Ideal answers to "what are your strengths and weaknesses?"

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” is often one of the interview questions that candidates struggle with the most. Why? Perhaps because it’s a question that requires people to be simultaneously vocal about their talents, and self-aware regarding where they could improve.

The truth is, coming up with a compelling answer to this question isn’t as difficult as it sounds. It also provides you with a great opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and thoughtfulness, and interviewers tend to ask this question because it can help them learn a lot about your personality, skills and approach to a role.

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”: essential things to remember about this question

• It’s an incredibly common question for interviewers to ask, which means you can anticipate it and craft a strong answer beforehand.
• An interviewer is using this question both to determine whether you fit the role specification, and whether you can pick a competency that’s relevant to the job.
• There’s no right answer to this question, but there is a correct way to answer it, with your structure and approach signalling whether you can offer the employer what they’re looking for.

To help you prepare the best answer possible, it’s easier to break the question down into two separate parts. So, what’s the best way to approach it?

Answering the question: “what are your strengths?”

It’s easy to assume that this might be the less tricky part of the question – and to a degree, it is. It gives you an exciting chance to confidently articulate the attributes that make you an asset to an organisation, but this doesn’t equate to simply reeling off a list of generic positive qualities. Honesty and self-reflection will work wonders here, so consider these points when talking about your strengths:

1. They should be relevant to the job

The job specification will come in very handy here, as it can be used as a reference point when you come to preparing your answer. Make sure that your list of strengths correlates to the skills and experience the employer is looking for, using research into the company via their website or social media channels to help you better understand their culture and purpose.

2. You should focus on both core and technical skills

If you’re a little concerned that you lack some of the technical experience the interviewer is looking for, emphasise the core, transferable skills that make you an asset. This could be your adaptability, or the speed at which you pick up new technical skills – wherever possible, use past examples to back up your claim.

3. Think about what makes you unique

Your interview is an ideal – and possibly your only – opportunity to stand out from other applicants, so try to make sure your list of strengths sets you apart. Simply listing off multiple, somewhat unoriginal adjectives – ‘hard-working’, ‘creative’, ‘good at problem-solving’ – will likely not impress the interviewer, so reframe a generic skill to make the response as specific as possible. For example, instead of telling them you’re a good communicator, cite your aptitude at public speaking or presenting to clients. 

4. Back your points up with examples

Once you’ve chosen your strengths, break them down – providing a real-life example of where you used them, the impact this made on an outcome, and how you enjoyed applying these strengths and seeing the benefits.

Answering the question: “what are your weaknesses?”

This is the part of the question that’s more likely to cause alarm. Remember though, that if answered correctly, it’s a chance to impress. The key is not to self-sabotage by making an employer think you might lack the skills required, but to demonstrate self-awareness, which is crucial for growing and improving as a professional. Remember these points when talking about your weaknesses:

1. Be authentic

Ownership is essential when tackling this question. Using it as an opportunity to blame others for any perceived failings will not win your prospective employer over. You should emphasise how willing you are to improve and work on yourself. Avoid cliches such as ‘I’m a perfectionist’ – these are just strengths in disguise.

2. Strike a balance

It’s possible to be too honest when answering this question – you don’t want the interviewer to think you aren’t up to the role. But we’re all human, and it’s inevitable that you’ll struggle with some of the challenges the new job will present. Explaining how you’ve drawn on your inner resources to overcome previous hurdles will help showcase the fact that you’re prepared to take lessons on board – a quality employers value highly.

3. Showcase your willingness to learn

Ideally, use an example from a previous role to demonstrate how you’re working on a weakness or how you’ve overcome a problem. Avoid using descriptors that sound too negative, such as ‘failure’ or ‘substandard’, which might – even subconsciously – make an unfavourable impression on the interviewer. Instead, explain that a task or project could have gone more smoothly, or you would like to have seen better results, before going on to explain what you would do differently next time. This demonstrates that you hold yourself to high standards and are willing to take accountability.

4. Choose something that’s not key to the job

As it’s important that the strengths you list tally with those in the job description, so too is it that your weaknesses steer clear of these. It’s therefore a good idea to mention challenges that aren’t core to the job’s responsibilities, and once again research will help you here. The greater your understanding of what you’ll need to succeed at an organisation, the more you’ll know what’s irrelevant. 

Sample answer to “what are your strengths and weaknesses?”

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