How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?”

求職面試中會(huì)有一些反反復(fù)復(fù)出現(xiàn)的問(wèn)題，最常出現(xiàn)的就是“講講你是個(gè)怎樣的人”“你為什么想在這里工作”以及“你最突出的強(qiáng)項(xiàng)和弱項(xiàng)分別是什么”。

Some questions come up again and again in?job interviews. At the top of the list: “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want to work here?” and “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?”

對(duì)于求職者而言，關(guān)于強(qiáng)項(xiàng)弱項(xiàng)的問(wèn)題似乎屬于最容易的一類，因?yàn)槎加薪?jīng)典的答案模板：

The strengths-and-weaknesses question may seem like the easiest of the bunch for job seekers to answer, given the classic responses associated with each:

我的強(qiáng)項(xiàng)？

創(chuàng)造力！解決問(wèn)題的能力！協(xié)作能力！

My strengths??

Creativity! Problem-solving! Collaboration!?

我的弱項(xiàng)？

完美主義！工作努力過(guò)頭！太愛(ài)擔(dān)心了！

My weaknesses??

Perfectionism! I work too hard! I care too much!

這些答案或許符合實(shí)際情況，但聽(tīng)起來(lái)千篇一律，甚至像是在耍小聰明。這樣的回答可能有風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，因?yàn)樵诿嬖囍惺紫纫屪约好摲f而出，其次是要顯得真誠(chéng)。

Though these answers may be true, they may also come across as trite and unoriginal, even scheming. That reaction may be perilous because?job #1 in a job interview is standing out?and job #2 is sounding honest.

以下是應(yīng)對(duì)這種面試常見(jiàn)問(wèn)題的技巧和例子，幫助你給面試官留下原創(chuàng)、真實(shí)且有意義的積極印象。盡管你可能只會(huì)用到一組答案，但最好為每個(gè)問(wèn)題準(zhǔn)備兩個(gè)答案。

Below are tips and examples to tackle this popular interview question in a way that leaves an original, authentic, and meaningful positive impression. It’s best to prepare two answers for each question, even though you’ll probably only use one.

如何描述你的強(qiáng)項(xiàng)

How to Describe Your Strengths

在面試中講述自己的個(gè)人優(yōu)勢(shì)時(shí)，對(duì)話的主題依然是對(duì)方的需求和你的能力，所以要遵守以下原則，確保你具備的技能不僅讓人印象深刻，而且與工作內(nèi)容相關(guān)、獨(dú)特且經(jīng)過(guò)檢驗(yàn)。

When you share your personal strengths in an interview, the conversation is still as much about their needs as your abilities, so follow these rules to ensure your skills come across as not only impressive, but relevant, distinct, and proven.

1、重點(diǎn)放在職位描述里列出的能力。

不必猜測(cè)對(duì)方尋求的是什么明星員工品質(zhì)——他們的需求全都清楚地寫(xiě)出來(lái)了。看看職位描述里“優(yōu)先考慮”或“所需技能”里列出的要求。

1. Focus on a strength that is listed in the job description.

There’s no need to guess what superstar qualities they’re looking for — it’s all there in black and white. Look for the attributes listed under the “preferred qualifications” or “required skills” section of the job description.

2、盡量回答具體的技能。

比如以下幾個(gè)把空泛的優(yōu)勢(shì)描述得更具體的例子：

2. Reframe the skill to make your response as specific as possible.

Here are a few examples of generic strengths with their more descriptive counterparts:

·溝通能力 → 公開(kāi)演講和展示的能力

·人際能力 → 團(tuán)隊(duì)管理能力

·視頻能力 → 制作和剪輯視頻的能力

·Communication skills → Public speaking and presentation skills

·People skills → Team management skills

·Video skills → Video production and editing skills

3、選定你要回答的優(yōu)勢(shì)，練習(xí)一下從四個(gè)方面來(lái)表述。

3. Once you pick your strength, practice expressing it in four parts.

·是什么優(yōu)勢(shì)

·現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中能表現(xiàn)這一優(yōu)勢(shì)的具體例子

·這個(gè)優(yōu)勢(shì)帶來(lái)的影響

·你有多么喜歡發(fā)揮這個(gè)優(yōu)勢(shì)

·The strength

·A real-life example of that strength

·An impact of that strength

·How much you enjoy leveraging that strength

盡量在回答中加入這些要素的一部分或全部，你的回答就會(huì)變得具體，不再空洞。

Try to incorporate most or all of those elements within your answer so you’re not just saying a word — you’re making a point.

