Interviews are a great way for employers to see what kind of person is trying to apply for a job opening. It is their best opportunity to find out why they should be considered and see how they can help the company in the long run.
If you are due for an interview soon, it is important that you are able to showcase your personal strengths to your prospective employer. If you don’t know how, here are some tips to help you out:
Ask yourself what your strengths are
Before your interview, always make it a point to find out what your strengths are. List down all the activities that you find easy to do and how you are able to excel in them.
You can also use feedback from your old work to find out which skills they admire about you and improve on those they gave negative feedback on. If you need some more help, you can use tests online that can determine your strengths.
Once you find out which are your personal strengths, it will be easy for you to adapt to what the employers need.
My strengths are
- High Emotional Intelligence
- Great Communication Skills
- Adaptability
- Inspiring
- Dedication
- Disciplined
- Intuitive
- Among many others
So what are your strengths?
Prep a good introduction about yourself
When you are taking your interview, the first thing that they will ask are facts about you. This helps them identify what kind of qualities you didn’t mention in the resume.
During this time, you can immediately indicate your strengths which you didn’t write directly on your resume.
Areas you can talk about:
- Your previous work experiences (in general)
- Your work ethics and beliefs
- Your passion or motto in life
- What you do outside work ie. sports, hobbies (keep it short and sweet)
Then try to link these to your strengths. For example, one of my strengths is being disciplined and outside of work, I keep an active blog which I am disciplined to produce and publish one article a day to interact and engage with my audience.
List down your strengths and give them stories
Once they ask you about your strengths, support them with personal stories that will showcase your experience. You can answer the question directly and then share your experience where it helped you immensely.
A great tip before you do your interview is think of how you can answer this specific question and identify the best story to support it. Look at the job description to get some ideas on how you can adjust the answers to fit the interview.
Another example, one of my other strengths is inspiring. I have been a manager leading different sized teams for the past 20 years in different industries. From a small team of 3 people to a group of 50 team members under me, I am able to bring out the best results from my team.
Quality first than quantity
If you want to show to your future employer that you are the right person for the, you must be able to show them your strengths which will support you throughout your job.
In your resume and during the interview, list the three major strengths that you think can help you rather than just listing them. You can then support it with stories as mentioned above.
A good example is to link back your strengths to the job scope like if I am applying for a position in customer service, being communicative and intuitive will help me to relate to the customer and solve his problem within the same call.
Use unique responses to regular interview questions
Employers often use the same generic questions to find out if a job applicant has what it takes to be employed in the company.
Check online what kind of questions your industry will ask and prepare your answers accordingly. Importantly, you’ve got to be yourself. It will definitely help you with the nerves in case you find it hard to answer questions on the spot!
Conclusion
Making the best showing in an interview is not really difficult if you prepare well and give honest answers. When you do, the hiring manager or employer will definitely notice your efforts and consider you for the job. Try out the tips I listed above and you will be able to handle any interview that passes your way. Good luck!
To score an interview, you need to check these tips out:
How to Handle One-Way Video Job Interviews
10 Questions You Should Absolutely Ask an Interviewer
Best Ways to Prep for your Dream Job Interview
8 Types of Interview You Will Come Across In Your Lifetime
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MiddleMe 
These are very good tips, being yourself/sharing stories helps the interview process a lot. I used to interview well, back then you were hired on the spot. Then after being stuck in a bad work environment where no one got promotions, I seemed to lose the ability, I would act nervous and rush through questions. I think the hardest aspect is nervousness but having a sense of humor can help lighten the tension.
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You still can interview well. You “lost” your ability when you lost confidence. Give that ego a big boost and your ability will come back! Thank you and have a wonderful Friday.
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Reblogged this on worldtraveller70.
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Thank you for sharing this out with your readers.
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Learning post 😊
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Thank you and have a wonderful Friday.
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In many ways, I am pleased to leave that world behind now I am far too old to worry about interviews. I could have done with your advice when I was younger though!
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Ah, I wish I will one day reach at age where I no longer need to interview but I am only halfway there. Thank you for sharing this out, Jenanita.
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Our pleasure, Kally!
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Sorry I forgot, it is not one person but two beautiful ladies, Anita and Jaye.
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Aaw, shucks!
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie ~ Authors.
