30+ Strengths & Weaknesses For Job Interviews (Sample Answer 2023)

You may have heard this whenever you’ve gone for an interview, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Did you get stumped for a second thinking about what to answer and how to do so? While some might ace their first interview, some of us have to go through it repeatedly, leaving us wondering what the interviewer wants to know.

Here, in this article, we will share the following information with you:

List of Strengths & Weaknesses
What Are Your Strengths?: Job Interview Questions
Sample Answers: What Are Your Strengths?
What are your Weaknesses?: Job Interview Questions
Sample Answers: What Are Your Weakness?
Strength and Weakness Interview Questions for Fresher

List of Strengths and Weaknesses for any professional

strength and weakness

Let’s start with Strengths.

The chances of the interviewer asking you, “What are your strengths?” is high. Many candidates are unsure of how to answer this question because they are afraid that whatever answer they provide will sound like they are bragging, which in all honesty, is not a good colour for anyone. So, you should prepare beforehand with an answer that carries self-awareness and professionalism.

To answer “What are your strengths?”, seek help from your family members, friends or colleagues. Ask them what they think is your strength, something that you are particularly good at, and make a list of your strengths.

Then, pick strengths that would fit the position you’re applying for. For instance, if the job is for a sales manager, your strength could be your people skills or even strong work ethic.

Explain how your strengths have been beneficial for you. You can even tell a short story about how your strength has helped you professionally in the past. However, always stick to the point and do not derail.

List Of Strengths

Take a look at the list of strengths provided below:

Dedicated
Creative
Flexible
Resourceful
Ability to work under pressure
Leadership skills
Determination
Communication skills

Sample Answers: How To Answer What Are Your Strengths?

Using the 15 strengths we have listed above, we will share some examples in case you need them in your upcoming interviews.

1. Dedicated

My greatest strength is that I am a dedicated person. Due to my dedication to my work, I am a motivated, goal-oriented and proactive employee. This quality has given me the need to always produce high-quality results in every project I take.

In other words, you are a hard-working, goal-oriented, passionate and proactive person.

2. Creative

One strength I am most proud of is my creative mind. I like to push the limit and think outside the box to stand to do something that not many people or no one has done. Thanks to this, I have won several graphic design competitions for my work.

In other words, you are a resourceful, smart and innovative person.

3. Flexible

I am a flexible person, and I can adapt to change easily. Even if I have to go from one client to another or one project to another, I continue my work diligently without hampering my workflow and progress. As you have a diverse clientele, I believe that your agency could benefit from a flexible person like me.

In other words, you are a versatile and adaptable person.

4. Resourceful

My strength, I would have to say, is that I am a resourceful person as I have the ability to come up with solutions when problems arise. I will always work hard to find the solution and I never give up until I do.”

In other words, you are also a problem-solver and a determined person.

5. Ability to work under pressure

I can work productively and calmly when under pressure. When a crisis arises, I know that I need to keep myself calm because anything else will only worsen the situation, and working while feeling panicky will only delay progress.

In other words, you are adaptable and flexible.

6. Leadership skills

My biggest strength would be my ability to lead my team to be their best productive selves. I have always had leadership skills and have even been a class representative and house leader during my school days. In my previous organisation, I was even promoted to a team leader after a year of working with them and our team received praises from other departments for our teamwork and work rate.

In other words, you are a team leader and inspirational person.

7. Determination

I would have to say that my biggest strength is my determination, as it has taken me this far. Whether in my personal or professional life, I don’t believe in giving up. And as I aspire to be a successful person, and I have been making extra efforts to fulfil all my tasks on time.

In other words, you are a hard-working and success-oriented person.

8. Communication skills

My communication skills have helped me in building strong relationships with my colleagues and clients. To work efficiently, I believe that communication is the key. I listen actively and always try to empathise with the people I am speaking with. This allows them to put their trust in me, which, I think, is not a very easy thing to do in the world of business.

In other words, you are an empathetic person with good listening skills.

If you take a look at the “what are your strengths?” sample answers above that focus on different individual strengths, you will see that they are short and simple and do not sound too boastful. Remember that it is perfectly alright to brag a little when answering this question. If you want to include more than one strength in your answer, ensure that they align with the position you are applying for.

What Are Your Greatest Strengths? | 10 General Sample Answers

Here are the top 10 general sample answers for “What is your greatest strength?”:
Sample Answer 1

My greatest strength is my fast-learning skills. I have always been interested in learning new things, and this is genuinely something I enjoy. I came across this job on LinkedIn that requires an individual who is focused and loves to learn new things, which generated my interest in this position. Even in my previous job, I was promoted two times because I was a quick learner and handled more than five projects at a time.

