Personal qualities in a resume with examples. Interview: what are the negative qualities worth mentioning, and which are not? How to voice your positive traits, strengths and weaknesses

  • 20.10.2019

Jan 17, 2018 Recruiters often ask candidates to list their shortcomings. The purpose of this question is for the HR specialist to understand how self-critical a potential employee is, whether he evaluates himself correctly and whether he is able to perceive criticism. Applicant can provide their own negative sides in the resume, however, not forgetting to focus on their skills and abilities. In this article, we will tell you how to correctly present your negative qualities in a resume and give illustrative examples, But first things first. To get started, consider the basic rules for filling out the disadvantages section.
If the employer sends you an email or offers to fill out a resume form from the company before the meeting, then there will most likely be a question about weaknesses. In no case should you put a dash. If this section is present in the questionnaire, then this item is of interest to the employer unambiguously. A dash in this case will be regarded as an inability to soberly assess yourself and an overestimated self-esteem. Also, do not get carried away by filling out this section. Remember that disadvantages can become your advantage. For example, lack of communication for an accountant is undoubtedly a plus. But for a sales manager, it’s obviously a minus. Remember that your adequacy, self-criticism and truthfulness are evaluated, and not how many shortcomings you have. Examples of undesirable personal qualities in a resume - shortcomings that are definitely not worth pointing out I am often late;I am fond of gambling;Availability bad habits(alcohol, smoking, etc.); Often distracted; I work only for a salary; I like to start office romances; I'm lazy; I'm greedy; I'm quick-tempered; Passive; Disadvantages that may not work in your favor: Pedantry; Individualism; Self-criticism; Self-esteem; Hyper-reactivity; Modesty; Distrust; Self-conceit; Straightforwardness; Vanity; Self-confidence; After that, highlight the character traits that will not interfere with you or will help you in your future work. Lucky disadvantages for a resume: Inability to respond with rudeness to rudeness; Increased demands on others; Tendency to make decisions based on one’s own opinion; Unwillingness to act to please others; I can’t always express my thoughts accurately; Prone to reflection; I trust people, sometimes too much; I spend a lot of time evaluating of my actions and actions; I can get carried away with work and forget about the break; I pass all situations through myself; I don’t know how to swear; I don’t know how to lie. Neutral qualities: Fear of insects, snakes, mice and other living creatures; Fear of airplanes; Lack of work experience (for those who start a career or change their field of activity); Age (for people over 40 years old); Love to make purchases. The list of negative qualities of a person in a resume should not contradict your line of work or question your professionalism. So, for example, to get a job as a sales consultant, you can specify: reliability (is a plus when working with clients); excessive scrupulousness (will be a plus when working with money); sellers are financially responsible for the goods, and this “flaw” is simply necessary for a good salesperson; excessive love for communication ( important point in working with clients, which is also a positive “disadvantage” for retail.) Negative qualities for an accountant can be as follows: Distrust of people and love for facts (or rather figures); Discharge from disorder (everything should be in its place and only so); Slowness (when working with large amounts, you definitely shouldn’t rush); Excessive attention to detail or pedantry.

When compiling a resume, some firms, companies in an application for a vacancy are asked to note positive, negative qualities. More often than not, this requirement is large companies, with a large staff, where well-coordinated, teamwork of all employees is important.

We advise you to make a preliminary list of your positive and negative qualities in advance. When compiling the list, the specifics of the company's activities should be taken into account so that negative qualities do not become an obstacle to obtaining the desired vacancy.

When describing your positive qualities in your resume, try not to paint yourself from the excellent side, stick to the "golden mean". The description must contain objective, reliable information. If you are hired, in the future, a discrepancy between the reality of the declared qualities may come to light and an awkward situation will arise.

You must be ready to substantiate with examples from personal life, professional activity, the presence of the described positive aspects of character. There are several basic qualities of a person that an employer will definitely pay attention to when reading a resume.

performance

Here you can specify that you, if necessary, overtime work you are willing to offer your services and time. Pay attention to the desire to work quickly and efficiently.

Sociability

Quality is important in teamwork. Emphasize your ability to easily adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, crowds a large number people, the opportunity to conduct a dialogue with different categories of people.

Stress resistance

This quality is in demand in work associated with serious physical activity or requiring an instant decision in complex, emergency situations. Please provide during the interview real examples from life.

