Your weak character traits. How to correctly write about strengths and weaknesses in a resume. What shortcomings should be included in a resume: example

The character of any person consists of strengths and weaknesses. Strong character traits help us move forward, solve problems, plan and achieve our plans. A person with strength compares favorably with his environment, he is energetic and achieves great heights in life.

Personal qualities: strengths

A person's character strengths can be developed to varying degrees. But it is important that together they give a character capable of overcoming difficulties that arise, improving, and moving forward.

The list of human strengths includes the following:

1. Determination– ability to set goals and achieve them.
2. Perseverance- the ability to follow a clearly defined plan, overcome all the difficulties that arise and not change direction.
3. Strength of will. A strong-willed person bases his life not on his desires, but on necessity. The habit of doing what is important, and not what you want, helps not only in activities, but also in relationships with people. People with good willpower are restrained and know how to control their emotions and behavior.
4. Self confidence– quality, which is a mandatory component. A person who believes in himself and his strength will perceive any situation as an opportunity to take a step forward. Confident people are less likely to experience depression and loneliness. They are more proactive and are not afraid to take risks. Such people attract other people to themselves, so they are often good leaders and managers.
5. Communication skills. The ability to communicate with different people is a good help in life and professional activity. A sociable person can not only find an approach to different people, but can also convince people to accept his point of view.
6. Optimism. A positive outlook on life is a good foundation for developing a strong character. An optimistic person sees in any situation a life lesson for which he is grateful to fate. It is pleasant to communicate with such people, because their positive charge extends to the people around them.

Professional strengths

When hiring, every employer strives to find out the employee’s strengths. To do this, he can offer the applicant a questionnaire, tests, or try to understand the character from the interview. Most often, the employer wants to see such human strengths in a new specialist.

You will probably agree that each person is unique and no two people are alike: neither externally nor internally. Everyone has their own individuality: character traits unique to them, personality traits, unique physical characteristics.

Have you ever thought about the question “Why are all people different?” Why are we naturally different from other people, and even from our parents? The answer to this question lies in the fact that each of us has our own mission. We must have exactly those features that are required for its implementation.

Unique characteristics are the strengths and weaknesses of a person. In order to find our destiny and fulfill it, we need to know these aspects well and learn to use them effectively in our lives. This is why many people ask the question “what are the strengths?” and “how to recognize your strengths?”

What are a person's strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths and weaknesses are our initial data: physical (body structure, height, weight, strength, speed, endurance, etc.) and mental (type of temperament, speed of nervous processes, personality traits and character traits).

What are a person’s strengths? For example, being tall for a basketball player is certainly his strength. With the help of his height, he is more likely to achieve success in professional sports; it is his uniqueness that helps him achieve outstanding results. Developed for a surgeon fine motor skills will be an advantage. For a pilot - a good vestibular apparatus, for a musician - excellent hearing, for an accountant - an analytical mind.

A person’s character strengths also play an important role in achieving success in one’s profession or business. If you are diligent by nature and have the ability to painstakingly complete work, these traits will help you in the profession of a programmer. If you are endowed with oratorical abilities, it is easy for you to lead people, you have a loud voice and clear speech, these features can help you in politics and organizational activities.

Along with strengths, each of us also has weaknesses. Understanding them will help you not make a mistake when choosing your professional path. Are there anyone among your friends who graduated from a university, but does not work in their specialty? Statistics say that there are about 50% of such people! This is a huge number of specialists who made the wrong choice. One of the reasons is that many did not take into account their weaknesses.

What are a person’s weaknesses? For example, for a lawyer, a trait such as impulsiveness will most likely be a weakness and will not allow you to build an argument without unnecessary emotions. For a recruiting manager, introversion will be a weakness, since a large amount of communication with different people and a high pace of work will be beyond his strength.

Why do you need to understand a person's strengths and weaknesses?