Sample Answer 2

A responsible work ethic is my greatest strength. Meeting the deadline is not the only aspect I look forward to whenever I am working on a project. I prefer completing it with multiple revisions ahead of time, so I can do more research for additional details to complete the report.

Sample Answer 3

I am a responsible student, and working under pressure is one of my greatest strengths. I adhere to deadlines and ensure every project is completed on time. In my previous company, I handled one of my clients who needed five reports of all departments in one week. I worked day and night, did revisions, and completed all five reports before the deadline.

Sample Answer 4

My strength is writing, and I have worked as a copy editor for almost 7 years and have deep attention to detail when writing any piece of content. I have written for multiple publication houses, so I know what excellent content requires.

Sample Answer 5

I am a great problem solver because I can see situations from different perspectives. It helps me do my work even in the most difficult situations. Because of this, I am also good at communicating, which is one of my best assets.

Sample Answer 6

My biggest strength is my time-management skills. Since college, I have been good at managing time while working part-time as a content writer. I am disciplined and responsible for my roles and responsibilities.

Sample Answer 7

I am an organised and result-oriented person with great communication skills. I hold a background in teaching higher secondary students. Because of my communication skills, I was praised, and my students could pass class 12th with a passing rate of 94%.

Sample Answer 8

An individual who takes pride in solving difficult problems internally or externally. I used to work in customer care service, where I acquired higher positive feedback compared to other service providers. I managed to get 99% customer success reviews, and now I am ready to face new challenges.

Sample Answer 9

My greatest strength is my decision-making and collaboration skill with other departments in the organisation. I set my priority and sped up the development to develop the original product from 0 to 100. In my last organisation, I was praised for having excellent leadership skills.

Sample Answer 10

As someone who has worked as an online customer service representative for the past 8 years, I enjoy interacting with people and helping them solve their technical problems. I am focused and ensure that I understand their problem to the core to provide the right solution.

Greatest Strength Sample Answer For Experienced Professionals

Here are some greatest strength sample answers for experienced professionals that you can use as a reference:

Chief Information Officer

My top strengths are my communication skills and fearlessness to bring change. In my previous company, I led multiple projects where I had to communicate with international clients and explain our project and business objectives to them. I balanced everything very well, and for a change during the pandemic, I initiated a remote working system and solved various security threats.

Marketing Head

I am highly focused, organised, and good at leading a team. I am aware of the issues in a marketing team, be it numerous projects or deadlines. I enjoy scheduling my time and prioritising tasks based on the requirements. Besides this, I am a creative person, and I like to brainstorm before implementing any strategies. It comes very naturally to me, and It makes me believe I can be an excellent fit for any marketing company.

Talent Acquisition Lead

My strength is recognising potential and finding red flags beforehand. I can determine candidates by their signs and gestures. For example, in a recent interview with a candidate whose role was to write an impactful copy for a tech-related product. The fact that he could not write a good pitch indicates that he would struggle in his role.

Sales Representative

My biggest strength is overcoming hurdles in the sales process. I am confident in forecasting budgets and achieving sales goals. I have been known for my perseverance and analytical skills in my previous company, and I am not someone who gives up quickly.

Event Manager

My greatest strength is staying calm under pressure. I am an event manager and have worked with top industrialists, movie stars, musicians, etc. When working schedules got tight sometimes, it taught me to stay focused and calm and not lose my grip. Besides this, I also have excellent negotiating skills.

Emergency Room Nurse

“What is your greatest strength?” I would say my biggest strength is tolerance and clinical skills. I worked as an emergency room nurse in various medical institutions. There is always tension, strong smells, patients in pain, loud noise, etc., but I have the ability to keep calm and stay focused in critical situations on the spot. Besides this, I am known for my patient assessment.

Head Of Tech Support

My number one strength is building procedures, handling customer interactions, and enhancing client satisfaction by creating better applications. I have managed technical services regarding operations, engineering, and IT, to ensure that every task is completed on time.

HR Administrator

My top strength is that I am highly motivated and detail-oriented. This job profile requires a lot of paperwork and collaboration, especially in a multinational company. I have taken care of the work permits, employment procedures, visas, etc. It is undoubtedly time-consuming, but I enjoy it.

Second part – Weaknesses

Now that we have tackled “What are your strengths?”, let’s move on to Weaknesses.

It’s highly likely that in your upcoming job interview, the interviewer will ask you, What are your weaknesses? Now, answering this question is tricky because you cannot just spew out your weaknesses to your potential employer; you could fail the interview because of them. And you cannot say that you don’t have any flaws or weaknesses. You would only sound arrogant. So, you need to be very careful when answering this question.

