Interview Questions About Strengths and Job Performance

In a job interview, the interview questions about strengths and how they enhance your performance do not fail to pop up. Interviewers often ask this question to gauge whether you are qualified for the position. In addition to this, they also want to find out how much information you know about the company. Therefore, you must present your answers well. You can achieve this by following the checklist discussed below.

Checklist for interview questions about strengths and job performance

Making your answers precise

A good answer to this question will show how your strengths will enable you to be of great help to the company. It also shows what you will be able to contribute to the company. When answering this question, you need to relate your answers to the job description. You can use your past experiences to show how your strengths helped improve your job performance at your workplace.

Make sure that you study your job description intensively. Take note of the specific skills required for the job position. Think of an occurrence in which you exhibited these skills. It is also essential that you pay attention to the role you will be undertaking.

 Use the right tone

When being interviewed, be careful to set the right tone. There are instances whereby an interviewer may ask you to boast a little about yourself. The goal here is to display a gracious amount of self-confidence but do not overdo it. The best way to approach the question is to practice your answers about your strengths before the interview. Take this time to demonstrate how your strengths meet the requirements the employer needs for the job and how you can be a great asset to the company.

Example answers to interview questions about strengths and job performance

• ‘Being able to fixate my mind on a given task and complete it within the stipulated time is my greatest strength. I can fully maintain my concentration on my work. This helps me to perform very well. This skill will be useful in such a busy workplace like this that is under constant pressure to meet deadlines. My focus will enable me to meet these deadlines.’
• ‘My greatest strength is my ability to work well with others. With my good communication skills, I can relate well with others and work as a team to achieve set targets. Because this job entails a lot of team projects, I believe that my communication and interpersonal skills will come in handy.’
• ‘My ability to listen and pay attention to details is one of my strongest attributes. In a working environment, I can pick on slight details, and I don’t have to be said something twice for me to grasp it. Being a good listener enables me to complete my tasks as required. I can also encourage and motivate others, which will be part of my job as head of the department.’
• ‘I am a very curious person, and I’m very interested in learning new things and people. Asking clients about their interests, where they come from, and what they do for leisure aids me in developing a personal relationship with them. This way, I can get to learn about their preferences and be able to meet their needs. I know that your company’s sales program needs someone who can be able to establish a good relationship with clients. Therefore I think that I am a good fit for this position.’

More example answers to interview questions about strengths

• ‘I believe my time management and organizational skills are my greatest strengths. I can handle several projects at a given time. At my previous job, I was selected to be in charge of team assignments due to my ability to beat deadlines and complete work on time. Being organized will greatly help me perform various tasks within the set period in this company.’
• ‘My greatest strengths are being organized and methodical. At my previous work, my role included organizing the office files making them easy to access. This means that I will be able to keep your files and records organized to save time when trying to access them.’
• ‘I am an excellent sales person. I have worked in the sales industry for ten years. In my previous work, I was awarded a bonus each year for exceeding my sales goals.’
• ‘Having a strong work ethic is one of my greatest strengths. I always complete my projects on time or sometimes ahead of schedule. I have earned several bonuses in my previous place of work due to this attribute.’

Example answers to avoid

• Do not exaggerate your answers. Rather, present your answers in a way that makes you feel comfortable. Do not be too humble, either. Coming up with a list will help you answer this question with confidence.
• Do not answer this question with a couple of fake strengths. You also do not want to appear as bossy and insolent.
• It is best not to speak for ages. Keep your answers short.

 Answers to avoid include:

• I am the most qualified candidate. People say that I am a fantastic person. I am very talented, bright, and I talk fluently.
• My greatest strengths are social media, research, reading, career development, and party planning.
• There was this one time all my co-workers strike because of low wages. The finance manager had mismanaged the company’s funds. After a while, they appointed me as the finance manager. Ever since that day, there has not been the embezzlement of funds in the company.
• I am a gifted singer and I like partying and cracking jokes. Another bad example is: I live life to the fullest and don’t take failure too seriously.

Prepare answers to related questions

After being asked about your strengths and job performance, there is a chance that you will be probed about your weaknesses. When you respond, relate the answer to the job description and mention how you will or have been improving on it.

Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!

1. Accomplishments
2. Adaptability
3. Admission
4. Behavioral
5. Career Change
6. Career Goals
7. Communication
8. Competency
9. Conflict Resolution
10. Creative Thinking
11. Cultural Fit
12. Customer Service
13. Direct
14. Experience
15. Government
16. Graduate
17. Growth Potential
18. Honesty & Integrity
19. Illegal
20. Inappropriate
21. Job Satisfaction
22. Leadership
23. Management
24. Entry-Level & No experience
25. Performance-Based
26. Personal
27. Prioritization & Time Management
28. Problem-solving
29. Salary
30. Situational & Scenario-based
31. Stress Management
32. Teamwork
33. Telephone Interview
34. Tough
35. Uncomfortable
36. Work Ethic