Find Your Greatest Strength for Your Job Interview

Post author By Susan P. Joyce

How-to-Find-Your-Greatest-Strength-for-a-Job-Interview

This question is also an invitation to explain why you are the best-qualified candidate for this job.

If you are typically a modest person or not accustomed to bragging about yourself, get over it, at least for your job interviews.

If you don’t tell employers what your strengths are, they may never know.

Employers ask this question for a couple of reasons:

They are interested in what you think your strengths are because that gives them an insight into your personality.
This is the quickest way to gain insight into your strengths.

Yes, if they spend 30 minutes studying your LinkedIn Profile and your LinkedIn Group activities, they’ll get an idea of your strengths, but reality is few employers want to spend that time because they might not find the answer or they might reach the wrong conclusion.

Don’t simply pick any random strength you’ve been told you have (a great cook, good with kids, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, etc.). Focus on strengths relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

Being a good cook isn’t relevant to most office jobs, unless the job is writing a cook book or creating cooking instruction videos. When you have chosen your greatest strength, read How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Strength? to answer the question most effectively.

Hard-Skill Strengths vs. Soft-Skill Strengths

Most strengths fall into one of two categories: “soft skills” (personal characteristics) or “hard skills” (professional strengths). Possible strengths for each are listed below.

1. Hard Skill Strengths

Having the appropriate hard skills means that you have the technical skills required for a job,

When you have hard skill accomplishments that can be verified via LinkedIn or other media or through discussions with your references, choose strengths that include those skills.

Hard skills are typically learned skills. People are not usually born with one of these skills, but, instead, they work to learn the hard skills they deem necessary for their success in school, in work and in their social lives.

Hard skills can typically be tested or measured in some way, although not every employer will do the testing. Many hard skills in technology fields can be validated by earning relevant certifications and making those certifications visible (as in your LinkedIn Profile).

For example, tax accountants have been trained in how to use various tools, from spreadsheets and financial forms to the IRS regulations for recognizing income and calculating the appropriate allowed deductions. Other professions have their own required hard skills.

In a job interview, the tax accountant could share their professional certifications and level of experience in tax accounting that demonstrate their strength in tax accounting (and how they meet the requirements of the job).

After analyzing the job description, develop a list of the strengths that apply to you and to the job you want.

2. Soft Skill Strengths

Soft skills are essential elements of our personalities — the aspects of our personality that enable us to do our jobs well and “fit” into an organization. Typically, we improve our soft skills as we gain experience and maturity.

Unlike the hard skill strengths (which make great weaknesses because they can be overcome), it is usually difficult to test the strength of someone’s soft skills.

Clearly, not every strength listed below is required for every job. In fact, some of these skills (e.g., being bold or aggressive) would exclude someone working in a supportive job, but those might be required for people in sales, management, and other jobs.

For example, perhaps your parents raised you to be flexible and accommodating, but your career in law enforcement has required you to become focused and controlled. That would be the foundation of an answer to the greatest weaknesses question. This answer would be presented as a past-weakness which has been overcome and converted into a strength.

If you choose a soft skill, carefully choose one you can prove in some way.

To learn more about soft skills, visit What are Soft Skills? Definition & Examples.

100+ Example Strengths to Discuss in Your Job Interview

Find your soft skill strengths — or inspiration — in this list:

Accurate
Accommodating
Adaptable
Aggressive
Analytical
Ambitious
Astute
Bold
Brave
Calm
Caring
Cautious
Clever
Collaborative
Communicator
Constructive
Controlled
Cooperative
Courteous
Creative
Decisive
Dedicated
Dependable
Detail-oriented
Determined
Diplomatic
Dynamic
Easy to manage
Easy to work with
Effective
Efficient
Energetic
Enthusiastic
Experienced
Expert
Extroverted
Fast learner
Fair
Flexible
Hard-working
Helpful
Honest
Imaginative
Independent
Intelligent
Introverted
Inventive
Kind
Knowledgeable
Leadership
Likeable
Logical
Loyal
Manager
Mature
Methodical
Motivated / motivational
Negotiator
Nurturing
Obliging
Observant
Open-minded
Optimistic
Orderly
Organized
Original
Patient
People-person
Persuasive
Pleasant
Polite
Positive
Practical
Pragmatic
Predictable
Problem-solver
Productive
Professional
Quick-learner
Rational
Reasonable
Relationship-builder
Reliable
Resourceful
Responsible
Self-starter
Self-confident
Self-sufficient
Sensible
Skillful
Smart
Stable
Steadfast
Strategic
Stress manager
Supportive
Sympathetic
Tactful
Team player
Thorough
Thoughtful
Trustworthy
Understanding
Upbeat
Up-to-date
Vigilant
Well-informed
Wise

The Bottom Line on Finding Your Greatest Strength

Remember: This is not the time for modesty! Choose your strengths carefully, matching them to the requirements of the job, and then offer proof that you have those strengths.

Hard-Skill Strengths vs. Soft-Skill Strengths

1. Hard Skill Strengths

2. Soft Skill Strengths

100+ Example Strengths to Discuss in Your Job Interview

The Bottom Line on Finding Your Greatest Strength

More About Answering Interview Questions:

Guide to the Most Common Interview Questions (with Sample Answers)