In the applicant's resume, a separate section is devoted to personal and professional qualities.

What qualities should you include in your resume?

We are offering to you possible options personal qualities of a person for a resume:

• accuracy;
• activity;
• ambition;
• analytic skills;
• fast learner;
• politeness;
• attentiveness;
• high efficiency;
• flexibility;
• discipline;
• friendliness;
• conscientiousness;
• initiative;
• diligence;
• communication skills;
• creativity;
• loyalty;
• reliability;
• persistence;
• resourcefulness;
• focus on results;
• non-conflict;
• optimism;
• oratory;

• organizational skills;
• organization;
• result orientation;
• responsibility;
• responsiveness;
• decency;
• enterprise;
• presentable appearance;
• integrity;
• punctuality;
• innovation;
• self-control;
• self-criticism;
• independence;
• scrupulousness;
• ability to make quick/independent decisions;
• justice;
• desire to improve professional level / self-improvement / professional growth / development;
• stress resistance;
• a creative approach to finding ways to complete assigned tasks;
• hard work;
• self confidence;
• ability to adapt to change;
• skill to work in team;
• ability to persuade;
• good diction;
• determination;
• honesty;
• sense of humor;
• energy.

This list of personal qualities in a resume is not exhaustive.

Strengths and weaknesses in a resume

When indicating positive and negative qualities in a resume, you need to be very careful, since the same characteristic in one situation may turn out to be an advantage, but in another, on the contrary, a disadvantage. Much depends on the position for which the resume is being written, the corporate culture of the employing company and other personal factors.

Examples of character strengths and weaknesses in a resume

In the above list of business and personal qualities for your resume, you can select several (5-10 pieces) of your strengths that meet the employer’s requirements for the position for which you are applying. When indicating personal qualities in your resume, be prepared to give a specific example at the interview that demonstrates that you have this characteristic.

Examples of character weaknesses in a resume: lack of work experience; excessive emotionality; inability to lie, etc. - unless you are specifically asked to indicate negative qualities in your resume, you should not mention your shortcomings on your own initiative.

Constantly writing a resume, I always recommend everyone to write achievements in their resume. This makes the resume stronger and more impressive, the applicant looks more respectable and you want to talk to him.

What achievements will give you on your resume

• Achievements will show you as a successful and productive person. You don't just work and fulfill your responsibilities, you lead the company to prosperity. You do it! Not your boss, but you!
• Professional achievements on a resume play into employers' egos. They also want you to increase their profits, reduce costs, speed up some processes, simplify, secure, invent, etc. Owners want these achievements and that's why they need you.
• Your successes show your responsibility and determination. I don’t like it when people list their personal qualities in their resumes as responsibility, determination, commitment... Such a list doesn’t say or prove anything, but your achievements do. These are indisputable facts that confirm that you are achieving your goals.
• Your accomplishments on your resume hint at your career and growth. They emphasize that you value and love your job and want to succeed in it, grow, and achieve more. This, in turn, is a subtle hint at a high salary and a serious position.

How to write achievements on a resume

Now let's figure it out How indicate your successes. I recommend following three rules.

1. Specifics

Personal achievements in the resume need to be formulated specifically - increased by 17%, accelerated by 6 seconds, trained 3 managers, wrote 74 articles, passed 4 audits, drew 23 advertising poster etc.

What to write about yourself in your resume: examples of personal qualities

It doesn’t matter what units you measure, as long as your result is expressed in numbers.

If the result is difficult to measure, write without numbers and try to describe the essence.

2. Linking achievements to the place of work

Usually the employer is interested in the last 2-3 jobs, so it is better to describe your successes specifically for them. Each place has its own list of achieved goals.

3. Compliance with the desired position

Very often in consulting, I come across the fact that people indicate achievements that are not suitable for future work. Many people confuse the level of manager and subordinate. For example, they are looking for a job as a chief accountant, and successes are written at the level of a junior economist. Or a person wants to get a job as a programmer, but before that he worked in his own business and describes his achievements at the highest management level.

So, what achievements should you include on your resume? If you are looking for a management job, make sure that your level of success is at a management level. If you are looking for a job as a line specialist, meet this level.

It doesn't matter what you did before, what matters is what you want to become now. Make your resume for your future job, rather than describe what you have now.

Examples of achievements in a resume

I want you to see not just examples of achievements on your resume, but also standard errors, so I made a sign in the style of “right - wrong.”

