How to communicate your strengths in a job interview

You know this is the job for you. Here’s how to convince the person doing the hiring. Learn how to do well in a job interview.

You Will Need
* A job interview
* A few job skills
* Some good qualities
* A thesaurus
* Time to prepare

Step 1: List your strengths
Determine what your strengths are. Include specific skills, like “proficient in HTML,” as well as general qualities, whether it’s being “a big-picture person” or having “great attention to detail.”

Step 2: Relate to the job
Now correlate each skill to the current opening. Think hard about how all of your abilities can be put to use at the position you want.
*Tip: Ask friends and coworkers what they see as your strengths—their answers might help you see yourself in a new light.

Step 3: Prepare for questions
Prepare for difficult questions. If you quit your last job to follow a band on tour, be ready to put a positive spin on it—maybe you were considering writing a book about the experience rather than just goofing off?

Step 4: Use a thesaurus
Get out the thesaurus and look for words to describe your attributes that aren’t as clichéd as “hard-working,” “dedicated,” and “team player.” Or else you might as well say, “I work hard, yadda yadda.”

Step 5: Think up examples
Come up with concrete examples of your attributes. For example, if you plan to say, “I’m a good manager,” be ready to follow it up with proof of how you spurred people into action.
*Tip: During the interview, be confident but not cocky. Overconfidence is just as unappealing as its opposite.

Step 6: Turn negatives positive
Turn negatives into positives. If you’re asked why you only stayed at your last job for six months, say it was a bad fit and you didn’t want to remain where you felt you couldn’t do your best.

Step 7: Own your weaknesses
If, despite all your preparation, a weakness is revealed during the interview, don’t panic. Owning your weaknesses can be a strength.