Personal qualities in the resume weaknesses. What shortcomings should you include in your resume?

Hello, dear blog readers! It doesn’t matter whether you are on its pages for the first time, or are regular visitors - in any case, you are welcome. Today, our topics related to earnings and employment will be supplemented with another interesting problem - how to indicate a person’s strengths and weaknesses in a resume. An example of how NOT to do this is quite simple.

Some applicants, having read Western literature, which encourages them to be extremely sincere with the employer, do not hesitate to dump all their ins and outs in front of him, and then naively wonder why they were “pushed forward” with the vacancy. Ideally, of course, you shouldn’t do this, but you shouldn’t describe yourself as an impeccable person and worker either - in any case, the truth will become clear as soon as you begin your immediate responsibilities.

From this article you will learn:

When a person writes a resume, he rarely puts himself in the employer’s shoes and in most cases does not understand that texts containing entirely positive characteristics, became pretty boring, and the understanding came that in 90 percent of cases they were not true. This is easy to understand, because the applicant’s task is to make a good impression on potential superiors, and strengths, listed in the text, help to do this in the best possible way.

However, there is a little secret: when you write about weaknesses, it seems to involuntarily set the employer up to the fact that you are a sincere person, so they can do business with you.

Read below about how to find the “golden mean” between a resume that only lists the pros and one that will scare off the employer because of the cons.

Tell the truth

When writing a resume, do not try to exaggerate too much and make something up. Just tell the truth. There are numerous examples of how a beautiful legend, invented when applying for a job, crumbled after a couple of clarifying questions or a check by the company's security service, so it is better to be sincere with the employer. Everything you want to write on your resume must be supported, otherwise it will greatly discredit you. Before you do, check again whether you have attributed to yourself, carried away by your fantasies, the third higher education or experience working in a foreign corporation abroad.

Answer the questions asked

Often, many employers provide a ready-made resume form, offering to answer a question about their negative qualities. Leaving this field empty is, at a minimum, impolite, so write something there that can hardly be called a serious flaw. In doing so, it is best to focus on those personality traits and character traits that you can work on and improve.

For example, write that you are shy - for a person who works in the field of communication this is a critical, but surmountable disadvantage.

By the way, if you are thinking, it is better to use standard “template expressions” in it and do not write anything about your disadvantages! In order to describe them briefly, a small column in the resume is enough.

Don't forget to praise yourself

Each of us has achievements, and in a resume it is very important to highlight exactly what interests the employer. If you know how to make cool presentations or are a master of graphic editors, or speak fluent English, be sure to mention this, especially if the vacancy involves something similar.

Make advantages out of disadvantages

When describing your negative traits, try to present them in such a way that the employer perceives them as positive.

For example:

self-confidence can be presented as leadership qualities;

restless character– as readiness to perform new tasks;

straightforwardness– as the self-confidence necessary to conduct important negotiations.

Do not confuse personal with professional!

When deciding on your employment, do not forget: first of all, employers are interested in your work achievements, and that is what they should focus on. That is, if you still intend to indicate the negative aspects, let them not be personal traits, but something related exclusively to the work process (excessive meticulousness, difficulties with the team due to a dislike for “freeloaders”, inability to deceive, lack of experience work, etc.).

The same goes for your advantages - list only those that are directly related to the job, because it is unlikely that your excellent culinary skills can become a decisive argument in your favor if you apply for the position of purchasing manager.

The main thing is moderation

Try not to write a “sheet” that is not too easy to understand. The best option– indicate 4-5 of your characteristics, which are the main ones. By the way, if your resume successfully passed the first stage, and you were called for a personal interview, you shouldn’t get too carried away there either and lay out all your ins and outs to the personnel officer - answer strictly the questions posed; it’s unlikely that your interlocutor is interested in anything else.

So, we figured out how best to tell about your positive and negative sides in your resume, now you just have to try it in practice. If the material is of interest to you and is useful, share it on social networks with your friends - let them also know how to make the employment process easier for themselves! Don't forget to subscribe to blog updates so you don't miss new publications. And now I say goodbye to you for a moment.

It seems that describing the advantages is a difficult task. In practice, it turns out that it is more difficult to list the shortcomings. A contradiction arises in my head: I want to show myself in my resume the best side, and here are the disadvantages... What other disadvantages?!

