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. Willpower. 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 seeks 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.

Strengths and weaknesses of a person

The strengths and weaknesses of a person are closely related and should not contradict each other. Each person has their own disadvantages and advantages. As a rule, we are used to talking about strengths, but we are often silent about weaknesses.

An independent, goal-oriented and self-critical person always recognizes that there are many weaknesses in his character. And there's nothing wrong with that. We are all human. But every purposeful person can turn his shortcomings into advantages through painstaking work on himself.

So, what are a person's strengths and how to find them? To do this, first of all, pay attention to your talents and skills. This is where you will find your strengths. When you have found your advantages, pursue them and develop them. This will allow you to open up to your fullest potential.

If you cannot independently determine your strengths for the questionnaire, ask your acquaintances and friends for help. Thanks to their opinions, you may discover advantages in yourself that you were not aware of before. And in some ways your opinion will agree with the opinion of your friends.

In addition to the strengths on your resume, there is often a question about your weaknesses. There is no need to be ashamed of them. If you claim that you have no negative character traits, this will become a sign to the recruiter of an undeveloped personality. Which is unlikely to help you get the desired position in the future.

Table 1 - Strengths and weaknesses

Exceptions to the rules

When applying for a job, indicate in your resume those strengths that will help you get the desired position. After all, some of your strengths for a certain position may turn out to be weaknesses that an applicant should not have.

Here are the most common examples. To get a manager position, you shouldn’t talk about your ability to sing. This is unlikely to help you get a job. But if you tell a hiring manager that you are a good cook, this will indicate your discipline, creativity, perseverance and accuracy. After all, to prepare a new dish you need to spend a lot of effort and time on choosing products and on the direct cooking process. In addition, a good cook is always creative in creating a new masterpiece, but always follows it exactly in accordance with the culinary recipe.

Below we will give several examples of what qualities need to be specified when applying for a particular position.

Table 2 - Strengths and weaknesses by specialty: examples

The table shows that not all positive aspects should be indicated in a resume, since some are simply not needed to obtain the desired position or can be “harmful.” For an employment application, we recommend that you select such weaknesses that will help characterize you as a responsible person and worthy of holding this position. The negative qualities of your character should help you perform the functions assigned to you.

What else should you pay attention to in your application or resume?

• Be sure to indicate on your resume that you you always set goals for yourself and achieve them, that is, you are a goal-oriented person. At the same time, you show persistence and always follow the pre-drawn plan.
• It is also worth pointing out that if unforeseen circumstances arise, you will be able to find a way out of the current situation - you have creative thinking.
• Another important component of any successful applicant is self confidence. This will characterize you as a confident person who is not afraid to take a step forward. You are not inclined to panic due to unforeseen circumstances; you are calm and confident in your abilities.
• It is also very important ability to communicate with people. Let it be clients, colleagues, subordinates, suppliers. You just need to be able to find a “common language” with them, accept their point of view and correctly present your opinion.
• Another positive character trait that must be indicated in the employment application is responsibility. No matter what position you apply for, you must always be responsible for your actions. Otherwise, you will become a burden to the company, which will ultimately lead to your termination.

Also, when applying for a new position, indicate that you are highly trainable. You can give examples from your past work or university practice. When you come to a new company, at first you will need to study: learn about the company, the features of its activities and learn how to fulfill your direct responsibilities.

Exercises to identify strengths and weaknesses

Sometimes it is very difficult to determine your personal qualities on your own. Especially if you are nervous or writing a resume for the first time. To eliminate worries and unpleasant moments, make a list of your qualities before the interview. And we will help you how to do this. So:

1. Conduct an analysis of your character. To do this, remember what you do well and what you do poorly. And also, what qualities are needed to complete these tasks. Write everything down so you don't forget.
2. If you cannot independently assess your qualities, ask your loved ones and friends whom you trust to do so. They will help you find your strengths and point out your weaknesses.
3. Assess your surroundings. Determine what positive and negative character traits your friends have. Compare with yourself: what you have and what you don’t have. Write it down.
4. Next, evaluate the qualities you indicated. You need to select which of this list are your strengths and which are your weaknesses. Let’s say at university you couldn’t give a presentation in front of an audience. So your weakness is your fear of the public. But you made this report, which means you are a diligent, attentive, responsible and hardworking person.
5. Next, from the selected qualities, you need to choose your personal and professional qualities.
6. Determine what qualities an applicant for your vacancy should have. Write them down.
7. Now make a selection of your personal and professional qualities in accordance with the qualities that an applicant for the desired position should have. Write it down.
8. After the work has been done, identify your shortcomings and how you can overcome them.

Useful articles:

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.

What to write

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.

Linking weaknesses to the characteristics of professions

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 and planning occupy most of your 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.

For all occasions

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 the 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.

Important nuances

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.

A person's weaknesses in a resume show how objective he is in relation to 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

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)

After all, it is after reading it that the first stage of screening candidates for the position follows. This means that the applicant must first of all interest the HR specialist in order to qualify for the first interview.

The resume should be fairly short, no more than 1-2 pages. It is necessary to try to place in this format not only information about professional skills and education received, but also to briefly identify the applicant. When providing personal information, weigh each phrase, as this will reveal your weaknesses in your resume. For example, if you are afraid that you may be rejected because of your age, list your work experience first and write your date of birth at the end. and the presence of children in each specific case also affects the evaluation of the resume. If your job involves business travel, be sure to indicate that a family member or nanny is with the children and that you can easily leave them during business trips. This applies to women to a greater extent, especially if the children are small. It is better to include information about the children at the very end of the resume so that it is not perceived negatively. For almost any employer, the presence of preschool-aged children is your weaknesses in your resume. Try to spend as much time as possible

our strengths - education, professional experience, acquired skills. It may happen that you are asked to fill out a resume form developed by the employer. Surely it will contain a lot of questions about your personal qualities. There is no need to pretend to be someone you are not, because during work it will all come out.

Yours on your resume

If you're required to describe your strengths and weaknesses in your resume, don't be too forthcoming. There is no need to describe character weaknesses. In your resume, be concise and weigh the characteristics. Indeed, depending on the position for which you are applying, the same quality can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. For example, communication skills are not required to work as an analyst; other qualities are more appropriate here - scrupulousness, concentration, etc. Working with visitors requires a worker with a calm, sometimes even phlegmatic character. Leadership inclinations are not needed here at all.

When describing your weaknesses in your resume, for example, lack of knowledge of a foreign language, focus on your desire for development and desire to learn. If you are required to talk about your shortcomings, indicate no more than 2-3 qualities. It is better to avoid vague formulations and do not indicate qualities that run counter to the requirements for the vacant position. Describe your weaknesses in your resume in the simplest words, without complex verbiage. Example: impulsiveness, straightforwardness, isolation, etc. Do not write statements that frighten a potential employer such as restlessness, short temper, slowness, etc. Don't share your pain, it has nothing to do with your plans to get a job.