全部連起來(lái)大致是這樣：

When you put it all together, it should sound like this:

答案示例一：

Sample Answer #1:

“我知道有很多人害怕公開(kāi)演講，但我自己真的很喜歡演講，而且經(jīng)常利用自己的演講經(jīng)驗(yàn)來(lái)為團(tuán)隊(duì)項(xiàng)目提供支持。比如上個(gè)星期，我向一個(gè)潛在客戶介紹了我們新的客戶服務(wù)項(xiàng)目，他們立刻就簽約了。我還會(huì)幫助同事做展示，這讓我很有成就感?！?/p>

“I know a lot of people are afraid of public speaking but I really like it, and often use my speaking experience to support team projects. For example, last week, I presented our new customer-service portal to a prospective client, and they signed up immediately. I also get a lot of personal fulfillment from helping my colleagues with their presentations.”

答案示例二：

Sample Answer #2:

“我熱愛(ài)項(xiàng)目管理，因?yàn)槲蚁矚g通過(guò)有條不紊的協(xié)作來(lái)解決問(wèn)題。比如說(shuō)，前不久我管理一個(gè)新產(chǎn)品線的規(guī)劃、測(cè)試和發(fā)布，在預(yù)算內(nèi)按時(shí)完成了任務(wù)。我喜歡幫助團(tuán)隊(duì)管理一個(gè)大項(xiàng)目的所有可變環(huán)節(jié)和多個(gè)不同的截止日期，好讓團(tuán)隊(duì)專注于交付成果?！?/p>

“I love project management, because I enjoy solving problems in an organized and collaborative way. For example, I recently managed the planning, testing, and launch of a new product line, which came in on time and under budget. I love helping teams manage all the moving parts and multiple deadlines of a big project so they can focus on their deliverables.”

答案示例三：

Sample Answer #3:

“我覺(jué)得自己最大的長(zhǎng)處就是團(tuán)隊(duì)管理。我非常喜歡作為團(tuán)隊(duì)來(lái)工作的感覺(jué)，在項(xiàng)目中充分發(fā)揮每個(gè)人的獨(dú)特能力和視角，并且享受樂(lè)趣，保持可控的工作生活平衡。我最自豪的一件事是今年早些時(shí)候獲得了一個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)成就獎(jiǎng)，坦率地說(shuō)，我真的很喜歡盡自己所能幫助大家做到最好?！?/p>

“I think my greatest strength is team management. I really enjoy working as a team and leveraging everyone’s unique skills and perspectives on a project, while at the same time having fun and maintaining a manageable work/life balance. One of my proudest moments was winning a team appreciation award earlier this year, and honestly, I really enjoy doing my part to help everyone do their best work.”

如何描述你的弱項(xiàng)

How to Describe Your Weaknesses

在面試中講述自己最大的缺點(diǎn)，關(guān)鍵是要真實(shí)但不自貶。面試官可能會(huì)記住你的缺點(diǎn)用來(lái)為難你——甚至可能是下意識(shí)地——因此你必須限制和減輕可能造成的負(fù)面印象。

The key to sharing your greatest weaknesses in an interview is to be authentic but not self-sabotaging. An interviewer may remember your weakness and hold it against you — even subconsciously — so you need to limit and mitigate any potentially harmful impressions.

以下提示可以幫助你安全且負(fù)責(zé)任地應(yīng)對(duì)這個(gè)問(wèn)題：

These tips can help you respond both responsibly and protectively:

1、把“缺點(diǎn)”重新想象為“挑戰(zhàn)”，甚至可以在回答中用“挑戰(zhàn)”這個(gè)詞代替“缺點(diǎn)”。

這樣可以消除“缺點(diǎn)”這個(gè)詞的一部分尖銳感，讓自己的弱項(xiàng)顯得比較容易彌補(bǔ)，因?yàn)椤叭秉c(diǎn)”的感覺(jué)比“挑戰(zhàn)”更穩(wěn)固。

1. Reimagine “weakness” as a “challenge,” even replacing the word “weakness” with “challenge” in your answer.

This removes some of the injurious sting of “weakness” and makes shortcomings seem more fixable because a weakness implies more permanence than a challenge.