Maybe this point should be omitted altogether?

Decide for yourself, but here is an argument in favor of mentioning the shortcomings.

A resume that portrays the ideal applicant is less credible than a text that conjures up a vivid picture. Common sense dictates that everyone has flaws. Do you think that you have no disadvantages? Two guesses come to mind:

• there are shortcomings, but the candidate carefully hides them,
• the applicant does not see any shortcomings in himself (few people have the desire to work with ideal people, to be honest).

Conclusion: Weaknesses are worth mentioning. This shows that:

• you are a living person with flaws,
• you know your weaknesses, which means you are improving.

As a final argument, we use a quote from Abraham Lincoln:

People who have no shortcomings have few virtues.

My shortcomings in my resume - where to describe them?

In the “Personal Qualities” section. First we describe the advantages, then we say a few words about the shortcomings.

How to describe?

In some articles you can find a recommendation: describe the disadvantages, but so that they look like advantages. That is, you can write “I am an inveterate workaholic, I don’t know how to rest,” in the hope that the employer will appreciate the tireless efficiency.

Any attempts to manipulate the opinion of an employer or HR manager are in most cases doomed to failure. HRs, as a rule, good psychologists and manipulators are seen through at the moment (even if the manipulation is harmless). It makes more sense to be sincere and show yourself as the person you really are.

Describe perceived weaknesses

It’s good if you have long noticed an imperfection in yourself and are working on correcting it. Then you can safely describe this shortcoming - and be sure to add that you are improving and have achieved success in this area.

If there is no perceived deficiency, do some self-analysis. What prevents you from being more productive? Think about what your manager complains about: perhaps you lose sight of details, or do not organize your work day effectively, or are too emotional and it is difficult for colleagues to communicate with you.

Awareness of shortcomings is the first step to correcting them. So doing the work to find them is useful in any case.

Consider the scope of activity

Let’s say accountant Natalya writes that she is not diligent enough and does not like monotonous work. Agree, it’s strange if a specialist who works with numbers and tables every day, and whose work requires precision, mentions such a disadvantage.

Sincerity in a resume is useful, but not to such an extent that the applicant’s shortcomings scream: “Don’t invite him for an interview, he’ll ruin your job!”

Weaknesses in a resume - examples

Weaknesses person: how to describe them in a resume was last modified: June 4th, 2018 by Elena Nabatchikova

Competently writing a resume will serve a person well when applying for a job.. This document should be written in such a way that it intrigues a potential employer. In addition to education and work experience, personal qualities are very important in a resume. Examples and life experience show that it is this information that is of serious interest to managers and personnel officers.

Before indicating personal qualities in your resume, you must carefully study the samples and examples in order to fill out the required section according to all the rules:

• The information must be truthful and reliable, since the deception will still be revealed sooner or later, so there is no need to “philosophize.”
• Personal qualities should be stated clearly and briefly, but you should not use only general, hackneyed phrases that will not give a potential employer complete information about your strengths and weaknesses.
• This section must be written correctly, without colloquial vocabulary or errors.
• As a rule, you need to indicate the most important personal qualities (5 options), so you should not be too zealous in indicating everything. It is necessary to analyze everything and enter only those character traits that will really be useful for vacant position or profession. For example, a salesperson will need the ability to resolve conflict situations, but this is not at all necessary for an economist.

Groups and Templates

Personal qualities for a resume can be divided into several groups, which have their own specific templates.

First job

If work activity just starting and the resume is being compiled for the first time, then the section on personal qualities can be filled out as follows:

• Desire to work fruitfully in a team.
• Creative approach to business and creativity.
• Activity.
• Good memory.
• Easy to learn.
• Desire to improve and learn.

For a specific vacancy, you need to determine your priority options personal qualities- depending on the position and profession offered.

It is not always necessary to indicate your weaknesses in your resume. But if, nevertheless, you need to indicate character weaknesses in your resume, examples of them may not be so fatal. Therefore, you should not be afraid to describe them.

Everyone has their own shortcomings, but it is important for the employer to see how adequately you evaluate yourself. Therefore, try to choose traits of your character that in everyday life can be considered a disadvantage, but for performing the proposed work these qualities will be an advantage, for example:

• Fear of air travel.
• Hyperactivity.
• Slowness.
• Restlessness.
• Love of formalism.
• Excessive emotionality, hot temper.
• Increased anxiety.
• Reliability.
• Inability to show flexibility.
• Excessive directness.

