Irina Davydova

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How to please the future boss if his profile contains an insidious item - weaknesses of character? In a resume, unlike a normal conversation, every word has weight, so it's better to prepare in advance for uncomfortable questions, and weak qualities in you must be presented as very useful for business.

1. You can simply not indicate your weak professional qualities in your resume. Concentrate on your skills, experience, education, and you can talk about personal qualities at the interview. However, it is impossible to refuse that item if you fill out a resume in in electronic format. Read also:
2. A dash instead of information is another mistake of future employees. If the boss decided to leave this column, it means that he is really interested in this information. And the point is not even in it, but in checking an adequate perception of oneself, the ability to learn and understand the leader. Emptiness can speak of excessively high self-esteem or, on the contrary, self-doubt. Read also:
3. Of course, you should not list all the shortcomings in too much detail or engage in self-flagellation. It is enough to remember that any weaknesses in the resume have reverse side for the employer. And what may be a problem for one may be an advantage for another. For example, if you are an accountant, your lack of communication will be useful in your work. And if you are a manager, then this is a serious omission.
4. Filling in the summary of strengths and weaknesses, try to build on the position you want to occupy. For example, select deficiencies that are not related to your activity. Restlessness for a sales manager is the norm, but for an accountant it is a minus.
5. "Turn weaknesses into strengths" is the old approach. It works if you can think creatively. Otherwise, the efforts will be too primitive and they will figure you out. So the trick of "with a heightened sense of responsibility, workaholism and perfectionism" may not be successful.
6. Remember that some bosses do not look for faults in you at all. , but only evaluate the adequacy, truthfulness and self-criticism.
7. It is better to describe your weaknesses in a resume that can be improved. This should also be reported in the text of the questionnaire. There are some bosses who want to train employees for themselves. In this case, your frankness and willingness to work on yourself will be appreciated adequately.
8. Specify not only individual characteristics, but also your properties in teamwork .
9. Do not use flowery phrases like "my flaws are extensions of my virtues." This will not surprise, but only show the unwillingness to conduct a dialogue with the employer.
10. The optimal number of flaws is 2 or 3 . Don't get carried away!

Weaknesses in the resume - examples:

• Selfishness, pride, scrupulousness, inflexibility in labor matters, the habit of telling the truth directly, inability to establish contact with strangers, increased demands.
• Propensity for formalism, overweight, lack of punctuality, slowness, restlessness, fear of airplanes, impulsiveness.
• Reliability, high anxiety, hyperactivity, incredulity, straightforwardness, need for external motivation.
• Hot temper, isolation, self-confidence, stubbornness.
• Among the weaknesses, you can indicate in your resume that you do not always express your thoughts perfectly or tend to reflect . And if you are asked why this interferes, answer that you would like to spend less time analyzing the problem.

"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 have already decided 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”)
• Not 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.

Do you find it difficult to describe your strengths and weaknesses?

Our experts will explain how to place accents so that the employer pays attention to your merits!

We offer a professional job that will get you more interviews and increase your chances of getting your dream job.

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 your experience, education, knowledge, skills and your personal qualities, you are a suitable candidate for the vacancy.

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 simple phrases. For example, "I can easily find mutual language with strangers”, “I responsibly approach the solution of the tasks assigned to me”, “I always do the work with high quality and on time”.

Be prepared to tell at the interview how your strengths of character helped you solve a job problem.

Hello again, dear friend!

In the previous article, we discussed how to present yours. Today it's time for the downsides. How to voice your weaknesses in an interview?

1. They are important to the employer

The employer sleeps and sees how you can be managed. To do this, you need to know your shortcomings, weaknesses.

In addition, weaknesses can be pointed out at an opportunity. Well, so that the employee does not “soar” inadvertently.)

You don't have to strive for perfection. Nobody expects the perfect candidate.

Gone are the days when with an open mouth listened to the pathos of supermen in shiny impenetrable armor. Today it will cause rather an ironic smile. “Another nightingale, yup…”

The interlocutor would like to assess your maturity, the adequacy of self-esteem. Understanding your weaknesses and willingness to work with them.

