8 Real-Life Examples "What are your greatest strengths?" in an Interview

When you're asked in a job interview "what are your greatest strengths?", giving a good answer can help land you that perfect job.

Everyone wants to be asked this question, but how do you prepare for it?

I'll share five examples of the question and what great answers these people gave.

  • Focus on a few of your most impressive strengths – especially the ones that relate closely to this job.
  • It’s a good idea to pick strengths that you know the company needs – for a specific project, perhaps, or to solve a particular problem – even if they’re not the ones you use most often.
  • As always, choose a clear example of each one in practice, showing the impact that it’s had at work. And seize the opportunity to talk up any strengths that haven’t figured in your answers so far.

The ability to work independently and manage projects effectively

I think my greatest strengths are the ability to work independently and manage projects effectively. I’m able to take an idea, research the market and competitors, and then come up with a plan of action for how to make it happen. I’ve done this at work on several occasions, where I was given a project to run by myself and then had to create a report about it at the end.

I also have good communication skills. This is important in any job but particularly here because you need to be able to communicate well with different departments within the company.

For example, when I was working as an administrative assistant at [company name], one of my duties was coordinating meetings between different departments that were working on a new project together.


I'm a very good listener

I'm a very good listener, and I think that's one of my greatest strengths. I pay attention to what people are saying, and I rarely interrupt them. This has helped me build strong working relationships with many of my coworkers, who feel comfortable coming to me when they need help or advice.

I also really enjoy figuring out solutions to problems that people are facing. When someone comes to me with an issue they're facing, I like to sit down and spend some time thinking about it before suggesting any solutions. That way, I can be sure that my ideas will work and won't cause more problems in the long run.


My ability to think outside the box and my ability to work independently

My greatest strengths are my ability to think outside the box, my ability to work independently, and my ability to work well with others.

I have used these strengths in various projects at my current job. For example, when I was working on a project for [company name], I was assigned a task that required me to come up with a new method for completing the project.

Instead of following the standard procedure and creating a new system from scratch, which would have taken longer than necessary, I decided to look at some of our existing processes and see if there was anything we could do better or faster. After some research and testing, I came up with a new process that allowed us to complete our tasks in half the time as before.


My ability to stay calm under pressure

One of my greatest strengths is my ability to stay calm under pressure.

When I was working as a junior project manager, I had to come up with a solution for a client who kept changing their mind about the details of their project. I worked closely with my team and we were able to come up with a solution that satisfied the client, but also fit in with our budget and timeline.

Another strength that has helped me in my career is my ability to work well under time pressure. When I was working as a junior project manager, I had to complete a project on time and within budget when one of my team members was sick and unable to work. The client was very happy with the final result.


My flexibility and willingness to collaborate

My greatest strengths are my flexibility and willingness to collaborate. I'm able to work well with others, even when it's not clear how we're going to get something done. I also have a lot of experience with managing projects and teams, so I'm familiar with the process of creating a plan and then executing it efficiently.

One example where this played out well is at my last job. There was an issue with one of our websites that was causing some customers to leave us because they couldn't access certain content. We needed someone who could do an assessment of the problem and come back with a solution that worked for everyone involved.

I did a quick analysis of the situation, gathered all the necessary information from different departments and stakeholders, identified several possible solutions based on what would work best for each group involved, and then presented my findings to management in a clear presentation format that made it easy for everyone involved to understand what needed fixing and why (and how).


My ability to work independently and be a self-starter

My greatest strengths are my ability to work independently and to be a self-starter.

I have been able to work on projects on my own for years, and I am very good at coming up with ideas for new projects.

I also love learning new things, so it's not hard for me to find something new that I want to take on outside of work.

I'm very organized and detail-oriented, which means that when I start a project, I can usually make it through without too many problems.

When I'm working on something with other people, though, I'm also good at keeping track of our progress so we don't get off track or lose sight of what we're trying to accomplish.


I'm a very focused person, and I can be a bit of a perfectionist

I'm a very focused person, and I can be a bit of a perfectionist. Those are probably my two greatest strengths.

I focus on the task at hand and don't let myself get distracted by other things that might be going on around me. This has been really helpful in terms of getting work done efficiently since I can stay laser-focused on the task at hand without worrying about other things that might be occupying my time.

I also tend to be pretty dedicated to my work, so I'm able to make sure that everything gets done correctly and in a timely manner.


My ability to analyze and synthesize data, work well with others, and be empathetic

My greatest strengths are my ability to analyze and synthesize data, work well with others, and be empathetic.

I have a strong background in data analysis and can assimilate a lot of information quickly. I am also good at communicating with people so that they understand what I’m telling them. Finally, I am very empathetic towards others and can put myself in their shoes so that I know how they feel about something.

In the past year, this has helped me as an analyst for [company name] because it allows me to take all of the information we get from our clients and turn it into something useful for them. It helps me build relationships with them by being able to understand what they need from us and then deliver it in a way that makes sense for them.