All these weaknesses can be looked at from a different angle, and then they can turn into strengths for the employer. For example, restlessness for active manager or sales representative is more of a plus than a minus. Or reliability, which will give the manager a reason to think that you can always be trusted to work overtime.

Weaknesses and professional qualities

Each applicant must correctly focus his weaknesses on the profession in which he wants to work. For example, a design engineer or future accountant might write the following:

Although such a list is not at all suitable for a person who must constantly communicate with people in the process of work. For example, a future sales manager may provide the following negative qualities for a resume:

• Excessive sociability.
• Workaholism.
• Straightforwardness.
• Mistrust.
• The need for external motivation.
• Impulsiveness.
• Restlessness.
• Self-confidence.
• Hyperactivity.

Applicant for leadership position it is necessary to prepare more carefully before filling out the column, which will indicate its weaknesses. He can write about the following character traits:

Little tricks

To prevent an employer from immediately trashing your resume after reading about your shortcomings, don't be too open. Neutral qualities that cannot in any way affect future work are quite suitable. The following personal qualities (disadvantages) are suitable for almost any vacancy:

• Fear of airplanes.
• Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes).
• Vespertiliophobia (fear of bats).
• Arachnophobia (fear of spiders).
• Love for sweets.
• Lack of experience.
• Love for shopping.
• Excess weight.

This information is quite transparent and will not pose any “danger” to the applicant during the employment process.

You can also write:

• I am overly interested in analyzing past mistakes.
• Prone to reflection.
• Too trusting.
• I can’t always accurately express my thoughts.

These are negative qualities for a resume, but they very rarely affect the work process.

You can specify the following:

• When I have to lie, I get noticeably worried.
• I can't swear.
• I take everything to heart.
• I don't like gossip.
• I am an overly addicted person, so I forget to take breaks.

Some nuances

There are points that it is better not to include in your resume. For example, you should not write:

• I love office romances.
• I get distracted often.
• Unpunctual.
• I don't like making independent decisions.
• I'm afraid of responsibility.
• I don't like getting up early.
• Sometimes laziness overcomes.

For example, after reading about laziness, the employer will decide that you are not eager to work.

Strengths in your resume

To get a decent job, you need to provide an excellent reference and profile. Indicating your positive aspects, you need to adequately evaluate yourself in professionally and enter only the best qualities in the required columns, which, without a doubt, will be appreciated by the employer. Sample list The strengths look like this:

You should also indicate your business characteristics, which should be described in one sentence, for example: “Seven years of work as a chief accountant.” It is important to ensure that personal and business qualities did not conflict with each other.

Several examples of job descriptions

Accountant

Mandatory qualities: responsibility, learning ability, attentiveness.

Will be well appreciated: scrupulousness, non-conflict, stress resistance.

Sales Manager

Required qualities: result orientation, activity, communication skills.

Well appreciated: competent speech, innovative thinking, stress resistance.

Secretary

Required qualities: diligence, accuracy, resistance to stress, competent speech.

Will be well appreciated: neatness, well-groomed, pleasant appearance.

Universal positive qualities

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

Don't forget to include the personal qualities that your future employer wants to see. To do this, put yourself in his place and think about who you would like to take on your team.

Checking the veracity of what is written

Most job seekers tend to embellish their resumes, so employers invite applicants for interviews and ask additional questions that help reveal a person better.

For example, they will want to know your opinion on a specific conflict, and based on the answers received, they will conclude how truthful the answers in your resume are regarding squabbles and scandals.

There are a number of simple rules to remember when interviewing:

Focusing on the following advice from professional personnel officers, you can quite easily please your future bosses:

1. The resume should be written in a discreet manner, and humor is inappropriate here. However, creative and creative positions may involve this.
2. Copied, template resumes will not bring success, since personnel officers see such tricks immediately.
3. Five professional characteristics will be quite enough. Among them, stress resistance is always highly valued.
4. You should indicate only the necessary qualities for the desired position.
5. You need to answer questions only to the point. It won’t be possible to chat up the HR officer, but the impression of the applicant will be ruined.