Blurred	Strongly
Trained new sales employees (this phrase is not an achievement, but a responsibility)	Trained three new sales employees
Implemented a number of changes that simplified document flow (what changes? how did they simplify it?)	I simplified the document flow: each forwarding driver received a scanner to automatically record invoices in the system; together with the programmers, I came up with a system for automatically creating transport documents - now the logistician simply checks the box and everything is done by itself).
Built a department from scratch	Built a department from scratch (hired and trained 7 people, wrote down instructions and regulations, developed a system of motivation and salaries).

Think about how to describe your achievements in your resume in a way that makes sense; look for good wording. This determines whether they will invite you for an interview.

Here are a few more examples of successes and achievements from real resumes:

• Organized the transition from GAAP standards to IFRS standards.
• Organized the merger of two CASCO/OSAGO databases into one database of a single format.
• Made the transition from 1C 7.7. on 8.2.
• Successfully passed 4 tax audits.
• I discovered a direct loss from selling products at prices below cost.
• Licensed 18 fuel filling stations.
• Took first place in terms of clothing models produced and sold in a year.
• Increased the base of regular English-speaking clients by 70%.

If the details of your work are a trade secret

If you are prohibited from sharing details of your work, metrics and numbers, then stay on the edge of what is possible. Anyway, tell us about your achievements - a little vague, without names, but tell us.

Systematically and step-by-step about creating an effective resume

If you feel like there are no achievements

It seems to you. Everyone has success and to find it you just need to start looking for it. Perhaps you will not have super achievements and feats, but will end up with a modest list. Well, so what!? Everyone's success is different.

I want to make a reservation right away, there are a number of positions where achievements do not matter - cleaner, loader, handyman, cashier, fast food restaurant worker, driver, etc. If your job is listed as unskilled labor, do not write achievements. They will be superfluous there.

Also read

»How to write a resume correctly

»How to list key skills on a resume

»How to indicate weaknesses and shortcomings in a resume

Personal qualities in a resume with examples

Home / How to write a resume

7 “don’ts” for a resume

From year to year, in various employment publications, experts explain what and how to include in a resume. Today we will talk about what should not be in this document.

Practice shows that many applicants strive to distinguish themselves by using a non-standard approach to compiling a resume: either to say something about themselves that should make a lasting impression on the employer, or simply to tell everything, everything, everything about themselves. Meanwhile, most of these masterpieces only cause bewilderment or laughter. However, all this would be funny if it were not so serious. After all, sometimes because of one single insidious line, not a single employer invites a person for an interview.

So, what information should not be on your resume...

90-60-90, photo and other physical data

Describing your appearance in a resume is only relevant for models. When a person applies for a managerial position, height, weight and other specifications cause the employer quite natural amazement. Of course, there are vacancies that require certain standards. For example, they want to see salespeople in boutiques and youth clothing stores slim and no larger than size 46. Or, say, in stores for overweight people - vice versa. And, nevertheless, first of all, normal employers are interested in the experience, education and business skills of a candidate for a vacancy. And when an applicant for a manager position writes about himself that he is “tall, slender, with a pleasant appearance,” it looks strange.

Sports results

One applicant for a leadership position, 48 years old, invariably wrote on his resume: “I run a hundred meters in 14 seconds.” The man, according to his explanation, wanted to emphasize that he was young and vigorous in soul and body. But how did employers perceive this revelation?

What personal qualities should I include in my resume?

Definitely: no one was in a hurry to invite the candidate for an interview. And as soon as this line was removed from the resume, the applicant immediately began to receive very decent offers.

Also, you should not write about your sports categories received in early childhood, unless you are applying for vacancies in sports clubs and similar organizations.

Family status

In principle, there is nothing wrong with a candidate succinctly indicating “married” or “married” on his resume. But when people go into detail, it looks ambiguous. Why does an employer need to know what age and gender your children are when you first meet them? Or how many times have you been married? Of course, you may be asked about this at an interview, but this information is clearly superfluous in a resume. And most personnel officers who will read your message will decide that for you family life priority over career achievements. And this, you see, is not in your favor. The fact that you are an exemplary family man is certainly good. But when you yourself focus on this, you raise doubts among personnel officers.

Personal qualities

One candidate greatly amused the personnel community from the forum on our website. He said the following about himself: “I take an active life position, but I don’t have bad habits (playing cards, drinking wine, smoking, being attracted to many women).

High efficiency. Scrupulous, attentive, inquisitive, sociable. Seriousness and accuracy characteristic mature age. I visit the pool." If the candidate’s task is to make the employer laugh, then he did it. But he’s unlikely to receive an invitation to an interview.

