How to Appreciate Your Strengths and Avoid False Assumptions About Your Weaknesses in a Job Interview
If you are looking for a personal development strategy, including a mindset shift towards acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, there are several things that you must understand. You must recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and you must develop a way to work with these weaknesses so that you can grow as a person and achieve your personal goals. Here are some basic tips on developing a strong mindset around your strengths and weaknesses:
First, you have to understand that all your skills involve communication skills. You cannot be a successful leader or teacher without good communication skills. To take another example, all your soft skills, such as compassion, are also involved in good communication. So, you cannot teach someone how to use a hammer but not if you yourself do not know how to use the hammer. Likewise, even the most skilled salesperson needs to understand the needs of the client before being able to provide solutions.
Second, you have to appreciate that just because you have particular skills, you have other skill sets that other people also have. This is especially important if you have unique personal qualities because those personal qualities have something to do with how you communicate, negotiate, and relate to others. For instance, soft skills include the following: your ability to listen effectively; your ability to establish rapport; your ability to make other people feel good about themselves; your ability to manage your anger, frustration, stress, etc. Third, you have to be open-minded and willing to try new strategies. While it may seem unimportant initially, trying a new approach could help you become a stronger person.
Fourth, be honest with yourself about your weaknesses. That is one of the most difficult parts of developing an attitude of mine. If you recognize that your weaknesses exist, but you still love to spend time with your friends and go out with them, that’s perfectly fine. The key here is not to get depressed about these things, because you have to learn to love your weaknesses and learn to do without them. Otherwise, you’ll never become a happy person.
Fifth, when you are talking to a prospective employer, don’t mention your weaknesses in an effort to hide them. Employers know that people who pretend to be something they’re not are often hiding their real strengths. In fact, if you can’t be honest with yourself about your weaknesses, then you probably won’t be able to be honest with them about your strengths, either. So be upfront and don’t pretend to be something that you’re not.
Sixth, when you feel like you are getting tested for a weakness, or are facing a challenge based on your weakness, remember that you are strong and do your best to stay focused on your strengths. This doesn’t mean that you should lie to yourself about your weaknesses. Just be honest with yourself and with others and recognize when you may be weak. Then you can do the best that you can to work around those weaknesses.
Seventh, keep in mind that you are, first and foremost, a human being. Be sensitive to what hiring managers and other people think about your strengths and weaknesses. It’s important to be aware of what is being said about you and what is being inferred about you when you emphasize your skills over your weaknesses.
Finally, remember that it’s not everyone else’s business whether you are great at what you do, have great skills, or have poor qualities. Employers and others have concerns about your personal strengths and weaknesses, too. Be aware of these when you are applying for a job or when you are dealing with people on a regular basis. If you make a mistake, be honest and own up to it. Your honesty will show that you are willing to own up to your mistakes and work hard to improve your personal strengths and weaknesses.