The qualities listed below are optional, but will make the resume more complete and guaranteed to draw the attention of the employer to you as a suitable person for a free job:

  • analytical thinking;
  • attentiveness;
  • discipline;
  • initiative;
  • creativity;
  • organization;
  • punctuality;
  • willingness to work for promotion professional level;
  • diligence;
  • creativity to the assigned task.

Indicate the qualities that best suit the position you are applying for. Do not overload your resume with unnecessary details.

Negative qualities

There is no perfect person in every way. It is wrong to write in your resume that you are devoid of negative qualities. Present the negative sides of the character as virtues, for example:

  • credulity;
  • pedantry;
  • increased demands on oneself and one's work;
  • straightforwardness in judgments;
  • distrustful of unconfirmed facts.

It is important to understand and take into account the fact that characteristics in a certain situation will manifest themselves fully, so do not try to hide what is obvious. Be prepared to talk about your negative, as it seems to you, shortcomings. Do not be ashamed to admit them, because you are ready to fight them in order to bring the company maximum benefit.

During the interview, be calm and not overconfident. Try to look the interlocutor in the eye, answer to the point. Try to convince the employer of professionalism and readiness to start working as soon as possible.

Irina Davydova


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How to please a future boss if there is an insidious item in his profile - weak sides character? In a summary, unlike a normal conversation, each word has weight, so it’s better to prepare in advance for uncomfortable questions, and weak qualities in must be presented as very useful for the cause.

  1. You can just not point out your weaknesses professional quality in resume. Concentrate on your skills, experience, education, and you can talk about personal qualities at the interview. However, it is impossible to refuse that item if you fill out a resume in in electronic format. Read also:
  2. A dash instead of information is another mistake of future employees. If the boss decided to leave this column, it means that he is really interested in this information. And the point is not even in it, but in checking an adequate perception of oneself, the ability to learn and understand the leader. Emptiness can speak of excessively high self-esteem or, on the contrary, self-doubt. Read also:
  3. Of course, you should not list all the shortcomings in too much detail or engage in self-flagellation. It is enough to remember that any weaknesses in the resume have reverse side for the employer. And what may be a problem for one may be an advantage for another. For example, if you are an accountant, your lack of communication will be useful in your work. And if you are a manager, then this is a serious omission.
  4. Filling in the summary of strengths and weaknesses, try to build on the position you want to occupy. For example, select deficiencies that are not related to your activity. Restlessness for a sales manager is the norm, but for an accountant it is a minus.
  5. "Turn weaknesses into strengths" is the old approach. It works if you can think creatively. Otherwise, the efforts will be too primitive and they will figure you out. So the trick of "with a heightened sense of responsibility, workaholism and perfectionism" may not be successful.
  6. Remember that some bosses do not look for faults in you at all. , but only evaluate the adequacy, truthfulness and self-criticism.
  7. It is better to describe your weaknesses in a resume that can be improved. This should also be reported in the text of the questionnaire. There are some bosses who want to train employees for themselves. In this case, your frankness and willingness to work on yourself will be appreciated adequately.
  8. Specify not only individual characteristics, but also your properties in teamwork .
  9. Do not use flowery phrases like "my flaws are extensions of my virtues." This will not surprise, but only show the unwillingness to conduct a dialogue with the employer.
  10. The optimal number of flaws is 2 or 3 . Don't get carried away!

Weaknesses in the resume - examples:

  • Selfishness, pride, scrupulousness, inflexibility in labor matters, the habit of telling the truth directly, inability to establish contact with strangers, increased demands.
  • Propensity for formalism, overweight, lack of punctuality, slowness, restlessness, fear of airplanes, impulsiveness.
  • Reliability, high anxiety, hyperactivity, incredulity, straightforwardness, need for external motivation.
  • Hot temper, isolation, self-confidence, stubbornness.
  • Among the weaknesses, you can indicate in your resume that you do not always express your thoughts perfectly or tend to reflect . And if you are asked why this interferes, answer that you would like to spend less time analyzing the problem.

A well-written resume is key successful search work. Many do not know what to write about personal qualities, how to stand out among applicants with this, to show up for potential employers with better side. The resume must indicate both professional skills and valuable personal qualities.

