Job interview: Strengths and weaknesses

💬 [では、] is a smooth “segue” phrase. In interviews it often equals “So,” or “Alright, then,” before the next question.

🇯🇵 In Japanese interviews, soft transitions like [では、] help the conversation feel orderly and polite—less abrupt than jumping straight in.

💬 [教える] can mean “teach” or “tell/inform.” In interview talk, it’s often closer to “share/tell me.”

🇯🇵 Interviewers may avoid very direct commands; you’ll often hear [教えてください] instead of something like “Answer this.”

💬 [ください] attaches to a request and makes it polite. It’s “please do … for me.”

🇯🇵 Japanese politeness often uses “request style” rather than “command style,” especially in formal settings like interviews.

💬 [教えて] is the casual request form. It’s friendly, but can sound too casual for an interview.

🇯🇵 In interviews, you’ll almost always upgrade this to [教えてください] to match the formal atmosphere.

💬 [教えてください。] is a standard polite request: “Please tell me / Please share.” Great for “Tell me your strengths.”

🇯🇵 Even interviewers use polite requests to keep the interaction respectful and balanced.

💬 [強み] is “strength/strong point,” commonly used in job interviews. It pairs with [弱み] (weakness) if you learn that next.

🇯🇵 In Japan, it’s appreciated if you state a [強み] and back it up with a concrete story, not just adjectives.

💬 [あなた] means “you,” but in business it can sound a bit direct depending on tone.

🇯🇵 In interviews, people often avoid [あなた] and use titles like [面接官の方] or the person’s role/name for extra politeness.

💬 [あなたの] = “your …,” but the same “can be direct” warning applies in formal settings.

🇯🇵 If you need “your” politely in business, you may hear [御社の] (your company) instead of [あなたの] (you personally).

💬 [あなたの強み] literally “your strengths.” In an interview question it often appears as [あなたの強みは何ですか。]

🇯🇵 Interview questions in Japan often focus on “fit” and teamwork, so strengths like reliability and cooperation are valued.