The three most dreaded interview questions are also the most common ones:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me about your strengths.
3. Tell me about your weaknesses.

The good news is, since they are so frequently asked, you can have answers ready so they don’t trip you up!

Tell me about yourself.

“Tell me about yourself” is really asking “Tell me about why I should hire you.”

It is your opportunity to put your best foot forward. It is your marketing pitch and most of the time it should not start with personal information.

It is the time to talk about your background, experiences, skills and why you are interested in this position. It must be a tightly woven presentation that speaks to the needs of the interviewer.

Compose (it will likely take several drafts) and practice it so it flows comfortably and tweak it for each position as necessary.

Tell me about your strengths.

This question may be a little easier for you to compose but remember a couple of things. There are lots of different kinds of skills. You have soft skills such as communication skills, the ability to work well on a team, etc. You also have technical or subject matter expertise such as accounting, project management or counseling skills. Frame your response appropriately and most important, give a concise supporting example. “During my most recent employment, I was recognized by my manager for having a 95% excellent rating by customers during follow-up surveys. This demonstrated my active listening skills, effective communication skills as well as my ability to resolve problems.”

Tell me about your weaknesses.

This is the trickiest of all the questions. We all have weaknesses. This question should not be responded with the “I am a perfectionist” answer – interviewers have heard this before! Recruiters are very attuned to these overused responses. Consider the job and the responsibilities that are required. Think about an area that you might want to become more of an expert in. Be careful! You don’t want this to be a significant responsibility of the job. If you are seeking a position in accounting, it wouldn’t make sense to say you struggle with numbers. Be honest but make sure you don’t eliminate yourself from consideration.

If it has been a while since you interviewed or you want to practice your interviewing skills boost your confidence, contact Chrystal Nova. Her clients are glad they did!