Negative aspects of a resume An example of how you can reflect the strengths and weaknesses of a person in his resume

Asked at the interview, they aim to give the employer or recruiter the most complete answer on three main points:

• ability to perform this work;
• desire to do such work;
• compliance with the corporate culture of the company.

Personal qualities - one of the main questions when meeting a candidate.

This information will help the employer or recruiter get an initial impression of the applicant not only as a specialist, but as a person.

Often questions asked with subtext are needed just to obtain information about the personal qualities of the candidate.

The employer, of course, wants to know if your negative character traits will interfere with the performance of functional duties and communication in a team.

Which are worth mentioning and which are not?

Very often you can hear the question from candidates: what are the positive and negative qualities to name at the interview?

Employers are interested in employees who have such character traits as:

• purposefulness;
• organization;
• initiative;
• performance;
• creativity;
• goodwill;
• determination.

Share them if you really have them. Give examples.

Often at the interview they are asked to name three negative qualities and three positive qualities. Think this through ahead of time.

No need to say that you are professional, adequate, loyal, smart, charming. Such qualities can be noticed and named by other people when talking about you, but not by yourself.

Never mention such negative characteristics as laziness, disorganization, irascibility and the like.

In general, 3 negative qualities in an interview are, first of all, self-doubt, fear of the interlocutor and insincerity.

Do I need to repeat what is written in the resume?

The interview is conducted in order to get to know you personally and to check whether what is stated with the resume is true. Therefore, it is likely that the employer will ask you a question that has already been covered in your resume.

In addition, the employer may simply not read the resume thoroughly. When answering the question, tell everything in your own words. Deviate from the patterns, but be precise, but also do not allow any discrepancies from the document in the facts.

It is unacceptable to answer the question as follows: "It says so in my resume."

How to talk about positive and negative qualities

No need to be modest!

In case you think you don't have any outstanding qualities, just tell what you have.

For example: the ability to focus - you focus on a specific task and bring it to the end without being distracted.

And high speed of work - always complete the task as quickly as possible, without delay.

The question should not be taken literally: “Tell me, what are your personal qualities that are shortcomings?”. Not the most the best solution, answering such a question, proceed to a detailed description of their weaknesses.

It is better to determine in advance which of your qualities have a double meaning..

At first glance, these are disadvantages, but when choosing a different angle of consideration, they can turn out to be advantages. Think over the wording and present your weaknesses so that they look positive.

Answer example: “I usually pay a lot of attention to detail, and I know that in some areas of activity such thoroughness does not matter and is not always appropriate. But I see that for the position I am applying for, this character trait should be useful.

If your employer asked you to list three shortcomings, you could list the following: “Intolerance – I can’t stand mess. Irritability - a little pissed off by the incompetence of employees.

Captiousness and meticulousness - I do not allow myself the right to make mistakes. Here you can see that not very pleasant character traits turn into virtues.

How to talk about strengths and weaknesses.

Very often, recruiters are asked to give examples of strengths and weaknesses in an interview. This task can be beaten to the obvious benefit of the applicant.

Feel free to name your strengths. Try to tell more about those that will be useful for the position you have chosen, or for the situation in the company. For example, maintaining the ability to work under stress. Support your words with examples from the past. Think of sample answers ahead of time.

What is the worst quality to name in an interview? When answering the question about weaknesses, be careful and careful. You don't have to openly acknowledge them. Instead, you can talk about minor gaps in areas that are obviously not required for this position.

Positive and negative qualities in the interview to the same extent should present you in a favorable light. The main thing to remember about what shortcomings you can talk about at the interview, and what is better to remain silent.

If the recruiter insists on clarifying the weaknesses of nature, and not professional ones, then say about 1-2, moreover, those that cannot always be considered as weak.

To be completely honest?

The employer asks to name weaknesses at the interview, what to say? How to answer interview questions about flaws correctly?

In order not to seem that you are not frankly answering questions, it is worth pointing out some shortcomings or gaps in knowledge, but most importantly, choose the right wording.

Honestly admit some of your disadvantages, name your shortcomings, but talk about them so that they are more like pluses.

If you have to report that you are not completely familiar with any type of activity, indicate only those areas that are not critical for this vacancy.

Think about the answers ahead of time. If you really want to get this job, then it's not worth the risk.

How to tell about yourself in an original way?

According to statistical research, about 90% of applicants mention their responsibility, sociability and purposefulness. It is clear that such qualities can hardly interest or draw the attention of the listener to them.

