When one thinks of strength, force comes to mind. In www.dictionary.com, there are several
definitions of force including:
persuasive power; power to convince:
“They felt the force of his arguments”.
The previous article looked at SWOT. To begin with strengths can be skills (hard or soft), assignments or responsibilities that we
master and accomplish well.
Hard skills are measurable
such as those acquired at school/university/work: IT proficiency,
Accounting and Languages.
Soft skills are subjective and difficult to measure such as adaptability, problem solving and
communication.
INTERVIEW QUESTION: WHAT ARE
YOUR STRENGHTS?
“What are your strengths” is a question that comes up frequently during a
job interview. It is a straightforward and standard question. Therefore, we don’t
reflect on this as much as we should. During an interview and off the top of the head, examples such as honesty and enthusiasm are provided. By providing these examples, we may believe that we
have responded to the question. However, despite the fact these are desirable
skills that employers seek, it does not tell the interviewer/future employer much about the other skills you possess for the position in question.
As you can note from the above, it is important to prepare in advance for this question, which should entail reflecting on and
writing down “what are my skills/what I am good at”, as well as looking closely at the skill sets required in the Job
Description. Do not hesitate in asking close friends what they consider to be your strengths. We
tend to think we know ourselves better than others do! However, there may be
differences in how we perceive ourselves and how others see us!
SELF AWARNESS IN A PERSONAL
CONTEXT
Knowing your strengths can also help you in a personal context. It can give
you confidence in your capabilities and when to decline or accept a
proposal where you feel you don’t have the necessary skills.
CONCLUSION
No matter how many interviews you have had in the past, each new one needs
to be prepared. Develop and communicate your answers in coherence with your
skills and the job requirements, as well as giving concrete examples for each strength.
To help in your reflection, examples of skills are: leadership, action orientated, written
and oral communication skills, creative and team player.
Take the time to identify and
know your strengths. If you have identified a future objective where you lack some of the necessary skills, take the time as an Expat Accompanying
Partner to develop these skills.