However, the confession of an inveterate loafer is also not an option.

2. Weaknesses matter to you

Weaknesses are as much an integral part of personality as strengths and any others. They are as unique as your personality.

It is clear that we are not ready to discuss some of our personality under any circumstances. But some parties, even if we consider them weak, may well inspire even confidence. It is important to present them correctly.

You should not start a conversation about weaknesses yourself. m. It is possible that you will not be asked about this. And yet, the question of weaknesses is related to and meets with enviable regularity.

Hence the conclusion: you should prepare an answer to it in advance so as not to roll your eyes at the ceiling when asked.

Your obedient servant heard from the candidates a variety of versions of answers, not one dozen, but maybe hundreds. Therefore, I decided to classify the answers into three groups. Just like in the article.

1. Variants of “unimportant” answers

What not to say:

1. About those weaknesses that will affect the work not in the best way.
2. Qualities that do not meet the expectations for a specific position. An accountant's statement, for example, "I am very ambitious," can be taken without any enthusiasm.
3. It is unlikely that anyone expects you to confess about your addiction to computer games and the like. Too personal information is also not needed.
4. A response like “Weaknesses? I don’t even know, it’s like there aren’t any ... ”and it looks stupid at all. Or are you hiding something.

“They say that I am overly scrupulous, I check every little thing.” - candidate for the position of auditor.

“They say I'm very sociable, too.” - PR manager

A clumsy attempt to present pseudo-cons as pluses - looks very clumsy and obviously prepared in advance.

2. Acceptable responses.

"Until I've mastered it..."

As one of the options - to say that in some secondary functions you still do not have enough experience or knowledge.

“I understand that outsourcing providers can be involved in warehouse work. But so far it has not been possible to work out this method of organizing work in practice. I was not satisfied with the providers' offers."

You are honest and ready for change.

"I know my weak side and I'm working on it..."

“Sometimes I am late. Bad habit. For some time now, I come to the office 10-15 minutes before work. Also with meetings. If it is scheduled at 15.00, then for me it is 14.50. So I write it down on my calendar.”

Or: “Unfortunately, there are blots in the reports. I try to scrupulously check all the details.

You recognize the problem and work on it.

3. Adequate answers

Weaknesses are normal. Another way to work with them is compensation.

As you know, action breeds reaction. You can deal with your weaknesses. Let's just remember: "Such a struggle for peace began that there was no stone left unturned" :)

Your struggle with yourself will not always succeed. Meanwhile, you continue to create problems for others and colleagues at work.

Why not do this: just compensate for your weaknesses, so as not to fall victim in a bloody battle with them.

I tried to somehow deal with it. But alas...

Then I decided: on the side of the fight, I'll just write it down. Recordings make up for my forgetfulness . It turned out that there is a benefit in this that I had not seen before. When you write down, the head is freed from keeping any secondary information in it all the time.

2. Recall the example with the report, which was discussed a little higher . "I often make mistakes in my reports."

You can do it differently:

“I instruct my employee or colleague to look with an open mind and he easily finds flaws that I did not see.”

Sometimes weaknesses can be played with humor. With the same memory for example:

"I forget the information received in a conversation with a person. However, this means that I will not be able to "merge" it to anyone :)

Another example:

One of my colleagues is a person who can be well motivated only by the “ass” where he is stuck. The most powerful motivator is fear. Fear of getting stuck up to your ears and irrevocably.

He understands this peculiarity of his and does not hide it.

Something else is important: At this moment, he is able to generate incredibly powerful energy. Energy mixed with fear pulls him out of the quagmire . I even gave him a nickname: Baron Munchausen. If you remember, the baron pulled himself out of the swamp by his hair.)

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Interview question: What are your weaknesses? Questions about the candidate's shortcomings

We decided to prepare our own version of the analysis of the question for an interview in the general piggy bank, perhaps some of our fellow recruiters will come in handy not only as an example of how to arrange a job for, but also in work. And the topic - one of our favorites - is the question about the weaknesses of the candidates.

