【中英双语】“你的优缺点是什么”如何回答才能显得更真诚？

How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?”

求职面试中会有一些反反复复出现的问题，最常出现的就是“讲讲你是个怎样的人”“你为什么想在这里工作”以及“你最突出的强项和弱项分别是什么”。

Some questions come up again and again in job interviews. At the top of the list: “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want to work here?” and “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?”

对于求职者而言，关于强项弱项的问题似乎属于最容易的一类，因为都有经典的答案模板：

The strengths-and-weaknesses question may seem like the easiest of the bunch for job seekers to answer, given the classic responses associated with each:

我的强项？

创造力！解决问题的能力！协作能力！

My strengths? 

Creativity! Problem-solving! Collaboration! 

我的弱项？

完美主义！工作努力过头！太爱担心了！

My weaknesses? 

Perfectionism! I work too hard! I care too much!

这些答案或许符合实际情况，但听起来千篇一律，甚至像是在耍小聪明。这样的回答可能有风险，因为在面试中首先要让自己脱颖而出，其次是要显得真诚。

Though these answers may be true, they may also come across as trite and unoriginal, even scheming. That reaction may be perilous because job #1 in a job interview is standing out and job #2 is sounding honest.

以下是应对这种面试常见问题的技巧和例子，帮助你给面试官留下原创、真实且有意义的积极印象。尽管你可能只会用到一组答案，但最好为每个问题准备两个答案。

Below are tips and examples to tackle this popular interview question in a way that leaves an original, authentic, and meaningful positive impression. It’s best to prepare two answers for each question, even though you’ll probably only use one.

如何描述你的强项

How to Describe Your Strengths

在面试中讲述自己的个人优势时，对话的主题依然是对方的需求和你的能力，所以要遵守以下原则，确保你具备的技能不仅让人印象深刻，而且与工作内容相关、独特且经过检验。

When you share your personal strengths in an interview, the conversation is still as much about their needs as your abilities, so follow these rules to ensure your skills come across as not only impressive, but relevant, distinct, and proven.

1、重点放在职位描述里列出的能力。

不必猜测对方寻求的是什么明星员工品质——他们的需求全都清楚地写出来了。看看职位描述里“优先考虑”或“所需技能”里列出的要求。

1. Focus on a strength that is listed in the job description.

There’s no need to guess what superstar qualities they’re looking for — it’s all there in black and white. Look for the attributes listed under the “preferred qualifications” or “required skills” section of the job description.

2、尽量回答具体的技能。

比如以下几个把空泛的优势描述得更具体的例子：

2. Reframe the skill to make your response as specific as possible.

Here are a few examples of generic strengths with their more descriptive counterparts:

·沟通能力 → 公开演讲和展示的能力

·人际能力 → 团队管理能力

·视频能力 → 制作和剪辑视频的能力

·Communication skills → Public speaking and presentation skills

·People skills → Team management skills

·Video skills → Video production and editing skills

3、选定你要回答的优势，练习一下从四个方面来表述。

3. Once you pick your strength, practice expressing it in four parts.

·是什么优势

·现实生活中能表现这一优势的具体例子

·这个优势带来的影响

·你有多么喜欢发挥这个优势

·The strength

·A real-life example of that strength

·An impact of that strength

·How much you enjoy leveraging that strength

尽量在回答中加入这些要素的一部分或全部，你的回答就会变得具体，不再空洞。

Try to incorporate most or all of those elements within your answer so you’re not just saying a word — you’re making a point.

全部连起来大致是这样：

When you put it all together, it should sound like this:

答案示例一：

Sample Answer #1:

“我知道有很多人害怕公开演讲，但我自己真的很喜欢演讲，而且经常利用自己的演讲经验来为团队项目提供支持。比如上个星期，我向一个潜在客户介绍了我们新的客户服务项目，他们立刻就签约了。我还会帮助同事做展示，这让我很有成就感。”

“I know a lot of people are afraid of public speaking but I really like it, and often use my speaking experience to support team projects. For example, last week, I presented our new customer-service portal to a prospective client, and they signed up immediately. I also get a lot of personal fulfillment from helping my colleagues with their presentations.”

答案示例二：

Sample Answer #2:

“我热爱项目管理，因为我喜欢通过有条不紊的协作来解决问题。比如说，前不久我管理一个新产品线的规划、测试和发布，在预算内按时完成了任务。我喜欢帮助团队管理一个大项目的所有可变环节和多个不同的截止日期，好让团队专注于交付成果。”

“I love project management, because I enjoy solving problems in an organized and collaborative way. For example, I recently managed the planning, testing, and launch of a new product line, which came in on time and under budget. I love helping teams manage all the moving parts and multiple deadlines of a big project so they can focus on their deliverables.”

