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How to Communicate Your Strengths in a Job Interview

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Uploaded by on May 20, 2009

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You know this is the job for you. Here's how to convince the person doing the hiring.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A job interview
A few job skills
Some good qualities
A thesaurus
Time to prepare

Step 1: List your strengths

Determine what your strengths are. Include specific skills, like "proficient in HTML," as well as general qualities, whether it's being "a big-picture person" or having "great attention to detail."

Step 2: Relate to the job

Now correlate each skill to the current opening. Think hard about how all of your abilities can be put to use at the position you want.

Tip: Ask friends and coworkers what they see as your strengths—their answers might help you see yourself in a new light.

Step 3: Prepare for questions

Prepare for difficult questions. If you quit your last job to follow a band on tour, be ready to put a positive spin on it—maybe you were considering writing a book about the experience rather than just goofing off?

Step 4: Use a thesaurus

Get out the thesaurus and look for words to describe your attributes that aren't as clichéd as "hard-working," "dedicated," and "team player." Or else you might as well say, "I work hard, yadda yadda."

Step 5: Think up examples

Come up with concrete examples of your attributes. For example, if you plan to say, "I'm a good manager," be ready to follow it up with proof of how you spurred people into action.

Tip: During the interview, be confident but not cocky. Overconfidence is just as unappealing as its opposite.

Step 6: Turn negatives positive

Turn negatives into positives. If you're asked why you only stayed at your last job for six months, say it was a bad fit and you didn't want to remain where you felt you couldn't do your best.

Tip: Don't badmouth your former employer, no matter how tempting. You'll look unprofessional and give the interviewer reason to suspect you're difficult to work with.

Step 7: Own your weaknesses

If, despite all your preparation, a weakness is revealed during the interview, don't panic. Owning your weaknesses can be a strength. Acknowledge them and say how you plan to overcome them.

Thanks for watching How To Communicate Your Strengths in a Job Interview! If you enjoyed this video subscribe to the Howcast YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast

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  • So... they say what the most common question is... but don't say how you could answer it... :/

  • They should have said ''optional: freinds''. Because of the tip at 0:45

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  • Title - How to Communicate Your Strengths in a Job Interview. 0:13 "You will need a job interview"

  • @SuperBingo21 You sound like a Chechnyan terrorist, I hate Chechnyan terrorist.

  • That is a good reminder

  • i need a job, is YouTube hiring? lol

  • YOU WILL NEED:

    "A JOB INTERVIEW"---

    ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME WE ARE NOT RETARDED!? >.>"

  • @SuperBingo21 I do not understand what you are trying to get across here, mainly because your intellectual capacity of a goldfish restricts your ability of being able to express yourself in the way a regular human would. What exactly are you saying about Jews and Israelis? And what do you have to justify your criticism?

    I look forward to your reply, asshole.

  • Whoa...at the start of the video I thought she was getting up to flash him because the narrator was like "Here's how to convince the person doing the hiring." lol

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