Applicants often consider this question about shortcomings to be provocative or tricky, they suspect the employer of wanting to find grounds for refusal, to take him at his word and other sins. Is it really? Let's try to figure it out.

Target

There are no ideal employees, there are those whose “features” the company can or cannot tolerate.

Asking in an interview the question: “What are your weaknesses?” or "What are your main weaknesses?", we want to evaluate:

1. openness,
2. the adequacy of self-esteem,
3. self-confidence,
4. ability to introspection and development,
5. the ability to talk about uncomfortable topics,
6. flexibility and ingenuity,
7. presence of critical deficiencies.

Restrictions

From the side of the candidate

Workout. Candidates are now preparing for interviews like they are for exams. Thematic sites and forums, career consultants and coaches do everything so that the applicant appears before the employer fully armed. Answers to standard questions are memorized to the point of bouncing off the teeth.

On the one hand, this is bad, because it is becoming more and more difficult to get something even remotely resembling sincerity from a candidate. But on the other hand, the main part of the “assistants” listed above strongly recommends not to lie at the interview, which is good. In addition, if the candidate has given himself the trouble to prepare for the conversation, it means that he is serious about his career, does not like to let everything take its course, and the vacancy is important to him. And this is a "plus" in his piggy bank.

From the side of the recruiter

The temptation to play detective. In pursuit of the weaknesses and shortcomings of our future employee, it is easy to go too far. You should not make sure that the interview focuses on this aspect. The candidate may have unpleasant feeling, which may affect his perception of the company as a whole and scare him away from further cooperation.

In the issue of weaknesses, it is important for us not only WHAT the candidate says, but also HOW he presents information. This is precisely what gives us the opportunity to deal with learned and unnatural answers. Behavioral reactions, calm or nervousness, length or monosyllabicity of phrases, the ability to give examples will say much more than the content of the answer.

To whom, when and how do we ask a question?

It is most logical to ask this question after the candidate has told about himself, his experience and achievements. It can be addressed to candidates for any vacancies. The ability to soberly evaluate yourself is important in every business. Ranking should rather be expected from the answers. Managerial positions require a much higher capacity for reflection than executive ones. Potential managers can be asked to give examples of professional failures, to describe lessons learned and steps taken to remedy the situation.

Rules for evaluating the answers received to the question about the shortcomings of the candidate

Let's make a reservation right away that it is possible and necessary to evaluate the answer to the question about weaknesses at the interview in conjunction with what the candidate says throughout the interview.