Positive Qualities for a Resume

showing strengths, highlight 5-7 characteristics that clearly reflect your character. When choosing from the list of suitable personal qualities, it is important not to overestimate or underestimate self-esteem. Evaluate yourself well and determine what character traits are needed for a particular position:

  • activity;
  • Analytical mind;
  • ambition;
  • quick adaptation to change;
  • attentiveness;
  • politeness;
  • discipline;
  • friendliness;
  • initiative;
  • sociability;
  • reliability;
  • focus on results;
  • optimism;
  • responsiveness;
  • decency;
  • punctuality;
  • independence;
  • ability to make quick decisions;
  • stress tolerance;
  • striving for self-improvement, development;
  • creative approach to the tasks;
  • the ability to get along with the team;
  • the ability to convince;
  • purposefulness;
  • honesty.

Negative qualities

All people have flaws, and if you openly show your weaknesses to the employer, he will understand that you adequately assess your character.

Some negative qualities can be ideal for one type of work and categorically interfere with another activity.

The ability to recognize one's own negative traits character is always appreciated by the employer.

Honestly choose a few characteristics from the list below:

  • trust only confirmed facts;
  • gullibility to people, naivety;
  • excessive demands on oneself and others;
  • isolation, desire for solitude;
  • slowness;
  • inability to perform monotonous work;
  • non-standard approach to solving problems, creativity;
  • lack of skills and experience in certain activities;
  • pedantry, scrupulousness;
  • increased sense of responsibility;
  • straightness;
  • self-confidence;
  • modesty;
  • excessive activity.

Examples of personal qualities in a resume

Personal characteristics of a person are conditionally divided into groups and directions, which are applied depending on the position and vacancy. This is:

  1. Attitude to work. Personal characteristics for a resume:
    • conscientiousness;
    • initiative;
    • interest in studying the intricacies of the profession;
    • performance;
    • creativity;
    • persistence;
    • responsible attitude to assignments;
    • diligence;
    • perseverance.
  2. Attitude towards people. Personal qualities for a resume:
    • politeness;
    • flexibility in communication;
    • goodwill;
    • friendliness;
    • sociability;
    • responsiveness;
    • ability to quickly find a way out stressful situations;
    • ability to convince;
    • justice;
    • tolerance, respect for people;
    • ability to work in a team;
    • clear diction, literate speech.
  3. Character trait, attitude towards oneself. Personal characteristics for a resume:
    • active;
    • attentive;
    • disciplined;
    • cheerful;
    • decent;
    • punctual;
    • punctual;
    • self-critical;
    • stress resistant;
    • self-confident;
    • plodding;
    • fair.
  4. Attitude towards own and work things. Personal qualities of a person:
    • careful;
    • I always maintain order in the workplace;
    • neat;
    • neat.

Depending on the position for which the applicant is applying, suitable character traits are indicated. For example, for an analyst, an economist, the following qualities are suitable:

  • pedantry;
  • attentiveness;
  • perseverance;
  • responsibility;
  • accuracy;
  • performance.

In an engineer's resume

In addition to professional skills, knowledge and abilities, indicate several personal options from the list:

  • attentive;
  • disciplined;
  • result oriented;
  • responsible;
  • self-organized;
  • independent;
  • ability to concentrate;
  • technical mindset;
  • balanced;
  • plodding;
  • purposeful.

Strengths in a lawyer resume

This profession is associated with defending the interests of people and helping to solve problems, so applicants must meet strict requirements. List of suitable qualities:

  • attention to detail;
  • friendly attitude towards people;
  • logical thinking;
  • defending a certain point of view;
  • the ability to quickly win over an interlocutor;
  • the ability to consciously conduct a dialogue;
  • justice;
  • desire for development;
  • self-confidence;
  • ability to find a way out difficult situations;
  • the ability to clearly convey one's point of view;
  • resistance to conflict situations.

