A person's strengths in a resume example. Weaknesses and strengths of a person

Questions asked during an interview are aimed at giving the employer or recruiter the most complete answer on three main points:

• ability to perform this work;
• desire to do such work;
• correspondence corporate culture companies.

Personal qualities are 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 precisely to obtain information about the personal qualities of the candidate.

The employer undoubtedly wants to know whether your negative traits nature of implementation functional responsibilities and communication in a team.

Which ones are worth mentioning and which ones are not?

Very often you can hear the question from candidates: what positive and negative qualities should they name during an interview?

Employers are interested in employees with character traits such as:

• determination;
• organization;
• initiative;
• diligence;
• creativity;
• goodwill;
• determination.

Tell us about them if you really have them. Give examples.

Often during an interview you are asked to name three negative qualities and three positive qualities. Think about this point in advance.

There is no need to say that you are professional, adequate, loyal, smart, charming. Other people can notice and name such qualities when talking about you, but not you yourself.

Never mention negative characteristics such as laziness, disorganization, short temper 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 on my resume?

The interview is conducted to get to know you personally and to check whether what is stated in your 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 templates, but be precise, but also do not allow any discrepancies in facts from the document.

It is unacceptable to answer a question with: “It says so on my resume.”

How to talk about positive and negative qualities

No need to be modest!

In case you think that you do not have any outstanding qualities, just tell them what you have.

For example: the ability to concentrate - you focus your attention on a specific task and complete it without distractions.

A high speed work - always complete a task as quickly as possible, without procrastinating.

You should not take the question literally: “Tell me, what are your personal qualities that are shortcomings?” Not the best best solution, answering this question, proceed to detailed description your weaknesses.

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

At first glance, these are disadvantages, but if you choose a different perspective, they may turn out to be advantages. Think about the wording and present your weaknesses so that they look positive.

Sample answer: “I usually pay a lot of attention to detail, and I know that in some areas of work such meticulousness is not important and is not always appropriate. But I see that for the position for which I am applying, this character trait should be useful.”

If your employer asked you to share three weaknesses, you could list the following: “Intolerance – I can’t stand disorder. Irritability – slightly infuriating at the incompetence of employees.

I’m picky and meticulous – I don’t allow myself the right to make mistakes.” Here you can see that not very pleasant character traits turn into advantages.

How to talk about strong and weaknesses Oh.

Very often, recruiters ask for examples of strengths and weaknesses during an interview. This task can be played to the obvious benefit of the applicant.

Feel free to name yours strengths. Try to tell more about those that will be useful for the vacancy 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 about sample answers in advance.

What is a bad quality to mention in an interview? When answering a question about weaknesses, be careful and careful. There is no need to openly admit them to yourself. Instead, you can talk about minor gaps in areas that are not clearly required for the position.

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

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

To be completely honest?

An employer asks you to name your weaknesses during an interview, what should you say? How to answer interview questions about weaknesses correctly?

To avoid the impression that you are not answering questions frankly, 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 in such a way that they look more like advantages.

If you have to say that you are not fully familiar with a particular activity, indicate only those areas that are not critical to the vacancy.

Think about your answers in advance. If you really want to get this job, then don't take the risk.

How to tell about yourself in an original way?

According to statistical studies, about 90% of applicants mention their responsibility, sociability and determination. It is clear that such qualities are unlikely to interest or draw the attention of the listener to them.

If you talk about general, 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 take a different route: talk about rare qualities that match your character.

Better yet, give examples of how these qualities were used, the positive role they played, or how they were viewed positively. By using this tactic, you have a chance to stand out and be remembered.

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

Demonstrate positive attitude, the ability to adequately respond to complex or personal issues, the ability to find compromises and the right solutions.

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

It so happens that some employers, when surveying, and sometimes in the job description, ask you to indicate your shortcomings and weaknesses in your resume. Thus, they want to simplify the selection of personnel, weed out unnecessary candidates, etc. In a word, HR managers solve their problems in a way that suits them.

Let's get to the point

Enough long time I help people write resumes and look for jobs, and I want to say that the topic of shortcomings in resumes rarely comes up. But if it comes up, I tell everyone the same thing.

Weaknesses do not need to be listed on your resume.. Not necessary at all. Under no circumstances. Even if a vacancy or a special questionnaire asks you to describe your shortcomings, it’s still not. No, no and no again. Never write bad things about yourself!

