Sell yourself! This is not the time to be humble, but you have to be confident without sounding arrogant. Think of true, concrete strengths that you can tie into an example. Saying you are dynamic in a monotone voice will worry an employer about what else you are lying about, plus it’s an answer they hear time and time again.
•“I am very good at reading people, which has greatly helped me in interactions and meetings with peers and clients.”
•”I am a good listener and often, in meetings, others will come up with ideas and I can tell when I should promote my idea and when I should encourage someone else to take the lead. People appreciate this give-and-take nature in communications and dealings with me.”
Saying that your biggest weakness is that you are a perfectionist comes across as insincere – employers have heard the same canned answers from hundreds of candidates. Be yourself and be memorable. Spin your weaknesses into strengths or show how you have improved upon them.
•“I am a very impatient person, which is one of my greatest weaknesses, but it is also my greatest strength. I like getting things done quickly, efficiently and properly the first time. My body language sometimes shows that I am impatient, for example, when I am waiting for people who are late to a meeting. But I have learned to bring reading materials, extra work, etc., with me so I have something else to focus on when I am feeling impatient.”
