WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES? (The 3 BEST SAMPLE ANSWERS to this JOB INTERVIEW QUESTION!)

Summary

This video script offers advice on how to answer the common interview question about strengths and weaknesses. It suggests eight strengths to highlight and five 'safe' weaknesses to mention. The script provides three example answers for a job interview, emphasizing the importance of aligning your strengths with the company's needs and presenting a weakness that doesn't conflict with the job description.

Takeaways

• 😀 The question 'What are your strengths and weaknesses?' is a common yet challenging interview question that many candidates struggle with.
• 🔒 Avoid claiming to have no weaknesses or stating that you're a perfectionist as it can come across as inauthentic.
• 💼 Highlight eight key strengths such as loyalty, fitting into a team quickly, passion for work, problem-solving, cost consciousness, supportive collaboration, commercial awareness, and leadership capability.
• 🚫 Five 'safe' weaknesses to mention in an interview include difficulties with public speaking, giving honest feedback, saying yes too often, difficulty letting go of projects, and being too self-critical.
• ✅ When answering, structure your response to include three strengths that add value to the company and one weakness that doesn't conflict with the job description.
• 🗣️ Practice answering the question with examples that show how your strengths can benefit the company and how you're working to improve your weaknesses.
• 📈 Emphasize strengths like commercial awareness, fast pace of work, and collaboration skills, which are highly valued in a business environment.
• 🔄 Acknowledge a weakness and express a desire to improve in that area, showing self-awareness and a commitment to personal development.
• 💡 Use the provided examples to craft your own tailored response that fits the specific job and company you're interviewing with.
• 🔗 For further assistance, consider accessing additional resources such as one-on-one coaching or downloadable guides with answers to common interview questions.
• 🔄 Engage with the content by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and connecting on LinkedIn for more professional development opportunities.

Q & A

What is the common mistake candidates make when asked about their strengths and weaknesses in an interview?

A common mistake is to claim they have no weaknesses or to give a strength disguised as a weakness, such as saying they are a perfectionist.

What is the importance of loyalty as a strength in a job interview?

Loyalty indicates that the candidate is a reliable role model for the company and intends to stay with the company long-term.

How does fitting into a team quickly demonstrate a candidate's strength?

It shows the candidate can quickly integrate into the team, understand their role, and adapt to the team's working methods.

Why is having a passion for work considered a strength in an interview?

Passion for work implies the candidate takes pride in their work and is committed to performing at their best for the employer.

What does being a problem solver mean in the context of a job interview?

It means the candidate takes responsibility for challenges and actively seeks solutions instead of leaving them to others.

How does being cost conscious reflect on a candidate during an interview?

It shows the candidate is mindful of the company's resources and actively looks for ways to save costs and improve efficiency.

Why is being a supportive collaborator advantageous in a job interview?

Supportive collaborators contribute to a positive team environment by helping co-workers and training new members, enhancing team productivity.

What does commercial awareness signify about a candidate's understanding of business operations?

It indicates the candidate understands the basics of how businesses operate and the importance of performing their job efficiently and effectively.

How can leadership capabilities be demonstrated without being in a leadership position?

Leadership can be shown by taking initiative and responsibility during difficult situations, even if not in a formal leadership role.

Why is public speaking often mentioned as a safe weakness in a job interview?

It is a common area for improvement that does not directly impact job performance, and it shows self-awareness and a willingness to develop.

What does it mean to say 'yes' all the time as a weakness in an interview?

It suggests the candidate may take on too many responsibilities, which could impact their ability to focus on their primary job duties.

How should a candidate structure their answer to the question about strengths and weaknesses?

They should provide three strengths that add value to the company and one weakness that does not conflict with the job description.

What is the benefit of downloading the '50 Brilliant Answers to Difficult Interview Questions' guide mentioned in the script?

It provides a comprehensive set of prepared answers to common interview questions, which can help candidates prepare and increase their chances of success.

Outlines

00:00

💼 Mastering Interview Questions

This paragraph introduces the common stumbling block in job interviews: answering the question about one's strengths and weaknesses. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a thoughtful response and offers guidance to viewers. They encourage subscription for more helpful content and hint at providing eight strengths and five safe weaknesses to use in interviews. The paragraph also includes an example of an ineffective answer to the question, highlighting the need for a better approach.

05:00

📈 Interview Success Strategies

The second paragraph delves into specific strengths and weaknesses that can be used in job interviews. It lists eight strengths such as loyalty, team adaptation, passion for work, problem-solving, cost consciousness, supportive collaboration, commercial awareness, and leadership capabilities. The paragraph also suggests five weaknesses that are considered safe to mention in interviews, like public speaking anxiety, difficulty in giving feedback, tendency to over-commit, difficulty letting go of projects, and self-criticism. The speaker then explains how to structure the answer to the strengths and weaknesses question effectively, suggesting providing three strengths and one weakness that doesn't conflict with the job description. Three example answers are provided to illustrate a strong response to the interview question.