Moreover, you don’t have to write about personal qualities at all. After all, no one will say about himself that he is inattentive, unnecessary and careless. So personal characteristics are nothing more than general words that do not provide the employer with any relevant information. Instead, focus on your responsibilities and accomplishments at work.

Achievements

Take this resume line seriously. The listed achievements should be closely related to the field of activity in which you are going to get a job. Therefore, “1st category in rugby” for a sales manager or “winner of a woodcarving competition” for an accountant are completely unnecessary information that will cast doubt on the adequacy of the candidate. If nothing valuable comes to mind, it’s better to exclude the “Achievements” section altogether.

Hobby

If the hobby is related to professional activity, then it is not forbidden to mention it in your resume. But most often, your hobbies are a purely personal matter, and there is no need to introduce them to a potential employer.

There have even been cases when a candidate was denied a job solely because of his hobby. One manager was looking for a chief accountant. After a series of interviews, he was left with two candidates, and he found it difficult to make a final choice. But then I noticed that one of the applicants indicated extreme sports as a hobby on her resume. And the employer gave preference to another candidate, not an extreme one, because he considered that a love of risk does not adorn the chief accountant.

Dreams and plans

It’s better not to write about your dreams of becoming a director or simply unleashing your personal creative potential in your resume. To talk about career aspirations, you need to be absolutely sure that the company welcomes it. And in any case, it is better to leave this topic until the interview. After all, a resume is designed to show what kind of specialist you are at the moment, whether you have sufficient experience to fill a vacant position. And further growth, you see, is a matter of the future.

As for creativity and self-realization, the employer is also not very interested in them, especially with preliminary acquaintance. Moreover, applicants often invent such phrases that after reading them, the personnel officer no longer wants to get to know the candidate better. It’s better not to write anything at all than, for example, this: “I have a career dream: to find not only a job that provides a livelihood, but also the joy associated with it that brings a sense of peace.”

Elena Khudyakova
Work For You

Everyone wants to have an interesting job in a company that they have known and dreamed about for a long time. But before you become an employee of such a company, you have to write a resume. If the employer is interested in it, the candidate will be invited for an interview. At this stage, it is important not to relax, but to prepare.

Before the interview, you will have to go through a resume selection stage.

First, review the possible interview questions and think about your answers. One of the most popular is a description of strengths and weaknesses. Often at this stage many candidates are eliminated. Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to it.

Rules for conducting self-analysis

Introspection – The best way independently determine your positive and negative qualities. Set aside 1-2 hours for reflection. You need to be in complete silence and a calm atmosphere at this time. It is important that the person is not distracted by anything. Write down all the qualities on a sheet of paper - the most effective solution. The following rules must be followed:

1. The list of pros and cons needs to be updated every 2-3 months.
2. You need to be as sincere as possible.
3. All your thoughts and ideas on this matter must be written down.
4. It is important to keep your records in one place. This could be a diary, notebook, or electronic document.
5. This simple method will help determine the effectiveness of working on the negatives. It will provide a powerful incentive for self-development.

Employers often ask you to name three negative qualities. But it’s better to think about 7 strengths and 7 weaknesses to avoid an incident.

It is not always important to answer correctly. It is better to tell the truth than to voice banal, memorized and alien phrases. After all, they may not correspond to the applicant’s lifestyle and temperament. You should always remain yourself and not imitate ideals. After all, if a candidate lies, then in the process of work all his disadvantages will very quickly appear. And no one is safe from dismissal.

There are situations when it is better to change jobs. Having correctly identified your strengths and weaknesses, you can think about which position is more suitable for a person. After all, there are people who are interested not only in salary levels, but also in the opportunity to maximize their full potential.

Assessment of deficiencies

Admitting your weaknesses is not an easy task. Everyone has disadvantages that I don’t want to talk about at all. But you need to be able to filter information and know what can really be mentioned at the interview and what can be left out.

You need to evaluate what can be said about shortcomings, and what is better to remain silent about

Many people are surprised that you can indicate in your resume excess weight as a weakness. But for some professions this is a really important factor. It determines endurance, the ability to work for a long time and continuously, and to move quickly. Recruiters immediately write about this in the job description in order to weed out unsuitable candidates.

List of deficiencies that can be reported:

• excessive self-criticism;
• perfectionism or excellent student syndrome;
• excessive emotionality;
• excessive straightforwardness;
• reliability;
• desire to please everyone;
• learning disabilities;
• poor understanding of technological innovations;
• absence vocational education, experience in the desired field, etc.

