What are Your Strongest Points?

If you asked this question to Indonesians, you might get blank looks for a few seconds, than stammers and stutters for a few sentences, before finally getting a completely wrong answer.

You might wonder whether they don't know what their strongest points are. It is hard to know what we really good at. But it's even harder to enunciating it to someone else let alone a complete stranger.

What makes it so hard for Indonesians I think is because most of us are raised to be modest at all time about our accomplishments, talents, achievements and so on. So when the time comes to pointing out their strongest points, e.g. in the job interviews, it becomes their weakest point instead.

Being modest is also one of our strongest points, however pointing out all our strongest points modestly, needs to be learned by those who cannot simply say it. Instead of using I, we could say, 'most people think I am...'

But in the interview, the interviewers are more likely to be impressed by the interviewees who could say directly what they are good at compare to those who tried to say it modestly. Sometimes their very directness in answering tough questions scores higher than the answers they're giving.

Your ability to judge when to be direct and diplomatic is also one of your strongest points. If you're good with people or simply blessed with pleasant personalities it is also one of your strongest points.

Your educational background might help you to stand out among other potential candidates for a coveted job, but if you don't have that don't be discouraged, you still have chance to win that job by pointing out your strongest points.

So make sure to start taking stock of what you're good at.

Comments