Identifying your weaknesses is just as important as knowing your strengths. Everyone has weaknesses at work - even you! They're just areas for you to develop and are nothing to be ashamed of.
Finding your strengths is something that will grow over time. You’re not going to know your strengths at twenty. You’re not going to know all your strengths at twenty-two. I’m twenty-four and I still don’t know all my strengths.
A really good way of having a sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Number one is to ask. Ask people, you know, “What am I good at?" "What am I not so good at?”
Finding out what you’re good at comes from the team feedback, comes from the fund managers, comes from your boss, comes from colleagues. Listen to their feedback and take that in and that’s when you will realise your strengths.
Speak to fellow members of your team. I think one of my main weaknesses when I first came into the company was that I wasn’t very confident. I was really quiet and I didn’t want to get involved with stuff. So what I did was I spoke to my team members and you know, I’ve got involved with speaking on school tours and you know, doing a bit more public speaking which is something I was really scared of in the beginning.
A second way to do that is also looking back. Looking back at the work that you’ve done previously.
Doing a self-evaluation every now and then is always good to help you grow. Look back on the service that you’ve just done and anything that could have been better.
It’s really important to recognise your weaknesses. When you start your job you could actually speak to your manager about them and say “These are things I really want to work on.” Employers really respect you when you can tell them that and they will help you to achieve that.
There just does not exist a person who doesn’t have any weaknesses. So having weaknesses is absolutely fine, but if you know them you can absolutely use that to your advantage.
Top tips to take away
- Ask people what you’re good at - other people notice skills and strengths you may not have considered
- Look at previous work you’ve done and do self-evaluations to recognise what you did well and what you might need to develop
- If you know your weaknesses you can use these to your advantage. Consider how you could develop your weaknesses – think about activities that build the skills and experience you need and you’re one step closer to being that perfect you
- Finding your strengths is a skill that you will develop over a time! Remember, your strengths will change as you learn and grow.
Tips, advice and mentoring from Youth Employment UK.
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