		Comment
"I have no flaws"	Couldn't be worse	Almost a clinical case. The candidate is not set up for dialogue, is closed, cannot evaluate himself, does not know his weaknesses or is not ready to discuss them, self-esteem is too high. He has no imagination and no sense of humor at all.
An attempt to reduce the question to a joke: “I have the right not to testify against myself” and similar ironic remarks	A bit better, but still bad	Irony and a sense of humor are very useful qualities. The candidate has them, we found out. Otherwise, it is also closed, as in the previous version. The seriousness of intentions regarding employment in the company raises doubts. We repeat the question and ask you to take the answer more seriously.
Formal blanks: "I'm a workaholic and a perfectionist" “I am so passionate about work that I forget about everything in the world” “I can’t rest, I’m always drawn to work” Qualities not related to work: "I eat a lot of sweets" "Can't Quit Smoking"		The candidate accepts the rules of the game and expresses his readiness to follow them formally. Perhaps this is the influence of the very “respondents and assistants” that we mentioned earlier. A person has read a lot of “smart” books and articles, and thinks that this is how it should be, that this is exactly what the recruiter is waiting for. We reveal the trick and give the opportunity to express their own thoughts in relation to the content of the vacancy.
Trying to get the recruiter to justify the question: “Let's discuss the criteria for weaknesses, in which normative documents companies they are listed, and how they are measured”	Bad, with rare exceptions	This answer is only good if you are talking to a future legal adviser or trial lawyer. Such a grip may indicate a professional instinct. In other cases, this is a block, a way to get around an unwanted question or an attempt to assert oneself at the expense of a recruiter. The last assumption makes you think about the personal qualities of the candidate. Do we need such a feisty teammate?
Disadvantages not directly related to job responsibilities: For an accountant or programmer: “It’s hard for me to speak in front of a lot of people. I'm lost" ForPR manager: "It's hard for me to work with large amounts of digital data" For operatorcall center: “I have problems with grammar, it’s difficult for me to answer questions in writing”	Acceptable but uncertain	The candidate is ready to talk about his shortcomings, but not in the context of the vacancy he is applying for. It remains to be directed in the right direction. We concretize the question, we ask you to concentrate on the position under discussion.
Partial lack of knowledge or experience as a point of growth. The strategy only works if the applicant is well informed about the goals and corporate culture of the company. “My experience is somewhat less than what is stated in the requirements. On a formal basis, this is a minus. But if you look at it, I have experience, but there is no fatigue from work, and there is also a fresh look, a desire to improve in this area. I know that you have a young team and you strive to keep up the pace of development. Our goals are the same. I have a high motivation, and I am ready to prove it to you every working day. Professional burnout I'm not in danger for a long time. And experience, like age, is something that will come with time.”		The candidate understands his weak side, speaks openly about it. He was clearly preparing for an interview. I studied the information about the company, analyzed it and came up with a way out of the situation. We check the sufficiency of knowledge with the help of a subject expert.
The shortcomings must be known in person. If they cannot be defeated, then they must be used or compensated. "I am an owl". My productivity in the morning is zero. That is why I chose your vacancy with a free schedule. I am much more productive at night than the average person during the day. There are no distractions, no unnecessary conversations and reasons to shirk.” “I think badly. This does not mean that I do not like numbers, it's just that the computer counts for me. I am well versed inExcel and learned how to work with large data sets, analyze them and display them in a user-friendly format. I, like no one else, know how hard it is to work with numbers, so I write the most detailed explanations. I encounter computational difficulties only during the calculation of change in the store. Although recently I have solved this problem - I pay with a plastic card.		The candidate is self-confident, knows everything about himself. He calmly talks about, at first glance, impartial things. And he does it not without pride. He was able not only to identify his "demons", he defeated them and forced them to work for himself. Constructive, knows how to turn shortcomings into strengths, and respects the interviewer because he gives a complete answer to the question posed.

Additional questions

People do not like to talk about their shortcomings with strangers. For this there are relatives, friends, acquaintances. Of strangers, such things are shared only with fellow travelers. Therefore, sometimes you have to help the applicant, guide him, rephrase questions.

1. What qualities can, in your opinion, interfere with the performance of job duties? How do you plan to deal with it? Such a formulation allows a person to lead to the strategy that we agreed to consider correct - to be aware of their shortcomings and find ways to compensate for them.
2. Give examples of situations when your personal and professional qualities prevented you from achieving the desired result? We check the accuracy of the information. If a person came up with “beautiful” flaws for himself, it will be difficult for him to quickly compose such examples. If the information is true, then the examples will appear without problems.
3. What do you think, if we were to ask your previous manager now, how would you describe your weaknesses? We give the candidate the opportunity to look at himself from the outside.
4. What professional and personal competencies do you plan to develop in the near future and why? In fact, this is the same question, only in a milder formulation. We get necessary information, as well as find out the candidate's expectations in terms of training and development.

Everyone has flaws. They are not only the reverse side of the advantages, but also the potential for development. And it is also a safety device that does not allow a person to get into a business that is not at all his. A standard question at any interview: “What are your weaknesses?” Can make the candidate himself think about how correctly he chose the area of ​​\u200b\u200bapplication of his strengths and protect him from the wrong career decision.

A properly and well-written resume is the main trump card in the hands of the applicant. Everyone knows what information and in what order should be indicated in a resume, what qualities and advantages should be highlighted, but sometimes employers require applicants to indicate their weaknesses in a resume, which often confuses them. But to ignore this requirement is stupid and unreasonable, because in this way you cannot get the position you like.