2、選擇那種容易通過(guò)培訓(xùn)和努力來(lái)彌補(bǔ)的能力短板。

數(shù)據(jù)分析、演講技巧和軟件專業(yè)知識(shí)這樣的工作技能通常是可以學(xué)習(xí)的，面試官知道這一點(diǎn)。但缺乏耐心、沒(méi)有條理和缺乏安全感這類行為上的挑戰(zhàn)就顯得像是比較難克服的性格缺陷。

2. Choose skills that are easily correctable through training or commitment.

Work skills like data analysis, presentation skills, or software expertise are typically learnable, and interviewers understand that. But behavior challenges like being impatient, disorganized, or insecure may seem like personality flaws that are harder to overcome.

3、少說(shuō)陳詞濫調(diào)。

不要用“完美主義”和“工作狂”之類被用濫了的說(shuō)法，也不要把優(yōu)點(diǎn)偽裝成缺點(diǎn)來(lái)說(shuō)（“我有時(shí)候工作太努力/查的資料太多/想的點(diǎn)子太多”）。

3. Avoid clichés.

Stay away from overdone examples like “perfectionism” and “being a workaholic,” as well as weaknesses that are just strengths in disguise (“Sometimes, I work too hard/research too much/consider too many ideas”).

4、選擇在工作職責(zé)核心以外的挑戰(zhàn)

你的強(qiáng)項(xiàng)應(yīng)該與職位描述中強(qiáng)調(diào)的所需技能相匹配，但你的挑戰(zhàn)應(yīng)當(dāng)避開(kāi)這些技能。簡(jiǎn)言之，你不能在工作需要你強(qiáng)大的地方顯得軟弱無(wú)力。

4. Choose a challenge that is not core to the job’s responsibilities.

While your strengths should match skills highlighted in the job description, your challenges should steer clear of those skills. Simply put, you don’t want to be weak where the job needs you to be strong.

5、選定自己要說(shuō)的挑戰(zhàn)，練習(xí)從以下三個(gè)方面來(lái)表述。

·是怎樣的缺陷

·這個(gè)缺陷造成的輕微后果

·你彌補(bǔ)這個(gè)缺陷的迫切渴望

5. Once you pick a challenge, practice expressing it in three parts.

·The weakness

·Minor consequences of the weakness

·Your eagerness to address the weakness

像描述長(zhǎng)處一樣，在講述自己短處的時(shí)候嘗試把這些要素包含進(jìn)去，但這次要把后果講得簡(jiǎn)短、輕微，重點(diǎn)放在克服難題上，不要著重于挑戰(zhàn)本身。

As with your strength, try to incorporate all of these elements within your answer, but this time keep the consequences short, simple, and minor so you can focus on overcoming the challenge more than on the challenge itself.

連起來(lái)大致是這樣：

When you put it together, it should sound like this:

答案示例一：

Sample Answer #1:

“我面對(duì)的一個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)是，缺乏PowerPoint和Canva等演示文稿工具相關(guān)的職業(yè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。以前我請(qǐng)專業(yè)人士為我準(zhǔn)備這些材料，但有時(shí)候他們不像我一樣了解內(nèi)容。因此我今年的目標(biāo)之一就是學(xué)習(xí)這些軟件，自己制作演示文稿，并不斷提升這方面的技能?！?/p>

“One of my challenges is my lack of professional experience with presentation tools like PowerPoint and Canva. In the past, I’ve had specialists design these materials for me, but they don’t always know the content as well as I do. So, one of my goals this year is to learn these applications to create my own presentations and continually improve that skill.”

答案示例二：

Sample Answer #2:

“我的一個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)是難以高效校對(duì)自己的作品，在快節(jié)奏的環(huán)境里尤其如此。我要花的時(shí)間有點(diǎn)長(zhǎng)，但通常沒(méi)有足夠的時(shí)間，而且我不想放過(guò)錯(cuò)誤。我的解決方案之一是依賴同事里的其他作者和編輯來(lái)校對(duì)，但我也在考慮去上寫(xiě)作課，幫助自己提升編輯能力，進(jìn)而提高效率。”

“One of my challenges is effectively proofreading my own work, especially in a fast-paced environment. I take a little longer, but often there’s not enough time, and I don’t want to let errors go through. One of my solutions has been relying on other writers and editors on staff to review my work, but I’m also looking at taking writing classes to help me elevate my editing skills to be more productive and efficient.”

