Weaknesses in a resume - examples. Personal qualities in a resume: strengths and weaknesses

When writing a resume, some firms and companies ask you to note positive and negative qualities in your application for a job. More often, this requirement is made by large companies with a large staff, where 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 a list, you should take into account the specifics of the company’s activities 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 describe yourself as superior, stick to the “golden mean”. The description must contain objective, reliable information. If you are hired, it may later become clear that the stated qualities do not correspond to reality and an awkward situation may arise.

You must be ready to substantiate with examples from your personal life and professional activities 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.

The qualities listed below are optional, but will make your resume more complete and are guaranteed to draw the employer's attention to you as a person suitable for the available vacancy:

• analytical thinking;
• attentiveness;
• discipline;
• initiative;
• creativity;
• organization;
• punctuality;
• readiness to work to improve professional level;
• hard work;
• creative approach to the task.

Indicate those qualities that best suit the vacancy for which you are applying. Don't overload your resume with unnecessary details.

Negative qualities

There is no perfect person in every way. It is incorrect to write on your resume that you are devoid of negative qualities. Present negative aspects of character as advantages, for example:

• gullibility;
• pedantry;
• increased demands on yourself and your work;
• straightforwardness in judgment;
• distrust of unconfirmed facts.

It is important to understand and take into account the fact that the characteristic features in a certain situation will appear fully, so do not try to hide what is obvious. Be prepared to talk about what you think are your negative shortcomings. Don’t be ashamed to admit them, because you are ready to fight them in order to bring maximum benefit to the company.

During the interview, stay calm and do not become overconfident. Try to look your interlocutor in the eyes and answer to the point. Try to convince the employer of your professionalism and readiness to start working as soon as possible.

Are you looking for a job and want to find a great place? Then you can’t do without a properly composed resume. A competent approach is needed here. From the resume, the employer must learn all the useful information about the candidate, and the applicant simply must stand out from the crowd of competitors applying for a similar position. The qualities indicated in the resume are one of the steps to success; they play a decisive, important, one might say, decisive role. If you don’t know what qualities to indicate, we will help with this, give useful advice and recommendations.

The article will discuss what qualities to include in a resume, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate for a position, what is worth mentioning and what to keep silent about.

So, we read carefully, remember and compose a unique resume, after studying which the employer simply cannot refuse the candidate and will definitely hire him.

What qualities should an applicant include in a resume?

Of course, you need to praise yourself, but it is advisable to write the truth about yourself, otherwise misunderstandings may arise in the process of work, and you will have to blush and make excuses.

So, what might an employer like and what will he pay attention to first:

• Increased sense of responsibility.
• Discipline.
• Punctuality.
• Perseverance.
• Attentiveness.
• Communication skills.
• Perseverance.
• Performance.

Remember, your task is to reveal as many positive qualities about yourself as possible that will help you achieve your goals in your work. If you wish, you can try to tell something about yourself in an original way, but you shouldn’t go too far (see). Otherwise, the employer may not believe that the information provided about himself is true.

In addition to the above qualities, if necessary, include a number of non-standard but attractive character traits in your resume.

What character strengths should be included in the list of qualities attractive to an employer:

• Initiative;
• Creative mindset;
• Speed, mobility, activity;
• Increased resistance to stressful situations;
• Grammatically correct speech;
• Good diction;
• Confidence in your strength.

If you have at least a couple of these qualities, be sure to indicate them in your resume. With such a list, the candidate has a very real chance of getting a good job and attracting the attention of management (see). A successful self-presentation never hurts, because competition for prestigious positions is always high.

What weaknesses should you include in your resume to get hired?

Ideal people do not exist, so an applicant for a vacancy must certainly have shortcomings in his resume. It is important for management that a person be able to look at himself critically and evaluate himself quite adequately.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with several options for weak qualities that cannot spoil the candidate’s reputation.

1. Reliability.
2. Inability to sit in one place for a long time.
3. Straightforwardness.
4. Fear of air travel.
5. Excessive desire for formalism.
6. Inability to deceive.
7. Increased activity.
8. Mistrust.
9. Unwillingness to compromise on controversial issues.
10. Integrity.
11. Modesty.
12. Demanding of yourself and others.

