Let’s dive right into Scripture for an example! 1 Samuel 17 records the account of David and Goliath. Here are verses 33-37 where Saul skeptically states that he doesn’t think David is able to defeat Goliath.
“Saul replied, ‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.’
But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I sized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.’
Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you.’” AKA… “YOU’RE HIRED!” 🙂
Now, as you can see, Saul didn’t directly inquire about David’s strengths. In fact, he told David that he would not be able to defeat Goliath. But the very fact that Saul was in a conversation with David about this lets us know that Saul was desperate. No one else had volunteered, and as the king, the responsibility was his…and he was looking for something, anything, to address this situation other than himself.
What is the Interviewer Looking For?
We’ll come back to this passage in a moment, because the way David responds is exactly the way you should answer this question. But let’s start with the question of “Why?” Why does an interviewer ask this question? Isn’t the information in your resume enough to satisfy them?
Indeed’s Career Guide had this to say, “When an interviewer asks this question, they’re assessing how well your strengths align with the role you’re seeking. This means they don’t expect or want you to list everything you do well, and instead want to hear about the specific attributes or natural talents you can use to excel in the position. Hiring employers also use this question to gauge your self-awareness and understanding of the role for which you’re interviewing.” I completely agree!
Pillars of a ‘Stand Out’ Answer
Now, let’s look a little more deeply at some of the attributes represented in David’s answer to Saul.
- Confidence – Not only was David ready with an answer, he presented the information to Saul in an engagingly honest and confident way.
- Specificity – David shared very specifically that he could defeat an enemy. In his case, the enemy was a lion / bear – – they were dangers to the sheep, and David protected the sheep by killing the lion / bear.
- Examples – David didn’t just say he defeated the lion / bear. Nor did he just say he killed them. He actually described “how” he did it. Take a look at the passage again – – pretty graphic example!
- Relevant Application – David also then applied how the strength he shared would help Saul with his problem. David would defeat Goliath in the same manner as he did the lion / bear. He would go after it, strike it, and kill it. Wow!! Problem solved!
Remember, the interviewer is asking you this question because they want to check your self-awareness as well as see how you might be able to bring “what you do best to what they need most.”
Have trouble knowing what strengths others see in you? Ask them! An exercise we do through Crossroads is to send a questionnaire to people you’ve worked with in the past to ask them your strengths, accomplishments, achievements, and areas of needed development. It helps you see things through their eyes and can give you a way to discuss them. In an interview, you can say that in preparation for your job search, you sent out questionnaires to previous colleagues to ask them for evaluations. Responses you received said that you were particularly strong in _________ and __________. That’s an informal 3rd party testimonial and even more powerful than simply stating what you think!
Avoid Being “Cliché”
A final word: I’d avoid what I call the “cliché” strengths such as, “I’m a perfectionist, punctual, or hard working.” Those are too generic and overused. Give some thought to how you solve problems and what you did at your prior company for which you were rewarded. For example, you might describe yourself as resourceful, self-motivated, or collaborative. Whatever you choose, I’d encourage you to then apply those four filters above to make your answer stand out.
Go get ‘em! Blessings!
Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.
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