Each person has strengths and weaknesses of character that can play to his advantage, and to his detriment. Especially when applying for a job or at an interview, on which your future depends.
Human strengths
It is known that among us, ordinary people, there are no “saints”. And each person has their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the first of them. In order to “shine” in live speech during an interview and live communication, think in advance about the qualities that you think are inherent in you.
Example good list human virtues:
- sociability;
- Determination;
- good faith;
- performance;
- friendliness;
- Stress tolerance;
- A responsibility;
- Punctuality, etc.
If you list at least some of the above traits and qualities, this is half the battle. If the manager sees how seriously you approached this issue, he will appreciate your ability to correctly express thoughts and convey the essence. You should not praise yourself, and promise what you cannot deliver.
For example, if you do not specialize in a certain industry, but you are asked provocative questions on a specific issue, it would be more honest to answer that you do not yet possess such skills, but are striving and want to expand your boundaries and skills. Then the employer will be able to assess your honesty and desire to develop and move up the career ladder.
A future leader may ask you tricky questions, which will not be very convenient to answer. Endurance and the ability to get out of difficult situations are tested in this way by the candidate.
It doesn't seem right. But if you are applying for a good position, with a high salary, and you need the ability to communicate with people competently and without emotions, then you must have endurance and discipline.
A potential employer, through live communication, will be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and draw conclusions about your personality.
The manager will also ask you about your strengths and weaknesses. You should not take this question seriously, and completely get all the "skeletons" out of the closet. It will be enough if you name some minor shortcomings: for example, shyness. This little vice rarely scares away. Therefore, you should not worry about this.
In order not to be embarrassed during an interview and a personal conversation with a potential employer, make a list of your strengths in advance. It will be useful for you to analyze the turn of your mind and character, thereby you will be ready for such a question and will not be at a loss.
Take Blank sheet paper and start writing the qualities you are proud of. For example, kindness, understanding, responsiveness, sociability, learning ability, etc. This is some kind of training. You will be able to objectively assess your pros and cons. And in advance, you can write a list of those qualities that you do not possess, but are trying to develop in yourself. This will give you a push and an incentive to change.
Weaknesses of a person, their list
Now we will try to consider the weaknesses of the human character. Most often, when trying to get a job, during the interview, the employer may notice some shortcomings of the future candidate for the position. For example, he may be alerted by inattention, absent-mindedness and slurred speech.
Consider a list of the most common shortcomings and weaknesses of a person:
- indecision;
- emotional stiffness;
- Shyness;
- Timidity;
- Coarseness;
- Rudeness, etc.
When talking, try to tell your boss about your hobbies, hobbies, a little about the family in which you grew up. Thus, you will position the employer, and he will appreciate your aspirations and see that you are ready for a lot for the sake of work. Honesty and unobtrusive frankness will do you good.
Weaknesses in resume
When writing a resume, be careful about the reason for leaving your previous job. For example, if they were conflict situations with employees, or disagreements with the employer. It doesn't matter why you quit. Do not paint about the reasons for leaving, it is better to write about it with restraint. For example, I didn’t like the work schedule, or I had to change my position due to moving.
Also, try not to get personal and dedicate the future employer about the past work team. It is better to get around uncomfortable topics tactfully and carefully. At the same time, without losing self-control and self-esteem.
Strengths of a person in a resume example
When writing a resume, be careful to point out your strengths. For example, you should not write about character traits that you do not possess. It is better to focus on the merits of your character. For example, you can write the following traits:
- Determination;
- Curiosity;
- Stress tolerance;
- sociability;
- Ability to get out of different situations;
- Active life position.
By listing these qualities, you will definitely make a positive impression on the boss, and your candidacy will be considered.
Strengths and weaknesses of a leader
Additionally, you may be asked what qualities and personal merit you would like to see in your boss. It is worth considering the answer to this question in advance. For example, you can say that in the leader you want to see:
- Purposefulness;
- Restraint;
- Responsiveness;
- Demanding;
- sociability;
- Individual approach to employees;
- Decisiveness, etc.