There are several reasons for this.

• Indicating character weaknesses in a resume increases the likelihood that your resume will be thrown into the trash. Someone will definitely understand your words “wrong” and decide that such a candidate is not needed. Let them first invite you to an interview, and there you will answer the employer’s questions and tell about yourself in all details.
• Second point - don't judge yourself. You may be biased and most likely you will. Many people are demanding of themselves and self-critical, they make mountains out of molehills and scold themselves out of the blue. Let others evaluate you. Let the employer look at you, talk to you and draw his own conclusions. For him, your disadvantages can be advantages (and vice versa).

  For example, shyness may be rated very highly. She may be seen as having a calm disposition and easy-going personality. Likewise active and energetic person can be called an upstart and a troublemaker.

• If you indicate weaknesses and shortcomings in your resume, this will show your low self-esteem. Low self-esteem = low salary. Therefore, there is no need to be completely honest in your resume, show yourself from your advantage.

What if you still need to write something?

If you have a questionnaire or a form on a website where there is a special column “your shortcomings,” write a neutral phrase.

Examples of indicating weaknesses in a resume:

— “I am ready to answer your questions in personal communication”
- “I prefer to talk about it in person”
- Just put a dash

No disadvantages - only advantages

I want to say a few words about reverse side medals. If you don’t need to indicate your weaknesses in your resume, then your strengths should. This is really important. Focus on your strengths, on strong traits and skills. This will help the employer make the “right” choice.

An employer cares about both the personal and business qualities of an employee. Which 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 you in our article.

Business and personal qualities

An employee’s business qualities are his ability to perform certain job duties. The most important of them are the level of education and work experience. When choosing an employee, focus on the benefits he can bring to your company.

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

Business qualities	Personal qualities
Education level	Accuracy
Specialty, qualification	Activity
Work experience, positions held	Ambition
Labor productivity	Non-conflict
Analytical skills	Fast response
Quick adaptation to new information systems	Politeness
Fast learner	Attentiveness
Attention to detail	Discipline
Flexibility of thinking	Initiative
Willingness to work overtime	Performance
Literacy	Communication skills
Mathematical mind	Maximalism
Customer interaction skills	Perseverance
Skills business communication	Resourcefulness
Planning skills	Charm
Report preparation skills	Organization
Oratory skills	Responsible approach to work
Organizational skills	Decency
Enterprise	Devotion
Professional Integrity	Integrity
Scrupulousness	Punctuality
Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously	Determination
Ability to make quick decisions	Self-control
Ability to work with a large number information	Self-criticism
Strategic Thinking	Independence
Striving for self-improvement	Modesty
Creative thinking	Stress resistance
Negotiation skills/ business correspondence	Tact
Ability to negotiate	Patience
Ability to express thoughts	Demandingness
Ability to find common language	Hard work
Ability to teach	Self Confidence
Ability to work in a team	Equilibrium
Ability to put people at ease	Determination
Ability to persuade	Honesty
Good appearance	Energy
Good diction	Enthusiasm
Good physical shape	Ethical

Choice of qualities

If more than 5 characteristics are included in the resume, this is a signal that the applicant is not able to make an intelligent choice. Moreover, the standard “responsibility” and “punctuality” have become banal, so if possible, ask what these mean general concepts. A striking example: The phrase “high performance” may mean “ability to work with a lot of information,” when you were expecting “willingness to work long hours.”

Such general concepts as “motivation to work”, “professionalism”, “self-control” can be explained by the applicant in other expressions, more specifically and meaningfully. Pay attention to incompatible qualities. To make sure the applicant is honest, you can ask him to illustrate the characteristics he specified with examples.

Negative qualities of an employee

Sometimes job applicants also include them in their resume. In particular such as:

• Hyperactivity.
• Excessive emotionality.
• Greed.
• Vengefulness.
• Impudence.
• Inability to lie.
• Inability to work in a team.
• Restlessness.
• Touchiness.
• Lack of work experience/education.
• Lack of a sense of humor.
• Bad habits.
• Addiction to gossip.
• Straightforwardness.
• Self-confidence.
• Modesty.
• Poor communication skills.
• The desire to create conflict.

