Strengths and weaknesses of a person. Strengths and weaknesses of a person in a resume: examples of phrases for an interview

In my job, I often had to interview candidates for the position of "Sales Manager". In a corporate questionnaire, the candidate is usually asked to answer questions about his strengths and weaknesses. It is striking and surprising that for the most part people write replies. There are practically no weaknesses, and strengths written, as if, under a carbon paper.

One lady, answering a question about her weaknesses, wrote the following phrase: “I have no weaknesses. I got rid of them a long time ago." I wonder what she thinks to do next, if not developing and strengthening her various abilities? After all weak sides- these are not bad habits that need to get rid of, but something that needs constant attention and development.

Or the situation that I see all the time: people only know how to go to work. Someone else knows how to relax, someone combines relaxation with work in the country, well, and even little things. But no one dares to look into himself, his beloved ...

Think back to when you were a kid, or think back to when your kids were little. You know from experience that parents go out of their way to send their child to different schools (dance, sports, music, art, etc.) in order to determine what their child is passionate about. Where can he show his talents more strongly.

But as adults, we safely forget about it and surrender to the flow of life. Wherever it goes, we'll swim there. Someone still becomes successful in some activity, maybe due to luck or a favorable set of circumstances, but most do not think about the realization of their abilities, respectively, they do not achieve anything in their own lives.

This also happens because many people could not find their business, and did not even try to find it. In his book Golden Lessons: Achieving Goals, John Maxwell described the story of how he once looked into a store that sold all sorts of things. And his attention was attracted by a sign hanging at the entrance: “You will find absolutely everything here. If you can."

You probably know, the same can be said about any of us. Those unique abilities that are given to us must be searched very carefully. Perhaps they are hidden very deep.

Strengths. What is it?

Talents are at the heart of our strengths. Talent is the ability to do something better than something else. For example, you sing better than you knit. Or you play football better than you draw. When we develop our talents with knowledge and skills, we turn talents into strengths. Strengths are the ability to show high results in a particular activity. The next step is to polish your strengths to the level of mastery. That is why you need to pay great attention to your development and the development of your children.

Scientists have identified a list of human strengths:

1. Adaptability (changing oneself depending on the requirements of the environment, adaptation, flexibility).
2. Activation (energy to get down to business and get it done).
3. Analytical thinking (understanding cause and effect, critical thinking).
4. Faith (the presence of deeply rooted values, ideas, the search for the meaning of life).
5. Inclusion (helping others become whole and successful).
6. Imagination (creativity, originality, new ideas and concepts).
7. Harmony (ability to find common ground, avoidance of conflicts).
8. Discipline (organization, ability to keep within time, order and structure).
9. Achievement (pursuit of goals, performance, satisfaction from what has been achieved).
10. Significance (great desire for recognition, hard work).
11. Individualization (perception of other people as individuals and recognition of their talents, attention to differences).
12. Intelligence (the ability to think in many directions, intellectual discussions, decisions).
13. Information (active acquisition of knowledge, curiosity).
14. Correction (recognition of problems and the ability to solve them).
15. Communication (explanation, clarification, ability to speak well).
16. Competition (hard work to achieve a high result, success, desire to win, comparison with others).
17. Context (to see historical parallels, objectively assess what is happening).
18. Maximalism (increase in personal and group skill level).
19. Learning (enjoying the learning process, focusing on improvement).
20. Orientation to the future (focus on the future, the ability to see opportunities, motivate others to act).
21. Responsibility (to be someone you can rely on, many duties and obligations).
22. Relationships (establishing intimate relationships with people)
23. Positivity (enthusiasm, optimism, excitement, stimulating others).
24. Consistency (equal treatment, fairness, preoccupation with good and evil).
25. Development (seeing the potential in others and helping them develop it).
26. Judgment (making the right decisions, thoroughness, considering all options).
27. Leadership (the ability to cope with conflicts and crises, the ability to bear responsibility).
28. Self-affirmation (self-confidence, independence of thinking).
29. Connectivity (connection of ideas or events into a meaningful whole).
30. Strategy (seeing the pros and cons, understanding the situation as a whole, developing an adequate action plan).
31. Focused (prioritization, direction setting, efficiency).
32. The ability to win over (quickly establishing contact with people, creating groups / relationships).
33. Ordering (organization, coordination, determining the right combination of people and means).
34. Empathy (understanding others, establishing supportive relationships).