Indeed, it is much easier to list your strengths, but the most difficult thing is to write about your weaknesses. However, ideal people do not exist, so the employer will test you for honesty and the ability to adequately assess yourself.

It is impossible to unequivocally point to certain qualities, both weak and strong, it largely depends on the specifics of future work. So, for example, leadership will negatively affect teamwork, but for a management manager, the opposite is true.

An important rule when listing weaknesses in a resume is to indicate those that can be developed. In this way, you will honestly point out shortcomings and show the employer that you know how to work on yourself, develop willpower in yourself to change weaknesses into strengths.

Also, your weaknesses can be presented in a slightly different light, made of them. For example, you don’t know how to say “no”, in your personal life this is a big drawback that prevents you from doing what you want or vice versa. But in professional activities, this quality is more than ever useful, because a trouble-free and responsive employee is the dream of any manager.

Another way is to present your weaknesses as strengths. For example, workaholism, increased responsibility, perfectionism, excessive attention - these are all qualities that will contribute to good work and effective results, but you must approach this issue very carefully and indicate only those qualities that are available so that the employer does not suspect you of insincerity.

The main thing is to build on the position you are going to take, so it will be easier for you to point out your weaknesses and avoid failure in your resume. Analyze yourself, evaluate yourself as an employee, and then you can squeeze the maximum out of yourself.

Keep in mind that it is better to indicate two or three weaknesses, too much will not play into your hands, and by indicating a couple, you will show your self-criticism, thereby gaining the employer's trust.

What are the weaknesses that are most beneficial to indicate in a resume?

An example of weaknesses in a resume

1. incredulity - you are able to conclude important transactions only with the most reliable clients;
2. self-confidence - you can become an excellent leader who is able to lead people;
3. hyperactivity - you are able to complete tasks much faster than other employees in work that requires quick decision making;
4. slowness - you are able to work scrupulously, paying attention to important, imperceptible at first glance, details;
5. increased anxiety - you are able to responsibly approach the performance of your duties in order to avoid mistakes;
6. straightforwardness - you can negotiate effectively, confidently present your conditions and requirements;
7. exactingness - you are more responsible if it is demanding of yourself, and under your leadership, work is done more efficiently if you are demanding of your subordinates;
8. pedantry - you are able to bring your work to perfection by repeated checks for perfection;
9. restlessness - you easily adapt to changing external circumstances, you are always ready to take on new tasks;
10. modesty - you think over your words before speaking out, which helps you avoid conflict situations and misunderstandings.

Such a seemingly simple request can make many applicants pretty nervous. What exactly to tell? How much time to talk? What can and what cannot be said? What should be focused on? How not to seem too modest or immodest?

Telling about yourself is very important point self-presentation at the interview. It doesn't have to be a long story about your life or listing the highlights of your resume. The story about yourself is the first and probably best chance let the recruiter know that you should be hired for this position.

If you don't know where to start, use the simple and popular "present-past-future" formula. First, talk about who you are at the moment, what you do, what you can do. Then - talk about what led you to current position: a set of skills and experience. At the end, talk about your plans and prospects, paying special attention to the opportunities that open up for you along with this work. Also tell us about what you will do to develop the company in this position.

Remember that in the story you need to pay a lot of attention to the professional skills required for this position. You can say a few words about your hobbies and hobbies, but a few words are 1-2 minutes of your interview time, no more. As for the duration of the whole story about yourself, everything is very individual here, but try to keep within 7-8 minutes, after which invite the recruiter to ask their questions.

"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

When talking about your strengths, do not get carried away with general phrases like “I easily integrate into any team” or “I do not conflict.” List the specific character traits and skills that are needed specifically for this position: “I know how to manage people”, “I have experience in successfully organizing the work of ten people”, “I won first place in the regional marketing competition”, and so on.