答案示例三：

Sample Answer #3:

“我觉得自己最大的长处就是团队管理。我非常喜欢作为团队来工作的感觉，在项目中充分发挥每个人的独特能力和视角，并且享受乐趣，保持可控的工作生活平衡。我最自豪的一件事是今年早些时候获得了一个团队成就奖，坦率地说，我真的很喜欢尽自己所能帮助大家做到最好。”

“I think my greatest strength is team management. I really enjoy working as a team and leveraging everyone’s unique skills and perspectives on a project, while at the same time having fun and maintaining a manageable work/life balance. One of my proudest moments was winning a team appreciation award earlier this year, and honestly, I really enjoy doing my part to help everyone do their best work.”

如何描述你的弱项

How to Describe Your Weaknesses

在面试中讲述自己最大的缺点，关键是要真实但不自贬。面试官可能会记住你的缺点用来为难你——甚至可能是下意识地——因此你必须限制和减轻可能造成的负面印象。

The key to sharing your greatest weaknesses in an interview is to be authentic but not self-sabotaging. An interviewer may remember your weakness and hold it against you — even subconsciously — so you need to limit and mitigate any potentially harmful impressions.

以下提示可以帮助你安全且负责任地应对这个问题：

These tips can help you respond both responsibly and protectively:

1、把“缺点”重新想象为“挑战”，甚至可以在回答中用“挑战”这个词代替“缺点”。

这样可以消除“缺点”这个词的一部分尖锐感，让自己的弱项显得比较容易弥补，因为“缺点”的感觉比“挑战”更稳固。

1. Reimagine “weakness” as a “challenge,” even replacing the word “weakness” with “challenge” in your answer.

This removes some of the injurious sting of “weakness” and makes shortcomings seem more fixable because a weakness implies more permanence than a challenge.

2、选择那种容易通过培训和努力来弥补的能力短板。

数据分析、演讲技巧和软件专业知识这样的工作技能通常是可以学习的，面试官知道这一点。但缺乏耐心、没有条理和缺乏安全感这类行为上的挑战就显得像是比较难克服的性格缺陷。

2. Choose skills that are easily correctable through training or commitment.

Work skills like data analysis, presentation skills, or software expertise are typically learnable, and interviewers understand that. But behavior challenges like being impatient, disorganized, or insecure may seem like personality flaws that are harder to overcome.

3、少说陈词滥调。

不要用“完美主义”和“工作狂”之类被用滥了的说法，也不要把优点伪装成缺点来说（“我有时候工作太努力/查的资料太多/想的点子太多”）。

3. Avoid clichés.

Stay away from overdone examples like “perfectionism” and “being a workaholic,” as well as weaknesses that are just strengths in disguise (“Sometimes, I work too hard/research too much/consider too many ideas”).

4、选择在工作职责核心以外的挑战

你的强项应该与职位描述中强调的所需技能相匹配，但你的挑战应当避开这些技能。简言之，你不能在工作需要你强大的地方显得软弱无力。

4. Choose a challenge that is not core to the job’s responsibilities.

While your strengths should match skills highlighted in the job description, your challenges should steer clear of those skills. Simply put, you don’t want to be weak where the job needs you to be strong.

5、选定自己要说的挑战，练习从以下三个方面来表述。

·是怎样的缺陷

·这个缺陷造成的轻微后果

·你弥补这个缺陷的迫切渴望

5. Once you pick a challenge, practice expressing it in three parts.

·The weakness

·Minor consequences of the weakness

·Your eagerness to address the weakness

像描述长处一样，在讲述自己短处的时候尝试把这些要素包含进去，但这次要把后果讲得简短、轻微，重点放在克服难题上，不要着重于挑战本身。

As with your strength, try to incorporate all of these elements within your answer, but this time keep the consequences short, simple, and minor so you can focus on overcoming the challenge more than on the challenge itself.

