How to Answer: What are your weaknesses and strengths?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Department of Energy job interview.
4. What are your weaknesses and strengths?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Your interviewer will get a peek into your self-awareness if you answer this question in a certain way. How you present your answer could reveal how honest you're being about your strengths, and how capable you are in identifying your weaknesses and growth opportunities.
Written by Kevin Downey on May 6th, 2022
How to Answer
Frame your greatest weakness as an asset in its own right. Think about self-assessments you've made in the past and see if any of those identified growth opportunities can be applied to your answer. Remain mindful that regardless of how well you think the interviewer is going, they are judging you and your answers. So, how you perceive yourself may differ from how others perceive you, especially the person interviewing you. Remain conscious of your body language throughout the interview process. Exude confidence in your answers. Try to align your self-perceived strengths with what they're looking for as a viable candidate.
Written by Kevin Downey on May 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I think my greatest strength is my eagerness to please, but my greatest weakness is not being great at saying no. In the past, I've bitten off more than I can chew and struggled with how to communicate 'no.' Since then, I learned that not communicating what's possible within my well-managed time and taking on more than I can handle will lead me to underperform. I've gotten a handle on this. But being a people person who is not easily offended and rarely takes things personally, saying no can be hard for me. This trait is a strength and weakness. I'm learning how to strike a harmonious balance between the two."
Written by Kevin Downey on May 6th, 2022