When talking about your achievements, focus on how they affected the success of your organization. If you can brag about non-work related accomplishments—for example, community initiatives—try to link them to yours. labor activity. When listing your strengths, do not be too modest: if you do not tell the interviewer about your advantages, no one will do it for you at the interview. However, do not go to extremes: you should not arrange a half-hour presentation on the topic of your conceivable and unthinkable virtues. Instead, talk briefly about the main strengths and be ready to describe each in detail if asked.

With disadvantages, too, everything is not so difficult. Don't try to be perfect. Recruiters value sincerity and the ability to adequately assess themselves and their shortcomings in applicants. Do not try to embellish or hide your weaknesses: if you get this job, sooner or later everything secret will become clear.

However, there is a little trick. Speaking of any shortcoming, you can talk about how you successfully deal with it. For example, at school you had a fear of public speaking. Then it was a huge problem. You couldn't even calmly go out to answer the board. However, at the university, at seminars, you made presentations as often as possible, participated in amateur performances. The fear of speaking began to recede. Today, although you are experiencing great excitement, you are quite capable of speaking in front of an audience of one hundred people. In addition, you continue to work on yourself - attend trainings, read special literature. The main thing is for the employer to see: you not only recognize your own shortcoming, but also actively fight against it.

There are also weaknesses that will play into the hands. For example, in your last job, you were considered a meticulous bore with a lack of creative thinking, but in this job you will be valued for your attentiveness and responsibility, especially if other employees generate creativity.

Remember that the worst response to a question about weaknesses is a joking "I'm too perfect" or "I struggle unsuccessfully with my perfectionism." This will leave the recruiter with a rather negative impression of your self-esteem and sense of humor.

"Your biggest professional achievement"

The best argument in your favor in an interview is a list of impressive ones. The logic of the recruiter is simple: if the candidate has achieved a lot in the previous job, then you can expect accomplishments from him in the future. Therefore, before the interview, take a piece of paper and a pen and make a list of your brightest and most impressive victories on the work front. These can be examples of successfully implemented projects, increasing profits and reducing costs, or increasing sales. Try to rank the achievements according to their importance to the enterprise. The more important the victory was, the higher its rating. When you can isolate the most significant achievement, dwell on it in more detail. First, tell us why you chose it. Secondly, explain how your success has turned out for the enterprise and what it has given you personally. Thirdly, share how you managed to achieve success, what technologies and methods you used in your work.

Don't forget your colleagues. Tell us about who helped you achieve results, who was a partner, who inspired you to win. Tell us about the difficulties you encountered and how you overcame them.

Finally, be sure to link your past job to your desired future position. Share how the techniques you have used can help you achieve results in the present. The recruiter must understand that you are not going to stop there and intend to move on, bringing benefits to the enterprise where you will work.

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 put emphasis on your positive aspects as an individual and a specialist in the field.

But what shortcomings to indicate in the resume to become the first contender for the long-awaited position?

1. Firstly, as we have already said, so that the employer does not get the impression of you as a person with a painfully high self-esteem, in no case do we ignore the paragraph on shortcomings.
2. 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.
3. 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.. When working as a team leadership skills will only interfere with the team, and for the 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.

"AT 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.

Take highly paid position and along with it, the future boss needs:

• 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 - will be credited to the number of employees who weigh what is 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

Every person has strengths and weaknesses. You have them. When the employer may ask you to talk about them. Why and why does he do it?

In most cases, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a potential employee is needed by the employer to make sure how ready you are to interact with other people. See if you can even do it. Finally, by analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, you can draw certain conclusions about your personality type.

Knowing that you will have to talk about strengths and weaknesses and in sufficient detail, you need not worry about the fact that you have to admit to some weaknesses. It is not necessary to take a story about strengths as inappropriate boasting, it is better to prepare in advance for this topic that arises during a job interview.

To begin with, you yourself must identify your strengths and weaknesses. Try to make a list in which you carefully write down both your strengths and weaknesses.

This approach is most useful for communicating with your potential employer.

To begin with, you should identify your strengths, which will contribute to your success in the organization where you are interviewing.