An excellent solution is to indicate weaknesses that do not affect the efficiency and quality of work. You can mention the disadvantages that are not significant for the position. It is important not to get carried away so as not to question your professional suitability. You need to be as sincere and honest as possible. And it is also important to emphasize your strengths, which cover your shortcomings.

The second piece of advice is to note the weaknesses that were changed. When hiring, this will demonstrate that the candidate is ready to develop and become better. Time management skills can be reported. Especially if a person gets a leadership position or one that involves multitasking. It is important to describe in detail how a person came to be able to manage time wisely. The main thing is to speak briefly.

The third way is to present your shortcomings in a favorable light. The main idea is to make them attractive to the employer and show that they do not interfere with work. It is useful for an analyst to go into too much detail, for a TOP manager - to work for results and do everything only at the highest level.

It happens that a candidate is not suitable for a position due to the lack of the most important quality. For organizers, these are problems with punctuality, for account managers - with speech, for managers - fear of public speaking. But there is no need to be afraid of this. It’s better to just look for another job where the lack of such skills or qualities will not be critical.

Assessment of positive qualities

Communication skills as a quality are necessary when working in a team

More often than not, it is the question about strengths that puts a candidate in an awkward position. He is afraid of overdoing it and overpraising himself. Therefore, really assess your capabilities, analyze your personal qualities and highlight only the positive ones. Experts advise dividing skills into 3 groups:

1. Knowledge based skills. They are obtained through experience and training. These are computer skills, fluency in a foreign language, the ability to work with the necessary programs, etc.
2. Mobile skills. They carry over from one job to another. This is the ability to establish contact with any person, planning and analysis skills, the ability to quickly solve problems, and the ability to work efficiently in stressful situations.
3. Personal qualities. This unique properties each person.

There is a secret trick - first talk about the positive qualities that are directly related to the desired vacancy.

Examples of strengths that can be mentioned:

• communicable;
• purposeful;
• easily trained;
• reliable;
• creative;
• disciplined;
• decisive;
• multifaceted, etc.

Employers value the ability to tell the truth. And this applies not only to answers during an interview. Everyone needs an employee for whom lying is taboo. Therefore, if such a trait exists, it is worth mentioning.

The main rule is to choose 3–5 qualities, no more. It is important that they meet the requirements specified in the job description. It is worth preparing counterarguments confirming the presence of the listed strengths.

It must be remembered that the applicant’s answers during the interview are a reflection of his professionalism. The recruiter is looking for the one who best suits his requirements. It is important for him to see that despite some shortcomings, the person is ready to work to eliminate them.

Linking weaknesses and strengths to the characteristics of professions

Find out what qualities are required for the position

Before making a personal list of positive and negative qualities, you need to carefully read the resume. It indicates what an ideal company employee should be like. Some recruiters even describe this in detail. From this it is worth highlighting the pros and cons for yourself.

Initially, you need to decide on the type of profession. There are 5 of them. They are associated with:

• technology;
• nature;
• other people;
• sign system;
• in an artistic way.

What is suitable for type 1 will absolutely not satisfy the requirements of another category. The rule works here - the weaknesses of one profession can become an advantage for the second.

If the work involves communication, then stress resistance is important. It is necessary for the employee to be able to control his emotions and remain calm in any situation.

When talking about the positive aspects, you need to mention those that will create competitive advantage before other applicants. When applying for a job as an accountant or salesperson in small company, the employer is unlikely to pay attention to leadership skills candidate. But in a company that is just entering the market and plans to actively develop, such an applicant will be very interesting.

Qualities that shouldn't be mentioned

There are things it's better not to talk about. If a potential employee reports that he is lazy, he is unlikely to be hired. When the position is high, a bad decision would be to talk about the fear of taking responsibility. Such a person blames others for all failures. You can’t rely on him or trust him with anything.

Other things best left unsaid:

• commercialism and thoughts only about money, salary and promotion;
• lack of punctuality;
• addiction to romance novels, gossip, intrigue, etc.

But people who are really serious about finding a job definitely won’t mention this. After all, their goal is to find a decent position with a good salary in a prestigious company.

Often applicants do not talk about bad habits which they cannot refuse. Subsequently, such employees take frequent smoking breaks. On holidays they can drink in work time and encourage colleagues to do the same. They are often distracted by phone calls and spread gossip. Some are initiators of conflicts.

Conclusion

An interview is not so scary if you prepare well for it. Important point– create a list of strengths and weaknesses. This will help avoid prolonged silence on the relevant question.

