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4 Tips To Talk About Your Strengths Without Bragging

Some people find, “What are your biggest strengths?” one of the hardest interview questions to answer. Not because they don’t have strengths, but because they don’t know how to present them well.

Whether you’re interviewing for your dream job, or impressing a new boss, you’ve got to be able to show off your skills - without showing off.

​#1

Balance is key. There is a delicate balance between answering confidently and bragging. 
The Muse suggests, “to walk that line between confident and arrogant, definitely don’t just list a bunch of nice adjectives to describe yourself.” They recommend picking one to three skills you want to focus on. 

No one is good at everything. Rambling about 20 things you think you’re great at comes off obnoxious, even if they’re all true! 

#2

Honesty is the best policy. This goes without saying, but this isn’t the place to tell a little white lie.

Don’t fib and say you’re ‘proficient’ with spreadsheets because the interviewer keeps mentioning Excel. You’ll be kicking yourself later when someone asks you to use it.

Monster.com says “getting proactive about professional development now will go a long way.” If an interviewer asks about a skill that isn’t your best, try this:

“I’m not as familiar with Hootsuite as I am with Google Analytics, but I’ve heard it’s a useful tool. I’d love to take courses to become Hootsuite-certified to strengthen my skills.” ​

#3

Don’t be all talk. Once you’ve told them your skills, prove it.

Send over a few design samples to the hiring manager. If your skills aren’t as tangible, give an example of a time you used them.

“My peers would describe me as creative, reliable and detail-oriented. I recently tackled a year-long project of increasing our followers by 20%. I broke the task into smaller goals throughout the year and checked in with my team as I accomplished each one. It gave me the opportunity to keep thinking outside the box to reach our next goal.”

#4

Always have references back you up.

Provide your references with a list of projects you worked on together, and a few strong qualities you want them to highlight.

When a potential employer calls to ask about you, they’ll be hearing some of the same positive things you shared about yourself in the interview.

Don’t forget to practice! The more comfortable you are, the more confident you’ll be. 

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Written By: Jasmine Williams 
The Brand Girls Client + BG Blog Intern 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminecwilliams/

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