I get asked this question a lot, and typically I get no other information – no industry, no experience, nada. Yet, people who ask this full expect me to come up with “the right answer” to a very personalized interview question. It seems that many jobseekers out there are looking for the magic bullet answers that will get them past the interview to the offer stage.
I get asked this question a lot, and typically I get no other information – no industry, no experience, nada. Yet, people who ask this full expect me to come up with “the right answer” to a very personalized interview question. It seems that many jobseekers out there are looking for the magic bullet answers that will get them past the interview to the offer stage.
The reality is that there are no magic bullet answers. The best interview response is always comprised of two parts: something authentic about you; and something relevant to the company/ job in question. In the case of strengths, this means that your strength must be true about you and must be a requirement of the job. People have many strengths. Choose the one that fits the job in question. If you are good with numbers and have a great sense of humor, choose the numbers one for that analytical job. For weaknesses, choose one that is true but that is not a dealbreaker for the job. If you have limited experience with numbers and get flustered in new social situations, don’t choose the numbers one for that analytical job.
Furthermore, you need to be truthful – i.e., you need to back up your statement with concrete examples. In the case of strengths, it would be ideal to show how your strength came into play to add to the bottom line. In the case of weaknesses, share exactly how the weakness manifested itself (but use an innocuous example and not a career-ending snafu). Be prepared to talk about how you are developing your weaknesses and why it won’t be an issue for this next job.
In other words, like all aspects of the job search, interview skills take work. You need to do some introspection. You need to research your targets. You need to find a way to sell your target on the benefits of you. The magic bullet of interviewing is not specific answers, but rather self-awareness, research, practice, and hard work.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