You will not just be asked such questions. After all, every employer wants to see what the employee expects from the authorities. If you answer with dignity and like a potential boss, you will get a place in the permanent staff.
Strengths and weaknesses of character
Let's sum up a little. When applying for a job, you should think over your answers in advance in order to make a good impression on future employers. If you actively communicate, prove yourself with better side By focusing on the merits of your character, you will definitely get a promising job and the desired position.
Asked at the interview, they aim to give the employer or recruiter the most complete answer on three main points:
- ability to do the job;
- desire to do such work;
- conformity corporate culture companies.
Personal qualities - 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 just to obtain information about the personal qualities of the candidate.
The employer will undoubtedly want to know if your negative character traits will interfere with the performance functional duties and communication in a team.
Which are worth mentioning and which are not?
Very often you can hear the question from candidates: what are the positive and negative qualities to name at the interview?
Employers are interested in employees who have such character traits as:
- purposefulness;
- organization;
- initiative;
- performance;
- creativity;
- goodwill;
- determination.
Share them if you really have them. Give examples.
Often in an interview they are asked to name three negative qualities and three positive qualities. Think this through ahead of time.
No need to say that you are professional, adequate, loyal, smart, charming. Such qualities can be noticed and named by other people when talking about you, but not by yourself.
Never mention such negative characteristics like laziness, disorganization, irascibility 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 in the resume?
The interview is conducted in order to get to know you personally and to check whether what is stated with the 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 patterns, but be precise, but also do not allow any discrepancies from the document in the facts.
It is unacceptable to answer the question as follows: "It says so in my resume."
How to talk about positive and negative qualities
No need to be modest!
In case you think you don't have any outstanding qualities, just tell what you have.
For example: the ability to focus - you focus on a specific task and bring it to the end without being distracted.
BUT high speed work - always complete the task as quickly as possible, without procrastination.
The question should not be taken literally: “Tell me, what are your personal qualities that are shortcomings?”. It is not the best solution, when answering such a question, to proceed to a detailed description of your weaknesses.
It is better to determine in advance which of your qualities have a double meaning..
At first glance, these are disadvantages, but when choosing a different angle of consideration, they can turn out to be advantages. Think over the wording and present your weaknesses so that they look positive.
Answer example: “I usually pay a lot of attention to detail, and I know that in some areas of activity such thoroughness does not matter and is not always appropriate. But I see that for the position I am applying for, this character trait should be useful.
If your employer asked you to list three shortcomings, you could list the following: “Intolerance – I can’t stand mess. Irritability - a little pissed off by the incompetence of employees.
Captiousness and meticulousness - I do not allow myself the right to make mistakes. Here you can see that not very pleasant character traits turn into virtues.
How to talk about strengths and weaknesses.
Very often, recruiters are asked to give examples of strengths and weaknesses in an interview. This task can be beaten 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 position 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 of sample answers ahead of time.
Which poor quality name at the interview? When answering the question about weaknesses, be careful and careful. You don't have to openly acknowledge them. Instead, you can talk about minor gaps in areas that are obviously not required for this position.
Positive and negative qualities in the interview to the same extent should present you in a favorable light. The main thing to remember about what shortcomings you can talk about at the interview, and what is better to remain silent.
If the recruiter insists on clarifying the weaknesses of nature, and not professional ones, then say about 1-2, moreover, those that cannot always be considered as weak.
To be completely honest?
The employer asks to name weaknesses at the interview, what to say? How to answer interview questions about flaws correctly?
In order not to seem that you are not frankly answering questions, 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 so that they are more like pluses.
If you have to report that you are not completely familiar with any type of activity, indicate only those areas that are not critical for this vacancy.
Think about the answers ahead of time. If you really want to get this job, then it's not worth the risk.
How to tell about yourself in an original way?
According to statistical studies, about 90% of applicants mention their responsibility, sociability and purposefulness. It is clear that such qualities can hardly interest or draw the attention of the listener to them.
If you talk about common, 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 go the other way: talk about rare qualities that match your character.