These examples can be taken as a basis, and at the interview the main thing is to show that you are ready to work and do everything possible for the benefit of the company.

Men and women, how do their qualities differ in their resumes?

As has already become clear, a resume is in some way a business card of a candidate for a job, so it must be written concisely, to the point, but at the same time succinctly and informatively.

Basically, the resumes of men and women are no different, but there are still some nuances. Let's talk about the strengths and some of the weaknesses of applicants of the opposite sex, which it is advisable to include in a resume.

Strengths of men:

• Activity.
• Strength of will.
• Ability to find common language with people.
• Bringing what you started to its logical conclusion.
• Perseverance.
• Integrity.
• Developed intelligence.

What weaknesses should male applicants indicate in their resume:

• Arrogance.
• Selfishness.
• Hotness.
• Optional.
• Disorder, carelessness.

Personal strengths of a woman:

• Patience.
• Determination.
• Loyalty.
• Cheerfulness.
• Communication skills.
• Desire to find a compromise.

Weaknesses in women's resumes:

• Nervousness.
• Sharpness.
• Touchiness.
• Vengefulness.
• Tendency to depression.
• Restlessness.
• Emotionality.

We found out which qualities indicated in a resume will definitely attract the attention of an employer. Now let's talk about small tricks, or rather about how and what not to do when writing a profile about yourself.

Small nuances when writing a resume

1. Information should be clear, not blurry. That is, the applicant talks about everything and nothing. Try to present information concisely. And most importantly, indicate why you should be hired for the position, how you differ favorably from the rest.
2. Tell the truth. If the lie is revealed immediately, it will deprive the candidate of the opportunity to get the job. If the deception is discovered after a person has been hired, this will be an excellent reason to fire him.
3. Literacy. If a candidate listed attention to detail and the ability to write without errors among his strengths, but at the same time included them in his resume, this will definitely cause confusion. Mistakes made indicate negligence, as well as inattention and disinterest in the workplace.

Now you know how to write a resume and what qualities to include in it in order to become the first applicant for the tasty morsel, that is, for an attractive position.

The recruiter makes the first opinion about the applicant, and, as we know, there will be no second chance to make a good first impression. Therefore, the point about character weaknesses often confuses the candidate.

Do I need to indicate my shortcomings in a custom resume? There is no definite answer to this question, but for most vacancies this is not necessary and will not be a significant disadvantage when considering your response. However, if such a question is in the questionnaire, then ignoring it would be a big mistake.

If you are filling out a resume on a job search site and there is this item, you should not skip it. You can limit yourself to writing the standard 2-3 characteristics and move on to the next point. But if you really want to make an impression, it's better to be thorough in filling out every item on your resume. If in a dialogue we can paraphrase a phrase, focusing on the behavior of the HR manager, then in a resume every sentence should speak only in your favor.

By including a question about weaknesses in the questionnaire, the employer certainly does not expect your absolute honesty. Rather, he wants to test the candidate’s ability to answer complex questions, not ignore the manager’s instructions, simply his adequacy. After all, if a person has nothing to tell about himself, then is he such a good worker and is it worth wasting time on an interview.

What answers should you avoid?

So, how to answer the tricky question about your shortcomings? First, let's look at what is better not to write:

1. You should not put a dash or completely ignore this item. For a recruiter, such an act is a signal of the candidate’s inattention, lack of desire to carry out complex or unpleasant instructions from his superiors, and inability to correctly evaluate himself.
2. Write a list of 10 or more shortcomings. For most companies, it is enough to indicate 2-3 qualities.
3. Describe those aspects of character that can really interfere with the chosen job. For example, laziness, conflict, unpunctuality, etc. will definitely not brighten your appearance in the eyes of your future boss.
4. Lie outright. Even if the quality you specified in the point about weaknesses will be perceived positively when evaluating the questionnaire, but in reality you do not possess it, the truth will quickly become clear and there will definitely not be any praise for deception.