The main rule is to be honest and sincere. We must remember that everything secret becomes clear. When talking about positive qualities, you should not overpraise yourself. When mentioned weaknesses, it is important not to make too bad an impression. All your shortcomings need to be reformulated into strengths. And then the likelihood of passing an interview will increase several times.

In the process of writing a resume, many applicants stop at the “personal qualities” item. It is difficult for them to understand what exactly the employer would like to see in this column. When choosing an example of personal qualities for your resume, remember that they may differ for different vacancies. For example, the ability to manage people for a secretary will rather be a disadvantage.

Most common descriptions

To write a list of your strengths yourself, you need to be prepared to speak well about yourself. Many find it difficult to do this, so they try to find ready-made example personal qualities for a resume. But even in this case, you need to take the process seriously and select from the list only those characteristics that you meet.

Among the advantages can be named the following: honesty, ability to persuade, hard work, dedication, activity, friendliness, flexibility, sociability, resourcefulness, discipline, initiative, attentiveness, politeness, reliability, ability to work in a team, non-conflict, result orientation, punctuality, creativity , independence, self-criticism, desire for self-improvement, ability to adapt, enterprise, responsibility, creativity, efficiency, accuracy, developed analytical skills, knowledge of work algorithms, fairness, patience, integrity, decency, cheerfulness, determination, organizational skills, self-control, tactfulness and others.

Personnel officers advise entering no more than 5 qualities. It is important to select those that are most suitable for the chosen position.

Having decided which personal qualities to include in your resume, be prepared for the recruiter’s offer to talk about them in more detail and provide specific examples.

Examples of benefits for jobs that involve working with people

If you are looking for a position as a sales manager, teacher or PR specialist, then it is better to include the following in your advantages: personal qualities: Communication skills, communication skills, oratory skills, persuasive skills, self-confidence, presentable appearance, desire for self-improvement, stress tolerance, ability to seek compromises and make decisions in non-standard situations, energy, sense of humor, punctuality, result orientation, resourcefulness, conscientiousness, responsibility , grammatically correct speech.

But you don’t need to list this entire list; choose the 5 that are most suitable for you. Such a characteristic will be able to show you with the best side. But keep in mind that if you have problems forming sentences or start to stutter when you are nervous, then specified item“oratory” will look like an ordinary lie.

Arriving on time for the interview will prove your punctuality, where you can demonstrate your sense of humor, if, of course, it is appropriate.

Typical characteristics of office workers

Let us consider several standard options for a number of positions, which play an important role specifically for the respective professions.

Accountant

When applying for the position of economist or accountant, you can indicate the following advantages: perseverance, accuracy, attentiveness, learning ability, diligence, ability to adapt, responsibility, high performance, analytical skills, perseverance, discipline, non-conflict, decency, honesty, independence, scrupulousness, desire for professional growth.

Choose what suits you best. For example, the “personal qualities” column of an accountant for a resume might look like this:

• attentiveness;
• honesty;
• accuracy;
• independence;
• perseverance.

This position does not require good diction or fairness. In most cases, being able to do your job well is enough.

Supervisor

Potential managers will benefit from a slightly different list of personal advantages: energy, contact, ability to work in a team, composure, ability to persuade, ability to manage people, fairness, stress resistance, desire for growth and development, self-confidence, decency, self-criticism, optimism, focus on result, increased performance, attentiveness, ability to see details, perseverance, positivity, loyalty, correctness, charisma.

More stringent demands are placed on managers. They may be checked more thoroughly than ordinary employees. Therefore, when choosing an example of personal qualities in a manager’s resume, you need to focus only on your abilities. Having written that you are: energetic, charismatic, purposeful, stress-resistant and decent, be prepared to confirm this at the first interview.

Secretary

For a secretary, you can choose the following characteristics: contact, punctuality, ability to complete assigned tasks, non-conflict, good diction, promptness, accuracy, desire for self-development, creativity, flexibility of thinking, learning ability, presentable appearance, hard work, conscientiousness, honesty, organization, ability to conduct dialogue , self-control, creativity, ability to work in a team, patience, attention to nuances, stable psychological state, organizational skills, competent speech.

If you want to get such a position, remember that the secretary is the representative of the manager. He must not only make coffee, but also organize the entire work process, monitor the schedule, plan meetings, and negotiate.

Lawyer

If you are applying for a vacant position in the legal department, then you need to know what personality traits can be written for a lawyer. For this specialist, the following are important: literacy, ability to work with documents, stress resistance, punctuality, determination, activity, increased performance, easy learning, ability to quickly find and remember information, creative approach to work, reliability, ability to work in a team, energy, positivity, skill look for a way out of dead-end situations, attention to detail, hard work, interest in learning and professional self-improvement.

