“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

This is one of the best-known interview questions. Particular strengths and weaknesses can matter, depending on the role, but the question also explores self-awareness: can you consider yourself from another person’s perspective?

Prepare thoughtfully without creating a rushed or rehearsed-sounding answer. Use examples of development over recent years to show what you have learned and how you work on limitations.

One approach is to describe feedback from former managers, colleagues, friends or family. Another is to take an outside perspective on your own behaviour. Explain how you reached your conclusions and support them with examples.

Before the interview, ask others what they see. Some people find it easy to list strengths and difficult to acknowledge limitations. Others see only their shortcomings. A balanced view is more useful. Nobody is excellent or poor at everything; the question is what matters for this role.

Ground your answer in examples

Interviewers benefit from concrete situations. Offer them without waiting to be prompted. If you describe yourself as organised, explain a relevant occasion when you improved information or working processes.

Asking “What am I good or bad at?” in the abstract can be difficult. Connect it to the work. What responsibilities, tasks and conditions are you being assessed against? You might be disorganised in one setting and highly systematic in work that interests you.

Different jobs require different capabilities. Identify the relevant ones before evaluating yourself.

Be honest about development

Show that you recognise both strengths and limitations. You need not produce an exhaustive list; a few thoughtful examples can support a useful conversation.

Keep the discussion relevant to the role and avoid disguising a boast as a weakness. “I always work too hard” can sound like an attempt to evade the question if you do not explain a real problem and how you address it.

Some characteristics have advantages and drawbacks depending on context. Strong conviction can help you defend a considered judgement but make admitting an error harder. Difficulties with deadlines deserve a concrete account of the steps you are taking and the progress achieved.

The aim is not to conceal important limitations. It is to show realistic self-understanding and responsible development.

Areas to consider

Collaboration: How do you work with others? Do you contribute your view, listen and handle disagreement? How comfortable are you presenting to a group?

Independent work: Can you organise your day, set goals and move work forward? When do you need direction or support?

Responsibility: Do you seek it? What kinds of responsibility energise or strain you?

Stress: Which situations have challenged you, and how did you respond?

Organisation: How do you handle detail and complex information? How do you balance structure with creativity?

Language and digital skills: Which capabilities does this particular role require, and what can you demonstrate?

Change: How do you respond when circumstances shift? Can you recognise benefits as well as difficulties?

Use these areas as prompts, then choose examples relevant to your own situation. Good preparation helps you have a more honest and useful interview.

English editorial adaptation of the Norwegian original.