What Are Your Strengths? How to Answer This Interview Question

"What are your strengths?" is one of the most common—and important—questions you'll face in a job interview. Your answer gives you the chance to highlight your most valuable qualities and show how you can make a real impact in the role.

Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?

Interviewers want to:

• Assess whether your strengths align with the job requirements and company needs
• Evaluate your self-awareness and ability to articulate your capabilities
• Gauge how your strengths could contribute to the team and organization

What Are They Looking For?

When you answer, interviewers are assessing:

• Relevance of your strengths to the role
• Ability to provide concrete, specific examples
• Self-awareness and authenticity
• Confidence without arrogance
• Professional communication and clarity

How to Structure Your Answer

A strong answer follows this structure:

1. Choose Relevant Strengths

Pick 2-3 strengths that are most relevant to the job. Make sure they align with the key requirements in the job description.

2. Support Each Strength with an Example

For each strength, provide a specific example or achievement that demonstrates it in action. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your story.

3. Connect to the Role

Explain how these strengths will help you succeed and add value in the new position.

Example Answer

"One of my key strengths is project management. In my previous role, I led a cross-functional team to deliver a major product launch two weeks ahead of schedule, which increased revenue by 15%. I'm also highly analytical—I love digging into data to find insights. For example, I developed a reporting dashboard that helped my team identify and resolve bottlenecks, improving our workflow efficiency by 20%. I believe these strengths will help me drive results and contribute to your team's success."

Tips for a Great Response

• Research the role and align your strengths with what the employer is seeking
• Use the STAR method to provide concrete, memorable examples
• Focus on professional strengths, not just personal qualities
• Quantify your impact when possible
• Be specific—avoid generic terms like "hard worker"
• Prepare 2-3 strengths with supporting stories
• Stay relevant to the job you're interviewing for

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too generic (e.g., "I'm a hard worker")
• Listing too many strengths without depth
• Not providing specific examples
• Choosing strengths irrelevant to the role
• Being overly modest or too boastful