When asked in a job interview, “Tell me your strengths,” the interviewer has things they want to hear and things they don’t want to hear about it. Also , when you are asked about yourself in an interview, it is not easy to think and answer immediately. However, if you carefully follow and use the points that will be described now, you will be able to give a strong answer to the interviewers.
1. Choose an advantage
If you pick just one of your strengths, it’s easier to give a clear and specific answer. Therefore, choose only one of your advantages. Then provide a concise and clear answer that clearly states the main advantage. If you don’t know what skills you can use to your advantage, continue with the steps below.
2. Know in advance what you are going to say
No matter how much interview experience you have, never go unprepared. Having good answers prepared for the questions you might be asked is much better than having to think of an answer right after you get into the interview room. That’s why you should prepare in advance to discuss and answer your strengths.
3. Choose an advantage that matches the job you are applying for
When thinking about your strengths, if you choose something that fits the job you are interviewing for, you will have a better chance at that interview. Therefore, think about your strengths that will best suit the job you are applying for. Re-read the points mentioned in the job application. Then find out what the requirements of the job or what is most important to that company. For example – Is it related to high-tech business? Should we focus on leadership? In terms of service, do you have to communicate with customers who buy products? Find out whether it will be a job with good creative power.
4. Explain how your strengths will help you at work
After mentioning your strengths, be specific about how those strengths will help you succeed in your job. For example – “I/my strength is that I can pay attention to details. I always aim to be detailed and systematic in my work. It is also my/my happiness. In the job application, this position now includes a lot of work that must be done in a detailed and systematic manner. That’s why I applied for this job.”
5. Provide specific proof
As I mentioned above, if you have already mentioned your strengths and how these strengths can help you at work, it would be good if you could provide some evidence that reinforces them. Give examples of how you used that advantage in your previous job to accomplish your responsibilities. For example, “In my previous job, I managed 8 to 10 projects at the same time. Often I end up with 75 different jobs on different projects. However, due to being able to systematically process the details, we were able to hand over 100% of the projects to those using the company’s services. We were also able to complete 45% of the assigned work before the deadline.”
Now, if you’ve been told about your strengths in a job interview, I think you’ll know how to respond. Another point I would like to make is that now, as the number of foreign investment companies in Myanmar increases, English is used more in business communication. That’s why when you answer the interview, you mainly use English, so when you prepare for the interview, you want to practice preparing your answers using English. Then you are sure to get a good chance at the interview.