If you want to pay attention not only to your personal qualities, but also to your achievements, then it is better to indicate them separately. This can be done in the section where you described your previous jobs or in your cover letter.

Welcome to the pages of the blog site. Writing a resume, especially if this process is being carried out for the first time, raises a lot of questions and confuses many people. What to write in personal qualities in a resume? What skills, knowledge and abilities should you indicate? Is it possible to hide your shortcomings from a potential employer?

This is only a small part of the questions that a person tries to solve when drawing up his first resume. And not in vain, since this is, in fact, a very responsible task. It has its own principles, features, rules that you need to know about. A person who wants to get a job Good work, you should first gain theoretical knowledge on how to describe yourself in a resume. We will dwell on this in more detail.

Important aspects in writing a resume

Before considering an example of what qualities to include in a resume, let’s consider the basic rules for creating and filling out this document. Here are the main requirements:

1. All information written on your resume must be true. Remember that if you get a position through deception, sooner or later it will be revealed. Also keep in mind that the qualities that you consider to be a disadvantage are not always what they are. What is not suitable for an employee in one field will be excellent in another.
2. Personal characteristics for a resume must be stated concisely. Don’t describe yourself as “all in all colors” - you will always have time to do this at the interview.
3. Avoid any errors - grammatical, spelling, syntax and punctuation. This section of your resume, like all others, should be written as perfectly as possible.
4. Analyze everything you write. Before you start compiling your " business card", determine exactly which personal qualities are important to indicate in your resume, and which ones you can keep silent about. Be sure to consider what is expected of you in a particular position. Those qualities that will be great for an accountant will not be important at all for a manager or computer scientist.

And a few more nuances. The list of personal qualities for a resume should not contain more than 5-6 points. Choose only the most important for your profession, do not copy everything from templates that can be found on the Internet. Keep in mind that you still won’t be able to deceive an experienced HR employee, but you may well be able to spoil the first impression of yourself – which, by the way, is very important.

List of personal qualities that can be included in a resume

Personal characteristics for a resume can be divided into several groups. Each of them has its own characteristics, but from all these subsections you should choose the most basic points. So, let's look at them separately.

Working moments

You can briefly outline the employee's job qualifications for a resume from the list below. It can include:

• hard work;
• high ability to work;
• focus and dedication;
• ability to think analytically;
• sense of responsibility.

Here you can also add such qualities as discipline and the ability to solve complex work problems.

Relationships with colleagues

The list of qualities for a resume must contain information about how well you know how to get along with people. In this case, employers pay attention to:

• communication skills;
• friendliness;
• psycho-emotional balance;
• ability to show politeness.

You must indicate how well you know how to convince people, as well as demonstrate literacy in communicating with other people.

Intellectual development, creativity

The creative and intellectual qualities of an employee are of great importance for a resume. They appear as:

• easy learning abilities;
• desire to learn new things;
• desire to grow above yourself and improve your skills;
• creativity;
• resourcefulness.

Note. Be creative in your work, but only where it's needed. For example, an excessive sense of humor will be inappropriate if you are going to get a job in an accounting office. But this character trait is perfect for a host or screenwriter of entertainment events.

Other character traits

An example of your advantages in a resume in terms of your personal, non-professional qualities, you can indicate with the words:

• active;
• punctual;
• attentive;
• careful;
• scrupulous;
• cheerful, etc.

You should present these characteristics briefly. Still, the employer will be more interested in your professional merits.

So, we examined in detail the question of what can be written in the column with the advantages of your candidacy for the position that you want to occupy. Now let's take a closer look at specific examples, which will help you write your resume correctly.

Examples by profession

Examples of personal and business qualities in a resume are given below. But be careful: this is information for reference only, no need to rewrite everything. HR specialists very quickly figure out such “tricks”, and this often becomes the reason for guaranteed refusal.

Example #1: manager

Personal and professional qualities for a sales manager's resume should be closely interrelated. This is a person on whose shoulders serious responsibilities are entrusted, because it is on him that how the company will develop in the future depends.

So, personal qualities in a resume: an example for a male manager:

• sociability (communication skills);
• ability to persuade;
• persistence;
• ability to decide conflict situations;
• initiative.

Of course, women can also work in management. And in this case, it is important to indicate how emotionally resistant they are to stressful situations. But it is important to know how to write “stress-resistant” on a resume, since this term is not always normally perceived by some company managers.

