What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
"I can be hard on myself. This often comes up in my reviews. Even the toughest bosses I've had said they don't push me too hard because they know I'm pushing myself harder than they ever would. In the past, this caused me to trip myself up, but I've gotten better at this, and staying focussed on where I need to grow. That, in a way, is one of my strong suits. I am very competitive with myself, so I often evaluate what I could have done better, and always strive to outdo my best."
This question asks you to offer a self assessment of your skill level. If you are fearful of coming across as over or under qualified, then you may send the wrong signals. The assessment vendors and recruiters use this question to evaluate how comfortable and confident you are in your skill level. So take a deep breath, and comfortably identify your strengths and weaknesses, and be honest and transparent. Be steady and consistent in your tone and body language when discussing your strengths and weaknesses. This will speak to your skill development and experience.
Think about any self-assessments you may have done with your previous employers. Recall any of your performance reviews and see if any of those growth opportunities can be applied to your answer. When sharing your weakness, your goal should be to display that weakness as a strength. Remain conscious of your body language throughout the interview process. Maintain an even tone when discussing both your strengths and weaknesses. Remain professional and consistent, no more or less enthusiastic when sharing either, is the strategy here.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I am hardworking, driven, and dedicate myself to every task given to me. I am very adaptable and able to anticipate the needs of my supervisors. I value education and am always seeking out new learning opportunities. I also have great attention to detail and investigative skills. I'm the ultimate team player, always willing to help out where I can. I'm good at following up and seeing something through to the end.
I get nervous before giving a presentation. It is tough for me to relax. For example, I had a non-thesis research presentation during my Master's program. I practiced the speech by speaking aloud many times. This practice helped me to calm my nerves and avoid any unnecessary mistakes. As a result, I did a great job. It's important to me that I overcome my weaknesses, and practicing helps me achieve this goal.
Marcie's Feedback
Citing public speaking as a weakness is good because it's relatable (many others suffer from the same fear). It's also great that you talk about the steps you have taken to overcome this weakness. When it comes to your greatest strength, pick just one to highlight instead of mentioning so many so you directly answer the question. Good job!
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