Even better, give examples related to the application of these qualities, the positive role they played, or their positive evaluation. Using this tactic, you have a chance to stand out and be remembered.
Remember that the employer, at times, is more important not WHAT, but HOW you answer questions about personal qualities. Reasonable, logical, confident answers, as well as competent speech are of great importance.
Demonstrate a positive attitude, the ability to adequately respond to complex or personal issues, the ability to find compromises and the right decisions.
Successful interview! Moreover, now you know exactly what weaknesses you can point out at the interview and how to correctly talk about your shortcomings in order to make a favorable impression.
The employer is important both personal and business qualities of the employee. What 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 in our article.
Business and personal qualities
The business qualities of an employee are his ability to perform certain labor obligations. The most important of them are the level of education and work experience. When choosing an employee, be guided by the benefits that he can bring to your company.
Personal qualities characterize the employee as a person. They become important when applicants for one position have business qualities on the same level. Personal qualities characterize the employee's attitude to work. Focus on independence: he does not have to do your job, but he must cope with his own to the fullest.
| Business qualities | Personal qualities |
| The level of education | Accuracy |
| Specialty, qualification | Activity |
| Work experience, positions held | ambition |
| Labor productivity | Conflict-free |
| Analytic skills | Fast reaction |
| Rapid adaptation to new information systems | Politeness |
| Fast learner | Attentiveness |
| Attention to detail | Discipline |
| Flexibility of thinking | Initiative |
| Willingness to work overtime | diligence |
| Literacy | Sociability |
| Mathematical thinking | Maximalism |
| Customer interaction skills | persistence |
| Skills business communication | Resourcefulness |
| Planning Skills | Charm |
| Report preparation skills | organization |
| Oratorical skills | Responsible approach to work |
| Organizational skills | Decency |
| Enterprise | Devotion |
| Professional Integrity | integrity |
| scrupulousness | Punctuality |
| Ability to handle multiple projects at the same time | Determination |
| Ability to make quick decisions | self control |
| Ability to work with large amounts of information | Self-criticism |
| strategic thinking | Independence |
| Striving for self-improvement | Modesty |
| Creative thinking | Stress tolerance |
| Negotiation / Business Correspondence | Tact |
| Ability to negotiate | Patience |
| Ability to express thoughts | exactingness |
| Ability to find a common language | industriousness |
| Ability to teach | Self confidence |
| Teamwork skills | Equilibrium |
| The ability to win people over | purposefulness |
| The ability to convince | Honesty |
| Good external data | Energy |
| Good diction | Enthusiasm |
| Good physical form | ethics |
The choice of qualities
If more than 5 characteristics are entered in the resume, this is a signal that the applicant is not able to make a competent choice. Moreover, the standard “responsibility” and “punctuality” have become commonplace, so if possible, ask what these general concepts mean. A prime example: the phrase "high performance" can mean "the ability to work with a lot of information," while you were counting on "willingness to work overtime."
Such general concepts as "motivation to work", "professionalism", "self-control", the applicant can reveal in other expressions, more specifically and more meaningfully. Pay attention to incompatible qualities. To verify the honesty of the applicant, you can ask to illustrate with examples the characteristics indicated by him.
Negative qualities of an employee
Sometimes they are also included in the resume by the job seeker. In particular, such as:
- Hyperactivity.
- Excessive emotionality.
- Greed.
- Vindictiveness.
- Impudence.
- Inability to lie.
- Inability to work in a team.
- Restlessness.
- Touchiness.
- Lack of work experience/education.
- Lack of sense of humor.
- Bad habits.
- Passion for gossip.
- straightness.
- self-confidence.
- Modesty.
- Weak communication.
- The desire to create conflict.
An applicant who has written negative qualities in a resume can be honest, or maybe 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 ready to give the person an 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 he can bring when making a deal.
Be ready to give the person an opportunity to rehabilitate himself and present negative qualities in a favorable light.
Qualities for different professions
Certain professional qualities are needed in almost all activities. You can make it easier for applicants and at the same time narrow their circle by entering information about the desired 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 win people over. The list of winning qualities will also include: charm, self-confidence, energy. In trade list best qualities will look like this: flexibility of thinking, customer interaction skills, ability to negotiate, work in a team, as well as quick response, politeness, perseverance, activity.
