1. “I am highly adaptable to change. During my internship a new payroll system was introduced, and other members of staff were unhappy about it. I taught myself the system in my own personal time and was then able to train others how to use it.”
This answer succinctly states what the strength is, before reinforcing it with an anecdotal example from a previous role. The example highlights how the candidate's strength yielded benefits for their employer.
2. “I have excellent interpersonal skills and excel in dealing with clients. In my last job, a customer was very unhappy when a delivery of a sample product was not made on time, which meant that the customer lost out on making a sale. I went out of my way to listen actively to the customer's concerns, apologised, and made sure that I understood everything that was wrong. I then presented a solution by calling other clients to see if they had any spare samples, which I volunteered to deliver to the customer the following day."
This answer provides a step-by-step breakdown of a time when the candidate used their interpersonal skills to help a customer. It also gives the impression that the candidate cares about greatly their job.
3. "I’ve always considered myself to have a very strong work ethic. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to meet deadlines. As part of a work placement I was working with a customer who had my team on a strict deadline. For reasons beyond my control, there was some confusion in the delivery of crucial documents, which didn’t get to our office until late on the afternoon before the deadline. Rather than go home, I volunteered to stay late and finish everything, ensuring that the deadline was met, and that the work was of a very good standard.”
This answer does not simply make a general statement about being a hard worker, but again backs up its assertion with a clearly explained example.
I am an excellent communicator.
People trust me and come to me for advice.
One afternoon, my colleague was involved with a difficult customer who felt he was not being served well.
I made the customer a cup of coffee and invited both my colleague and the client to my desk where we solved the problem together.