Keywords

💡Strengths

Strengths refer to personal attributes, skills, or qualities that make a candidate suitable for a job. In the video, strengths like loyalty, fitting into a team quickly, and problem-solving are highlighted as valuable to employers. The video emphasizes that candidates should mention strengths that align with the job requirements and company culture.

💡Weaknesses

Weaknesses are personal areas of improvement that a candidate acknowledges. The video suggests that candidates should be honest but tactful when discussing weaknesses, such as public speaking or giving honest feedback, and should also show awareness and a desire to improve in these areas.

💡Interview

An interview is a formal meeting where a candidate is assessed for a job. The video's theme revolves around interview preparation, specifically how to answer the common question about strengths and weaknesses to increase the chances of a successful interview outcome.

💡Commercial Awareness

Commercial awareness is the understanding of how businesses operate and the market environment. The video mentions it as a strength because it shows that a candidate is not just focused on their job but also on how their work contributes to the company's overall success.

💡Problem Solver

A problem solver is someone who actively addresses challenges and finds solutions. The video suggests that showcasing problem-solving skills as a strength can demonstrate a candidate's initiative and ability to contribute to a company's efficiency and innovation.

💡Cost Conscious

Being cost conscious means being mindful of expenses and looking for ways to save money. In the context of the video, it is presented as a strength because it shows that a candidate is not only efficient but also has a mindset for conserving resources, which is beneficial for a company's financial health.

💡Collaborator

A collaborator is someone who works well with others in a team setting. The video emphasizes the importance of collaboration skills as a strength because it indicates that a candidate can integrate into a team and contribute to a positive work environment.

💡Leadership

Leadership refers to the ability to guide and direct a group towards achieving goals. The video mentions leadership capability as a strength, highlighting that even without a formal leadership position, a candidate can demonstrate leadership qualities by taking initiative and responsibility.

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking is the act of speaking to a large audience. The video suggests that admitting to being not very good at public speaking can be a safe weakness to mention in an interview, as it is an area that can be improved upon and does not directly impact job performance in most roles.

💡Feedback

Feedback is the process of giving and receiving opinions about someone's performance. The video advises that a candidate might mention discomfort with giving feedback as a weakness, which shows self-awareness and the potential for growth in communication skills.

💡Perfectionist

A perfectionist is someone who strives for the highest quality in their work. The video uses the term to illustrate an incorrect way to answer the question about weaknesses, as claiming to be a perfectionist without acknowledging any weaknesses can come across as inauthentic.

Highlights

Candidates often fail interviews when answering the question about strengths and weaknesses.

There's a specific way to answer this difficult question to pass the interview.

Subscribe to the channel for more job interview tips.

Likes on the video motivate the creator to produce more content.

Avoid saying you're a perfectionist with no weaknesses in an interview.

Eight best strengths to mention in an interview are listed.

Loyalty is an important strength to convey in an interview.

Fitting into a team quickly shows adaptability.

Having passion for your work is a strength that employers value.

Being a problem solver means taking responsibility for challenges.

Cost consciousness is a strength that can benefit the company.

Supportive collaborators are great team players.

Commercial awareness is understanding the basics of business operations.

Leadership capability can be shown without a management position.

Five safe weaknesses to mention in an interview are provided.

Public speaking can be a safe weakness to mention.

Giving honest feedback can be framed as a weakness.

Saying yes to all requests can be seen as a weakness.

Difficulty in letting go of projects can be a relatable weakness.

Being too self-critical is a common weakness to mention.

Structure your answer with three strengths and one weakness.

The weakness should not match the job description.

Example answers are provided to demonstrate how to answer the question.

The video offers a PDF guide with 50 answers to difficult interview questions.

Encouragement to subscribe and like the video for more content.

The creator invites viewers to connect on LinkedIn.

Wishes viewers success in their job interviews.

