What are your greatest professional strengths and weaknesses

Yes, they’re both terrifying. But also, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses to survive. No, literally. “What are your strengths?” is a very popular job interview question. Do you know how to answer it?

Read on, and addressing the dreaded “What are your strengths?” question will become your favorite part of any interview. Plus, this knowledge might eventually come in handy in case, you know, zombies.

One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:

[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.

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What Is the "What Are Your Strengths" Question All About?

The "what are your strengths" interview question is a staple. You’re going to get this question, and it’s best if you prepare.

That’s because most job seekers don’t answer this question well. And they don’t answer well because they make the mistake of thinking that this question is easy. 

Okay, it is easy. But it takes some preparation to get it right.

Here’s what happens to candidates who don’t think about how to answer the "what are your strengths" question:

They are either arrogant:

What are my strengths? Where do I begin? I’m Superman. I mean look. I take off my glasses - Superman. I put them back on - Clark Kent. You can see it. Yeah, you can! Plus, I’m so good at stuff that you’ll think I’m a psychic. I’ll get work done before there is work to do.  I can already guarantee you that I’m better than all your other employees combined. 

Or they are too humble:

What are my strengths? Well, I guess I’m pretty good at breathing? I don’t know. That’s what my mom said. She’s usually right about stuff. So, I guess yeah. I guess I could say I’m a good breather. 

The answer the interviewer is looking for is both self-aware and confident. 

Here are a few other aspects of a perfect "what are your strengths" example answer:

• Your greatest strength happens to be a skill you need to do the job. 
• Your greatest strength sets you apart from other candidates. 
• You show off your communication skills when you provide the answer.

Worried about the other portions of your big day? Check out our helpful interview advice to be sure you ace your meeting. 

Here’s a list of alternative versions of the "what are your strengths" question:

• What is your greatest strength?
• What is your biggest strength?
• What strengths would you bring to our company?
• What are three strengths that you bring to this position?
• What are your greatest professional strengths?
• What is your greatest accomplishment or the project you’re most proud of completing? 
• What do you do best in your current position? 
• What would your co-workers say is your strongest area of expertise?

You’ll want to prepare for potential follow-up questions:

• Can you explain how you’ve used that strength to achieve results in your current position?

Notice that some of the questions asked in an interview refer to your “current position.” You’ll want to prepare a couple of examples of success that are recent.

You’ll also want to prepare for the what is your greatest strength AND weakness question.

Interviewers often pair the "what are your strengths" interview question with weaknesses:

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Continue reading, and you will find out how to answer the "what are your strengths" question.

Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to have a few personal strengths and weaknesses tucked up your sleeve Interviewers may ask you to come up with several strengths and weaknesses. That way they can be sure you're not giving memorized answers.

Be sure to master your answer to the opposite question: What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

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How to Answer the "What Are Your Strengths" Interview Question — Best Examples for an Interview

The perfect answer begins with the perfect strength. 

What are strengths? 

And on the flipside, what are weaknesses? Take a look at these familiar examples to get a better understanding.

What Are Some Common Strengths and Weaknesses?

Common strengths include teamwork, communication and time management. Common weaknesses include a lack of confidence, impatience, and hacing trouble saying no.

So what should you say when a recruiter asks about your greatest strengths in an interview?

Here are some examples of strengths you could mention.

• Enthusiasm
• Creative thinking
• Task prioritization
• Discipline
• Determination
• Analytical thinking
• Communication skills
• Dedication
• Interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills
• Multitasking skills

But—

You don't have to memorize the full list.

Strengths are work related skills that you need to do the job.

So, the best place to start (as always) is your job offer. Underline or highlight all the skills and qualifications that you see listed. 

Here’s an example of a job offer for an Administrative Assistant:

What are your skills? Are they hard skills? Soft skills? There is quite a difference between hard skills vs. soft skills.

But ask yourself a more pointed question—which skills and qualifications are the most important? 

You can do three things to find out:

• Have a look at a few other job offers for similar positions. Are any of the skills and qualifications repeated? 
• Look up professionals with the same titles on LinkedIn. What do they list as skills and qualifications on their profiles?
• Focus on adaptive and transferable skills.

Notice that adaptive skills are pink and transferable skills are blue.

You can also split your skills into three categories:

• Job-related Skills 
• Transferable Skills
• Adaptive Skills

We’re going to ignore mandatory job-related skills for the moment. Job-related skills are those you need to do a job. 

For example, programmers need to know programming languages such as Java and Python. Truck drivers need to drive. Cooks need to cook. Dancers need to dance. You get the idea. 

I can say with certainty that you’re not headed off to an interview if you don’t have the job-related skills. 

You won’t want to answer the "what are your strengths" question with a job-related skill.

A perfect answer for an Administrative Assistant: 

See, transferable skills (those in blue) are things you can use at any job in any industry.