If you want to display your psycho-emotional stability, it is better to write “reliable”, “emotionally restrained”. It's more respectable and professional.

Example two: accountant

An accountant is a specialist on whom, without exaggeration, the fate of the entire company depends. Any inaccuracies or errors may result in serious financial losses companies.

Knowledge is important for an accountant's resume special programs. A candidate for this position must indicate each and every program with which he has worked.

As for strengths, it should be noted here: reliability, emotional balance, perseverance, good learning ability, responsibility. As for point 4, it should not be written “in plain text” in an official resume. A synonym for the term “learning ability” for a resume may sound like “susceptibility” (to new information).

Example #3: leadership position

It would seem that what is difficult about being a leader? There is perseverance, ambition and a “core of steel” in your character, which means everything will be easy and simple. Well, no! In fact, there are much more requirements, and even nitpicking, for such candidates than for ordinary employees.

So, are you wondering, “how can I present my strengths” to a potential manager’s resume? Here's a good example:

• loyalty;
• patience;
• the ability to be a leader;
• justice;
• hardness;
• determination;
• perseverance;
• analytical thinking.

Many companies work with foreign partners, so if you, as a potential head of one of the departments, indicate ownership foreign languages on your resume, this will be a huge plus for you.

Example four: secretary

When hearing the word “secretary”, many immediately have an image of a young, pretty girl in a strict but attractive business suit. This is already a stereotype, which, moreover, has nothing to do with the profession. In fact, the secretary is the responsible person, so the resume in this case should be drawn up with no less scrupulousness than that of the head of a certain department.

As an example, the secretary should indicate computer knowledge in the resume. No, he is not required to write system codes or entire programs - there are IT specialists for this. However, the secretary will have to work with many programs for maintaining records.

The personal qualities of a secretary in a resume can be indicated as follows: responsibility, perseverance, attractive appearance, literacy, politeness, sociability.

Note. Let's make a small amendment: many employers do not perceive such a word as “communication skills”. Synonyms for the term communication skills for a resume may sound like sincerity, friendliness, responsiveness, etc.

Example No. 5: IT specialist

Examples of PC proficiency in a resume - this is what is expected from IT specialists potential employers. With one phrase, “I know the computer well, I can do wonders with it,” you can greatly spoil your reputation, which, moreover, you have not even managed to earn yet. So, how to present yourself from the most advantageous side?

Give an example of what programs you are proficient in that can be included on your resume. But don’t write everything in a row - choose only those that are really important for a worker in your profession. It is clear that even an ordinary worker can use the Word program, so it is better not to include it here.

As for personal qualities, it is important for an IT specialist:

• analytical thinking;
• determination;
• a penchant for teamwork;
• ability to handle large amounts of information

An IT specialist must be able to easily resolve conflict situations, especially if he is going to get a job in a company with a serious client base. In this case, how do you write “non-conflict” on a resume? It is recommended to replace this word with the understandable term “accommodating”, “compliant”, “pliable”.

But these are not all the qualities of IT workers that potential employers want to see. In addition to indicating the level of PC use, the following qualities are important for the resume of such an employee:

• independence;
• feelings of responsibility;
• energy;
• curiosity;
• creativity.

This list can be continued indefinitely, but the main thing you must remember is: enter only those items that will be in demand within the company where you are going to work.

What else do you need to know?

Today, almost all areas of business require employees with knowledge of computer technology. Even if not thoroughly (if this is not a programmer), then at least basicly.

So how do you describe computer proficiency? Let's give a small example. There are 3 conventional levels of PC proficiency:

• confident user;
• average skill level;
• First level.

But describe in detail knowledge in the field of computer science, or provide a whole list of the most complex programs, not worth it. It is unlikely that HR employees will re-read them or give you a test if we are not talking about the work of a programmer.

You can simply include a short example in your resume that will highlight your computer experience. So, note that you know (for example) the basics of operating the Word Excel system if you are an economist, 1C if you are an accountant, etc. This will be enough for the potential boss to understand whether you are suitable for him.

What should you not write?

Lesson in free time– this is something that should not be included on your resume. Of course, if the management itself did not show interest in this. Perhaps you will be asked about this during the interview, then you will be able to briefly and concisely describe your hobbies and interests.

An employer cares about both the personal and business qualities of an employee. Which abilities are more important? How to treat negative traits? Each profession has its own characteristics. About how to do right choice and how to evaluate a future employee, we will tell you in our article.