And all you need to do is try to find out as much as possible what strengths our personality corresponds to.

Then you need to understand what jobs and activities correspond to these strengths. That is, in what area they could open up stronger and brighter.

If the task turned out to be difficult, try the strengths that best suit you, rate them on a 10-point scale. Thus, you will be able to identify those in which the combination of talents, knowledge, skills and abilities is most harmonious.

But that is not all. Now ask a few questions about each of them:

• Is it really mine?
• Do I enjoy doing this?
• Where and how can I apply them?
• What will I have to do to develop the necessary qualities in myself?
• How will this generate income for me?

Right now you will have those strengths that you either want or do not want to use and develop. Good receiver? And what's really important is that it works. Introduce this method to your loved ones, perhaps it will help them paint their lives in brighter colors.

If any of you are already in the process of identifying your strengths, i.e. actively acting and learning to manage your life on your own, it will also be effective for you to use this technique, which, by the way, can be used in many situations.

Let's take website building as an example. Among my colleagues, webmasters, there are mostly people who do this not under compulsion, but while experiencing the joy and pleasure of doing an interesting and favorite thing. But even in this case, each of us manifests precisely those strengths in which he feels much more comfortable.

As you know, a webmaster combines various professions: designer, writer, SEO (promotion), programmer, coder. In a word, a master of all trades. Of course, it is difficult to have so many talents at once in order to be successful in all directions at once. And over time, each of us finds the area in which he feels at ease, then there is a desire to become a professional, and then an expert, the level of which allows him to teach other people. But for this, of course, you need to make a lot of effort.

P.S. By the way, if you dream of becoming a professional designer, then you can learn this at the Yulia Pervushina Design School. Even if you are not a designer at all and do not know how to draw, but there is a great desire to get a highly paid Internet profession, then you can sign up here:

For example, I am more attracted to the field of copywriting than programming, although, I confess, you still need to know the basics of programming for blogging. But let this remain my weakness. I'd rather improve my talents. By the way, about my colleagues: we are united by the most important thing - we are engaged in an interesting and beloved business, which allows us to discover new abilities, talents in ourselves, and turn them into strengths.

Theater starts with a hanger, and job searches start 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, it is not enough just to list the places of work and study.

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

What experience to describe?
This happens to many applicants: they seem to have experience, and the education is suitable, and a resume is sent out daily to several places, but there are still no invitations for an interview. What's the matter? Before submitting your resume for a specific job, review it. Are your strengths visible enough as a professional and as a person?

Carefully read the job advertisement and try to understand which of the listed requirements you meet one hundred percent. These will be your strengths. On your resume, you should demonstrate them as clearly as possible, without spreading your thoughts along the tree and avoiding what is unimportant to the recruiter.

For example, a candidate for the position of a sales manager in an IT company is required to have successful sales experience. And you just got fired from a software company where you were selling a software product and services for its technical support. In the relevant sections of the resume, describe your experience and education in as much detail as possible: what exactly did you sell, what results did you achieve, by what means did you go to the goal. But about your experience that is not directly related to sales (for example, about working as a programmer at the beginning of your career), you should not write in detail - a simple mention is enough.

Another example. If an employer requires an applicant for the position of an administrative assistant to be fluent in English and you meet this requirement, do not limit yourself to the phrase “English proficiency is above average” on your resume. In the “Education” section, write where exactly you acquired your knowledge, in the “Work Experience” section, 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 strengths - 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 a recruiter to your side.

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

Personal qualities: to write or not to write?
“Responsibility, sociability, punctuality” - these words are in many resumes. Are they really necessary? Do these commonalities detract from your real strengths?

The “Additional Information” section is, of course, useful to the recruiter, and you should not completely exclude it from the resume. However, before filling it out, think about which of your personal qualities may be of interest to the employer, and which do not matter. 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 work - responsibility, diligence, love of order.

