Interview Preparation: Identify Your Strengths to show your Potential Career Performance
Today’s guest post come from Tamara M. Williams who reads guides and books related to personal and career development and encourages you to do the same. Tamara publishes other articles, read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tamara_M._Williams
Identifying your strengths is very important for interview preparation. Interviewers always ask about your strengths and how they can be applied to the job. Strengths demonstrate your accomplishments in life. Accomplishments are directly tied to areas that are your strong points. In addition, knowing your strengths help you to decide other industries you should work in and other qualifications that you should seek. Determine your strengths by following the steps below.
Identify all your academic qualifications: First, make a list of your academic qualifications. These would include all your associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. These qualifications showed that you have the skills and knowledge needed in a particular field. For e.g. a BSc in Computer Science indicate that you have knowledge in creating applications using various programming languages. This also shows that you have Problem-solving skills.
Identify all your professional qualifications: Second, make a list of your professional qualifications. These were most likely obtained after gaining some work experience. These demonstrate that you have strengths in a particular subject, product or service in a specific industry. The qualifications are awarded by professional bodies. For e.g. the Associate or Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA or FCCA) is conferred by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. This indicates knowledge in using Accounting software such as QuickBooks or Sage. You would also have Book-keeping / Budget skills.
Identify all your academic experience: Third, identify all the clubs and societies that you participated in while at college or university. For e.g. being a member of a Performing Arts Club would indicate that you have Organization, Project Management and People skills. In addition, you could have knowledge of the various works of Shakespeare.
Identify all your professional experience: Finally, list all the companies that you worked with, your job titles and specific projects that you worked on and what you achieved. This list would include summer jobs, part-time and full-time work, internships and volunteer work. Once again what you achieved during your work assignments would show your strengths. For e.g. in one project you created the Company and Product/Service brochures. Then you presented this information at seminars and conferences. This means that you have Writing and Reporting, and Communication skills. Besides that shows knowledge of a particular product or service specific to that industry such as the Food and Beverage Industry.
Now that you have completed this exercise you are more prepared to answer questions related to your strengths when interviewing for a new job, promotion or a raise. This shows that your skills and knowledge gave you great achievements in the past and are capable of doing greater in the future. Remember to give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work and good luck in your career!
About the Author:
Tamara M. Williams reads guides and books related to personal and career development. She encourages you to do the same. Contact your college or university career center or a Life & Career Coach for more assistance. Tamara also publishes other articles, read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tamara_M._Williams
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