Take precaution that what you say can and will be used against you from this point on. The reality is that from the moment you enter an interview, actions speak just as loud or even louder than your words. Hence, when given the opportunity to talk about yourself, you have to speak as though you are debunking every assumption someone could make about you. This makes explaining your strengths and weaknesses even more challenging because being completely honest is vital.

Preparing for this question ahead of time will alleviate mental pangs and prevent a dumbfounded look from gracing your features. Refrain from actually scripting out an answer for this specific question. Instead, incorporate fragments of your response to this question throughout the entire interview.

The goal is to portray that you know yourself by giving glimpses of what you can and cannot do. Conveying this alters the atmosphere in your favour. Now you appear dependable and reliable because you radiate self-confidence.  Before you can get to this point, you must take the time to map out what your actual professional strengths and weakness are.  Just in case you do not know what is considered a professional strength or weakness, we included some examples below to get you started.

Examples of professional weaknesses:

·     Having little to no confidence

Lacking confidence can be fairly detrimental in the workspace. It may interfere with the quality of your work by causing you to doubt your capabilities. This may result in work being turned in late or done incorrectly. Also, this might make you avoid interacting with coworkers, who could possibly help you.

·     Not having enough experience

When lacking experience remember to be honest upfront. Self-evaluate where you fall short and inform people around you. This way you avoid sticky situations. Be sure to express your ability to prevail over this. The same goes if you find an aspect of the job difficult to understand or perform.

Some other weakness:

·     Overly critical

·     Procrastination

·     Easily distracted

·     Slow worker

·     Shy

·     Disorganized

Examples of professional strengths

·     Being a Team player

Knowing how to collaborate with others is a profound skill, for it helps you effectively perform at and navigate around the workplace.

·     Having Technical Skills

Knowing software, being able to type fast, writing, editing, and etc. Anything you do well related to the job can be a skill.

Some other strengths:

·     Detail-oriented

·     Creativity

·     Innovative

·     Empathetic

·     Adaptable

·     Patient

·     Enthusiastic

After logging your strengths and weaknesses, try including them in the past experiences or instances at previous jobs you plan on sharing during the interview.

Remember what you say is a critical deciding factor on whether you move forward or not. Now you have the power to dictate which way the ball rolls.