You need to list What are your greatest weaknesses?. Pick a weakness that you can turn into your strength or something you are working on where there is room for improvement. Frame your answer so that you sound humble and professional and are always willing to learn from your mistakes or flaws.

Again, much like the answers for “What are your strengths?” you need to be able to tell a relevant story or incident where you had to or learned to change your weakness into your strength. Also, you need to mention that you are continuing to learn to improve your flaws.

List Of Weaknesses

Take a look at the list of weaknesses provided below:

Self-criticism
Insecure
Public speaking
Micromanaging
Too detail-oriented
Hard skills
Impatient

Sample Answers: What Are Your Weaknesses?

We have listed above using the 15 Weaknesses; we will share some examples with you if you need to identify your weaknesses in your upcoming interviews.

1. Self-criticism

I can be a little hard on myself. I often criticise myself for not doing enough, even though I am told I am. After submitting my final work, I often wonder if I should have done more. In the past, this led me to overwork to the point that I obsessed with every little detail, even after I’d received praises and appreciation for them. But I am overcoming this by looking at my achievements objectively, which has made a huge difference in my professional life.

2. Insecure

As an introvert, I don’t have much self-confidence, so I can sometimes be insecure about my work. Even after thorough research and paying close attention to details, I often doubt my pieces and second-guess myself. I am in the process of overcoming this, thanks to the strong support system I have.

3. Public speaking

Public speaking is one of my biggest weaknesses, for which I took a public speaking course. Although my job profile doesn’t really need public speaking skills, it is still an area that I knew I needed to improve. I can honestly say that the course helped me because I can now stand up in meetings and raise my voice and thoughts without shivering.

4. Micromanaging

I am a goal-oriented person who likes to meet deadlines. Due to this, after being promoted to team leader to ensure that projects were delivered on time and without error, micromanaging became my safety net. After a while, I realised that, although we always met the deadlines, it was killing creativity and limiting the team’s self-worth. So, I started to put more faith in my team’s ability and started a project management system to oversee the project’s progress. It proved to be very helpful for them and me.

5. Too detail-oriented

I can be too detail-oriented at times, focusing on one specific detail for a long time and ignoring the big picture. Naturally, it was a very stressful way of working as I often faced problems when the deadline loomed. However, in the past year, after realising that I had to improve in this particular area, I have learned to prioritise each project as a whole and not spend too much time on one little detail. Consequently, it has helped me work efficiently and productively.

6. Hard skills

Articulate Storyline is one software I still need to familiarise myself with. Although it is not necessary at the moment, I think it will be a useful tool that would work to our advantage in the future. I have been teaching myself the basics via Youtube tutorials and, at the same time, looking for online courses.

7. Impatient

I can be rather impatient when working with time. I am someone who is self-sufficient and who is always eager to finish the work, which is why, in the past, I was always looking for job profiles where I would be able to work independently. But as my career progressed, I realised the importance of teamwork. So, I came to the realisation that this is something that I have to work on. Therefore, I have been attending team-building workshops whenever possible, which have helped me tremendously.

The “What are your weaknesses?” sample answers above should help formulate your answer. If you do not know how to answer this question, seek help from your family members, friends or colleagues, and ask them what they think is your biggest weakness. Also, ask them to help you do a mock interview.

Stick to the point and avoid going into too much detail. And most importantly, do not derail.

Read More: Top 20 Interview Questions for Freshers With Answers

Strength and Weakness Interview Questions for Fresher

As a fresher, answering “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” may be new to you. As we have mentioned above, when interviewers ask candidates this question, what they want to know is if your strengths will be beneficial or not for the organisation. At the same time, they are also checking whether your weaknesses will hamper your productivity. They also analyse your communication skills and train of thought, including if you are willing to overcome those weaknesses. Hence, yes, there can be right and wrong answers.

Take a look at the list of strengths and weaknesses below so that you can easily pick the strengths and weaknesses that will work in your favour when answering them:

Strengths

Dedicated
Creative
Flexible
Resourceful
Problem-solving skills
Fast learner
Determination
Communication skills

Weaknesses

Self-criticism
Procrastinating
Public speaking
Impatient
Shy
Lack of self-confidence
Indecisive
Perfectionist

Read More: Interview Tips: The Pre – Interview Cheat Sheet

Conclusion

One clear way to ensure that you nail answering “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” during a job interview is to be well-prepared. Now, to be fully prepared, you need to keep practising. Therefore, we advise that you keep rehearsing your answer repeatedly once you have it. This will even boost your confidence.

We hope this blog helps you in acing your upcoming job interview.

We will leave you here with our best wishes!

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