What is your greatest strength and weakness?
"I'd say my greatest strength is my greatest weakness. I'm extremely competitive with myself and hold myself accountable when I fail to meet my expectations. Too often, I've done the best I can do, and, by striving to go above and beyond that, I've set too high a standard for myself. Those too often are unrealistic goals to beat my current best. In the past, that has caused me to bite off more than I can chew. I've since learned to pace myself and not be too hard on myself when I don't live up to this unrealistic standard. I've learned to slow down, pace myself, take in the bigger picture, and set more realistic goals. I know I'll always struggle with this a bit, but I see this now as a growth opportunity, and I'm getting better at it."
How you answer this question will give the interviewer insight into your self-awareness and if you have the emotional intelligence required to identify your merits with humility while taking ownership of your growth opportunities. Taking ownership of your shortcomings, weaknesses, or growth opportunities is a strength in and of itself. Providing personal strengths that help support the greater good of the team exhibits big-picture thinking and sets you up as a more desirable candidate.
The assessment vendor will look for signs of honesty and confidence in your answer. You want to convey that you have faith in your abilities while recognizing that the road to self-improvement is never ended. Remember, how you perceive yourself may be different from how others perceive you, especially when they don't yet know you. So make sure to practice in front of your computer's camera for an objective view of yourself. Try not to come across as too rehearsed. You don't want to seem wooden or dull. Work towards trying not to look at yourself, but rather hold your gaze on the camera lens, while exuding confidence and communicating clearly.
This question assesses your honesty by studying your verbal and nonverbal cues and their consistency throughout your interview. Remain conscious of your body language throughout the interview. If you answer one question casually and answer another stiffly and measured, they will use this as a gauge of when you are being sincere versus disingenuous. This will help them determine when you are being forthright or doing their best to tell them what you think they want to hear to land the job. Therefore, remain consistent in how you present yourself.
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