Transcripts

there is one question where lots of

candidates fail their interviews and

that question is what are your strengths

and weaknesses now there is a specific

way you must answer this difficult

question if you want to pass your

interview at the first attempt stay

tuned because I am here to help you and

just very quickly if you are new to my

Channel please make sure you hit that

subscribe button thousands of you and I

mean thousands of you are passing your

job interviews at the first attempt I

can only help you if you are subscribed

and please give the video a like because

that really does motivate me to create

more content for you thank you very much

indeed okay let's jump straight into the

tutorial okay to begin with here's an

example of how not to answer the

challenging interview question what are

your strengths and weaknesses whatever

you do do not say this what are your

strengths and weaknesses oh that's a

difficult question

I think my strengths are I am a good

teamworker and very professional and I

don't actually have any weaknesses

because I a perfectionist so that answer

would have for sure resulted in an

interview fail now to help you answer

the question what are your strengths and

weaknesses let me give you the eight

best strengths and five safe weaknesses

for interviews and I will then give you

three brilliant example answers in a

live job interview please take notes

strength number one is loyalty now this

means you are someone who is a great

role model for the company and wants to

work there long term strength number two

is fitting into a team quickly now this

means you will quickly establish how you

can contribute to the team and adapt to

their ways of working strength number

three is having passion for your work

now this means you are someone who is

passionate about what you do you take

pride in your work and you genuinely

want to do the best job possible for

your employer strength number four is

being a problem solver now good problem

solvers take responsibility for

difficult challenges instead of leaving

them for others to deal with strength

number five is being cost conscious this

is a great one this means you never

waste company supplies or resources but

instead you will seek ways to help the

company streamline processes and systems

to save money strength number six is

being a supportive collaborator now

supportive collaborators are great team

players who help their co-workers when

asked and they also are willing to train

new team members whenever they join the

company strength number seven is

commercial awareness an employee that is

commercially aware understands in basic

terms how a business operates they

understand that they are getting paid to

do a job and therefore they must do

their work on time and to the best

standard achievable and go above and

beyond to ensure their employer gets a

great return from their investment and

strength number eight is leadership

capability is you do not need to be in a

management or leadership position to

demonstrate leadership capabilities at

work now some of the best employees will

take the lead during difficult

situations and do all they can to

resolve challenging problems instead of

passing them on to their manager to deal

with so there's eight brilliant

strengths you can use when answering the

difficult interview question what are

your strengths and weaknesses now in a

second I'm going to give you five safe

weaknesses to use in your interview but

before I do if you want onetoone

coaching with my team of experts to help

you pass your job interview at the first

attempt check out that link okay so let

me now give you five safe weaknesses you

can use and I will then give you those

three top scoring answers in a live

interview weakness number one is public

speaking now a good weakness for job

interviews is to say you are not very

good at public speaking or giving talks

to large groups of people weakness

number two is giving people honest

feedback now another safe weakness is to

say you don't enjoy giving people

feedback because you tend to distance

yourself from potentially

confrontational situations weakness

number three is saying yes all the time

this is a great weakness for job

interviews now you could say you are the

type of person who says yes

automatically when people ask you for

help which often results in you taking

on too many responsibilities weakness

number four is finding it difficult to

let go of projects you might be the type

of person who doesn't like letting go of

projects because you keep checking over

them however you are aware of this

weakness and trying to let go of

projects and then quickly move on to the

next one and weakness number five is

being too

self-critical this is a common weakness

lots of people are tough on themselves

and they keep analyzing why they did

certain things now while it is good to

be reflective of your actions so you can

improve beating yourself up for things

is not productive okay now before I give

you those three top scoring answers in a

live interview to that difficult

question what are your strengths and

weaknesses let me quickly teach you how

to structure your answer so the best way

to answer the question what are your

strengths and weaknesses is to give

three strengths that will add value to

their company and then just one weakness

that is not a match for the job

description you do not need to give any

more than one weakness okay so here's

those three brilliant answers in a live

job interview to that question what are

your strengths and weaknesses please

tell me in the comment section below the

video which answer option one 2 or three

you think is the strongest here we go

what are your strengths and weaknesses

my strengths include commercial

awareness fast pace of work and

collaboration skills I understand I must

do a great job to help you succeed

complete all work quickly and work

closely with my co-workers and other

departments to achieve the company's

goals my weakness is public speaking I

am not yet confident at giving talks to

large groups of people however this is

an area I want to develop in so if there

are any opportunities in this role for

me to improve these skills then I would

love to give it a try tell me what are

your strengths and weaknesses my

greatest strengths include being able to

quickly fit into any team my passion for

work which means I get more work done

than the average person and my problem

solving capabilities I will always take

ownership of difficult challenges to

achieve a successful outcome instead of

leaving them for others to deal with my

weakness is impatience I have a strong

hurry up driver which means I want to

get things done quickly this drive

doesn't always match other people's

Ambitions which I sometimes find

frustrating what are your strengths and

weaknesses my strengths include my costc

conscious approach to work I will always

seek ways to help you save money another

strength is my leadership capabilities I

will take the lead during difficult

problems instead of giving them to my

manager to deal with finally perhaps my

greatest strength is my flexibility and

adaptability I will do work outside of

my job description and work overtime

when needed to help the business my

weakness is I find it difficult saying

no to people whenever people ask me for

help I immediately say yes which

sometimes results in me taking on too

much work okay so there was three

brilliant top scoring answers in a live

interview to that difficult and

challenging interview question what are

your strengths and weaknesses don't

forget to tell me in the comment section

below the video which answer answer

option you think is the strongest now

the next thing to do if you want to

accelerate your learning even further

and make sure you pass your interview at

the first attempt is click that link

right now in the top right hand corner

of the video head straight through to my

website pmy interview.com and you can

instantly download my 50 brilliant

answers to difficult interview questions

it comes as a PDF guide which means you

can literally have it in your inbox

within 2 minutes from now make sure you

check out that link also please make

sure you hit that subscribe button don't

forget to give the video a like that

really does motivate me to create more

content for you and you can also connect

with me on LinkedIn I have put my

LinkedIn Link in the description below

the video it's always a pleasure and an

honor to connect with like-minded

professionals such as yourself thank you

for watching and I wish you all the best

for passing your job interview have a

great day