Welcome again to our interview sequence. Closing week, we kicked issues off with one not unusual interview query, “Why did you follow for this function?” This week, we’re wading into any other regularly requested query—and the subject of the most-read article on Coursera—“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Strengths and weaknesses is a vintage behavioral interview query, and like several behavioral interview questions, interviewers ask it so as to be told extra about who you’re and the way you’re employed. Extensively, those questions might comment on the best way you prepare, keep in touch, make selections, take initiative, and paintings with others. They’re generally phrased in some way that requests or means that you can recall a particular instance as an instance your previous behaviors. For instance:
- How do you set up competing calls for?
- What was once a hard resolution you needed to make within the remaining 12 months? What made it tricky?
- Inform me a couple of time whilst you recognized an issue and got here up with an answer.
Behavioral questions have a tendency to be similar for your administrative center talents—they’re much less in regards to the technical facets of what you do, and extra about the best way you move about doing all your duties. So that you could get ready, take into accounts how your administrative center talents have made you a greater, more practical colleague. (For inspiration, revisit our factor at the height talents of 2023.)
Now let’s discover how you could move about answering behavioral interview questions with one this is regularly top-of-mind:
“Inform me about your strengths and weaknesses.”
Interviewers ask this to be told extra about what you take into accounts your self. Call to mind it as a chance to percentage what you’re maximum pleased with and tactics you hope to continue to grow.
For strengths, evaluate the task description and spot if you’ll be able to determine one or two obligations that align with stuff you do in point of fact neatly. Then, supply a real-life instance and check out to again it up with a measurable outcome. On your resolution, comment on two issues:
- In what tactics are you just right at this power?
- How does this power let you at paintings?
Right here’s an instance of somebody who excels at collaboration:
“I’ve at all times loved operating cross-functionally—I in truth believe it one in all my most powerful attributes. In my present function as a advertising analysis analyst, I held a number of focal point teams and synthesized the result of that person comments to stakeholders throughout my corporate’s product, design, and advertising departments. My skills to keep in touch obviously with different groups and collaborate to verify correct deliverables ensured that we introduced an efficient product that higher addressed person wishes.”
For weaknesses, discuss a space the place you’d love to develop. The important thing this is to pair self-awareness with motion and effects. Be sure you comment on those two issues:
- What have you ever been doing to reinforce?
- How has that enchancment had a favorable affect to your paintings?
Right here’s an instance of somebody who is operating on their public talking talents:
“I’m a naturally shy individual, so presenting in entrance of others has been a problem. A couple of years in the past, I led a large undertaking and was once requested to provide my findings to the corporate’s management workforce. I used to be so frightened. However I sought after to transport previous that concern, so I signed up for Toastmasters to be able to apply public talking. Now not most effective did this assist get me thru that first presentation, nevertheless it additionally helped me really feel extra assured as a pacesetter.”
Polishing your administrative center talents
After reflecting at the approach you display up within the administrative center, a useful subsequent step is also proactively searching for self-improvement alternatives. You’ll be able to at all times revisit all of our path suggestions for the highest talents of 2023, or believe those choices:
To discover a variety of in-demand administrative center talents, check out IBM’s Other folks and Comfortable Abilities for Skilled and Non-public Good fortune Specialization. Right here, you’ll take a more in-depth take a look at tactics to reinforce talents like collaboration, presentation, and downside fixing.
To apply answering interview questions, check out the College of Maryland’s Complicated Interviewing Tactics. On this path, you’ll get pointers for answering behavioral interview questions—together with discussing your weaknesses.
To seek out lessons associated with a particular weak spot, sort your required space of expansion into the hunt bar on Coursera. Use filters at the left sidebar to slim your effects, and check out the path rankings and critiques to peer how different rookies felt in regards to the path.
If you wish to have assist discovering a path or simply need our advice, tell us what you’re operating towards within the feedback and we will be able to see what we will in finding!
Subsequent week, we’ll proceed this dialog with a subject matter on situational interview questions. See then you definately!