If you talk about common, common character traits that are undoubtedly positive, but everyone talks about them, it won’t hurt, but it won’t make you stand out from the general background of applicants.

You can go the other way: talk about rare qualities that match your character.

Even better, give examples related to the application of these qualities, the positive role they played, or their positive evaluation. Using this tactic, you have a chance to stand out and be remembered.

Remember that the employer, at times, is more important not WHAT, but HOW you answer questions about personal qualities. Reasonable, logical, confident answers, as well as competent speech are of great importance.

Demonstrate a positive attitude, the ability to adequately respond to difficult or personal issues, the ability to find compromises and the right decisions.

Successful interview! Moreover, now you know exactly what weaknesses can be pointed out at the interview and how to correctly talk about your shortcomings in order to make a favorable impression.

Examples of unwanted shortcomings in a resume

There are disadvantages that are undesirable to point out, as they can scare off the recruiter. Examples of such shortcomings:

• the habit of being late;
• love of gambling;
• bad habits (cigarettes).

There are also such disadvantages that are not so bad in themselves, but mentioning them can also play out in your favor. The undesirable list of disadvantages may include:

• excessive demands (you are not loyal and capable of provoking a scandal);
• the habit of expressing your opinion (you do not know how to listen to the opinions of others);
• painstaking, desire to finish the work, despite the late time (you do not know how to plan time).

To understand what shortcomings can be indicated in a resume, study all the requirements indicated in the vacancy and try to imagine the psychological portrait of the person whom the employer wants to see in this position.

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What flaws to indicate in a resume: a list of examples

Psychologists and experienced recruiters advise, when listing shortcomings, to select such weaknesses that may turn out to be strong for future work. Examples of your shortcomings in your resume include the following:

• hyperactivity;
• pedantry;
• thoroughness.

Pointing out your own shortcomings, try to turn them into advantages. Here are some shortcomings that can be indicated in a manager's resume:

• exactingness to oneself and others;
• perfectionism;
• emotionality.

All of these qualities can be turned to your advantage, because they all, ultimately, indicate that you are responsible for the work.

You can do otherwise and reformulate your shortcomings, softening their meaning. For example, the same pedantry can be masked by the words: "I love to get to the bottom of the essence and bring the work to perfection."

Finally, you can list such shortcomings in the resume, which will practically not affect your future work in any way. You can report your fear of airplanes and spiders. If your work does not involve frequent flights, and you are not going to get a job as a manager, for example, in a pet store, then all these shortcomings will not compromise you in any way. So, they can be safely indicated.

The employer is important both personal and business qualities of the employee. What abilities are more important? How to deal with negative traits? Each profession has its own characteristics. About how to do right choice and how to evaluate a future employee, we will tell in our article.

Business and personal qualities

The business qualities of an employee are his ability to perform certain labor obligations. The most important of them are the level of education and work experience. When choosing an employee, be guided by the benefits that he can bring to your company.

Personal qualities characterize the employee as a person. They become important when applicants for one position have business qualities on the same level. Personal qualities characterize the employee's attitude to work. Focus on independence: he does not have to do your job, but he must cope with his own to the fullest.

Business qualities	Personal qualities
The level of education	Accuracy
Specialty, qualification	Activity
Work experience, positions held	ambition
Labor productivity	Conflict-free
Analytic skills	Fast reaction
Rapid adaptation to new information systems	Politeness
Fast learner	Attentiveness
Attention to detail	Discipline
Flexibility of thinking	Initiative
Willingness to work overtime	diligence
Literacy	Sociability
Mathematical thinking	Maximalism
Customer interaction skills	persistence
Skills business communication	Resourcefulness
Planning Skills	Charm
Report preparation skills	organization
Oratorical skills	Responsible approach to work
Organizational skills	Decency
Enterprise	Devotion
Professional Integrity	integrity
scrupulousness	Punctuality
Ability to handle multiple projects at the same time	Determination
Ability to make quick decisions	self control
Ability to work with large amounts of information	Self-criticism
strategic thinking	Independence
Striving for self-improvement	Modesty
Creative thinking	Stress resistance
Ability to negotiate/ business correspondence	Tact
Ability to negotiate	Patience
Ability to express thoughts	exactingness
The ability to find mutual language	industriousness
Ability to teach	Self-confidence
Teamwork skills	Equilibrium
The ability to win people over	purposefulness
The ability to convince	Honesty
Good external data	Energy
Good diction	Enthusiasm
Good physical form	ethics

The choice of qualities

If more than 5 characteristics are entered in the resume, this is a signal that the applicant is not able to make a competent choice. Moreover, the standard “responsibility” and “punctuality” have become commonplace, so if possible, ask what these mean. general concepts. A prime example: the phrase "high performance" can mean "the ability to work with a lot of information," while you were counting on "willingness to work overtime."