An applicant who includes negative qualities in his resume may be honest, or he may be 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 prepared to give the person the 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 it can bring when concluding a deal.

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

Qualities for different professions

Certain professional qualities are needed in almost all types of activities. You can make it easier for applicants and at the same time narrow their circle by including information about the required 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 to win people over. The list of winning qualities will also include: charm, self-confidence, energy. In the field of trade list best qualities will look like this: flexibility of thinking, skills of interaction with clients, ability to negotiate, work in a team, as well as quick response, politeness, perseverance, activity.

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

Strengths of an employee working with large amounts 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: skills of interaction with clients, business communication, literacy, ability to negotiate and business correspondence, ability to deal with several things at the same time. Also pay attention to good external characteristics, attentiveness, tact and balance, and diligence. Responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful in any profession. But the applicant, adding such qualities to his resume, does not always take them seriously.

Responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful in any profession. But the applicant, adding such qualities to his resume, does not always take them seriously.

Assessment of employee professional qualities

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

• Letters of recommendation.
• Tests. These include routine aptitude and aptitude tests, as well as personality and biographical tests.
• An exam on the knowledge and skills of an employee.
• Role play or cases.

Role-playing will help you find out in practice whether the applicant is suitable for you. Simulate an everyday 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 his working style. This method will tell you much more about the applicant than the “Personal Qualities” column on a resume.

When deciding on evaluation criteria, you can rely on business qualities: punctuality, potential quantity and quality of work performed, experience and education, skills, etc. For greater efficiency, focus on the qualities required for the position for which the candidate being assessed is applying. To be confident in an employee, consider his personal qualities. You can conduct an assessment yourself in the form of a ranking of candidates, placing + and – according to certain criteria, distributing them by level or awarding points. Avoid assessment pitfalls such as bias or stereotyping, or placing too much weight on one criterion.

A person's weaknesses on a resume show how objective he is about himself. Rarely does anyone include such a clause on their own initiative. But if the employer himself provides a questionnaire to fill out, such a question may well appear there. We will tell you what weaknesses to indicate in your resume in order to both fulfill the requirement and not spoil your impression of yourself. We will also teach you how to turn them into advantages.

What shortcomings should be included in a resume: example

You shouldn’t write that they don’t exist at all. Ideal people do not exist, and people who are overly narcissistic are reluctant to be hired. But it is not at all necessary to list all the weak qualities of a person. Your job is to demonstrate that you are critical of yourself, not to reveal your vulnerability.

Win-win negative character traits for a resume:

• excessive demands on oneself and others;
• increased responsibility;
• pedantry;
• hyperactivity;
• shyness;
• incredulity.

All this is not very good for everyday life, but for work it gives significant advantages.

Sample

Weaknesses in a resume: examples of transformation into strengths

Identifying your weaknesses is half the battle. Next you need to use them to your advantage. If there are free spaces where you can fill in the details, do so. Indicate why your shortcomings are good in your resume: for example, a distrustful person will not cooperate with dubious suppliers.

If the questionnaire is concise, then these questions will be discussed at the interview. It is better to prepare for it properly. And our cheat sheet (table) will help you with this. But even if you don’t plan to give explanations, it’s useful to know how your manager will perceive your shortcomings.

My weaknesses

Shy	I maintain subordination. I will not conflict with colleagues. I won't fool the boss. I can't be rude to a client.
Hyperactivity	I won't sit idle. I will manage to do everything and even more. I can’t sit on the sidelines when I need to take the initiative.
Slowness	I won’t miss important details in a hurry. I won’t bring chaos into the work process. I will not tire my clients and colleagues.
Demandingness	I will not allow myself to work half-heartedly. I can organize a team. I will negotiate effectively. I will make every effort to achieve results.
Reticence	I won't spend working hours to chat. I won’t talk about company affairs where I shouldn’t. I talk less, I do more.

Obvious shortcomings in a resume: examples

Some disadvantages are better left unmentioned. Especially if they are detrimental to professional duties. For example, the mentioned laconicism is good for an accountant or programmer. But a sales manager or teacher cannot be silent, otherwise the effectiveness of his work will decrease.

Therefore, strengths and weaknesses must be compared with the specifics of the profession.