Strengths and weaknesses of a job candidate

As you know, there are almost no perfect people in the world. Therefore, every person has strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on your strengths first. These are the first things your potential employer should know about.

Focus on your strengths and use examples to explain how having these qualities will help you in the job.

Your strengths can be divided into sub-points in which certain qualities are concentrated. For example, here's what it might look like:

Acquired and transferred skills as strengths

This paragraph, which describes your strengths, should focus on the skills that a person acquires by performing his duties, and is also able to transfer them to others. These skills include: people skills, planning skills, communication skills, and so on.

Strengths and weaknesses, how to use acquired skills

Personal qualities

The strengths of any person are his personal qualities. So, a person can be hardworking, reliable, independent, punctual, optimistic, and so on. All these positive qualities can help you in the performance of your duties.

Knowledge Based Skills

The strengths of an educated person are the skills that he has acquired in the learning process. This includes: your special education, additional courses that you completed (language, computer and others).

Important: at a job interview, it makes sense to talk only about those skills from this paragraph, thanks to which you will really be able to fill a position.

your strengths. Specific examples

You will need to think a little about what qualities make up your strengths. If, reflecting on your strengths, you doubt some qualities, remove them from the list. Also remove from the list those qualities that are not needed in this job.

Here's what you can get as a result when you write a list that reflects your strengths:

self-discipline	It is unlikely that this quality requires any special decoding. Having self-discipline means that the employer can be completely sure that you do not need to be additionally motivated to perform your duties
good faith	You are able to adopt the policies and procedures of a particular company, you will support its values, confidential information will not go from you to competitors
Sociability	Your skills in both oral and written communication. Examples of this strength can include both your presentations and active listening skills, the ability to persuade through business correspondence etc.
Problem Solving Ability	If you are able to analyze emerging problems and are able to find the causes of their occurrence and determine solutions, of course, this quality must be reflected in the list where you describe your strengths.
Teamwork	We live in a world of corporate culture, where there is no place for singles for a long time. Today, the employer values ​​effective communication skills in a team, the ability to work effectively alongside other people.
Initiative	If you are able to move one step ahead, if you are not afraid to take responsibility for your decisions and results, then enter initiative into your strengths.
Sustainability	This quality includes the ability to focus after failures, overcoming obstacles on the way to the goal, the ability to respond correctly to criticism and work in a mode of limited material and time resources.
organization	Quality includes the ability to multitask, time management skills, the ability to prioritize goals and complete tasks on time.

The list above probably doesn't reflect all of your strengths, but we just showed you what to aim for.

Advantages and disadvantages. How to talk about them correctly

Weak sides. Full list

Weaknesses also exist in all people. It is important that when you make a list of your weaknesses, you can present them as problems that can be solved and will not affect the quality of your work.

So, analyzing your weaknesses, you should immediately look for ways to overcome your weaknesses.

Try to convince the interviewer during a job interview that you can turn even your weaknesses into strengths. And you know exactly what and how to do it.

Traditional weaknesses may include qualities such as:

Lack of experience

You show some interest in the job for which you are applying, but you have the necessary practical experience to perform it.

Be prepared to conduct a full analysis of strengths and weaknesses so that lack of experience does not become main reason denying you this position. Certificates of completion of courses in the field where you want to work can be an added advantage if you do not have the required experience.

How to turn weaknesses into strengths

As you list your weaknesses, think about how they can turn into strengths. So, if you are a slightly slow person by nature, then in a job interview you can say that sometimes you lose in the speed of work, focusing on the little things so as not to miss anything.

