Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses can help you stabilize your personal life and nurture professional relationships. Self-knowledge is a great tool that many people overlook, because studying yourself can be difficult and sometimes uncomfortable. What's more, what may appear to be strengths in one person may not be beneficial to another, so discovering whether your particular qualities are strengths, not weaknesses, can be a very confusing and frustrating process. Of course, you need to learn and understand this on your own, but there are actually exercises you can do in order to identify your strengths and weaknesses, for work or personal purposes. There are also a few tips that can help you put this introduction into practical use in times of need, such as in a job interview.
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Part 1 of 6: Understanding Your Abilities
Step 1. Appreciate your own efforts
You have a desire to pay close attention to your areas of strength and areas of weakness, and this is already a strength in itself. It takes courage to do this. Pat yourself on the shoulder with pride, and remember that you are a great person.
Step 2. Write down the things you do
To identify your strengths and weaknesses, think about the activities you do, which you enjoy/enjoy the most. Take about a week to write down all the activities you did during the day, and rate them on a scale of 1-5, based on your level of enjoyment/enjoyment doing them.
Research has found that keeping a diary is an excellent way to get to know yourself better and reflect on your personal strengths and weaknesses. This can be done easily, for example by making a list of the most memorable moments of a day, or writing a detailed story about your deepest thoughts and desires. The more you know yourself, the easier it will be to recognize your personal strengths
Step 3. Reflect on your values in life
Sometimes, we find it difficult to identify our strengths and weaknesses because we don't take the time to reflect on the core values we live by. These values are beliefs that shape the way you think about yourself, others, and the world/world around you. These are all very, very important and determine how you deal with life. Taking the time to identify your values in life will help you determine whether each aspect of yourself is a strength or weakness for you, regardless of what other people think about those aspects.
- Think of the people you admire the most. What things do you admire about them? What qualities do they have that you find positive? Can you find those qualities in yourself?
- Imagine if you could change one thing in your society. What change is that? Why? Do you think your choices indicate your life priorities?
- Recall a particular moment in your life when you felt very satisfied and accomplished. What moment is that? What event happened? Who was with you at that time? Why did you feel that way at that time?
- Imagine if your house caught fire, but everyone and pets were safe. You can only save three objects. What objects did you save, and why?
Step 4. Watch your response to the themes and patterns you encounter
After reflecting on your values in life, also pay attention to how you respond to things that happen over and over again. For example, maybe you admire Bill Gates and Bob Hasan for their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. This indicates that you may have priority values in terms of Ambition, Competition, and Intelligence. Perhaps you have a desire to overcome poverty in your community, so that everyone has a decent place to live and sufficient food. This shows that you have priority values in terms of Community, Community Development, or Real Change. You can have several specific values at once.
You can find a list of life values online, if you are having trouble finding the right words to describe your values
Step 5. Determine if your life has lived up to your values
Sometimes, we can feel weak in certain areas, because our lives are not working according to our values, whatever the reason. Living a life that is in accordance with the values we hold is called living in harmony with our values (“value-congruent”), and such a life can create a greater sense of satisfaction and success.
- For example, maybe you embrace the values of Ambition and Competition, but feel trapped in a job that gets you nowhere because there are no challenges or opportunities to prove yourself. This can cause you to feel weak in this area, because your life is not working according to the values that are important to you.
- Or, maybe you are a new mother, desperate to get back to working as a teacher because you embrace the value of Intellectual Status. You may feel that “being a good mother” is a weakness, because your life value (that one should attain an Intellectual Status) clashes with another value (Family Orientation). In cases like this, you can find ways to balance the values. your life, so that you can achieve both priorities. Wanting to go back to work doesn't mean you don't want to take care of your kids.
Step 6. Consider the existing situational meanings
Think about your strengths and weaknesses in terms of understanding your society or the habits and context of your environment. What is meant here is a set of “signs” that govern social interactions between individuals, which are agreed upon and operate within a geographic or cultural area, in order to maintain healthy social boundaries. Recognizing that these differ based on your location can help you determine what are the strengths and weaknesses of each geographic location.
- For example, if you live in a rural area where everyone is working hard, the people in your village will most likely appreciate the qualities associated with physical hard work and long hours of work each day. But if you happen to live in a big city, these qualities may not be that important, unless you work hard in your city as well.
