Strengths and Weaknesses

Okay, let’s be honest. If you’ve ever been asked the following question, be it by an interviewer, teacher, or friend, have you answered genuinely?

“What do you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses?”

I think it’s quite normal to lie when faced with this question. Why would you want anyone to know your weaknesses? Surely that just damages your image or your chances of getting the job? Right?

I have always had a set answer prepared for whenever I would be asked this question. Of course, the strength was genuine, but the weakness was a merely a strength that I had twisted to sound like a challenge.

Essentially a dishonest answer, yet I understand why I used to twist the truth. It takes vulnerability to be honest, you have to be prepared to be rejected based on the answer that you give.

In my last semester of university, I had to do a group project with 3 girls from my class. We would be marked as a group for the final task, therefore, it was in everyone’s best interest to work to the unique strengths of each person.

The project highlighted some aspects of my personality that I was already very aware of, such as my sense of organisation. For this reason, I took on a role that involved planning and structuring our workload.

However, I similarly discovered elements of my character that I had never really paid attention to. Probably because I did not want to, as these were the characteristics and skills that I would class as my ‘weaknesses’.

More recently, I’ve had some very interesting conversations with influential people in the marketing industry. I have tried a different approach and been honest when faced with this question, exposing the skills that I wish I could be better at.

Doing so has taught me a great deal. Vocalising your insecurities can be a very empowering experience and can often help you to identify the reasons why you are ‘weaker’ in said areas.

I am now more aware than ever of the skills that I would like to improve on, but I am equally now clearer on exactly how to better myself in these areas.

If I could give any advice this week, it would be to reflect on yourself.

Be honest with yourself – What am I good at? What do I feel insecure about? You need to identify your genuine strengths and weaknesses and try to understand why they fall into each category before you can vocalise these to others.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself in the process – we’re all still learning all of the time!