Not everyone requires you to list your weaknesses on your resume. But if there is such a clause on the form, then putting a dash through would be a mistake. Better look at an example of character weaknesses in your resume.

Before filling out the box in which you need to indicate your shortcomings, think about your answer. Do not miss it under any circumstances, because ideal people do not exist. As a rule, managers want to see how adequately you evaluate yourself. If you don't know what to write, look at the suggested options and choose something that suits you best.

A universal formula: select character traits that are an advantage for performing this particular job, but in ordinary life can really be considered a human flaw.

The following weaknesses can be written:

• excessive directness, the habit of telling the truth face to face;
• difficulty establishing contact with strangers;
• inability to show flexibility in labor matters;
• reliability;
• increased anxiety;
• excessive emotionality, hot temper;
• love of formalism;
• restlessness;
• slowness;
• hyperactivity;
• fear of air travel.

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

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

• distrust;
• excessive scrupulousness;
• increased anxiety;
• excessive demands on oneself;
• straightforwardness;
• pedantry;
• modesty;
• inability to lie;
• difficulties in establishing contact with strangers;
• self-esteem;
• lack of flexibility in labor matters;
• integrity;
• inflated sense of responsibility;
• lack of diplomacy.

• hyperactivity;
• self-confidence;
• restlessness;
• impulsiveness;
• the need for external motivation;
• distrust, 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:

• straightforwardness;
• workaholism;
• excessive love of communication.

Applicants for the position of manager must prepare before filling out this column. It is better to think in advance about what weaknesses to include in your resume. You can write to them about the following 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 would be the following:

• inability to respond to rudeness with rudeness;
• tendency to make decisions based on one’s own opinion;
• distrust of people and love of confirmation of facts.

Some applicants prefer to indicate that they:

• overly trusting;
• can raise their voice to subordinates;
• straightforward, express their opinions without veiled embellishments;
• hot-tempered;
• always looking for confirmation of words;
• have a hypertrophied sense of responsibility;
• prone to formalism and pay excessive attention to detail;
• irritated by clutter;
• slow;
• do not like to do something to please others.

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

• 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 of shopping;
• love for sweets.

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

The following disadvantages can be mentioned:

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

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

Regardless of the position for which you are applying, you can write the following 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 boorish treatment;
• I constantly pass all situations through myself;
• I let people get too close;
• I don’t know how to swear;
• I get noticeably worried when I have to lie.

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

• love to be lazy;
• afraid to take responsibility;
• don't like making decisions;
• unpunctual;
• are often distracted;
• you only think about your salary;
• love office romances.

For example, if you write about your laziness in your resume, you run the risk that the employer will decide that you don’t want to work.

You can be an incredibly cool specialist and even a guru in some narrow field, but what is the use of this if the personal qualities for the resume were chosen incorrectly or were completely forgotten about? It would seem: they should look at work experience, and the employee’s business qualities for a resume are of secondary importance. In fact, how you present yourself in the “personal qualities” column can become fateful.

Before moving on to considering the qualities an employer needs, a little advice: forget about the words “commitment”, “quick learner”, “result-oriented” in the templates. This is all great, but so old. Even if you want to write about such qualities, let them not be the only ones on the list of honor. Your characterization as a future employee will definitely not benefit from the scarcity and stereotyped presentation.

Let's start with general advice from professional HR specialists. In order not to waste their precious time on an interview with the wrong person or the wrong person, they will definitely pay attention not only to work experience, but also to personal qualities. And here’s what the HR people themselves advise:

• You can value yourself very much as a specialist, but you don’t need to indicate more than 5 personal qualities
• The qualities of an employee for a resume are indicated based on the position. We will write more about this later. But, for starters: an employee of a food warehouse will not need charisma when performing his direct job duties.
• You can use humor, but only if you are not applying for a leadership position. The employer's preferences can most often be found out in advance in the job description.

Positive qualities of a person for a resume must correspond to the job responsibilities. That is why we have prepared a list of positions and personal characteristics for them.

Examples of business qualities for workers by specialty

Example #1: accountant. A lot depends on this person. Sometimes, even the life of the company depends on him and his ability to manage money correctly.

