Do you know how to assess your strengths and weaknesses? Do you know which of your strengths and weaknesses relate to a particular job? Do you know how to articulate your strengths and weaknesses without sounding boastful or degrading? If you answered No to any of the above questions, read on!

You are going to want to know your strengths and weaknesses, and how they relate to a particular job, because the question will inevitably come up during the interview. Interviewers may ask you about your strengths and weaknesses for a number of reasons, but mainly to judge suitability for the position and to see how well you know yourself. We all have our assets and limitations, but we will likely not work to capacity unless we know where we excel and where we could use some work. Additionally, knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help guide your career path. But, where do you start?

First, think about your previous work history, your education, and your personal relationships. For each of the aforementioned areas of your life, think about what you enjoyed, what you did not enjoy, where you excelled, where you struggled, and why? By thinking about your likes and dislikes, your assets and challenges, you may reveal to yourself wherein some of your strengths and weaknesses lie. If you continue to struggle to identify strengths and weaknesses, ask yourself some questions like Do I enjoy working with people? Am I good with tools? Am I organized? etc.

Next, once you have identified some of your strengths and weaknesses, take a look at the job posting to see what exactly the employer is seeking in an ideal candidate. Begin to highlight which skills and assets you possess; and with a different highlighter, highlight skills or assets that you lack. By using the highlighter, you will isolate which strengths and weaknesses you would bring to a particular job.

Now that you know which strengths and weaknesses you bring to the application for a particular job, begin to think about evidencing why you possess a certain skill. Also, think about how you are currently working on strengthening your weaknesses or improving your challenges. Never state that you possess a particular skill without providing an example for evidence; and never provide a weakness that you are not currently working on improving. With sufficient preparation about your strengths and weaknesses prior to the interview, you will surely be perceived as self-aware, confident, and articulate. Good luck!