How to answer in interview, ‘What’s your greatest strength?’

Job interviews often contain the same tiresome questions that seem to torment IT contractors everywhere.

Scripted vs meaningful; which questions will your interviewer ask?

Too many interviewers use scripted questions, instead of fully engaging their brains and pursuing meaningful conversations with contractors.

Most of these questions are boring, uninspired, and bluntly speaking, I despise a lot of them, writes Matt Collingwood, managing director of IT recruitment agency VIQU.

IT contractor status won’t always stop you from being asked

Yet despite years of coaching interviewers, I guarantee you’ll still encounter one of these common questions at your next interview – even if your history as a freelance or contract professional should probably head off the question from being asked in the first place.

You’re not alone in your frustration. But the reality of when the technology jobs market pendulum swings towards the hiring party or end-client is that you must play the game -- or at least be prepared to play the game if you want to secure a potentially lucrative new role.

Inevitable, irksome common interview questions

In short, the only way to get the positive outcome you desire from an IT contractor job interview is to prepare for these inevitable if irksome questions.

To kick off this mini-series exclusively for ContractorUK, on common interview questions and how to answer them, I will start with the old-age:

‘So what’s your greatest strength?’

There is an urban legend in the recruitment world about a candidate who printed business cards to hand out when asked this question, with the cards stating just four words: “My ability to anticipate.”

Of course, the popular and time-worn responses to ‘What’s your greatest strength?’ include:

• “I’m hardworking”
• “I’m reliable”
• “I’m a people person”

They are predictable and dare I say it, a little embarrassing.

Avoid those three answers, instead think outside the box

Just because it’s an unimaginative question, nothing is stopping you from giving an imaginative answer.

Most job candidates will have prepared for this common interview question but, to toe the line, they often provide a generic and meaningless response.

How to get hired after answering ‘What’s your greatest strength?’

Instead, IT contractors who want to get hired should use this question to their advantage while sticking in the mind of the interviewer.

So your response should be tailored to the individual job or contract spec -- and then you simply match the ‘strength’ you cite to the job.

For example, if you’re a project manager seeking a PM role, your ‘strength’ reply could be “Commerciality” and “Managing budgets.”

Q: Greatest strength? A: Superpower + evidence

But when you identify this as your superpower, follow it up with a specific example of projects you ran that were delivered on budget.

Anyone can say they can do something.

But offering a specific example proves this and carries more weight.

Example reply as a PM if asked ‘What’s your greatest strength?’

"My strengths as a project manager are that I’m commercially astute. I deliver projects consistently within budget. Over my last three projects, I successfully managed to stay within 90% of the pre-agreed budgets, resulting in savings of over £500,000 for my clients.

"This achievement is rooted in my ability to develop robust budgets, having strong commercial relationships with third-party suppliers, and expertly writing and negotiating comprehensive contracts.”

Your ‘greatest strength’ as a developer?

If you’re a contract developer on the receiving end of the ‘strength question’ I recommend talking about:

• being a team player;
• the quality of your work/code;
• mentoring junior developers; and/or
• the ability to quickly pick up new technologies.

Again, think about what the job description or contract spec says, in and around what your recruiter hopefully advised you about the role, so you end up matching your response to what the interviewer wants -- with a specific example to back up your answer.

For example, if your recruiter has mentioned that the client has the long-term goal that the contractor will ‘knowledge-share and train junior members of the team,’ then provide a strength that coincides with that objective.

Example reply as a developer asked ‘What’s your greatest strength?’

“My main strength as a senior software developer is that I’m well-versed in working with stakeholders and team members across all experience levels and understanding their skillsets and knowledge bases.

“I have a strong ability to guide teams towards a common goal and foster interdepartmental collaboration. In the last two projects I have worked on, I have successfully facilitated knowledge sharing to support the learning of four junior team members.”

When asked ‘What’s your greatest strength?’ don’t just say something for the sake of it…

This might sound like a contradiction of what I said previously, but don’t pick a strength just because you think it’s what the client or interviewer wants to hear!

Let me explain. I get a bit of a buzz when I read the opening line on someone’s CV, especially when I can then say to them, “So Steve, you say your strengths include ‘working under pressure’, can you give me a specific example of when you have done this in the workplace?”

Well, I’d estimate at least half the time people can’t give a specific example of what they allege is a strength.

Be prepared to be probed, or probe your agent if in doubt

So be prepared to be probed at interview, and ideally have more than one example to back up your superpower. 

Regarding other ways to prepare for ‘What’s your greatest strength’, if you’ve been put forward for a role, and you have doubts about how you should answer this question truthfully, ask the recruiter what they saw in your CV that convinced them to put you forward.

This should not only give you a good handle on which one of your invariably many superpowers you should get vocal about if quizzed, but it also might encourage the recruiter to share aspects of the role which you may find insightful.

Why the surplus to requirements never held so much value

I did this recently (as the agent), whereby I explained to an inquisitive contractor-candidate about a specific customer need that the end-client had, but which wasn’t part of the job ad’s headline requirements.

If you ask the agent which aspects of your CV they chose to put you forward upon, the agent is likely going to have in their head the details that they’ve gleaned from the client which they think matches your experience.

Practice with a pal a reply to ‘What’s your greatest strength?’

You could also consider role-playing the ‘strength’ question with a friend or family member. Although it might not seem natural, it’s a fantastic learning process that will only benefit you in the actual interview.

In short, rehearse speaking about your strengths out loud. The more familiar you are with blowing your own trumpet to the tune of the role you’re going forward for, the less likely you’ll come across in the interview as self-conscious, awkward, or even unprepared.

Finally remember, although it might be a slightly daft and lazy question, you’re bound to have ‘What’s your greatest strength?’ come up -- in some shape or form. So prepare a bespoke answer, with evidence x 2, for each interview, and who knows; toe-curling interview questions like this one may soon become your very own superpower!