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Good tips!
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Thank you and have a wonderful Friday.
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I see this as some great information on how to share oneself that can be used in a lot of different scenarios. Thanks.
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I hope this will help those who lost their jobs due to this pandemic to quickly find a new one. Thank you, Bryan, have a beautiful weekend.
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These are great tips Kally and very similar to those I used to give to my sons. They already have your resume so they know you have the skills they need, they now want to check that you’re a good fit for the company/organisation. So as Kally’s said, add your stories to your answers. You need to be able to say
We had one nurse who, when interviewed for promotion would only say things like “I am dedicated (she was) and skilled and have knowledge (nope), I’m good at talking (I think she meant communicating) and I’m good at my job (she wasn’t, sadly), and I think quick!” Hmmm.
When asked to elaborate, she’d go through the same thing again – lol.
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Lol! Yep, when interviewers asked to elaborate, we can see loopholes through the stories! Stories are important because it not only provide examples that relates back to the skills but also to make the candidate more personable and easier for the hiring manager to relate to.
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I have to be honest, I hated interviews for promotion within the same unit – they always picked their friends for the jobs despite the fact that I was acting manager on all the worst wards,. I worked with the teams to improve the ward then Nurse Directors gave the post to someone else 🙁
I always had the last laugh 🙂
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Dear Kally, I LOVED this one!!!!!!!
[ 1] I would caution applicants though; NEVER lie or exaggerate (It WILL come back to haunt) Set reasonable expectations.
[2] While being factual; do so honestly and modestly (THAT will really impress them)
[3] True story telling is an excellent tool for being chosen
[4] PREP for the interview. Think of all the questions they might ask (write them out); and then write out how you might answer them (always as briefly as practical).
For example: a frequent request from an interviewer is to began by asking: TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF… This CAN and ought to be your opportunity to shine: share a brief bio; and be long on your experiences and successes.
What ever you invest in preparation WILL pay dividend’s
Another common question relates to your expected wages;
Prior to the interview; do some homework -research on what the position your seeking pays…. This information IS available with some diligence on your part. And have in mind the lowest figure that you would accept…. As a rule; ask for a number higher than you’d accept and see how that play’s.
[5] Be prepared to ask THEM questions; questions that indicate the you have invested some time in researching the company your interviewing with.
[6] Have THEM CLEARLY EXPLAIN THE JOB; ITS RESPONSIBILITES & DUTIES; and growth opportunities.
[7] Nothing will be more effective than a sincere and FREQUENT smile; and looking them straight in the eyes whenever you REPLY to a question.
God’s speed!
Patrick
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You are just full of wisdom, my friend. And I love that you always share your thoughts with us. Through your comment, you have added more value to this article. You’re amazing, Patrick! Thank you and stay always so wise.
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Thank you for another great posting, with very interesting points. Its so true, at first to realize what power we have ourselves. Selfconfidence is the first ever. Stay well, be save, but dont forget enjoying the weekend, Kally. Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you so much, Michael. Please take care and stay blessed.
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Thank you very much,for your kindness too, Kally! Please stay save too. Big hugs and blessings. Michael
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Thank you Kally, I should learn this article by heart 🙂
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You’re most welcome, Paola. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Wisely written 🧘
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Thank you so much for your comment! Have a great day. Remember while staying safe, keep smiling!
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Keep smiling too💕💕🥰
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Thanks for the tips! Interviews can be so nerve-wracking when you’re not prepared.
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I know right. You’re most welcome.
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When you think about interviews
you think about employers
wanting to hire employees
skills count and so do a positive personality
qualified skills comprising a positve personality
will no doubt make you an employee!”
By: Van Prince
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Wise words. I’m glad you enjoy this post. Have an awesome week, Van Prince!
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Pricelesspost, Kally!
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I was once told by a boss that I had to “toot my own horn, because others may not find the horn button”. It was difficult at first to appear to brag, but by the end of my career, my comment was, “If you want to know how good I am, just ask.” People have to continually evaluate themselves and their performance. They will soon be able to see their strengths. Allan
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Thank you, Allan for sharing such wonderful advice. Here is a similar article to your advice “toot your own horn”: https://middleme.net/2020/03/04/why-do-women-undersell-themselves-at-work/
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