A good example from our job offer is excellent written communication skills or management skills. 

Writing is a desirable skill for almost any job. If writing is one of your strengths, you might want to choose it as an answer for the "what are your strengths" question.

But what about the adaptive skills?

Adaptive skills are also known as “soft skills” or personal skills. Good examples include persuasion or confidence.

In our Admin Assistant offer we have:

• Analytical Thinking
• Flexibility and Adaptability (Changing Environments)
• Ability to Learn Programs and Processes
• Extremely Good People Skills
• Confidentiality 
• Willingness to take on Responsibility
• Devotion to Deadlines
• Ability to Work Under Pressure
• Efficient
• Detail-oriented

Now, make a master list of your skills. Did you make a master list of skills for your resume? You can dig that back out and recycle it.

Look at the list of your skills versus the list of skills from the job offer. Which five are your strongest skills? 

Once you’ve chosen your strongest skills, think of a time that you used that skill for your job. 

Ask yourself:

• Did your strength earn the company money?
• Did your strength save the company money?
• Did a supervisor ever pat you on the back because of your strengths?
• Did you ever get an award outside or inside your company?

For each strength think of a success story to illustrate the impact you have when you use those skills. "What are your strengths" example answers should always include proof.

Finally, you’ll want to write out each success story using the STAR method. 

The STAR method helps you remember how to talk about your accomplishments.

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result:

Situation  - You start by explaining a situation which required you to solve a problem, use a skill, or come up with a new idea. 

Task - Next, you explain the action that your job requires in such a situation. 

Action - After, you describe the action that you took. If it’s different than the required task, you should also explain why you chose a different path. 

Result - What happened in the end? How did the situation play out once you acted? It’s best here to illustrate successes with numbers and details if you can. Numbers help reinforce the impact that your action had.

Let’s take one of the adaptive skills from the Admin Assistant job offer: 

What are your strengths?

• Ability to multitask in a constantly changing environment.

Situation - Over a six-month period, I had to assist ABC company in two major reorganization projects. First, the company went through a merger. Next, we moved our headquarters across town. 

Task -  My role during the merger was to reorganize the filing system. The new filing system had to be in place before we moved. Second, I spearheaded the move to the new headquarters. My responsibilities included packing up the office and coordinating with the movers. I also had to keep everything within budget.

Action -   I had to learn the new process quickly and work under pressure according to tight deadlines. So, I dedicated time after hours to learn the new system. I watched online tutorials and read the manuals front to back. I paid close attention to details. For the move, I chose a moving company that had helped other companies in our building move. The company had also worked with me in my previous role and offered a discount.

Result -  The time I dedicated to learning the new filing process paid off in the end. It took me half the time expected to put the new system in place. That allowed me to focus on moving the office. I became an expert in the new filing system, and my supervisor chose me to teach the process to everyone else. My choice of moving company also made the transition to the new office smooth.

Pro Tip: Some skills and traits are considered useful across all industries. Take a look at the top skills employers look for and the top traits and qualities employers look for to find out more.

You can use resume achievements to answer the "what are your strengths" question. Read our guide: Achievements to Put on a Resume - Complete Guide (+30 Examples)

And be sure to follow up with the most comprensive guide on skills out there: Skills that Get Jobs: the Ultimate Guide

And make sure you truly know How to Put Strengths on a Resume

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building professional resume template here for free.

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

3

Examples of Best Answers for the "What Are Your Strengths" Question

You’ll want to identify and have stories ready for a few personal strengths. The interview can follow up the "what are your strengths" question by asking for more examples of strengths.

They could also ask the popular combination question:

• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

With that in mind, our Administrative Assistant candidate will want to prepare.

Here’s an example of a second strength for the same candidate.

Pro Tip: Don’t hedge. Use strong, confident words. Turn “not all that bad” into “my greatest strength is.” Answer in a concrete and sure way. 

Practice your answers with a friend so that you can find out how you’re coming across before the interview.

This is just one question of many you will hear. Prepare for all of them: Common and Difficult Job Interview Questions and Best Answers and Why Should We Hire You?

What do you do once the interview is over? Send a thank you email: How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)

BONUS: Struggling with job interview anxiety? We’ve got you covered. Download our FREE ultimate checklist Things You Need To Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview and make sure you come out on top.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

To properly answer this dreaded interview question, remember:

• The key to answering the "what are your strengths" question is tailoring.
• Choose a strength that matches the skills that you find in the job offer.
• To be honest the all the best answers to interview questions require tailoring. But a perfect answer also includes a success story.
• Your story needs to show the impact your strength can have on your results. 

Focus on your best skills and achievements. Answer with self-awareness and confidence. Do this, and you can survive even the zombie apocalypse of job interviews.

Still not sure how to talk about your strengths during an interview? We can help! Leave us a comment and we will help you identify your best strengths before the big day.

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