What are my personal strengths and weaknesses? When I think about this question, the first thing that comes to mind is a job interview. I, like most people, find this simple question to be the most stressful moment of any interview. I want to give an answer that is imaginative but does not give the interviewer a bad impression of myself. In this paper, I will describe my strengths and weaknesses as I would to a job interviewer. I will give specific examples of my strengths and place a positive spin on my weaknesses.
When deciding which strengths you want describe to an interviewer, you should make a list, choose three to five of those strengths that match the job posting, and give specific examples of that strength (Martin, 2005). I can easily tell you that my greatest strengths are the core values that I was instilled with during my service with the United States Air Force. Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all [I] do (USAF, 1997); these are my strengths that I bring to every job or task I do.
Integrity first refers to a willingness to do what is right, even when no one is looking (USAF, 1997). Integrity also means optimizing your job tasks and assisting coworkers in optimizing their job tasks. For a manager, integrity is motivating your team so that they understand the importance of their job so that they are willing to do their jobs, even when you are not looking.
Service before self refers to the fact that professional duties take precedence over personal desires (USAF, 1997). In the business setting, service before self means finishing tasks or jobs before you go home at the end of your shift and not leaving them for someone else to finish up. If it is Friday afternoon and I have been given a task, I will always finish my job then, even if it means starting my weekend late. Service before self also means that you should never call in to work just because you do not feel like coming in. I have
References: Martin, L. (2005). What Are Your Greatest Strengths and Weaknesses? Retrieved on June 5, 2005, from http://interview.monster.com/articles/biggest/. United States Air Force. (1997). United States Air Force Core Values. Retrieved on June 5, 2005, from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cv-mastr.htm.