- Consider whether your environment supports your strengths and values in life. If not, think about whether you can change this situation, or move to an environment where your strengths and values in life will be more valued.
Part 2 of 6: Contemplating with the "Reflective Best Self" (RBS) Exercise
Step 1. Find people you can ask
To help understand your personal strengths and weaknesses, you can do a self-reflection exercise called Reflective Best Self (RBS). This exercise helps you discover what other people think of you, in order to discover your strengths. The first step is to find people from every aspect of your life. This includes people from your work environment, other jobs before your current one, professors or teachers while you were studying, and friends and family.
Asking people from different fields will help you assess your personality on different levels and situations
Step 2. Ask for their opinion
After selecting a candidate, send an email and ask them about your strengths. Ask them to give examples of real events they experienced/witnessed, which demonstrate your strengths. Make sure that you explain that this power can be a skill or a character strength. Both are equally important.
Email is usually the best way to do this, as it doesn't put pressure on the recipient to work on the answer right away. The email gives them time to think about their answer, and provides an opportunity for them to answer more honestly. After all, email also helps you to have a written archive that you can study again later
Step 3. Look for similarities that appear
After receiving all the answers, observe anything that looks similar. Read all the answers, and think about what they mean. Try to find the qualities that each person mentions, and read the examples of the events mentioned to find other qualities that may also be related. After understanding all this, compare the answers from each person and find the qualities in common, which are mentioned by many.
- You can also create a table with your quality column, answer column, and understanding column. This table will be useful too.
- For example, many people in your life say that you can handle things well even under pressure, can perform well in times of crisis, and can help manage other people in stressful situations. This all indicates that you have the ability to stay calm under pressure, and that you are quite possibly a strong, natural leader. You can also interpret it as a quality of compassion for others and that you are human-oriented.
Step 4. Make a portrait of your personality
After collecting all the results, write a portrait analysis of your personality in terms of strength. Make sure that you include all the aspects that people have pointed out in their answers about you, as well as any qualities you have discovered through the analysis process.
This doesn't mean that you have to compose a complete psychological profile, but rather the best portrait of your own personality. This portrait will remind you of the qualities that appear when you are at your best and help you determine future actions so that you can bring them up more often
Part 3 of 6: Creating an Action List
Step 1. Write down your actions
Think about how you would respond in certain situations that require actions, thoughts, and ideas. Before doing anything more concrete, try to observe your spontaneous reactions to experiences you've had in your previous life. Use a diary to write down your thoughts.
Why do you need to do this? Spontaneous reactions tell us a lot about how you react, in both natural and out-of-the-box situations. You can write them down to help you understand your actions and abilities
Step 2. Think of a difficult situation, when something bad happened
Maybe it was a car accident, or a child was thrown into the front of your car while you pressed hard on the brake pedal. How do you react when faced with such a spontaneous situation? Do you back off and shut down, or do you come forward to meet the challenge, or gather the information and other things needed to deal with the situation?
- If you take control and act as the leader in the situation, you may think that your courage and ability to overcome the situation is a strength. If you react by crying uncontrollably, feeling helpless and getting angry with others, this means you may think that staying calm in difficult situations is a weakness.
- Make sure that you have looked at things from all sides. For example, feeling helpless after a car accident is a completely natural reaction to the stress of the experience. However, if your reaction is to ask other people for help, this indicates that asking others for help (collaboration) is something you might consider a strength. You don't always have to do everything yourself to be a strong person.
Step 3. Observe the easier situation
Recall an event when you were faced with a difficult decision, but not one that risked fatality. For example, how do you react when you enter a room full of people? Do you want to say hello to everyone you see, or do you just want to find a quiet corner away from the crowds and connect with just one person?
People who react by greeting people are strong in terms of socializing and extroverted personality, while people who react by staying away from crowds are people who are strong in personal relationships and listening. Both groups of power can be utilized for the personal benefit of each person
Step 4. Pay attention to the times you have dealt with difficult situations personally
Recall an event when you were in a critical situation and had to make an instant decision. How quickly do you understand a situation and adapt to it? Do you think quickly and can answer quickly and precisely when a coworker makes a snide comment? Or, do you tend to be silent, absorb, think, and only then react to such situations?
