's self-awareness, adaptability, and commitment to personal and professional growth. Examining the provided article on Career Advice and the examples of strengths and weaknesses, it's evident that the content is well-structured and offers valuable insights to job seekers.
Concepts covered in the article:
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Purpose of the Question: The article emphasizes the significance of the strengths and weaknesses question in a job interview, highlighting its role in evaluating a candidate's self-assessment, awareness of positive traits, acknowledgment of weaknesses, and efforts toward improvement.
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Strategies for Talking About Strengths: The article provides strategic advice for discussing strengths, encouraging candidates to align their positive qualities with the competencies sought in the specific role. It suggests confidence in articulating strengths, providing examples, and even substantiating claims with measurable results.
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List of Strengths: A comprehensive list of strengths is presented, encompassing traits such as entrepreneurial spirit, detail orientation, collaboration, creativity, empathy, problem-solving, flexibility, patience, honesty, dedication, positive attitude, leadership skills, teamwork, writing skills, and expertise in specific skills or software.
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Sample Responses to "What are Your Strengths?": The article offers well-crafted sample responses, demonstrating how candidates can effectively communicate their strengths by linking them to past experiences. Each response follows a structured format, including the strength, how it was developed, and the impact it had on the candidate's previous role.
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Strategies for Talking About Weaknesses: The article outlines a strategic approach for addressing weaknesses, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, actions taken for improvement, and the positive impact of those improvements on work performance.
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Variations of the Weaknesses Question: Recognizing that interviewers may pose the weaknesses question in different ways, the article prepares candidates for variations, such as asking about the opinions of current managers or colleagues, bounce-back from mistakes, or areas for career improvement.
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List of Weaknesses: The article provides a list of weaknesses candidates might choose from, including being self-critical, insecure, disorganized, prone to procrastination, uncomfortable with public speaking, uncomfortable with delegating tasks, risk-averse, competitive, sensitive/emotional, extreme introversion/extroversion, and limited experience in a particular skill or software.
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Sample Responses to "What are Your Weaknesses?": The article includes well-crafted responses to the weaknesses question, demonstrating how candidates can showcase growth, learning, and resilience. Each response follows a structured format, addressing the weakness, the actions taken for improvement, and the positive impact of those actions.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive guide for job seekers on effectively navigating the strengths and weaknesses question in job interviews. Its structured approach, coupled with realistic examples, makes it a valuable resource for individuals aiming to present themselves positively and authentically in a competitive job market.