Strong professional qualities of an accountant that are important to indicate: resistance to stress, perseverance, learning ability, loyalty, responsibility, non-conflict. And it’s not for nothing that we put stress resistance in first place. Conducting financial transactions for a company with a million-dollar turnover is not a reason for stress? If the turnover is lower, the nerves are intact and the sleep is stronger.

Example No. 2: sales manager. The more he can sell, the better. The more new clients it attracts, the more confidently the company will develop. Yes, the life of the company largely depends on the sales manager. True, representatives of this position are not always rewarded with decent wages. But we will only talk about the good, and only about professional sales managers, for whom it is important to indicate the following employee qualities for their resume:

Sociability, resistance to stress, presentable appearance, well-spoken speech, learning ability, responsibility. In the case of the sales manager, we put communication skills first. True, what kind of sales can there be if the manager does not know how to start a conversation, and even more so, “lead” the conversation with a potential client to the result necessary for the company?

Example #3: Secretary. For some reason, there is a stereotyped opinion that a secretary is an exclusively attractive person. And she is included, but many complex routine tasks fall on the shoulders of the secretary, depending on the needs of the company.

Personal qualities in a resume for a secretary: competent speech, attractive appearance, diligence, responsibility, perseverance, ability to work in a team, non-conflict. And here is the destruction of the template: primacy goes to “competent speech.”

Secretaries must be able to win over every visitor, be it an applicant for a position in the company or a potential business partner. The secretary is the first to create a general impression of the company. Have you ever met secretaries who couldn’t say two words? If you have met, you understand exactly why competent speech is so important.

Here we “went through” some of the most common vacancies that appear on the Internet every day in the amount of several dozen and even hundreds.

Why not pay special attention to IT specialists?

The professional skills of IT specialists are especially valuable today. Many companies are in need of incredibly cool specialists who can catch up and surpass their competitors, while increasing the company’s income several times.

Here's what IT specialists most often write about themselves in their resumes:

• Analytic mind
• Hard work
• Skill to work in team
• Ability to work with large amounts of information

Hard work, it seems to us, is approximately the same pattern as “determination” with “the ability to work for results. It is not hard work that potential employers want to see in the personal qualities column of their future IT specialist. Do you want to know what they want to see?

Here's what:

• Independence
• Initiative
• Stress resistance
• Energy
• Responsibility
• Skill to work in team
• Attentiveness
• Mobility
• Creativity

This is the track record.

Business qualities, as you can see, have absolutely no importance for an IT specialist’s resume. In the first positions: independence and initiative.

True, what employer wants to get an IT specialist into their team, who will have to be constantly monitored or adjusted and reminded of something? Moreover, the IT sector is one of the few where narrow specialization does not allow management to influence the results in any way.

So it turns out that an IT specialist must be independent, proactive (where would we be without this), creative, etc. Resistance to stress is a plus for the karma of not only the IT specialist himself, but also the entire company. In this work, one rarely manages without stressful situations, and deadlines cannot be missed, it is undesirable to demonstrate one's emotions and lose a client - like the collapse of one's own and corporate reputation.

Here is a list of qualities that IT specialists list least often in their resumes:

• Charm
• Bravery
• Eloquence
• Forethought
• Strength of character
• Skepticism

It seems to us that most of this list are very important personal characteristics for a resume. Especially if you want to join a creative team. Why not indicate bravery and charm? When communicating with clients and employees, these qualities will not be superfluous. True, everything should be in moderation.

Universal positive qualities for any resume

And finally, about the universal qualities that HR specialists recommend indicating in your resume without reference to the position and its requirements:

• Fast learner
• Honesty
• Initiative
• Stress resistance
• No bad habits

This is a small but universal set. You can take note of it, but do not forget to indicate those personal qualities that the future employer expects from you.

And it’s very simple to write what you need: put yourself in the shoes of this employer. Think about what kind of specialist you would like to see on your team? The right employee qualities for a resume are not templates. You want people to pay attention to you, right? Then pay special attention to the “personal qualities” column, and the position will be yours, we are sure.