- Remember that any power you may have has its own consequences. For example, if you spend a lot of time alone writing and reading, you may not be as strong at small talk as other people, although you may be strong at understanding the storyline in books and discussing serious topics. deeply with others. Perhaps you too grew up in a situation where you had younger siblings, which made you tend to be strong in compassion, patience, and a knack for breaking things.
- It's important that you keep in mind that the world needs all kinds of people with all kinds of strengths and interests, in order to remain diverse. You don't have to be strong in every area, you just need to be strong in the areas that you think are important to you.
- People who are good at answering agilely and accurately or easily solve problems quickly may have strengths in agile intelligence, and may have weaknesses in attention to small details. People who take longer to think may have strengths in planning but may have weaknesses in dexterity.
Part 4 of 6: Creating a Wish List
Step 1. Ask yourself what you want
Desire or longing says a lot about you, even if you try hard to deny it. Think about why you want to complete an activity or achieve a certain goal and what you need to do to do it. Chances are they are your life's passions and dreams, which are usually great areas of strength in you too. Many people get caught up in doing what their families want and become doctors or lawyers even though they really want to be ballet dancers or mountain bikers. Elsewhere in your diary, write down your life's desires or longings.
Ask yourself, “What is my life longing for?” Whether you're applying for a job for the first time or just retired, you still need to have goals and desires in life. Discover what drives your life and makes you happy
Step 2. Decide what you like
Start by asking yourself about the things you enjoy most in your life. Write down the answer to the question “What types of activities are most interesting and satisfying to me?” For some people, sitting in front of the fire with a large pet dog is very satisfying. For others, they prefer to go climbing steep cliffs or drive for long trips.
Make a list of activities or things that make you feel happy and satisfied. It is very likely that these areas of your hobbies and interests are areas of your strength as well
Step 3. Think of things that excite you
In addition to the desires and longings of life, you also need to find things that make you excited about life. In a diary, write down your answer to the question, “When do I feel most energized and able to do anything?” Recall the times when you felt you could conquer the world or were very inspired to advance to the next level of challenge. The areas that excite and inspire you are usually the areas where you have the greatest strength.
Note that many people discover their longing for life at a very early age. It shows self-understanding from childhood, which often disappears when expectations from family, friends, and society or financial circumstances push them to the ground and become unconscious
Part 5 of 6: Finding Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Step 1. Rethink your weaknesses
"Weaknesses" are actually not the right perspective or designation for the areas within us that still need improvement. In reality, people are usually not weak, although we may feel and think that we are weak at times. However, most people feel less strong in certain areas, such as certain areas of expertise, or other areas. Because they feel less powerful in these areas, it is natural and common for them to associate the condition with the opposite concept of strength, namely weakness, which refers to the need to improve and become stronger or capable. Don't focus on “weaknesses”, which have negative meanings and feelings, but think about areas within yourself that can still grow and improve further. This will keep your focus on the future and what you can do to get better.
Weaknesses can be viewed as things within you that you can still develop, whether related to your desires or completely unrelated to your longing or purpose in life. Found both of them perfectly natural. Weaknesses are not permanent, but they can change as our way of life and actions change, so that we become better and greater individuals than before
Step 2. Find areas for growth
The areas you can still develop may be related to anything, including certain professional or social skills or even self-control issues with food. You may also simply want to improve your ball catching skills or math problem solving speed. Often, this area of growth falls within the framework of “life lessons” and is related to not repeating mistakes. In addition, it is also your attempt to conquer the lack of certain skills that you find within yourself.
However, an apparent “weakness” may be an indication that an activity isn't the right field for you. This is also an important thing for you to admit to yourself. If everyone had the same skills and abilities or enjoyed the same things, the whole world would be a very boring place
Step 3. Focus on your strengths
Some people may think that focusing on personal weaknesses is futile, or even wrong. In fact, what you need to do is focus on your strengths first, then work to develop them all the time. This is a better way than just finding a weakness. Since what counts as weakness is often a lack of interest or desire to improve, you may be better off focusing on your personal strengths and desires and moving on from those. Be generous in acknowledging your strengths, as you are very likely to have a lot of strengths, even in areas that you consider "weak". Next, find areas that you value could be improved to be more efficient.
