Every interview is different. Each Interviewer uses different tactics. Most interviews start with trying to put you at ease by asking a little about yourself. There are the technical questions – you better be able to answer these questions – you stated on your resume that you had the technical skills to be able to do the job. Then come the off the wall questions – “what superhero would you be?”.
“What strength would you bring to the position?” This is a standard question that you will be asked in most interviews. The best way to be prepared for this question is to sit down and write down your strengths from a previous position or if you are a new graduate then experiences from school. Below are a few examples of strengths that can be expanded upon with your experience as they fit the job description:
- Team Player
- Time Management
- Good at managing people
- Meeting deadlines
- Always finish my tasks
- Good listener
- Deal well with difficult customers/situations
- Able to see the big picture
- Good with detail
- Pick out a skill from the job description, ie “With my strong web design, creative writing, phone skills, etc” , then expand on this strength.
- Problem Solver
- Able to juggle more than one task at a time
This is where it is very important to know the job description. Hopefully, you have also had the chance to ask specific questions about the position before this question comes up. Now you take your strength and the information you know about the position and put the two of them together.
- I am very good at listening and putting people at ease, this allows me to deal effectively with difficult situations. In my previous position there was a customer/employee ……..
- Although I am a detail person I am also able to see the big picture, in my previous position (or while at school) I was assigned the task of ………
- My creativity has been tremendously helpful in designing web pages over the last 5 years. One particular webpage was just not …. and I ……
If you are having a hard time coming up with a strength, then ask your family, friends and co-workers. You will be surprised at what they come up with. Just don’t get too bloated from all the accolades. It is important to be a little humble with this question. You don’t want to come across as having an “I’m GREAT, I’m a STAR” attitude.
Don’t stress about this question, you have applied for the job because you know you can do it. Now tell them why and how. Be a “star”.
Good luck job hunting
Lynne Carlson started her career off in administration, moved to Cobol Programming and for the last 14 years worked in all things recruitment. Absolutely loves social media and excited about all the new innovations appearing every day!
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