There are a handful of questions that are just an absolute nightmare to even think about. And one of them that comes immediately to mind is to question “What is your best quality?”. It’s just so wantonly thrown out there of “Hey, go ahead and reduce your entire life and accomplishments down to this one or two things that you can say in the next 30 seconds, to tell me exactly what I need to know about you.”
Find the jewels inside you.
Really and truly, it’s tough to do. And I have to say a lot of times, they aren’t really looking for the exact content of what you have, but the delivery, the ability to confidently communicate an answer that best describes you.
And your overall reaction to such a tough question. However, to help you out while you take care of those other things, there are four simple ways that you can use to answer this super tough question. Here goes.
Show Your Extreme Desire to Provide Value
Now this isn’t the “I’ve got to have a job to pay the bills, please oh please give it to me.” This is the “I have an awesome work ethic. When there is down time I am really kind of bothered because I really need to be doing things that add value to the company, otherwise I don’t feel like I am doing my part.”
This is actively looking for things to do when things slow down. And not just busy work, but things that actually add permanent value to the company. I mean you’re looking to add assets, not just shuffling paper around.
You’re looking for ways to change things for the better, forever. Proving your worth and showing that yeah, you really want to do more than just earn your paycheck.
Show You Rock at Teamwork
You may be an individual contributor and do a great job all by yourself, but every company is built on team work and working together. Whether it’s super large matrix organizations or relatively flat, small businesses. You have to work with somebody along the lines. Whether that’s co-workers, vendors, people that are in outsourced logistics.
It doesn’t matter. You always have to work with somebody unless you’re an entrepreneur all on your lonesome. And if that’s the case, great. However, if you’re going for an interview for a job at a corporation or a local business, tout your teamwork. And give specific examples on how it is an important part of your life.
Show You Can Handle multiple projects
This is one that I have been seeing on pretty much every description out there and people have been telling me. And that’s the ability to be adaptable, flexible, and handle multiple projects simultaneously. And I know you’ve heard the science of “Oh, humans can’t multitask. Or we can only hold four or five or seven or whatever the number is now, things in our head at any given time.”
True, I got it. I understand. What this is really boiling down to is effective time management, reporting the important things to those who need to know, and follow up all along the way. Keep these things in mind and communicate that to your interviewee and you’ll show that this is a good quality for you.
Show You Believe Work Should Be Drama-Free
Now this is one you kind of have to be careful talking about, but it could be useful to mention that “Hey, you come to work to work. You’re very effective at communication and handling difficult conversations and situations.” And this is a valuable asset to getting a job done. This is especially true in high stakes situations or positions that require a lot of fast paced, accelerated schedule type deliverables.
So, What IS Your Best Quality?
When you are asked “what’s your best quality at a job interview?” you now have four pretty good examples to get started. And it’s up to you to communicate them well. Communicate your desire to work, your team work, your ability to work on multiple projects, and that you’re just a drama free awesome person that’s looking to get work done and add value to the company. I hope these have helped. Have a great day, see you around.
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