In an accountant's resume

The applicant for this position must have financial literacy, be able to manage the company's money. Choose a few personal suitable options from the list:

  • careful;
  • attentive to detail;
  • executive;
  • loyal;
  • non-conflict;
  • responsible;
  • organized;
  • punctual;
  • scrupulous;
  • capable of learning;
  • stress resistant;
  • plodding;
  • vigorous.

sales manager

In order to get this job, you must have the following personal qualities:

  • adequate self-esteem;
  • politeness;
  • high responsibility;
  • competent speech, clear diction;
  • initiative;
  • communication skills;
  • loyalty;
  • multitasking;
  • non-standard approach to solving tasks;
  • sociability;
  • result orientation;
  • positive thinking;
  • presentable appearance;
  • punctuality;
  • the ability to learn and memorize large amounts of information;
  • stress tolerance;
  • diligence;
  • self-confidence;

For executive resume

To get a leadership position, you must highlight the following qualities:

  • fast analysis;
  • building communications;
  • flexibility of thinking;
  • interest;
  • multitasking;
  • observation;
  • persistence;
  • organizational skills;
  • focus on getting the desired result;
  • entrepreneurial skills;
  • exactingness;
  • the ability to inspire and lead;
  • energy;
  • independent decision making.

Positive qualities for a driver

Key personal qualities of the candidate:

  • polite;
  • attentive to the details;
  • flexible in communication;
  • communicable;
  • loyal;
  • responsible;
  • decent;
  • prudent;
  • punctual;
  • stress resistant;
  • tolerant.

administrator

An energetic warehouse of character is suitable for this position. Employers pay attention to applicants with the following qualities:

  • fast adaptation to non-standard situations;
  • high performance;
  • competent speech;
  • bringing to a result;
  • love of life;
  • initiative;
  • sociability;
  • learnability;
  • organization;
  • responsibility;
  • positive attitude;
  • stress tolerance;
  • ability to work in a team;
  • purposefulness.

Seller

For the employer for this position, applicants with the following characteristics are valuable:

  • ambitious;
  • polite;
  • diplomatic;
  • having a presentable appearance;
  • initiative;
  • having the ability to listen and hear;
  • communicative;
  • team oriented;
  • responsible;
  • positive attitude;
  • independent;
  • striving for professional and personal development;
  • stress resistant;
  • patient;
  • hardworking;
  • self-confident;
  • purposeful;
  • vigorous.

Common mistakes

When compiling a list of positive and negative qualities in a resume, be extremely careful. The choice of characteristics is determined by the desired position and the internal culture of the company.

It is important that these personality traits are perceived in a positive aspect, and not as shortcomings.

For example, leadership abilities and charisma are undesirable for an accountant, and in a creative team, pedantry and modesty will be a “minus”.

To avoid mistakes in describing personal qualities, follow the recommendations of experienced personnel officers:

  1. Do not use only template phrases. Convey in your own words, in a restrained manner, personal traits of character. Exclusively for creative professions, humor and creativity can be used in a resume.
  2. Do not specify more than 5 characteristics. Try to avoid vague, generalized phrases, such as talented, responsible. It is better to choose an individual character trait that is exactly suitable for you and the desired position.
  3. Draw the attention of the employer to personal qualities that are easy to immediately check, for example, energetic, sociable.
  4. Giving a characteristic of negative qualities, you should not evade the answer. It is better to name several options and indicate how you work on them, how you improve your character.

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When applying for a job, your profile becomes the only link with your employer. Get Good work difficult without the correct presentation of their own capabilities. However, many serious ones require filling in an insidious item - weaknesses of character.

In a summary, every word written is important. Do not fill out this line in haste!

Weaknesses on your resume should be a mirror image of your strengths.

How to turn weaknesses into strengths on a resume

But you should not be too zealous in listing your shortcomings. Yes, and reproach yourself for your weaknesses of personality is not necessary. Remember what is good for one, not for another. For example, for someone you are wasteful, someone will consider you generous; some will see greed in you, others will say economical.

Present your employer negative traits character, wrapping them in a beautiful wrapper. For example, for an accountant, unsociableness is even useful in work, but a manager with this quality will have a hard time.

Expert opinion

Natalia Molchanova

HR manager

Find 2-3 traits of your character that will be considered a minus in ordinary life, but from the point of view of the chosen profession, they turn into indisputable advantages.

What weaknesses to indicate in the resume

This is where you need to think carefully. Sometimes writing a few words about yourself is much more difficult than you thought. After all, work in a reputable company is at stake, and the well-being of the whole family may depend on your ability to display weaknesses in the questionnaire.

Of course, there is no guarantee that the next employer will take you to their team. There is no doubt that the future boss will not only not put it aside, but will show his interest and will certainly want to meet. So what kind of trump cards will we save to beat the competition?

