Job interview questions and answers (Part 4): What are your strengths?
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This week’s job search tip is going to concentrate on the job interview question, “What are your strengths?” We’re going to look at it from a couple different angles and give you some good examples and bad examples on how to answer this job interview question. That’s coming up!
Hey guys! I’m Kim with Snagajob and welcome to Job Hunters, our weekly job tips show. Today we’re going to talk about the job interview question, “What are your strengths?” This is a very common job interview question and you’ll usually get it at the beginning of your job interview, so you’ll want to make sure that you have something to tell them.
Now it may be really tempting to answer with a fun talent you have but you won’t be telling the employer what they’re really looking for. What employers want to know is if you have the strengths and skills that go with this position.
For example, if the job has you working with customers, focus on your people skills and problem solving skills.
Example:
“One of my biggest strengths is my people skills. Introducing myself and starting conversations is no problem for me at all. Also, my experience has given me the time management skills that are required for this position. I understand that deadlines need to be met and I will go above and beyond to make that happen.”
If the job has you working in the back of the house, talk about your organization skills and your attention to detail.
Example:
“Organization is my thing. I’m one of those people who can’t stand to see a mess all over the place and will find ways to keep everything organized. This requires an attention to detail. I like to keep a close eye on things to make sure that everything is in its place and that nothing slips through the cracks.”
If you want to go above and beyond in your answers, you can always give the interviewer an example of how you have used your strengths in a job or task.
If you feel like you don’t really have any strengths to offer, think about things that you do outside of work that can be used in the position. For example, if you’re an athlete, you can say that you’re very dedicated and disciplined. If you like to build things, you can say that you’re very good at working with your hands.
So while this question may seem a little scary, if you prepare, it can really help you in your job interview. Just pick two strengths that you have that will make you a good fit for the position and tell your interviewer about them. You got this!
Thanks for joining us today. Please Like this video if you found this video helpful so we know to keep making more videos around this topic. If there’s a particular job interview question that stumps you or if you have a particular question about your job search, feel free to ask your question in the Comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer your question.
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I have a interview with Michael's Arts and Craft store today I'm a little nervous
I don't know why but I just messed my interview up today. I've never felt so crap about myself since I really did all I could to practice and I felt really confident before going in. I wanted this job so much but idk, I don't blame them if they don't consider me.
What if you have no job experience?
What if you have no job experience?
This is literally the dumbest interview question ever. I hate it so much, because I hate boasting.
i have my first job interview tomorrow and im so scared tbh
there's a sad smelly spider that has no sense of humor who talks and eats poop. 🙂 I find this tips very fun and helpful. Thanks Kim.
these videos are really helpful but the guy and girl going over the wrong things to say. annoying. lol
Hi, Snagajob! I am having an interview next week. I applied to UPS as a package handler and wanted to know what strengths should I tell them about. Thanks!
Bla, bla, bla skip the bullshit. The video starts at 1:05
Ive applied in call center industry unfortunately wasnt able to land a job. Met this question. How would i answer this? "Give me one quality that you have which will make me NOT hire you." Thank you in advance
I have a diifcuilt question answers?
Have your ever disagreed with your immediate supervisor? How did you resolve
I like you KIm, you are nice and funny!
It's a tough environment out there. I know because I have been on countless interviews spanning nearly a year, and the reasons for this comes down to two.
# 1: I was fired from my last job. Because someone was fired they have a lesser chance of landing a job for another company. The question "Why did you leave your last job" is often a question the interviewers desire, and the interviewees despise. Being fired eliminates unemployment opportunities and puts one into a difficult situation. Being enthusiastic and mindful can help in a job interview.
# 2: Lack of skills and experience. I have come to the conclusion that the group most likely to land a job is those in their 30s-40s who have gained at least a decade's worth of work and experience. They have a very strong background work ethic and have spent years working towards their goals and are able to achieve them. Being in the middle age group they are the ones that can strive.
Kids just out of high school/college and people in their late 20s like myself are often on the short end of the stick simply because we lack the skills necessary to land a good job. Kids who never had an interview or have had very little interviews in their lifetime have it tough. It takes a lot of practice and determination to be good in an interview. This I know about because I did not know how to setup myself up to look good and act good in front of a group of interviewers. I had to do a bit of research along with getting help from family members before I had a clear idea of how I was going to answer a difficult interview question.
People in their 50s-60s/70s and so on are on the short end of the stick as well because for most employers, they are simply overqualified. It's possible to fail an interview because you have TOO MUCH experience. Of course there are exceptions to this, but I often find that companies prefer someone who is middle aged with the right tools to perform a job, instead of someone who is aging and has been in the job workforce for several decades.
——
What landed me a job eventually was applying for at least 10-12 jobs a day. If you want to be in the workforce soon be prepared to spend 3-5 hours a day submitting your resume to 10-12 different jobs. For every job you hear back from there are probably at least 8-9 other jobs you applied for that won't even look at your resume. Resumes are simply tossed out if there's too many of them, because nobody has the time to look through them all because they have other job duties to perform. For all those jobs you heard back from no more than half of them will consider hiring you.
So yes, it's a very tough environment out there. A great comment to consider to yourself in a job interview is "Looking for a job is a full time job in itself". Sure a few hours a day might not seem much, but you might have to travel 20-30 miles to a destination just to submit an application. Some places are still like that.
Be strong. Don't give up.
i need help with question tell about yourself.i work in a retail store so what should i say?
Thankyou!, I've been out of the workforce for some time now, and this has been a really huge help!, hope u have more?!,,, lol, its great thanks!, ?
i wish that snagajob would even put a list of office assistance or even internerships for techology with computers
'Describe a situation in which you solved a problem with the help of your coworkers. How did working with others help solve the problem?' I get asked things like this for coffee shop jobs. What I should say to this?
I AM NOT A PEOPLE PERSON THOUGH. For my weakness I was going to say that I am not a good public speaker 🙁 . I guess for my strengths I will say that "I am self motivated, I like to be complete and thorough, I value a job well done and I pay attention to detail. I am very organized which I have displayed both in College assignments and at my last job where it was important to label and date things correctly and to remember customer orders. I feel that being organized and self motivated and thorough is important for this position which I have applied for"
Great answers. Thank you for the info.
Thank you Snagajob for these interview questions and responses, I just started watching the a few days ago and I got a job with New York Life today.
This helps so much! 🙂 Thank you snagajob! :)
Hi, Andrew! Have you tried following up?
I had two interview with the same job & they said they would call me back within a week. A week pass & i dont know what to do! Advice please?
We're really honored to make your subscribe list! Thanks so much! :)