Tell me about yourself … What are your greatest strengths? … What’s your biggest weakness?
Three potentially loaded questions. What are interviewers really asking when they ask these questions? More importantly, how can you respond in a way that’s honest, relevant and convincing?
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is providing stock answers that you think will impress the interviewer. Instead, aim for answers that blend honesty with insight.
Strive for strategic responses that are conversational, engaging, and help you forge a connection with the interviewer. People like to hire people they like, and the right answers can help them get to know you.
“Tell Me About Yourself”
Let’s face it. Most interviewers don’t really care where you grew up or how many siblings you have. “Tell me about yourself” is an invitation for you to deliver your elevator pitch and answer the questions: Why you? Why them? Why now?
Why should this company hire you?
What’s special and unique about you?
What value will you bring to the table?
And how can you be a solution to the company’s challenges and issues?
Doing your pre-interview due diligence will help you tailor your responses to the specific role you’re applying for. Learn as much as you can about the company and, if possible, your interviewer, before you head into the interview. Read company press releases, visit their social media pages and their website. Conduct informational interviews with people who work in the industry or have worked for the company.
Your knowledge about the company demonstrates both your strong interest in the position and your resourcefulness. Moreover, it allows you to have an informed conversation about challenges the company may be facing or an exciting new initiative it recently launched. You’ll wow the interviewer when you speak directly to how your unique talents and experience will enhance your contributions to the team or organization.
Related: Interviewing? Focus on Relevance
“What Are Your Greatest Strengths?”
While there is often some overlap between your answer to this question and your elevator pitch, each serves a slightly different purpose. When an interviewer asks you about your greatest strengths, they’re looking for a response that specifically relates to the job they’re trying to fill. How can you contribute to the team or organization? Will you fit into the corporate culture?
Avoid the overused “I have strong interpersonal skills” or “I’m highly organized” responses. Without context, these answers are meaningless. Scrutinize the job posting, and highlight traits relevant to the job, such as your ability to motivate others or how quickly you’re able to learn new software programs.
Add stories and examples to punctuate your answers. If you’re highly adaptable (and what employer doesn’t value flexibility and adaptability these days?), tell the interviewer about a time where you had to make a last-minute pivot to satisfy a client’s needs. Explain how your adaptability helped you and your team hit the bullseye on a moving target.
“What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”
This question can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, asked in many different ways. Some interviewers will be direct. Others might frame it differently (i.e., What would your current or last manager tell me about your top challenge as a [insert your job title here]?)
When most interviewers ask this question, they’re really trying to determine: a) How self-aware are you? and b) What steps have you taken to improve yourself?
Never hand an interviewer a reason not to hire you on a silver platter. Telling an interviewer that you tend to take things personally or that you can be a bit stubborn at times will raise an immediate red flag. While either of these things may be true, that’s not the brand of honesty that will serve you well in an interview.
Interviewers see right through the old “turning-a-weakness-into-a-strength” trick. You’re a perfectionist? So is everyone else — at least when answering this question in an interview.
You’ll come across as inauthentic and disingenuous, leaving the interviewer wondering how well you really know yourself.
How can you answer this question honestly, without shooting yourself in the foot? While your response to the strengths question can be about a personal trait or quality, it’s better to approach the weakness question with a two-part answer about a skill gap while describing the action you’re taking (or have taken) to close that gap.
Read the job description with a discerning eye. What core competencies are they looking for, and what skills aren’t really necessary for the role? Hone in on the latter.
One of our clients was interviewing for a nursing position. When asked about a weakness, she confessed that when she first started her career, she wasn’t great at giving presentations. Soon after, she joined a Toastmasters group, and now felt much more confident delivering presentations to nurse trainees.
This beautiful, authentic response identified a skill gap that wasn’t a requirement of the role she was pursuing. It also provided an opportunity to demonstrate self-awareness and a willingness to grow.
What are some optional, nice-to-have skills related to the role you’re pursuing? Perhaps you might say, for example: “I’m not as familiar with Google Analytics as I’d like, so I’m taking a Coursera course to increase my proficiency,” or “I realized that I don’t understand the nuances of payroll accounting as much as I would like, so I recently enrolled in a payroll class that will help me better communicate with the payroll department.”
If you feel compelled to share a more personal answer, make sure you follow up with something that shows growth.
Let’s say you want to talk about procrastination. You might say something like, “I used to procrastinate and get a little lost in the beginning stages of a project. Now, as soon as I have a clear understanding of the goals and timeframe, I organize projects into folders and set small, achievable benchmarks, which I note on my calendar. Since I put this system into place, I consistently complete projects ahead of deadlines.”
Keep in mind that one of the paramount goals of this question is to assure the interviewer that there's nothing standing in the way of your performing the tasks required by this position with excellence.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Preparing for and practicing your answers to these (as well as any other) questions will help you effectively navigate any potential interview landmines. You’ll be able to answer questions with finesse, skillfully and authentically engaging in meaningful interview conversations.
Practice in front of a mirror or with an online tool like Google Recorder or Zoom. Pay attention to the stories you tell, the words you choose and the body language you use. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel.
If you’ll be conducting a video interview, check your background and lighting. Make adjustments as necessary to ensure that you come across in a professional manner.
As in any type of situation where you’re selling a value proposition, (in interviews you are selling your skills, strengths, and abilities as they relate to the job), know your audience. Who will be interviewing you and what are their goals?
To prepare for the interview, be sure to define how you will be a solid contributing member of their team. Be ready with three to five past experiences (quantified with metrics if possible) demonstrating that you are the best candidate for this role. Then list three to five strengths that are relevant to the job, to showcase that you will hit the ground running.
Preparation will boost your confidence. Now go ace the interview!
Every interview counts.
Our mock interview sessions provide you with real-time feedback to help hone your interview skills, both in person and online.