“Most often, a lack of understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses is the cause of depression.”,” warns the author of the “Destination” project, Pavel Kochkin. The mechanism of its occurrence is that we do not accept our strengths, while focusing on our weaknesses. We strive for an ideal that we cannot and will never be able to achieve because we do not have the necessary abilities. In this case, we experience “shame”, which can develop into depression.

If a person is an introvert by nature, that is, he is not so open to the outside world, communication with other people, it is difficult for him public performance and managing people, he is more focused on his inner world, can be alone for a long time and do some task that needs to be done alone. In this case, no matter how much he wants to be a famous organizer of special events, his weaknesses will not allow him to be 100% realized in this profession. Most likely, the feeling of dissatisfaction with your work and the constant stress of having to overcome yourself every time will grow and at one point result in depression.

“Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is a great tool for increasing self-esteem.”, says Pavel Kochkin. A person who loves, values ​​and respects himself is much better realized both in his profession and in other areas of his life. He is much more effective because he knows himself and puts this knowledge into practice.

Stop working on your weaknesses, trying to develop in a direction that does not suit you. You will achieve much better results by finding your strengths and starting to use them.

A person's strengths are powerful weapons in the hands of those who know how to use them!

You should start your job search by writing a brief description of yourself as an employee. It is permissible not to indicate weaknesses in your resume, but such a point will show the employer your adequate self-esteem. In addition, this point may appear in the employer’s standard questionnaire or be raised during an interview. It is better to know the answer to such an ambiguous question in advance.

What weaknesses should you indicate in your resume or application?

No people are perfect, and employers know this very well. A person’s recognition of his weaknesses speaks of the harmonious development of personality and adequate self-perception. A confident candidate will easily name several of his less outstanding traits.

If you cannot be considered a very confident person, then the answer to the question about your shortcomings needs to be worked out in advance, and it is best to reflect it in your resume. Experts do not recommend specifying more than three weaknesses. Moreover, they must be work-related. You shouldn't point out that you don't like playing with children when applying for an engineering position.

Examples for filling out the “disadvantages” column:

• excessive emotionality;
• workaholism;
• restlessness;
• pedantry;
• modesty;
• integrity;
• excessive initiative;
• insufficient activity, etc.

Please note that many disadvantages can be considered advantages in certain circumstances. Depending on the field of activity, different personality traits may be required. For example, for a secretary, pedantry will be more likely a plus, but for an applicant for the position of a salesperson, emotionality will not be a hindrance.

CV Weaknesses You Shouldn't Mention

There are character flaws that should not be included on a resume or mentioned in an interview. They most often concern those aspects of the personality that are weakly connected with labor activity or characterize you as a bad employee.

Examples of negative characteristics to avoid:

• lack of punctuality;
• tendency to procrastination;
• laziness;
• inability to keep promises;
• frivolity in personal life;
• irresponsibility, etc.

These are not character weaknesses on a resume, but a real recognition that the organization does not need such an employee. However, if you came for an interview, but realized that you don’t want to work here, then you can at least voice all the points at once.

Writing a resume is a painstaking and difficult process. Figure out what negative aspects to include in the appropriate section. This will make your job search much easier.

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When applying for a job, your application form becomes the only link with your employer. It is difficult to get a good job without the correct presentation of your own capabilities. However, many serious ones require filling out an insidious item - character weaknesses.

In a resume, every word written is important. Do not fill out this line hastily!

Your weaknesses on your resume should be a mirror image of your strengths.

But you shouldn’t be too zealous in listing your shortcomings. And there is no need to reproach yourself for your personality weaknesses. Remember that what is good for one person is unacceptable for another. For example, for someone you are wasteful, someone will consider you generous; Some will see greed in you, others will say - economical.

Present your negative character traits to the employer, wrapping them in a beautiful package. For example, for an accountant, unsociability can even be useful in work, but a manager with this quality will have a hard time.