Such general concepts as "motivation to work", "professionalism", "self-control", the applicant can reveal in other expressions, more specifically and more meaningfully. Pay attention to incompatible qualities. To verify the honesty of the applicant, you can ask to illustrate with examples the characteristics indicated by him.

Negative qualities of an employee

Sometimes they are also included in the resume by the job seeker. In particular, such as:

• Hyperactivity.
• Excessive emotionality.
• Greed.
• Vindictiveness.
• Impudence.
• Inability to lie.
• Inability to work in a team.
• Restlessness.
• Touchiness.
• Lack of work experience/education.
• Lack of sense of humor.
• Bad habits.
• Passion for gossip.
• straightness.
• self-confidence.
• Modesty.
• Weak communication.
• The desire to create conflict.

An applicant who has written negative qualities in a resume can be honest, or maybe reckless. Such an act does not justify itself, but if you want to know possible problems with this applicant, ask him to list his negative qualities. Be ready to give the person an opportunity to rehabilitate himself and present negative qualities in a favorable light. For example, restlessness indicates easy adaptation and quick switching from one task to another, and straightforwardness indicates the benefits that he can bring when making a deal.

Be ready to give the person an opportunity to rehabilitate himself and present negative qualities in a favorable light.

Qualities for different professions

Certain professional qualities are needed in almost all activities. You can make it easier for applicants and at the same time narrow their circle by entering information about the desired characteristics in the job advertisement. For an employee in the field of promotion or entertainment, the main qualities are communication skills, the ability to work in a team, and win people over. The list of winning qualities will also include: charm, self-confidence, energy. In trade list best qualities will look like this: flexibility of thinking, customer interaction skills, ability to negotiate, work in a team, as well as quick response, politeness, perseverance, activity.

A leader in any field should be characterized by such professional qualities as organizational skills, the ability to find a common language and work in a team, resourcefulness, conflict-free, charm and the ability to teach. Equally important are the ability to make quick decisions, self-confidence, attentiveness and balance.

The strengths of an employee working with a large amount of data (accountant or system administrator): attention to detail, accuracy, quick learner, attentiveness, organization and, of course, the ability to work with a large amount of information.

The characteristics of a secretary include a variety of positive qualities: customer interaction skills, business communication, literacy, the ability to negotiate and business correspondence, the ability to do several things at the same time. Also pay attention to good external data, attentiveness, tact and balance, diligence. In any profession, responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful. But the applicant, inscribing such qualities in the resume, does not always take them seriously.

In any profession, responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful. But the applicant, inscribing such qualities in the resume, does not always take them seriously.

Evaluation of the professional qualities of an employee

To avoid wasting time and money testing new employees, sometimes companies evaluate them before hiring. For this, even special personnel assessment centers have been created. A list of grading methods for those who prefer to do it themselves:

• Letters of recommendation.
• Tests. This includes conventional aptitude and aptitude tests, as well as personality and background tests.
• Examination of the knowledge and skills of the employee.
• Role play or case studies.

The role-playing game will help you find out in practice whether the applicant is right for you. Act out a day-to-day situation for his position and see how he copes. For example, evaluate his customer interaction skills. Let the buyer be your competent employee or yourself, and the applicant will show what he is capable of. You can set a goal for him to achieve during the game, or simply observe the style of work. This method will tell a lot more about the applicant than the column "Personal qualities" in the resume.

When determining the evaluation criteria, you can be based on business qualities: punctuality, potential quantity and quality of work performed, experience and education, skills, etc. For greater efficiency, focus on the qualities necessary for the position for which the candidate being evaluated is applying. To be confident in an employee, consider his personal qualities. You can independently conduct an assessment in the form of a rating of candidates, placing + and - according to certain criteria, distributing them by level or awarding points. Avoid scoring errors such as bias or stereotyping, or overweighting one criterion.

