You’ve seen time and time again a laundry list of all of the most common interview questions. Every list you’re likely to find on the internet will have this one question: What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? In fact, every interviewer will also probably ask you this question! 

It must be important if interviewers ask this question so many times. To ace this question, it is important to understand the purpose of the question and what the interviewer is looking for when they ask it.

The purpose of the question

Interviewers ask this question to learn more about how you view yourself as an employee. Employers want strong, self-aware workers who are actively trying to improve and grow. It is also an honesty test; will you tell your potential employer the truth or will you try to spin a weakness into a strength? 

Interviewers are also looking to understand your relative fit within their organization. If their company is young and fun, they may reject a candidate who admits they may be a bit of a “Debby Downer,” or have a negative attitude. They may also use this question to weed out employees who may have weaknesses that work in direct opposition to the function of the job. For example, in a deadline-oriented Advertising Manager position, a company may reject a candidate who admits to having poor time management.

Therefore, your answer should be work-related and strategic. 

 

How to strategically answer the strengths question

As in every other part of your interview, your answer should be informed by your research. Take time to consider the job posting once more. Do they identify the kind of candidate they want? Do they say they are looking for a motivated, self-starter? If so, you may want to zero in on a strength that highlights your motivation and self-starter attitude. 

Conversely, you may want to identify a strength you have that may improve the company altogether. Perhaps you are interviewing for a software engineer position but your greatest strength is your eye for design. You can explain how your eye for detail coupled with your expertise in software development would improve the overall product because user experience is always at the forefront of your mind.

Whatever strength you choose, be sure you can support your strengths with an example of a time you epitomized that strength. Anyone can say they are organized; using an example proves you are organized. It can also be a great way to expand on a part of your resume or cover letter that you feel deserves more explanation. 

It is important to be strategic when answering these questions. A carefully constructed answer can communicate your capability and careful research. These types of approaches are sure to impress your interviewer and make your interview memorable. 

How to strategically answer the weaknesses question

The harder part of this question lies within the weakness. Many people believe that they should mention a big strength disguised as a weakness. For example, “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist.” Those are both cliche and not real weaknesses. Try to be honest with the interviewer and yourself. We are all human and it is normal to struggle in one area or another. 

Another incorrect way to answer this question is to focus on personal weaknesses. Try to focus on a weakness that relates to the job function. For example, you do not want to talk about a personality flaw such as impatience as that has little to do with whether or not you can succeed in the job at hand. Instead, focus on a professional weakness such as public speaking, lack of knowledge in a certain area related to your desired industry, or leadership skills. These weaknesses are real and related to the job at hand. 

While interviewers care about your weakness, they care more about how you are working on it. After mentioning your weaknesses, be sure to explain how you are taking measurable steps on improving that issue.

In the second example, you describe an authentic weakness but reframe your answer to highlight the ways in which you are actively bettering yourself. By ending your response on a positive note, the interviewer will remember your weakness as a challenge you are working to overcome instead of an impediment to the company’s success. 

It is also important to be strategic here as well. You don’t want to answer this question too honestly. Don’t spend too long listing out all of your work-related issues or providing examples as this may deter your interviewer as well. Your weakness answer should be short and sweet.  

How to ace the biggest strengths and weaknesses question

Practice. As we mentioned before, this is a very common interview question. You are almost guaranteed to run into this question in your job search process. Having a go-to answer for this question can help soothe interview nerves and make you sound more polished and prepared. 

Interviews are never easy. It’s even harder to think about yourself on the spot. Preparing and thinking ahead can ensure you have an awesome interview! 

Having trouble identifying your biggest strengths and weaknesses? Unsure how to word your answer in a way that feels authentic? Contact us, we can help!

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When it comes to discussing the struggles of finding and starting a new job, it usually focuses on everything before an offer is extended. We focus on all the stress of applying to jobs, fixing resumes, interviewing well, drafting thank you emails, and so on. But there are some challenges to be faced when an offer is extended. Oftentimes, too many job offers lead people to question how to pick the right one.

If you are debating between two job offers, first of all, congrats! This is great news for you! If you’re tired of hearing people tell you that it’s a good problem and instead you’re looking for a solution, continue reading.  

Compensation

Create a comparison chart for the entire compensation package. 

  • Salary
  • Bonuses and/or commissions 
  • Paid time off
  • Health insurance
  • Travel reimbursement
  • 401(k)

 

Salary is what people focus on the most and for good reason. As an adult, you want a job that not only you enjoy, but can also pay your bills. With this chart, you will be able to see how each job will support your lifestyle and needs. If one job is offering only slightly less (<$5k), is it possibly made up in other parts of your compensation package? 

Lastly, if the salary is a huge hesitation for you, have you negotiated your salary? With two job offers at hand, you can leverage one in your negotiation while expressing how this company is your preferred choice. You may not reach the same salary as the other job, but it may be a raise enough to make you comfortable accepting the offer with your preferred company.

Potential for growth

Hopefully, you asked the right series of questions in the interview to give you insight into the potential for growth in this role. Think about your long-term career goals, how does each job offer support your vision for yourself in 5 or 10 years? Refer to LinkedIn to see how long certain employees have been at the company. If everyone is relatively new, is it possible that this company has a large turnover rate? Are you being offered a role in a new department? Do they seem to promote from within the company? Again, ideally, you asked some questions in the interview that provide clarity. 

Company culture & perks

This is another area where you can create a comparison chart. Think about things such as flexible schedules, telework options, monthly lunch outings, etc. If the ability to work from home is very important, this could be the dealbreaker between two offers. 

How was the interview process? Did they bring in multiple people to meet with you? Did you get the feeling that people got along well? How did you feel about the people you interviewed with? It’s likely they’ll be a part of your team if you decide to join the company. All things given equal, we recommended you work with the people you get along with. What does the company value? What is its mission? How does that resonate with you? Maybe one company has a stellar corporate social responsibility program with a mission you feel passionate about. We spend so much of our time at our jobs, do not underestimate the power of feeling good about the company you work for. 

You may also be able to find the company on Glassdoor where employees provide anonymous feedback on work culture and salaries. Consider it a big red flag if there are many poor reviews, as employees are less likely to receive negative reviews for fear of retaliation.

Trust yourself

You likely know the answer already. Some people have their gut or intuition tell them, others require more time and sleep on it. Either way, listen in. Are you trying to convince yourself out of one company because the other one is more established or has a bigger name? Are you more concerned about what other people will say about which job your pick instead of which job is right for you? 

As a tip, do not go around seeking an answer from your best friend, aunt, sister, cousin, 2nd cousin, grandmother, dad, uncle’s sister-in-law, you get the picture. This is a decision for you to make and ultimately you will be the one dealing with the results of your decision. This does not mean you cannot consult anyone, but be selective and choose people that have extensive work experience, or maybe this particular experience of choosing between 2 jobs. Again, you have the answer. 

Be professional

When you make your decision, promptly send an email to the company you’d like to work for. Once you receive an acknowledgment, communicate promptly with the other employer that you will not be proceeding with. Make sure to thank them for their time and the opportunity. Always lead with professionalism and respect, you never know where they will go and how the connection could support you later on.

You can look at charts and talk to people all day and all night. Remember to trust yourself in the decision and however things go, there are lessons you can learn.