- For example, if you want to be more assertive, start with the assertiveness skills you already have. Maybe you've had a hard time saying no, but have been able to state your point until it's understood and doesn't hurt the other person's feelings.
- Think about the areas of your personality that you consider strengths. Being kind, generous, open-minded, and being a good listener are truly important forces related to your overall abilities that cannot be ignored. Realize these things and be proud of them.
- One way to think about strengths is to think of them as talents, or inborn abilities and desires, that match your future personality and calling in life. In other words, these are all things that when they happen really well you can say, "Oh, it's not that I'm trying hard, but it just goes 'out of the blue'…".
Step 4. Write down your strengths and weaknesses
Now that you've figured out all your actions and desires, it's time to focus on your own opinion of strengths and weaknesses. Use your list of previous opinions and practice notes about yourself, then list the areas in your work and life that you see as strong and weak. Focus on the present, when you see your strengths and weaknesses based on what you are doing right now, both in your work and personal life, not on what was in the past or what is still a wish that hasn't happened yet.
Remember, no one is judging or judging you for this answer, so you have to be completely honest with yourself. It helps if you create two columns, each titled “Strengths” and “Weaknesses”. Write it down while observing what comes to your mind
Step 5. Compare these two lists with each other
Do these two lists match and don't seem surprising to you? Do you think that you are strong in one area but your list of actions shows something different? This kind of discrepancy arises when you have an opinion, but difficult situations reveal your true character.
What about the discrepancy between your desires and your opinion about your area of strength? This kind of mismatch can occur if you've been trying to do things with your life based on other people's expectations or based on your own views on what to do, when your actual wants and reactions are completely different
Step 6. Observe discrepancies and surprising differences
Take a good look at the lists you have created. Observe for discrepancies and visible differences. Ponder why you think that some of the qualities and weaknesses you find appear differently. Is it possible that you think that you like or are passionate about certain things, but are in fact unable to like or be passionate about them? These lists will help you see these things.
Focus on different areas and try to identify situations that relate to those areas. For example, did you write that you wanted to be a singer, but found science and pharmacy to be strengths on your list? Indeed, a doctor who is also a singer is a new thing, but these two professions are very different. Find out which areas really excite you in the long run
Step 7. Ask your family and friends what they think
Family members or close friends can provide constructive feedback. While personal observations may provide some of the answers, asking for outside input will help confirm your observations or clear up some misconceptions. Learning to accept constructive input is very important in social life. Don't be defensive or take the feedback as a personal attack when someone points out a particular area where you need improvement. Learning to apply constructive feedback in your daily life can be a strength in itself.
- If you think family members won't tell the truth, choose someone else who will tell the truth and won't cover up your weaknesses. Find someone outside the family, who is neutral (preferably a peer or a personal mentor), to provide you with honest and constructive feedback.
- Ask their opinion about your lists. Give them your lists and ask them to comment. These helpful questions and comments could be something like, “Why don't you think you can act fast in an emergency?” Outside observers can recall an incident when you did something very impactful and powerful in an emergency, even though you may have forgotten yourself.
Step 8. Seek professional help
If you're still having trouble, or feel more comfortable talking to an outsider, enlist the help of a professional to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Certain companies provide psychological profiling services, which are often linked to employment agencies. You can do some tests for a fee, and the psychologist will assess your personality and professional profile.
- While they may not reveal the essence of your personality, these kinds of tests can be very helpful in starting to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
- From here, you must find what are judged as strengths and weaknesses in yourself. A good test should be long enough to be able to assess the recurring facets of your personality. After undergoing a test like this, make sure that you consult directly with a psychologist to address your weaknesses and bring out your strengths.
- There are also online tests you can take to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Look for tests that are sourced from reputable websites and compiled by licensed psychologists or similarly qualified professionals. If this test is paid, check with the company that provides it first, to make sure that the price for the test is worth paying for.
Step 9. Reflect on your findings
Once you've identified your strengths and weaknesses, take some time to reflect and determine your reaction to the findings. Decide if you want or need to work on improving yourself in any area of weakness and think about what you need to do to remove or change your weakness.
- Enroll in a training or activity related to your area of weakness. For example, if you find that you panic when faced with sudden situations, put yourself in situations that have the potential for sudden spontaneity. Examples are theater groups, sports teams, or karaoke at a bar.