Show the product in person
Recently, more and more applicants are accompanied by a resume with a photo. Can it help in job search? Among recruiters there is no consensus on this matter. On the one hand, why not show what is called the product with its face, especially if the face is pretty? First of all, this applies to those professions where appearance matters: receptionist, perfumery and cosmetics sales manager, PR manager. On the other hand, choosing a photo to place on a resume is not easy. For most positions, photos on the beach, wedding, with children, dogs, collective, with a cigarette, etc. are categorically not suitable.

Experts recommend attaching a photo to your resume only if you are absolutely sure that photography is your forte. For example, if you have entered retirement age, but are active and young at heart, attach a photo confirming this to your resume. Let it be a fresh photo in a business suit that favorably emphasizes the image of an experienced and mature specialist, who is also in great shape.

It is obvious that reworking a resume in order to demonstrate its strengths for a particular vacancy requires an audit of all professional experience. This work takes a lot of time, but we assure you that the efforts will not be wasted: a well-written resume will open up new career horizons for you.

The weaknesses of a person in a resume show how objective he is in relation to himself. Rarely does anyone include such an item 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 fulfill the requirement and not spoil the impression of yourself. We will also teach you how to turn them into advantages.

What flaws to indicate in a resume: an example

Do not write that they do not exist at all. Ideal people do not exist, and overly narcissistic people are reluctant to hire. But it is not necessary to list all the weak qualities of a person. Your task is to demonstrate that you are quite critical of yourself, and not to expose 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 virtues

Finding your weaknesses is half the battle. The next step is to use them to your advantage. If there are free columns where you can paint the details, do it. Indicate how good your shortcomings are in your resume: for example, a distrustful person will not cooperate with dubious suppliers.

If the questionnaire is concise, then these issues 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 do not plan to give explanations, it is useful to know how your manager will perceive your minuses.

My weaknesses

Obvious flaws in a resume: examples

Some cons are better left unsaid. Especially if they go to the detriment of professional duties. So, for example, the mentioned laconicism is good for an accountant or a programmer. But a sales manager or a teacher cannot be silent, otherwise the effectiveness of his work falls.

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

Inappropriate character weaknesses in a resume (examples)

You will surely agree that each person is unique and no two people are the same: neither externally nor internally. Everyone has his own individuality: character traits inherent only to him, personality traits, unique physical data.

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 a mission. We must have exactly those features that will be required for its implementation.

Unique features 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 how to use them effectively in our lives. That is why many people ask the questions “what are the strengths?” and “how to recognize your strengths?”.

What are human 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 the strengths of a person? For example, high growth for a basketball player is certainly his strength. With his height, he is more likely to succeed in professional sports, it is his uniqueness that helps to achieve outstanding results. For the surgeon, developed fine motor skills will be an advantage. For a pilot - a good vestibular apparatus, for a musician - excellent hearing, for an accountant - an analytical mindset.

The strengths of a person's character also play an important role in achieving success in their profession or business. If you are diligent by nature, have the ability to work hard, these traits will help you in the profession of a programmer. If you are endowed with oratory skills, 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 has weaknesses. Understanding them will help you not to make a mistake when choosing your professional path. Are there among your acquaintances those who graduated from a university, but do 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 the weaknesses of a person? For example, for a lawyer, such a feature as impulsiveness will rather be a weak side, and will not allow building arguments 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 is it important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a person?

“Most often, a lack of understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses is the cause of depression”, - Pavel Kochkin, the author of the "Destination" project, warns. The mechanism of its occurrence is that we do not accept our strengths, while focusing on 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 have “shame”, which can develop into depression.

If a person is by nature an introvert, that is, he is not so open to the outside world, communication with other people, public speaking and managing people are difficult for him, he is more concentrated on his inner world, can be alone for a long time and do something to be done alone. In this case, no matter how much he wants to be a famous organizer of celebrations, 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 tension from the fact that you need to overdo yourself every time will grow and at one point will result in depression.