连起来大致是这样：

When you put it together, it should sound like this:

答案示例一：

Sample Answer #1:

“我面对的一个挑战是，缺乏PowerPoint和Canva等演示文稿工具相关的职业经验。以前我请专业人士为我准备这些材料，但有时候他们不像我一样了解内容。因此我今年的目标之一就是学习这些软件，自己制作演示文稿，并不断提升这方面的技能。”

“One of my challenges is my lack of professional experience with presentation tools like PowerPoint and Canva. In the past, I’ve had specialists design these materials for me, but they don’t always know the content as well as I do. So, one of my goals this year is to learn these applications to create my own presentations and continually improve that skill.”

答案示例二：

Sample Answer #2:

“我的一个挑战是难以高效校对自己的作品，在快节奏的环境里尤其如此。我要花的时间有点长，但通常没有足够的时间，而且我不想放过错误。我的解决方案之一是依赖同事里的其他作者和编辑来校对，但我也在考虑去上写作课，帮助自己提升编辑能力，进而提高效率。”

“One of my challenges is effectively proofreading my own work, especially in a fast-paced environment. I take a little longer, but often there’s not enough time, and I don’t want to let errors go through. One of my solutions has been relying on other writers and editors on staff to review my work, but I’m also looking at taking writing classes to help me elevate my editing skills to be more productive and efficient.”

答案示例三：

Sample Answer #3:

“我的挑战之一是不擅长学习新的技术工具，如云储存平台、数据库工具和内容管理系统。我要花更长的时间学习复杂的技术工具。不过一旦学会了，我就很喜欢应用，也喜欢帮助新同事学习这类工具。如果公司能提供课程和资源帮助员工得心应手地使用这类工具，我会真心感激。”

“One of my challenges is learning new workplace technologies, like cloud filing platforms, database tools, and content management systems. It just takes me longer to learn complicated technology tools. But once I do, I enjoy using them, and like to help new colleagues learn them as well. I really appreciate it when a company offers classes and resources to help people become confident using the tools.”

强项和弱项的例子

Examples of Strengths and Weaknesses

以下是上述讨论的例子的一个快速总结，还有一些其他例子供选择：

Here’s a quick summary of the examples discussed above along with a few more to choose from:

强项

Strengths

·公开演讲和展示

·团队管理

·视频制作和剪辑

·项目管理

·校对

·数据库管理

·关注细节

·掌握主动权

·头脑风暴

·图形设计

·Public speaking and presenting

·Team management

·Video production and editing

·Project management

·Proofreading

·Database management

·Attention to detail

·Taking ownership

·Brainstorming

·Graphic design

弱项

（记住：不要选择与必须的工作技能相关的缺陷）

Reminder: Don’t choose a weakness connected to a necessary job skill.

·不熟悉某些软件

·在数据分析、财务预测等方面需要更多经验

·害怕公开演讲

·不太擅长给出发展性的反馈

·学习新系统需要的时间更长

·不擅长寻求帮助

·不擅长时间管理

·不擅长设置目标

·不擅长主持会议

·不擅长授权给别人

·Being unfamiliar with certain software

·Needing more experience in data analysis, financial forecasting, etc.

·Fear of public speaking

·Feeling uncomfortable giving developmental feedback

·Needing more time to learn new systems

·Asking for help

·Time management

·Goal-setting

·Meeting facilitation

·Delegating

归根结底，你在面试中遇到的招聘人员以及未来的同事和上司最想知道的并不是你最大的优点和缺点，而是你究竟是个怎样的人、你能为业务做出怎样的贡献。“你有什么强项和弱项？”意思是“你是否能提升我们的团队、促进团队工作、坦陈自己的能力，并利用机会自我提升和成长？”

At the end of the day (or, at least, the interview), what the recruiters, potential colleagues, and supervisors you met most want to know isn’t your biggest strength and weakness. They want to know what kind of person you are and how you can contribute to the operation. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” = “Are you the kind of person who can enhance the team and its work, be honest about your abilities, and take advantage of opportunities to improve and grow?”

练习回答这类问题的时候，记住这些影响要素，如此一来，你的面试官最终看到的就不仅仅是各种技能的叠加，而是一个他们可以信任的人——无论是在面试中还是以后的工作中。

As you practice your strength-and-weakness responses, remember these influential factors so your interviewers ultimately see you as not merely the sum of your skills, but someone they can trust — both during the interview and well beyond.

关键词：职场

乔尔·施瓦茨伯格在一家全国性的大型非营利机构里负责行政沟通工作。他是一名专业的演讲教练，著有《一针见血！让你表达的意思更清晰，让话语发挥作用》（Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter）和《领导力语言：如何吸引和激励团队》（The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team）。

朔间|译  周强|编校