A leader in any field should be characterized by such professional qualities as organizational skills, the ability to find a common language and work in a team, resourcefulness, conflict-free, charm and the ability to teach. Equally important are the ability to make quick decisions, self-confidence, attentiveness and balance.
The strengths of an employee working with a large amount 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: customer interaction skills, business communication, literacy, the ability to negotiate and business correspondence, the ability to do several things at the same time. Also pay attention to good external data, attentiveness, tact and balance, diligence. In any profession, responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful. But the applicant, inscribing such qualities in the resume, does not always take them seriously.
In any profession, responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful. But the applicant, inscribing such qualities in the resume, does not always take them seriously.
Evaluation of the professional qualities of an employee
To avoid wasting time and money testing new employees, sometimes companies evaluate them before hiring. For this, even special personnel assessment centers have been created. A list of grading methods for those who prefer to do it themselves:
- Letters of recommendation.
- Tests. This includes conventional aptitude and aptitude tests, as well as personality and background tests.
- Examination of the knowledge and skills of the employee.
- Role play or case studies.
The role-playing game will help you find out in practice whether the applicant is right for you. Act out a day-to-day 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 the style of work. This method will tell a lot more about the applicant than the column "Personal qualities" in the resume.
When deciding on the evaluation criteria, you can base on business qualities: punctuality, potential quantity and quality of work performed, experience and education, skills, etc. For greater efficiency, focus on the qualities necessary for the position for which the candidate being evaluated is applying. To be confident in an employee, consider his personal qualities. You can independently conduct an assessment in the form of a rating of candidates, placing + and - according to certain criteria, distributing them by level or awarding points. Avoid scoring errors such as bias or stereotyping, or overweighting one criterion.
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?" - this is a question you will most likely be asked at any interview. Yes, and in the column "Strengths and Weaknesses" is simply absent. But if you decide to write about it, then let's "serve everything in the best possible way." The universal rule is that even your weaknesses in the resume should be attractive to the employer. For clarity, let's look at a few examples.
Weaknesses in the resume (relative to the requirements of a particular vacancy):
- No work experience at all (but there is a specialized education and a willingness to gain experience from “0”)
- No specialized education (but there is work experience and a desire to develop in this profession)
- No knowledge of special programs (but there is a desire and willingness to master them as soon as possible)
- There is a small child (but there will be no more decree, grandparents help with the child)
- Insufficient level of foreign language proficiency (but there is a desire and readiness to “pull up” it in the shortest possible time)
It is definitely not worth writing about the weaknesses of the character in the resume.
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Strengths in resume
Strengths in a resume are, in fact, your experience, education, knowledge and skills. It is not necessary to highlight any of this in the resume. It is better to emphasize during the interview that due to experience, education, knowledge, skills and your personal qualities you are a suitable candidate for the position.
The strengths of the character in the resume can be mentioned. Most often, all these are your personal qualities. Try to get away from the hackneyed "sociability", "punctuality", "responsibility", "diligence", "high efficiency". Describe your qualities in simple phrases. For example, “I easily find a common language with strangers”, “I take a responsible approach to solving the tasks assigned to me”, “I always do the work efficiently and on time”.
Which section of your resume do you think is the most important?
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When applying for a job, your profile becomes the only link with your employer. Get Good work difficult without the correct presentation of their own capabilities. However, many serious ones require filling in an insidious item - weaknesses of character.
In a summary, every word written is important. Do not fill out this line in haste!
Weaknesses on your resume should be a mirror image of your strengths.
How to turn weaknesses into strengths on a resume
But you should not be too zealous in listing your shortcomings. Yes, and reproach yourself for your weaknesses of personality is not necessary. Remember what is good for one, not 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 wrapper. For example, for an accountant, unsociableness is even 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 will be considered a minus in everyday life, but from the point of view of the chosen profession, they turn into undeniable advantages.