Business and personal qualities

An employee’s business qualities are his ability to perform certain job responsibilities. The most important of them are the level of education and work experience. When choosing an employee, focus on the benefits he can bring to your company.

Personal qualities characterize an employee as a person. They become important when applicants for one position have the same level of business qualities. Personal qualities characterize an employee’s attitude towards work. Focus on independence: he should not do your work, but 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	Non-conflict
Analytic skills	Fast reaction
Quick adaptation to new information systems	Politeness
Fast learner	Attentiveness
Attention to detail	Discipline
Flexibility of thinking	Initiative
Willingness to work overtime	Performance
Literacy	Communication skills
Mathematical thinking	Maximalism
Customer interaction skills	Perseverance
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 simultaneously	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 resistance
Negotiation skills/ business correspondence	Tact
Ability to negotiate	Patience
Ability to express thoughts	Demandingness
Ability to find a common language	Hard work
Ability to teach	Self confidence
Skill to work in team	Equilibrium
Ability to put people at ease	Determination
Ability to persuade	Honesty
Good appearance	Energy
Good diction	Enthusiasm
Good physical form	Ethical

Choice of qualities

If more than 5 characteristics are included in the resume, this is a signal that the applicant is not able to make an intelligent choice. Moreover, the standard “responsibility” and “punctuality” have become banal, so if possible, ask what these mean general concepts. A striking example: the phrase “high performance” could mean “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” can be explained by the applicant in other expressions, more specifically and meaningfully. Pay attention to incompatible qualities. To make sure that the applicant is honest, you can ask him to illustrate the characteristics he specified with examples.

Negative qualities of an employee

Sometimes job applicants also include them in their resume. In particular such as:

• Hyperactivity.
• Excessive emotionality.
• Greed.
• Vengefulness.
• Impudence.
• Inability to lie.
• Inability to work in a team.
• Restlessness.
• Touchiness.
• Lack of work experience/education.
• Lack of a sense of humor.
• Bad habits.
• Addiction to gossip.
• Straightforwardness.
• Self-confidence.
• Modesty.
• Poor communication skills.
• The desire to create conflict.

An applicant who includes negative qualities in his resume may be honest, or he may be 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 prepared to give the person the opportunity to rehabilitate himself and present negative qualities in a favorable light. For example, restlessness indicates easy adaptation and quickly switching from one task to another, and straightforwardness is about the benefits it can bring when concluding a deal.

Be prepared to give the person the opportunity to rehabilitate himself and present negative qualities in a favorable light.

Qualities for different professions

Certain professional qualities are needed in almost all types of activities. You can make it easier for applicants and at the same time narrow their circle by including information about the required 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 to win people over. The list of winning qualities will also include: charm, self-confidence, energy. In the field of trade list best qualities will look like this: flexibility of thinking, skills of interaction with clients, ability to negotiate, work in a team, as well as quick response, politeness, perseverance, activity.

A leader in any field must have such professional qualities as organizational skills, the ability to find a common language and work in a team, resourcefulness, lack of conflict, 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 traits: skills of interaction with clients, business communication, literacy, ability to negotiate and business correspondence, ability to deal with several things at the same time. Also pay attention to good external characteristics, attentiveness, tact and balance, and diligence. Responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful in any profession. But the applicant, adding such qualities to his resume, does not always take them seriously.

Responsibility, attentiveness and stress resistance are useful in any profession. But the applicant, adding such qualities to his resume, does not always take them seriously.

Assessment of employee professional qualities

To avoid wasting time and money testing new employees, companies sometimes evaluate them before hiring. There are even special personnel assessment centers created for this purpose. A list of assessment methods for those who prefer to do it themselves:

• Letters of recommendation.
• Tests. These include routine aptitude and aptitude tests, as well as personality and biographical tests.
• An exam on the knowledge and skills of an employee.
• Role play or cases.

Role-playing will help you find out in practice whether the applicant is suitable for you. Simulate an everyday 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 his working style. This method will tell you much more about the applicant than the “Personal Qualities” column on a resume.

When deciding on evaluation criteria, you can base your assessment on business qualities: punctuality, potential quantity and quality of work performed, experience and education, skills, etc. For greater efficiency, focus on the qualities required for the position for which the candidate being assessed is applying. To be confident in an employee, consider his personal qualities. You can conduct an assessment yourself in the form of a ranking of candidates, placing + and – according to certain criteria, distributing them by level or awarding points. Avoid assessment pitfalls such as bias or stereotyping, or placing too much weight on one criterion.