Expert opinion

Natalia Molchanova

HR manager

Find 2-3 traits of your character that would be considered a disadvantage in everyday life, but from the point of view of your chosen profession turn into undeniable advantages.

What weaknesses should you include in your resume?

You should think carefully about this. Sometimes writing a few words about yourself is much more difficult than you thought. After all, what’s at stake is working in a reputable company, and the well-being of the whole family may depend on your ability to show your weaknesses in your application form.

Of course, there is no guarantee that the next employer will take you on to their team. There is no doubt that the future boss will not only not put him aside, but will show his interest and will certainly want to meet. So what trump cards will we have in store to beat our competitors?

Be truthful

The habit of exaggeration will come in handy here. If the employer does not require you to dwell on negative qualities, then there is no need to write anything. Then emphasize your merits as a specialist by mentioning your strengths. If your resume needs to be written in any form, then focus on your positive aspects as individuals and specialists in the field.

But what shortcomings should you include in your resume in order to become the first applicant for the long-awaited position?

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

Don't chase the standard

When reviewing a resume, each employer looks at the situation from its own angle. Sometimes the same character trait can be viewed in two ways. For some, it will turn out to be the positive side of the coin, while others may be blacklisted for having such character traits.

Expert opinion

Natalia Molchanova

HR manager

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

Be intellectually mature

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

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

Show your willingness to work on yourself

Having presented your negative qualities to the general court, be sure to indicate that you are actively fighting against the shortcoming you indicated. You can’t let your employer think that you live comfortably with this negativity.

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

Let's look at a simple example in a resume, where the weaknesses of the applicant turned into a positive side from a professional point of view.

“In everyday life, you are unable to refuse people, and because of this you do not have your own personal life. However, the boss may consider this quality more than beneficial for him. Having hired a reliable employee, the manager expects that he will always be able to rely on such an employee, no matter what issues the assignment concerns. This trait can be simply invaluable for personnel who work under someone’s direct supervision.

Present your strengths as weaknesses

Psychology is a very interesting science. Of course, it’s not worth filling out the field for shortcomings with the phrases “increased responsibility” or “workaholism.” The manager will immediately accuse you of dishonesty.

To take a highly paid position and, along with it, a future boss, you need to:

• gullibility - you will be perceived as a person capable of concluding agreements exclusively with trusted partners;
• self-confidence - they will see you as a leader inclined to move forward;
• hyperactivity - they will place bets on the speed of completing assigned tasks commensurate with other employees;
• slowness - they will find in you a scrupulous worker who can see mistakes and notice important nuances;
• increased anxiety - they will note a responsible approach to work and their responsibilities;
• straightforwardness - you will be considered a master of negotiations who will confidently insist on the terms and requirements of the company;
• demanding - they will think: if an employee is demanding of himself, then you will treat production processes with no less responsibility;
• pedantry - will determine the ability to bring initiatives to perfection through repeated checks;
• restlessness - they will see you as an employee who is ready to carry out new tasks and assignments regardless of external factors;
• modesty - they will be included in the number of employees who weigh what is said, which helps prevent conflict situations and unnecessary misunderstandings.

For the resume of a future accountant, the following can be used as an example of weaknesses:

• suspicion;
• excessive pedantry;
• increased anxiety;
• straightforwardness;
• scrupulousness;
• modesty;
• inability to lie;
• pride;
• lack of agreement in work situations;
• scrupulousness;
• an inflated sense of responsibility;
• inability to negotiate.

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

For example, a manager can indicate in his resume:

• restlessness;
• hyperactivity;
• demandingness;
• impudence;
• stubbornness;
• self-confidence;
• straightforwardness;
• impulsiveness.

Why does a manager want to know about your shortcomings?

If the future boss decides to include a “character weaknesses” column in his resume, then he cannot ignore it.

Be yourself, believe in yourself and you will succeed, and finally, video

The theater begins with a hanger, and the job search begins with writing a resume. It would seem that today even a university graduate knows how this, without exaggeration, fateful document is written. However, for your resume to assure the employer that you are a valuable specialist, a simple listing of places of work and study is not enough.