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;
• analytic 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 resistance;
• striving for self-improvement, development;
• creativity to the assigned 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:

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;
   • honest.
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 resistance;
• 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 resistance;
• 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.

Video

Not everyone requires your resume to show your weaknesses. But if there is such an item in the form, then putting a dash will be a mistake. It is better to look at an example of the weaknesses of the character in the resume.

What to write

Please consider your answer before completing the deficiencies box. In no case do not skip it, because ideal people do not exist. As a rule, managers want to see how adequately you evaluate yourself. If you do not know what to write, look at the suggested options and choose something that suits you best.

Universal formula: select such character traits that are a virtue for performing this particular job, and in ordinary life can indeed be considered a human defect.

You can write the following weaknesses:

• excessive directness, the habit of telling the truth in the eye;
• difficulty in establishing contact with strangers;
• inability to be flexible in labor matters;
• reliability;
• increased anxiety;
• excessive emotionality, irascibility;
• love for formalism;
• restlessness;
• slowness;
• hyperactivity;
• fear of air travel.

All these weaknesses in the resume can become advantages if you look at them from a different angle. An example is restlessness. For a sales representative or an active sales manager, this can even be a plus. The same goes for reliability. For the manager, this is a signal that you may be the person who will do all the overtime work.

Linking weaknesses to the characteristics of professions

All applicants should think about how to correctly write my weaknesses for a resume. For example, a future accountant or design engineer might write:

• incredulity;
• excessive scrupulousness;
• increased anxiety;
• excessive demands on oneself;
• straightness;
• pedantry;
• modesty;
• inability to lie;
• difficulty establishing contact with strangers;
• pride;
• lack of flexibility in labor matters;
• adherence to principles;
• overestimated sense of responsibility;
• lack of diplomacy.

• hyperactivity;
• self-confidence;
• restlessness;
• impulsiveness;
• the need for external motivation;
• incredulity, desire to double-check and confirm all information.

Disadvantages for one profession can become advantages for another.

You can also indicate in your resume among your negative qualities:

• straightness;
• workaholism;
• excessive love for communication.

Applicants for the position of manager need to prepare before filling out the specified column. It is better to think in advance what weaknesses to indicate in the resume. They can write about such character traits:

• excessive emotionality;
• pedantry;
• love for little things;
• thoughts about work, planning take up most of the free time;
• increased demands on others.

A good example is the following:

• inability to respond with rudeness to rudeness;
• the tendency to make decisions based on one's own opinion;
• mistrust of people and a love of confirmation of facts.

Some applicants choose to indicate that they:

• overly trusting;
• can raise their voice to subordinates;
• straightforward, express their opinion without veiled embellishments;
• quick-tempered;
• always looking for confirmation of words;
• have a hypertrophied sense of responsibility;
• prone to formalism and pay too much attention to detail;
• irritated by disorder;
• slow;
• do not like to do things for the sake of others.

For all occasions

Many are afraid to write about shortcomings, believing that the employer will immediately send their resume to the trash can. Of course, you should not be too frank, but you should not completely skip this section of the questionnaire. In this case, you can write about some neutral qualities that will not affect the work in any way. For a person applying for any vacancy, among the inherent weaknesses can be indicated:

• fear of airplanes;
• arachnophobia (fear of spiders), vespertiliophobia (fear of bats), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes);
• excess weight;
• lack of experience;
• age (suitable for people over 40 years old);
• love for shopping
• sweet love.

This information does not characterize you in any way, it simply speaks of your fears or small weaknesses.

The following shortcomings can be stated:

• I do not always accurately express my thoughts;
• I trust people too much;
• prone to reflection;
• I often analyze past mistakes, focusing on them too much attention;
• I spend a lot of time evaluating my actions.

These are negative qualities, but they should not affect the workflow.

Regardless of the position for which you are applying, you can write such weaknesses in your resume:

• I get so carried away with work that I forget to take breaks;
• I can’t build relationships with colleagues because I don’t like gossip;
• I can’t fight back in response to a boorish appeal;
• I constantly pass all situations through myself;
• let people get too close;
• I can't swear;
• I noticeably worry when I have to lie.

Important nuances

Please note that there are items that are better left unmentioned. You should not write, for example, that you:

• like to be lazy;
• afraid to take responsibility;
• do not like to make decisions;
• not punctual;
• are often distracted;
• think only about salary;
• love office romances.

For example, by writing about your laziness in your resume, you risk: the employer will decide that you do not want to work.