In order to attract the attention of the employer, it is very important to think through all the points of the resume that relate to the personal qualities of the applicant. Correct filling This document will guarantee your employment.

Attention, TODAY only!

Good day, dear friend!

If you value concise answers, then the question “What shortcomings can be listed in a resume?” - you will receive it.I will answer right away, and you decide whether to read this article to the end or not.

The answer is as simple as five kopecks: no shortcomings should be listed on your resume. I hope I didn't disappoint too much.

I can imagine that you are thinking like this: there are no ideal people and everyone has shortcomings. And you're absolutely right, but...

What is the purpose of writing about shortcomings in a resume?The resume should be designed to answer the question: Who are you and why should you be invited to an interview?

How can your shortcomings help answer this question? That's right - none.

However, I would not put an end to this. We will need the shortcomings very soon, namely at the next interview. If not by telephone, then in person - for sure.

Why do we need disadvantages?

1. The employer needs them

Everything is very prosaic. The employer needs the shortcomings so that they have something to point out. A person who tries to hide his shortcomings does not inspire trust. They will still find your shortcomings, you can be sure.

2. You need them

Awareness of your problems is the first step to solving them. Your shortcomings are just as distinctive as your advantages. The desire to seem like a superman with a stone chin will not buy anyone now. Quite the contrary.

What not to talk about

1. About shortcomings that are critical to work. If you are an accountant, but you confuse debit with credit, this is not a case that you need to tell everyone about)
2. Never use templates that are worn to holes. For example: “I’m a workaholic and I don’t notice how quickly time flies.” Such memorized phrases cause nothing but irritation.

“I tried to sell memorized bullshit” - this is the entry your humble servant saw in the interview report of one of his employees. I think there is no need for comments here...

Your flaws should be as unique as you are.

Failures are also a plus

It's okay to talk about some failure. For example, I started accepting delivery drivers without taking into account subsequent loading. Or rather, he made a too superficial forecast. As a result, I recruited people, but gave few orders. Accordingly, wages are low, people leave and we need to recruit again.

The most important thing about failure is what conclusions did you draw? Your humble servant has learned to force his colleagues to make a correct forecast of customer orders and give it to me as an order for the selection of people. And everyone is fine.

How to compensate for shortcomings

Everyone has shortcomings and that's normal. The problem is if you don’t compensate them in any way. That’s right, not so much how you fight it, but how you compensate.

Example: I have a bad memory. I can easily forget some important things.

I can fight this as long as I want, for a year or two or more.

But I installed reminder programs on my smartphone. They don't forget anything and compensate for my forgetfulness. It’s even convenient, I write down everything I need, what I don’t need I forget and free up my brain for more important things.

Sometimes a disadvantage can even be presented in a positive light. For example, the same forgetfulness. I get quite a lot confidential information from the people I talk to, but I forget it, which means I won’t spoil it for anyone.

My old friend, a colleague in the shop, is a person who is difficult to motivate with a carrot in front. He is motivated to action by the ass in which he finds himself. He doesn't hide it.

The main thing is that he understands his motivation for avoidance and knows how to generate the energy that allows him, like Baron Munchausen, to pull himself out of the quagmire in which he finds himself by the hair. And ultimately, to solve the problems at hand.

Not every recruiter will understand you. Someone will measure with stamps. But an experienced and thoughtful recruiter will understand. A competent leader will always understand.

Take responsibility

What is really assessed during an interview? Your adequacy and responsibility.

Show that you are willing to take responsibility for your successes and failures.

Talk about yourself as a person who is the only reason for everything that happens to him.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again,

1. We do not write any shortcomings in the resume.
2. For the interview: We evaluate ourselves adequately. We find our shortcomings, which clearly exist. We talk about how these shortcomings are compensated.

Thank you for your interest in the article. I would appreciate your comment (at the bottom of the page).

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Have a nice day and good mood!

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, we will give useful tips, 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;
• Competent speech;
• Good diction;
• Self-confidence.

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 good job and attract 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 candidate’s business card. workplace, therefore 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 weaknesses of applicants of the opposite sex, which it is advisable to include in a resume.

Strengths of men:

• Activity.
• Willpower.
• Ability to find common language with people.
• Bringing what you started to its logical conclusion.
• Perseverance.
• Conscientiousness.
• 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.