What weaknesses to indicate in the resume
This is where you need to think carefully. Sometimes writing a few words about yourself is much more difficult than you thought. After all, work in a reputable company is at stake, and the well-being of the whole family may depend on your ability to display weaknesses in the questionnaire.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the next employer will take you to their team. There is no doubt that the future boss will not only not put it aside, but will show his interest and will certainly want to meet. So what kind of trump cards will we save to beat the competition?
Be truthful
The habit of exaggerating will come in handy here. If the employer does not require dwelling on negative qualities, then you do not need to write anything. Then focus on your strengths as a specialist, mentioning your strengths. If the resume needs to be written in a free form, then focus on your positive aspects as a person and a specialist in the field.
But what shortcomings to indicate in the resume to become the first contender for the long-awaited position?
- Firstly, as we have already said, so that the employer does not get the impression of you as a person with a painfully high self-esteem, in no case do we ignore the paragraph on shortcomings.
- Secondly, do not deviate from the style of writing a resume. 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.
- Thirdly, the boss will not fail to note the honesty of the resume, where you briefly report your shortcomings, based on some important points.
Don't chase the standard
When considering a resume, each employer looks at the situation from his own angle. Sometimes the same character trait can be regarded in two ways. For some, it will turn out to be the positive side of the coin, and some may be blacklisted, having such character traits.
Expert opinion
Natalia Molchanova
HR manager
Each field of activity requires an individual approach.. In teamwork, leadership qualities will only interfere with the team, and 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 imperfection and do not take criticism with hostility. After all, only an intellectually formed person can calmly and fairly conduct a personal assessment of his positive and negative sides.
It is undeniably easier for an employer to give preference to a mature person than to educate an unbalanced person.
Show willingness to work on yourself
Having presented your negative qualities to the general court, be sure to indicate that you are actively fighting the shortcoming you indicated. You can't let an employer think you're comfortable living with this negativity.
It could be shyness or impulsiveness. You can point to their manifestation in accordance with the situation, and make it clear that you are waging a stubborn struggle with the presence of these disadvantages: expanding your connections and striving to control your ardor.
Consider 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 find this quality more than beneficial for him. Having hired a trouble-free employee, the manager expects that he will always be able to rely on such an employee, no matter what issues the assignment concerns. This feature can become 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 is not worth filling the field for shortcomings with the phrases “increased responsibility” or “workaholism”. The leader will immediately convict you of dishonesty.
To take a highly paid position and with it the future boss you need:
- credulity - you will be perceived as a person capable of concluding agreements exclusively with trusted partners;
- self-confidence - they will see you as a leader who is inclined to move forward;
- hyperactivity - they will bet on the speed of completing tasks commensurate with other employees;
- slowness - they will find in your person a scrupulous worker who can see mistakes and notice important nuances;
- increased anxiety - they will note a responsible approach to work and their duties;
- straightforwardness – they will consider you a master of negotiation, who will confidently insist on the conditions and requirements of the company;
- exactingness - they will think: if an employee is demanding of himself, then production processes you will be treated with no less responsibility;
- pedantry - they will determine the ability to bring undertakings to the ideal through repeated checks;
- restlessness - they will see you as an employee who is ready to perform new tasks and assignments, regardless of external factors;
- modesty - they will be credited to the number of employees who weigh what has been said, which helps to prevent conflict situations and unnecessary misunderstandings.
For a summary of a future accountant, as an example of weaknesses, you can be guided by:
- suspicion;
- excessive pedantry;
- increased anxiety;
- straightness;
- scrupulousness;
- modesty;
- inability to lie;
- pride;
- lack of complicity in working moments;
- scrupulousness;
- overestimated 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 a manager, for example, you can indicate in your resume:
- restlessness;
- hyperactivity;
- exactingness;
- impudence;
- stubbornness;
- self-confidence;
- straightness;
- impulsiveness.
Why does the manager want to know about your shortcomings
If the future boss decided to include the “weak sides of character” column in the resume, then it cannot be ignored.
Stay yourself, believe in yourself and you will succeed, and finally the video
