Five Key Strategies for Answering “What are Your Strengths?”

Be Honest
Many hiring managers have heard dozens of candidates claim that they are a perfectionist of some kind. Perfectionism is not necessarily a strength, especially if you are so nitpicky about a project that it causes you to miss a deadline. Rather than picking something generic, it’s best to be truthful.
If you are a social butterfly, for instance, then discuss how you are a team player and how you rallied your team members together to boost sales at your last job. Not only can this display your leadership skills and people skills, but it can also prove that you are good at delegating and problem-solving.

Be Confident
Some people might worry that talking about your strengths can come across as bragging. However, being overly self-critical or downplaying your achievements will not impress a hiring manager. You are trying to convince them that you are the best fit for the job. The job interview is not the place to display your humility.

Check the Job Description for Keywords
Your key strengths should also reflect those required within the job description. The keywords you pull can stick out to the hiring manager since it shows that you paid strict attention to the qualifications. Doing so can also help you write a great resume or cover letter.
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Pick Your Biggest Strength and Elaborate
Hiring managers don’t need a long list of your accomplishments or work experiences to be impressed.
They understand that many job seekers are multi-faceted, hard-working individuals. They’re more interested in what sets you apart from other candidates. Selecting one strength and giving a specific example or two of how that strength helped out team members at your last job can be a great way to convince them of why you are the best choice.
Individuals with little to no work experience can discuss academic, volunteer, or club activities in place of work experience. For example, if you are a recent college graduate that led your debate team to victory in a championship, then this can be something you can talk about as a strength. Public speaking is a much-needed skill for any job, so discussing how that skill led you to win an award is definitely impressive.

Be Specific
Pick out a handful of specific traits and experiences that say something about you as an employee. Going on and on about how you’re a hard worker without giving any relevant examples or traits that indicate otherwise will only hurt your chances.
Instead, talking about a specific skill can tell the recruiter much more about you. For instance, if you have management skills, then talking about a particular experience where your management led to an increase in productivity or quarterly sales will say a lot about your leadership skills.
You never want to parrot your resume and cover letter back to the interviewer. Get more in-depth about what you already listed on your resume and cover letter to prove that you have the right experiences for the job.