Be truthful

The habit of exaggerating will come in handy here. If the employer does not require dwelling on negative qualities, then you do not need to write anything. Then focus on your strengths as a specialist, mentioning your strengths. If the resume needs to be written in a free form, then focus on your positive aspects as a person and a specialist in the field.

But what shortcomings to indicate in the resume to become the first contender for the long-awaited position?

  1. Firstly, as we have already said, so that the employer does not get the impression of you as a person with a painfully high self-esteem, in no case do we ignore the paragraph on shortcomings.
  2. Secondly, do not deviate from the style of writing a resume. When talking with an interlocutor live, it is much easier to convey information to the listener: you can use gestures, facial expressions, and focus on his reaction. In the case of a resume, a special approach is needed, because the manager sees only what is written.
  3. Thirdly, the boss will not fail to note the honesty of the resume, where you briefly report your shortcomings, based on some important points.

Don't chase the standard

When considering a resume, each employer looks at the situation from his own angle. Sometimes the same character trait can be regarded in two ways. For someone she will turn around positive side medals, and some may be blacklisted with such character traits.

Expert opinion

Natalia Molchanova

HR manager

Each field of activity requires an individual approach.. In teamwork, leadership qualities will only interfere with the team, and for a manager, the ability to make his own decisions will be quite useful.

Be intellectually mature

It is important that you are aware of your imperfection and do not take criticism with hostility. After all, only an intellectually formed person can calmly and fairly conduct a personal assessment of his positive and negative sides.

It is undeniably easier for an employer to give preference to a mature person than to educate an unbalanced person.

Show willingness to work on yourself

Having presented your negative qualities to the general court, be sure to indicate that you are actively fighting the shortcoming you indicated. You can't let an employer think you're comfortable living with this negativity.

It could be shyness or impulsiveness. You can point to their manifestation in accordance with the situation, and make it clear that you are waging a stubborn struggle with the presence of these disadvantages: expanding your connections and striving to control your ardor.

Consider a simple example in a resume, where the weaknesses of the applicant turned into a positive side from a professional point of view.

"AT Everyday life you are unable to refuse people, and because of this you do not have your own personal life. However, the boss may find this quality more than beneficial for him. Having hired a trouble-free employee, the manager expects that he will always be able to rely on such an employee, no matter what issues the assignment concerns. This feature can become simply invaluable for personnel who work under someone's direct supervision.

Present your strengths as weaknesses

Psychology is very interesting science. Of course, it is not worth filling the field for shortcomings with the phrases “increased responsibility” or “workaholism”. The leader will immediately convict you of dishonesty.

To take a highly paid position and with it the future boss you need:

  • credulity - you will be perceived as a person capable of concluding agreements exclusively with trusted partners;
  • self-confidence - they will see you as a leader who is inclined to move forward;
  • hyperactivity - they will bet on the speed of completing tasks commensurate with other employees;
  • slowness - they will find in your person a scrupulous worker who can see mistakes and notice important nuances;
  • increased anxiety - they will note a responsible approach to work and their duties;
  • straightforwardness – they will consider you a master of negotiation, who will confidently insist on the conditions and requirements of the company;
  • exactingness - they will think: if an employee is demanding of himself, then production processes you will be treated with no less responsibility;
  • pedantry - they will determine the ability to bring undertakings to the ideal through repeated checks;
  • restlessness - they will see you as an employee who is ready to perform new tasks and assignments, regardless of external factors;
  • modesty - will be credited to the number of employees who weigh what is said, which helps to prevent conflict situations and unnecessary misunderstandings.

For a summary of a future accountant, as an example of weaknesses, you can be guided by:

  • suspicion;
  • excessive pedantry;
  • increased anxiety;
  • straightness;
  • scrupulousness;
  • modesty;
  • inability to lie;
  • pride;
  • lack of complicity in working moments;
  • scrupulousness;
  • overestimated sense of responsibility;
  • inability to negotiate.

But for specialties that require direct communication with a wide audience, this list of qualities is extremely unsuitable.

For a manager, for example, you can indicate in your resume:

  • restlessness;
  • hyperactivity;
  • exactingness;
  • impudence;
  • stubbornness;
  • self-confidence;
  • straightness;
  • impulsiveness.

Why does the manager want to know about your shortcomings

If the future boss decided to include the “weak sides of character” column in the resume, then it cannot be ignored.

Stay yourself, believe in yourself and you will succeed, and finally the video