How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?” during an interview
This answer is tailored to Finance Analyst/Manager role. However, it can be useful for other roles.
Talking About Your Strengths
-Choose a finance-related strength: Think about key skills like data analysis, forecasting, attention to detail, or strategic planning.
-Provide an example: Share a time when you used this strength to achieve results.
-Connect it to the job: Explain how this strength will help you excel in the finance role.
Example:
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗜𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯, 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. 𝗕𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝟱% 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
Talking About Your Weaknesses
How to Answer:
-Pick a small weakness: Choose something that doesn’t affect the main work in finance, like public speaking or learning a new tool.
-Explain how you’re improving: Share what you’re doing to work on this weakness, like taking classes or practicing.
-Show your progress: Explain how your efforts are helping you improve.
Example:
“𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗜’𝗺 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀. 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗜’𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀.”
Answering honestly about your strengths and weaknesses shows that you know your abilities and are always trying to get better. By following this approach, you’ll make a positive impression in your interview!
