What is your best answer to “What is your greatest strength?” – and what is not.
Sure: In contrast to killer questions such as your own weaknesses, the question of your greatest strengths in the interview seems downright harmless. And in fact, there is a good chance of making a decent impression here with a few clever sentences.
But that doesn’t mean that the question “What are your greatest strengths” is easy to answer. The mean thing: The line between a self-confident and an arrogant response is very thin. Here are four examples of how most applicants mess up the question of their greatest strengths – and specific tips on how to do better.
You only leave empty phrases
“I’m known for putting the cards on the table. I am also authentic, transparent, and always open to new ideas. ”Well, do you notice anything? These statements are pretty interchangeable, aren’t they? “There is no need to list empty phrases – and you can see right through them,” says the Swiss business psychologist Filiz Scarcella, who works as a coach and mentor. The indiscriminate listing of strengths for the HR manager or later the boss in the conversation could also have any effect.
This is how it works better: Executive Coach Gudrun Happich recommends naming a specific strength and then using an example to prove it. “If, for example, creativity is important in your future task, it is of little help if you come up with a tendency towards number fetishism,” says Happich.
Example: “I am very reliable. That sounds general, so I would like to fix it to a specific situation: If I am contacted by email by a colleague and asked for help, I answer within twelve hours and make a suggestion for a phone call or meeting. If someone doesn’t hear from me after a week, I’ll get the feedback as to whether I’m sick, because this behavior is extremely untypical for me. “
Your greatest strength is not job relevant
If you looked closely, you could already read from the first example: When making the first rough selection – as bitter as it may be for your own talents – only job-relevant strengths should be mentioned. “Applicants shouldn’t underestimate how they identify with their next employer,” explains Scarcella.
This is how it works better: As an applicant, you should ask yourself beforehand for each strength you want to name: (How) does my greatest strength fit the company and the position for which I am applying? Indications of what the company expects are provided
- the specific job advertisement,
- the career page of the company,
- Conversations with (former) employees.
For example: “I heard that you are a company that values communication. Communication always includes listening. In conversations, my team colleagues have often told me that I am paying the right amount of attention to your concerns. For example, an employee once said to me in an annual interview: “With you, I feel really understood and taken seriously. You listen to me and give me valuable impulses and ideas. “That was a great confirmation of my leadership work.”
You cannot give any examples
Are you a great team player? Have a lot of empathy? Good for you. And when was the last time you proved that? You should be prepared for such questions when naming your greatest strength. “Living examples are half the battle when it comes to asking about your own strengths,” says Coach Happich.
This is how it works better: In order to never forget an example or an anecdote as evidence of the greatest strength, application expert Happich advises having an answer scheme in mind that says: “I am …”, “I can …” – and “This has been shown in the following situation …” This triad can be practiced well before an interview and to a certain extent forces you to cite a concrete example as evidence.
- The “I am” should reflect your previous position and experience.
- The “I can” emphasize the concrete strength.
- And the sentence “This has been shown in the following situation” then introduces the concrete example.
You’re falling into the friend trap
Perhaps you yourself have already started a sentence with the words “Well, my friends always say about me…” in the interview. As quickly as this reference is established, friends or family have no place as key witnesses for your greatest strength in the interview.
“Most people behave a bit differently in their private lives than at work,” explains Coach Happich. “That is why friends and family often attribute strengths to you that do not appear professionally or are simply irrelevant.”
This is how it works better: Sure, very few applicants like to pat themselves on the shoulder. In this respect, using other people as a reference is absolutely legitimate and strengthens their credibility. “On a professional level, however, it makes more sense to refer to former colleagues, project employees or superiors instead of involving the private environment in the matter,” says business psychologist Scarcella.
Example: “After an important meeting with a customer, my last boss confirmed to me that I am very good at approaching people openly and communicating.” no longer praise yourself about the green clover.
Because one thing also applies to the question of the greatest strength: the course of the conversation at this point is clearly determined by the applicants.
