Why does an interviewer ask this question. It is primarily to know more about your personality attributes which help the interviewer understand you holistically, not only on basis of your domain skills.
Most of the times, when candidates get rejected the sense one generally gets from employers is on these lines – While the candidate was good in terms of domain knowledge ( hard skills) he/she did not seem to have the ability to handle challenging situations, did not have high enthusiasm and we are not sure whether he/she would be able to adapt to our work culture. These are all skewed towards soft skills.
So how do you answer this question effectively?
While your resume remains to be focused upon the hard core facts and domain skills, what you need to present when asked the question are your soft skills. And soft skills are not to be mentioned verbatim as core skills in your resume as they get reflected in the outcomes you achieve and can be part of your professional summary. That’s because by mentioning that you are adaptable or a good listener on your resume, it does not get demonstrated unless you meet the interviewer in person.
So present your ability to learn, how you can adapt well to different situations, how you are a go getter, your team building ability, your presentation and communication skills …….and other relevant soft skills. Importantly do present your soft skills which are relevant to the job.
Best Wishes
Sarabjeet Sachar
Seasoned Career Coach, Founder & CEO, Aspiration, Job search coaching