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

Stop working on your weaknesses by 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 a powerful tool in the hands of someone who knows how to use them!

Are you looking for a job and want to find a great place? Then a well-written resume is indispensable. A smart approach is needed here. From the resume, the employer must find out all the useful information about the candidate, and the applicant is simply obliged to stand out from the general mass of competitors applying for a similar position. The qualities indicated in the resume are one of the steps to success, they play a decisive, one might say, decisive role. If you do not know what qualities to indicate, we will help you with this, give useful advice and recommendations.

The article will discuss what qualities to indicate in a resume, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate for a position, what is worth mentioning and what is silent.

So, we read carefully, remember and draw up a unique resume, having studied which, the employer simply will not be able to refuse the candidate and will definitely hire him.

What qualities to indicate in the resume of the applicant

Of course, it is necessary 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 the employer may like and what he will first of all pay attention to:

• Increased sense of responsibility.
• Discipline.
• Punctuality.
• Perseverance.
• Attentiveness.
• Sociability.
• perseverance.
• performance.

Remember, your task is to reveal as many positive qualities about yourself as possible that help you achieve your goals in your work. If you wish, you can try to somehow tell about yourself in an original way, but you should not go too far (see). Otherwise, the employer may not believe that the specified information about himself is true.

In addition to the above qualities, if necessary, include in the resume a number of non-standard, but attractive character traits.

What character strengths to include in the list of qualities attractive to the employer:

• Initiative;
• Creative mindset;
• Speed, mobility, activity;
• Increased resistance to stressful situations;
• Grammatically correct speech;
• Good diction;
• Confidence in your strength.

If you have at least a couple of these qualities, be sure to include them in your resume. With such a list, the candidate has a very real chance of getting a good job and attracting the attention of management (see). A successful presentation of oneself never hurts, because the competition for prestigious positions is always high.

What weaknesses to indicate in the resume so that you are hired

Ideal people do not exist, therefore, in the resume, the applicant for a vacancy must certainly have shortcomings. It is important for management that a person is able to look at himself critically and evaluate himself quite adequately.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with several options for weak qualities that will not be able to spoil the reputation of the candidate.

1. Reliability.
2. Inability to sit in one place for a long time.
3. straightness.
4. Fear of air travel.
5. Excessive craving for formalism.
6. Inability to deceive.
7. Increased activity.
8. Distrust.
9. Unwillingness to compromise on controversial issues.
10. Principle.
11. Modesty.
12. Demanding for oneself 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, what is the difference between their qualities in a resume

As it has already become clear, a resume is in some way a visiting card of a candidate for a job, so it must be written concisely, to the point, but at the same time capacious and informative.

Basically, the resumes of men and women are no different, but still there are nuances. Let's talk about the strengths and some weaknesses of applicants of the opposite sex, which it is desirable to indicate in a resume.

Strong male sides:

• Activity.
• Strength of will.
• Ability to get along with people.
• Bringing what has been started to its logical end.
• perseverance.
• Conscientiousness.
• Developed intellect.

What weaknesses to indicate in the resume of a strong male applicant:

• Arrogance.
• Selfishness.
• Hotness.
• Optional.
• Disorder, carelessness.

Personal strengths of a woman:

• Patience.
• Determination.
• Loyalty.
• Cheerfulness.
• Sociability.
• Willingness to find a compromise.

Weaknesses in a resume for women:

• Nervousness.
• Sharpness.
• Touchiness.
• Vindictiveness.
• Tendency to depression.
• Restlessness.
• Emotionality.

We found out what qualities indicated in the resume will surely attract the attention of the employer. Now let's talk about little tricks, or rather about how and what not to do when compiling a characterization about yourself.

Minor nuances when writing a resume

1. Information must be clear and 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, how you compare favorably with the rest.
2. Tell the truth. If the lie is revealed immediately, it will deprive the candidate of the opportunity to get a job. If the deception is revealed after the 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 mistakes among his strengths, but at the same time made them in his resume, this will definitely cause bewilderment. 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 indicate in it in order to become the first applicant for a tidbit, that is, for an attractive position.