Inappropriate Character Weaknesses on a Resume (Examples)

Profession	Unacceptable cons
Supervisor	gullibility; emotionality; lack of activity; shyness; frivolity.
Customer service specialist	reticence; hot temper; slowness; penchant for formalism; straightforwardness.
Low level workers	ambition; self-confidence; stubbornness.
Representatives of creative professions	inability to show flexibility; penchant for formalism; self-doubt; pedantry.

When applying for a job, employers often require a resume. Some of them, in addition to work experience, general information and listing the merits, they are asked to indicate character weaknesses. And here a dilemma arises: how to properly disclose your shortcomings in your resume? If you think that they do not need to be indicated at all and that it is enough to simply put a dash in the corresponding column, then you are deeply mistaken. To avoid getting into trouble if you find yourself in a similar situation, read what HR specialists advise on this matter.

Features of writing a resume

On the one hand, writing a few words about yourself is a simple task and does not require special knowledge and skills. However, as practice shows, those who adhere to this point of view are often refused employment. Therefore, the more reputable the company you want to work for, the more important it is to write your resume correctly.

The volume of the resume is not conducive to presentation large quantity information. It usually fits on 1-2 computer sheets. Therefore, it is especially important to briefly outline necessary information, which will highlight your individuality and attract the attention of a HR specialist. When writing a text, weigh each word and present your weaknesses correctly.

For example, if you are worried about your belonging to a certain age category, start by listing professional qualities or work experience. Move your date of birth information to the end of your resume. Or if your future job involves frequent business trips, and your small child, be sure to indicate that you will be able to leave him in the care of relatives or a nanny.

To correctly reflect your weaknesses in your resume, adopt a few basic rules.

• Pay special attention to the style of presentation of information. The text must be written clearly and understandably. If you can convey information during an interview in different ways, then what is written will be perceived unambiguously.
• Never ignore the column in which you need to indicate your weaknesses and character traits. This can lead to you either being classified as insecure and complex people, or being considered a person with overly high self-esteem.
• Don't be afraid to be honest. A truthful reflection of information, especially regarding your weaknesses, indicates how self-critical you are and adequately assess your own strengths and weaknesses.

Examples of weaknesses

When filling out the column about existing shortcomings, take your time and carefully consider each phrase. If you don't know what to include, look through the options below and choose the ones that describe you. At the same time, try to select character traits that, if desired, can be wrapped in advantages.

Among the weaknesses in your resume, indicate, for example, the habit of saying everything directly and frankly; difficulties in establishing contacts with strangers; hyperactivity and restlessness; excessive emotionality, sensitivity and impressionability; tendency towards fatalism, etc.

Try to select character traits that can be turned into advantages if desired.

However, there is no need to be overly frank. Add to one or two professional traits and several that do not play an important role in work activities. For example, indicate that you are afraid of flying or have overweight. You can also indicate such shortcomings as excessive gullibility, a tendency to reflect, or frequent self-examination and self-criticism.

Among social weaknesses, you can write that you don’t fit well into the work team, because you don’t like gossip, or you can’t fight back in response to boorish behavior. With a skillful approach, you can really turn every flaw into an advantage. And if among your weak character traits you indicate reliability, then this only plays into the hands of the employer himself, since he will see in you a person who can be entrusted with overtime tasks.

How to properly present character weaknesses

Some weak traits can be directly correlated with the characteristics of the profession. For example, for an accountant or storekeeper, such disadvantages as distrust, pedantry, inability to lie, an increased sense of responsibility, lack of diplomacy and flexibility in labor issues, can become positive in work activities. But it is better for a manager or realtor to indicate hyperactivity, self-confidence, impulsiveness, inability to take one’s word for it and a desire to double-check the information themselves.

It should be noted that often job seekers people resort to cunning and present their strengths in their resumes under the guise of weaknesses. Before doing so, it is worth carefully weighing the consequences of such actions. Of course, you can indicate among your weaknesses the desire for perfectionism or excessive hard work, but keep in mind that the employer can easily suspect you of insincerity.

Important nuances

Honesty is good. However, some negative features are still not worth pointing out. Under no circumstances write that you like to be lazy, are afraid to take responsibility, or are unable to make decisions, are unpunctual, often distracted, etc. There is no need to get too carried away when listing your weaknesses. It is enough to name 2-3 negative qualities. Do not use streamlined language and do not indicate features that will run counter to the requirements for the position.