答案示例三：

Sample Answer #3:

“我的挑戰(zhàn)之一是不擅長(zhǎng)學(xué)習(xí)新的技術(shù)工具，如云儲(chǔ)存平臺(tái)、數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)工具和內(nèi)容管理系統(tǒng)。我要花更長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)復(fù)雜的技術(shù)工具。不過(guò)一旦學(xué)會(huì)了，我就很喜歡應(yīng)用，也喜歡幫助新同事學(xué)習(xí)這類工具。如果公司能提供課程和資源幫助員工得心應(yīng)手地使用這類工具，我會(huì)真心感激。”

“One of my challenges is learning new workplace technologies, like cloud filing platforms, database tools, and content management systems. It just takes me longer to learn complicated technology tools. But once I do, I enjoy using them, and like to help new colleagues learn them as well. I really appreciate it when a company offers classes and resources to help people become confident using the tools.”

強(qiáng)項(xiàng)和弱項(xiàng)的例子

Examples of Strengths and Weaknesses

以下是上述討論的例子的一個(gè)快速總結(jié)，還有一些其他例子供選擇：

Here’s a quick summary of the examples discussed above along with a few more to choose from:

強(qiáng)項(xiàng)

Strengths

·公開(kāi)演講和展示

·團(tuán)隊(duì)管理

·視頻制作和剪輯

·項(xiàng)目管理

·校對(duì)

·數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)管理

·關(guān)注細(xì)節(jié)

·掌握主動(dòng)權(quán)

·頭腦風(fēng)暴

·圖形設(shè)計(jì)

·Public speaking and presenting

·Team management

·Video production and editing

·Project management

·Proofreading

·Database management

·Attention to detail

·Taking ownership

·Brainstorming

·Graphic design

弱項(xiàng)

（記?。翰灰x擇與必須的工作技能相關(guān)的缺陷）

Weaknesses

Reminder: Don’t choose a weakness connected to a necessary job skill.

·不熟悉某些軟件

·在數(shù)據(jù)分析、財(cái)務(wù)預(yù)測(cè)等方面需要更多經(jīng)驗(yàn)

·害怕公開(kāi)演講

·不太擅長(zhǎng)給出發(fā)展性的反饋

·學(xué)習(xí)新系統(tǒng)需要的時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)

·不擅長(zhǎng)尋求幫助

·不擅長(zhǎng)時(shí)間管理

·不擅長(zhǎng)設(shè)置目標(biāo)

·不擅長(zhǎng)主持會(huì)議

·不擅長(zhǎng)授權(quán)給別人

·Being unfamiliar with certain software

·Needing more experience in data analysis, financial forecasting, etc.

·Fear of?public speaking

·Feeling uncomfortable giving developmental feedback

·Needing more time to learn new systems

·Asking for help

·Time management

·Goal-setting

·Meeting facilitation

·Delegating

歸根結(jié)底，你在面試中遇到的招聘人員以及未來(lái)的同事和上司最想知道的并不是你最大的優(yōu)點(diǎn)和缺點(diǎn)，而是你究竟是個(gè)怎樣的人、你能為業(yè)務(wù)做出怎樣的貢獻(xiàn)。“你有什么強(qiáng)項(xiàng)和弱項(xiàng)？”意思是“你是否能提升我們的團(tuán)隊(duì)、促進(jìn)團(tuán)隊(duì)工作、坦陳自己的能力，并利用機(jī)會(huì)自我提升和成長(zhǎng)？”

At the end of the day (or, at least, the interview), what the recruiters, potential colleagues, and supervisors you met most want to know isn’t your biggest strength and weakness. They want to know what kind of person you are and how you can contribute to the operation. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” = “Are you the kind of person who can enhance the team and its work, be honest about your abilities, and take advantage of opportunities to improve and grow?”

練習(xí)回答這類問(wèn)題的時(shí)候，記住這些影響要素，如此一來(lái)，你的面試官最終看到的就不僅僅是各種技能的疊加，而是一個(gè)他們可以信任的人——無(wú)論是在面試中還是以后的工作中。

As you practice your strength-and-weakness responses, remember these influential factors so your interviewers ultimately see you as not merely the sum of your skills, but someone they can trust — both during the interview and well beyond.

關(guān)鍵詞：職場(chǎng)

喬爾·施瓦茨伯格在一家全國(guó)性的大型非營(yíng)利機(jī)構(gòu)里負(fù)責(zé)行政溝通工作。他是一名專業(yè)的演講教練，著有《一針見(jiàn)血！讓你表達(dá)的意思更清晰，讓話語(yǔ)發(fā)揮作用》（Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter）和《領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力語(yǔ)言：如何吸引和激勵(lì)團(tuán)隊(duì)》（The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team）。

朔間|譯? 周強(qiáng)|編校