- Consider getting into therapy to talk about any fears or concerns you have. If taking certain training or joining a theater group doesn't seem right for you or you find you have pent-up fears or anxieties that are preventing you from moving forward, consider seeing a therapist.
Step 10. Get rid of perfectionism
Be careful that you don't sink into your weakness. This pattern can quickly turn into a destructive perfectionist cycle, which can actually keep you from succeeding. It's better to start with the things you can do well in your strengths and strengthen those skills that are your talents, then slowly develop yourself in other areas over time.
- For example, you want to develop communication skills. After a process of personal reflection, you decide that you are actually a good listener, and this is your strength. However, you tend to be introverted when it comes to speaking, and this is your weakness. You decide to be the more talkative person, so you practice saying a sentence or two in conversation, with few pauses.
- Perfectionists may think that if you're not very good at talking, it's better not to try, because you're bound to make mistakes. Acknowledge that mistakes are part of learning and growth, and allow yourself to make mistakes while improving yourself.
Step 11. Don't ignore important moments in your life
Everyone has certain things in his life that show certain advantages. There are times when you do something you've never done before, but then everything just happens and you find that you can do really well with no trouble at all.
This may be a sporting activity, art, creativity, interaction with animals, or making yourself available to take the place of someone who is unable to work. Not everyone will experience the same amazing moments as you, but if you do, embrace them to enrich your life and reach your true potential
Part 6 of 6: Leveraging This Understanding in the Interview Process
Step 1. Observe how your strengths and weaknesses relate to your work
You can use this new knowledge of yourself in the job interview process. Think about how those strengths and weaknesses relate to the job you're applying for. To prepare for it, think about what tasks need to be done in the job, and recall events in your life when faced with similar tasks. What personal qualities would be your strengths or weaknesses if you did those tasks?
For example, if you are applying for a job as a computer programmer, talk about your strengths related to computer skills or problem solving. However, you may not need to go into too much detail about your strengths in table tennis, unless your potential employer has shown an interest in that area first
Step 2. Demonstrate honesty and confidence
When asked about your personality in interviews, be honest about your personal strengths. If the interviewer asks you about your strengths and weaknesses, he or she is not only curious about them, but he or she wants to see how competent you are to talk about yourself. Social skills and the ability to market yourself today have become one of the most important skills for the workforce in any field. for an interviewer, it starts with how the prospective employee is able to explain his strengths and weaknesses, and how the prospective employee can do it comfortably.
Step 3. Practice your interviewing skills
To do this comfortably, practice doing interviews with other people. Ask a friend to interview you and practice exposing your qualities to him. Do this repeatedly, with a number of other people as well, until you begin to feel comfortable exposing your strengths and weaknesses to others. At first it will feel like reading a drama script, but after a while you will feel more comfortable and used to it.
- Before attending the interview, think about as many real events as you can talk about that demonstrate your personal strengths. The interviewer will not only want to hear your presentation of your strengths, but may also ask about real situations that demonstrate the benefits or impact of your strengths when you are faced with problems or obstacles that arise. Reflect on these events, and write down as many as you can if necessary, so that you can conduct the interview as prepared as possible.
- For example, don't say, “My strength is that I am detail-oriented”, but give a concrete example such as “In my previous job, I was responsible for double-checking every number in my monthly budget. Several times I have come across mistakes that cost our company quite a bit. This attention to detail will help me in working for a new position in your company.”
Step 4. Don't “twist” your words
The potential employer was no fool, and he could certainly spot this common scheming effort right away. Sometimes he interviews hundreds of candidates for a job position, and everyone's first instinct is to use what they perceive to be strengths and twist them as weaknesses. However, what you consider “strength” may not be a strength for potential employers, who often seek employees who are strong in terms of flexibility and work in teams. This kind of answer can make you sound like you don't understand yourself. Commonly spoken words that actually twist their meanings include:
- "I'm a perfectionist and I can't stand to see anything go wrong." Perfectionism is rarely seen as a strength by potential employers, as it implies that you are rigid in maintaining unreasonable standards and may be prone to procrastination.
- "I'm stubborn and can't just give up." This can suggest that you are not flexible and do not easily adjust to the work environment.