Your resume should be written in such a way that the recruiter can immediately see your strengths. Superjob tips will help you with this.

What experience should I describe?
This happens to many applicants: they seem to have experience, a suitable education, and resumes are sent out to several places every day, but there are still no invitations to an interview. What's the matter? Before submitting your resume for a specific vacancy, review it. Are your strengths as a specialist and a person sufficiently visible?

Read the job advertisement carefully and try to understand which of the listed requirements you meet one hundred percent. These will be your strengths. In your resume, you should demonstrate them as clearly as possible, without running wild and avoiding what is not important to the recruiter.

For example, a candidate for the position of sales manager in an IT company is required to have experience in successful sales. And you just quit your job at a software development company, where you sold a software product and its technical support services. In the relevant sections of your resume, describe your experience and education in as much detail as possible: what exactly you sold, what results you achieved, what means you used to achieve your goal. But you shouldn’t write in detail about your experience that is not directly related to sales (for example, working as a programmer at the beginning of your career) - a simple mention is enough.

Another example. If an employer requires an applicant for the position of assistant manager to be fluent English language and you meet this requirement, do not limit your resume to the phrase “English proficiency is above average.” In the “Education” section, write exactly where you acquired your knowledge; in the “Work Experience” section, write how you used your language skills at your previous job. In the “Additional Information” section, mention that you keep yourself in shape, for example, by reading Salinger in the original. All this will emphasize your strong point - knowledge of a foreign language at a high level.

If the match is incomplete
But what about those requirements for a candidate that you meet, but not completely? Of course, the employer may not consider your resume if it does not fit into any specific parameters. However, if the vacancy is really interesting, try to refine your resume in such a way as to attract the recruiter to your side.

For example, from applicants for the position of PR manager, the employer requires at least three years of experience in implementing PR projects in the financial sector, while you have been working in the bank’s public relations department for only a year and a half. In no case should you attribute extra experience to yourself - this is easy to check, and, as you know, they try not to hire deceivers. It’s better to describe in detail those of your functions at your current place of work, which can show the employer that you have learned a lot in just a year and a half. Add to this other information that characterizes you as an excellent candidate (information about education, if it is suitable, or long-standing experience in PR activities in related fields), and it is quite possible that your resume will be of interest to the employer.

Personal qualities: to write or not to write?
“Responsibility, communication skills, punctuality” - similar words are found in many resumes. Are they really necessary? Do these platitudes distract from your real strengths?

The “Additional Information” section is, of course, useful for a recruiter, and you shouldn’t completely exclude it from your resume. However, before filling it out, think about which of your personal qualities may be of interest to the employer and which are not important. For example, if you are applying for the position of an accountant, do not focus on your love of photography and travel, but rather describe those qualities that are important for the job - responsibility, diligence, love of order.

Show off your product
Recently, more and more applicants accompany their resume with a photograph. Can this help in your job search? There is no consensus among recruiters on this matter. On the one hand, why not show, as they say, the product with your face, especially if your face is pretty? First of all, this applies to those professions where appearance matters: reception secretary, perfume and cosmetics sales manager, PR manager. On the other hand, choosing a photo to put on your resume is not easy. For most positions, photographs on the beach, weddings, with children, dogs, group photographs, with a cigarette, etc. are absolutely not suitable.

Superjob specialists recommend attaching a photograph to your resume only if you are absolutely sure that photography is your strong point. For example, if you have reached retirement age, but are active and young at heart, attach a photo to your resume that confirms this. Let it be a recent photograph in a business suit, favorably emphasizing the image of an experienced and mature specialist who is also in excellent shape.

Obviously, reworking a resume to demonstrate your strengths for a specific vacancy requires a review of all professional experience. This work takes a lot of time, but we assure you that your efforts will not be wasted: a well-written resume will open up new career horizons for you.