Overview

During an interview, employers want to see if applicants can strike the right balance between humility and confidence. Hiring managers also want to get a sense of how honest and self-aware you are and align your strengths to the role at hand.

Sample answer 1

By Gene F., Hiring Manager

What I bring to the team is a strong record in relationship building.

I'm happiest when I'm engaging and strategizing about how we can help one another. I find that in sales, some people can be overly transactional. I think my superpower is in establishing more meaningful connections.

I've gotten strong feedback in the past. For example, a client once said I was the best business development person he'd ever met.

These types of connections have turned into big sales wins. For example, I doubled my client base last year and outperformed my peers by 40%. And it's probably relevant to share that I started in that role without any contacts in the field.

Today, there isn't a Fortune 100 company that doesn't know about the product I sold last.

Why this answer worked well:

• She was specific and shared real numbers.
• She stayed relevant. The experience and the story all came together, and she supported it all with numbers.

Sample answer 2

By Marketing & Brand Manager Professional

My greatest strength is strategic thinking. I can often spot patterns and issues and create alternatives before my teammates even realize there is an issue.

The way this shows up in my work experience is through risk mitigation. For example, I was starting a new project with a new team in an industry I had never worked in before. However, the team seemed to think that the project was very straightforward and didn’t even really need a project manager to help them.

We kicked off the project by creating a charter and social contract and reviewing the risks. We got halfway through the project and realized the requirements were ambiguous, and we weren’t delivering what the client really wanted. I had picked up on some subtle cues that this was the case and had already taken the initiative to meet with the client to clarify the requirements.

I presented my findings to the team and showed three alternatives to our existing plan to accommodate the updated requirements. From my team’s point of view, I was able to bring solutions to the problem conversation, and we didn’t lose any time with the project timeline. It was a win-win!

Why this answer worked well:

• The candidate demonstrated the ability to detect issues and opportunities early.
• The example showed a willingness to take the initiative to improve clarity and process.
  

Sample answer 3

By Business Portfolio Manager Professional

Over the last several years, I’ve realized my strength as an analytical thinker who is extremely thorough and organized.

In my current role, I run multiple 360 marketing campaigns and ads across social touchpoints — all at the same time. So it’s essential to consolidate all the campaign results together and across different channels to see which platform actually generates the highest ROI.

I’ve been able to boost past projects' success by looking at weekly and monthly results to build cumulative results and identify where incremental results lie. This type of modeling requires analytical acumen to read the numbers quickly and make strong, informed marketing investments.

One big project I have been working on for a year is about understanding the marketing budget efficiency. Running ads simultaneously on social media has made it hard to attribute the growth to these channels. I work closely with the sales reps from these companies and also third-party vendors to understand how these platforms attribute the conversions.

With all the data points consolidated, I was able to calculate the real ROI of these platforms and thus saved the company 25% cost in marketing spend.

Why this answer worked well:

• The candidate provided clear examples to illustrate why analytical thinking and organizational skills are strengths.
• The answer included enough details (such as metrics evaluation and optimization) to demonstrate expertise.
• The candidate showed how their strengths had directly benefited their employer

Sample answer 4

By Data Engineering Analyst Professional

My greatest strength is that I am equally at ease when talking to executives, business users, and engineers.

I come from an engineering background but have a very strong understanding of the business. This well-rounded view allows me to connect with colleagues from disparate departments and points of view quickly and authentically.

I also have the ability to see the big, strategic picture, while not losing sight of the nuts and bolts. I can create and execute a strategy at a high level while also understanding the execution difficulties at an engineering level.

Over the course of my career, I have found that many leaders generally do one or the other, and my ability to do both has proven advantageous to my projects and teams.

By understanding the challenges from multiple angles, I’m able to connect the dots and create solutions. This is evidenced by my track record of building high-performance teams and managing them.

Why this answer worked well:

• The candidate demonstrated the ability to understand the big pictures beyond his immediate area of expertise.
• The answer highlighted the candidate’s ability to contribute at higher strategy and executive levels.

Answer Framework

When responding to this question, you want to sound humble and not like you’re arrogant or bragging. So here are some tips to help you give them a great answer.

Describe a relevant experience.

If you're applying for a sales job, tell a story about a time when you helped a customer solve a problem with your solution.

Give specific details.

You need to share facts with them as it helps them visualize how effective you have been. Tell them about a time you closed a deal that helped you hit a percentage of your annual number.

Show them you’re a well-rounded person.

For example, share a story of when you used a “soft” skill, like effective communication with a co-worker, and then one about you using a technical skill, which could be anything asked for in the job description.

Tips

• Employers are looking for self-awareness and personal accountability.
• It’s good to be honest about what you’re not great at.
• Share what you are doing to improve on this weakness actively.