- “I find it difficult to maintain a balance between my personal life and work, because I work very hard.” This can suggest that you are incapable of taking care of yourself and may become exhausted and become an unpleasant coworker to others.
Step 5. Be honest about your weaknesses
When the interviewer asks questions about your weaknesses, be honest. There's no point in him asking if you're just going to answer about how great you are. That's not what the interviewer is looking for. He wants a real discussion of things you can work on, including clarity about your understanding of yourself. These challenges can appear in the form of:
- Too critical attitude
- Overly suspicious attitude towards potential bosses or coworkers
- Attitude too demanding
- The habit of procrastination
- Too much talking
- Too sensitive
- Lack of firmness
- Lack of social skills.
Step 6. Acknowledge the areas that are still a challenge for you
There are certain areas of this weakness that you need to face and acknowledge that will affect your performance. It might even seem awesome if you could talk about how these challenges have or might affect your performance. This shows self-understanding and honesty, although you still need to convey it with care.
For example, say “Right now, I tend to procrastinate. I realize that this affects the portion of the work that I can complete, as well as the portion of the work that can be completed by my co-workers. When I was in college, I always escaped this predicament because I knew the system and managed to play with it while still completing my assignments. I realized that this is impossible in the world of work, because this is not a good way of working, achieving goals and completing tasks.”
Step 7. Show the interviewer how you are trying to conquer the challenge
Again, you're better off giving a practical answer, not an overly idealistic one. Giving an overly idealistic response can seem unreasonable and make it sound like you're trying to brag.
For example, say to the interviewer, “I'm taking serious steps to get rid of procrastination. I have set deadlines that I set for myself and prepare personal incentives to push myself to meet those deadlines. All of this has proven to be very helpful in my overcoming procrastination problem.”
Step 8. Talk about your strengths with confidence
You have to sound confident, but not arrogant. Try to display confidence while remaining humble when talking about your accomplishments and skills. Of course, try to really choose strengths that relate to the individual, line of business, or organization of the company you are applying for. Personal power is actually of three types:
- Knowledge-based skills, such as computer skills, language, or the technical operation of various objects/systems
- Skills that can be learned in general, such as communication and human management skills or problem solving
- Personal qualities, such as sociability, self-confidence, or punctuality.
Step 9. Give an example when you talked about your strengths
Saying that you have extraordinary skills in dealing with other people is fine and fine, but setting a real example is the right thing to do. Demonstrate your strengths in real-life situations with examples from your personal interactions and your work history. For example:
- “I am a communications expert. I pay close attention to the words I use, and greatly avoid possible confusion when communicating. I'm not afraid to ask a more senior person a question if there's something I don't understand. I took the time to imagine how each question or statement could be interpreted differently by each person.”
- You can also demonstrate your strengths and skills by sharing things that have worked well in the past and your successes.
- If you have won a particular award or achievement, mention it to the interviewer as well.
Tips
- Be careful when trying to find what you want, making sure that you don't include any "fake" wishes. It is a desire driven by the mistaken belief that you are destined to work in foreign affairs in order to live in Paris, London, and Rio de Janeiro; or that you want to be a movie star so that you can attend glamorous parties and meet a rich future husband or wife. It not a real desire, because there is no substance in it that makes your life meaningful and satisfying, and is only wishful thinking. Recognize the difference, so you don't make the fatal mistake of building a career based on wishful thinking and not based on personal strengths and real goals.
- Changing weaknesses takes time, so it's okay if you can't make changes right away. Also don't devote all your time trying to turn weaknesses into strengths. Look for solutions first by increasing your strengths, something you can change, and then finding ways to continue to build on your strengths, which you really want to be your most shining trait, because that's your natural personality.
Warning
- In an interview situation, don't brag about your strengths or complain about your weaknesses. Be honest and share the solutions you think of to overcome your weaknesses. When it comes to strength, speak the truth with humility so that you don't come across as bragging or overbearing.
- Don't get caught up in the thought that you have bad luck if you still have weaknesses (no matter how small). Every human being has weaknesses and challenges that need to be conquered. Imagine yourself being the interviewer, and imagine how you would feel if you heard the person you're interviewing was just busy bragging about how perfect he or she is.
