Have you ever been asked, “How do you rate yourself?” in a job interview? The qualifier could be “as a professional,” “as an employee,” or maybe as the holder of a certain skill set. In most cases, they want you to give them an answer between 1 and 10 in order to get some concrete idea of where you and your skills are.
This is a tough question to answer. You will find advice that you should always rank yourself as a 10, or even higher. They say that anything less makes it look like you donât have confidence in yourself or that youâre admitting a weakness.
In my opinion, automatically rating yourself at a 10 makes you seem a little conceited (at best). It sounds like a false answer, just like “Iâm such a perfectionist” does to the “Whatâs your greatest weakness?” question.
At the same time, answering “5” may keep them from offering you the job.
Hereâs how you should really answer, “How do you rate yourself?” in a sincere, job-winning way:
The best answer for someone with experience is a 7 or an 8. Youâd elaborate on that by saying something along the lines of you see yourself as someone whoâs learned a lot and is valuable at this point in your career, but you also realize that you can learn more from this organizationâand then say what that is. This is reasonable, positive, and appealing.
If youâre just out of school or have very little experience, you should answer a little lower, at maybe a 6 or a 7. Again, elaborate on your answer. You see yourself as better than average (5) but with room to grow. Youâre excited about what you can learn from this company and how you can contribute to it.
Is it ever okay to rate yourself at a 9 or a 10? Yes, but only if youâre a true subject matter expert with extensive experience. In most cases, we all have room to learn and improve.
Your interviewer will be surprised that you donât automatically tell them “10” (or in some cases “11”). So make sure you explain your thought process. Say something like, “On a scale of 1 to 10, a 5 would be a true average, and a 10 is perfect. I think Iâm better than average, and no one is perfect.”
Continue the conversation in a positive vein by pointing out what youâve learned that makes you valuable, qualities that make you a great fit for the job, and why youâre excited to continue your career at this company.
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