Weak sides. Sample list

Impatience	You always feel that employees are not doing everything as quickly as you expected
distraction	You are easily distracted by external factors right at your workplace. This directly affects the efficiency of your work.
Shyness	You are not able to say "no" even when you know for sure that this is not part of your responsibilities and does not promise you the slightest benefit. It is difficult for you to defend your point of view, not because you do not have it, but because you are shy.
Stubbornness	It is difficult for you to adapt to changes, you hardly accept new ideas and orders
procrastination	You always put everything off until the last minute. Then you work in emergency mode, but usually have low productivity
Failure to delegate tasks and responsibilities	You are afraid to trust others to do a certain job or solve a problem. Lack of full use of the skills and resources of other employees
Inability to sympathize	While striving to achieve your goals, you do not change direction. You don't care that other people may have different feelings or needs. You never take it into account
High sensitivity	This quality is the exact opposite of the previous weakness. You take everything that happens at your work too close to your heart.
Conflict	A person believes that only he does everything right. There are no other opinions for him. Ready to defend only his own. Sometimes it's not good for a team, project or product.
Lack of some skills	No person has all the necessary skills for the job they are applying for. It is only important to show your readiness for further learning.

Describe your strengths and weaknesses. How to answer the question of the employer?

Be Honest When Analyzing Strengths and Weaknesses

If you are in a job interview and the employer has asked you to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, be as honest as possible when answering this question. It is better if you already have a pre-prepared answer, where you can present your strengths and weaknesses in a positive way.

Choose the Right Qualities

During the job interview process, pay attention to the employer's requirements for the job. Describe your strengths and weaknesses according to these requirements.

Describing weaknesses, choose those whose presence cannot deprive you of the chance to take a vacant position.

Advantages and disadvantages. Should I talk about them in a job interview?

Don't brag and don't be ashamed

Every person has strengths and weaknesses. You, your employer, the secretary who sits in the waiting room while you are interviewing for a job.

When asked about strengths and weaknesses, speak calmly, don't be ashamed to mention your weaknesses, but don't be too arrogant when talking about your strengths. In no case do not say that you have no weaknesses at all, because you have them.

Take responsibility for your strengths and weaknesses

Often we are proud of our successes, and blame our failures either on others or on circumstances. During a job interview and when it comes to whether you have strengths and weaknesses, take responsibility for yourself, do not look for blame.

Don't give too much information

In a job interview, make sure that the employer's request to describe your strengths and weaknesses does not lead you into a verbal jungle, where you unwittingly lay out more information that you did not originally intend to voice.

Talk about work, describing your strengths and weaknesses

When you describe your strengths and weaknesses, talk only about work. Only about how these qualities will contribute to your success in a new place. Just about how your strengths helped you in your previous job. Only about how you managed to get rid of several weaknesses and what qualities you plan to improve or change in yourself in the near future.

There are different points of view on what to do with the strengths and weaknesses of a person. We all naturally have different inclinations and talents. But the most successful people are those who put a lot of effort into their work. That is, a hard-working person with average abilities will achieve more success than a talented one. Henry Ford believed that was the main way to achieve success. The search for the strengths and weaknesses of a person is closely related to the search for purpose () and long-term success.

Some psychologists believe that a person should try to correct his weaknesses. Most successful entrepreneurs believe that the emphasis should be on the strengths of a person - his talents and natural abilities, and to compensate for weaknesses with the help of the team. That is, using .

But how do you find your strengths and weaknesses? Which ones should be developed and which ones should be left alone?

SWOT analysis - can be applied not only to business projects, but also to the study personal qualities. The elements of SWOT analysis include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the phenomenon under study.

How to understand your strengths?

The famous Russian psychologist Nikolai Kozlov tells in his books that people usually like to do what they can do well and vice versa. And in order to understand your inclinations, you can try to remember your hobbies and what you were fond of as a child. Often, children's hobbies in the future develop into a full-time job or even their own business.

In order to be as involved as possible in work or business, you need to really like this business. And that will be the key to success. That is why it is so important to develop in yourself such a quality as - in order to feel well your desires, interests, inclinations and emotions. In addition to find yourself and your strengths, you need to spend a lot of time experimenting. Constantly try new things.

When you try a new business, you need some time to understand whether it is for you or not. The first pancake always goes lumpy. And that's okay.

If you managed to find your strengths, then if possible you need to strive to develop them. If you add perseverance and consistent efforts along with your talents, then you can achieve outstanding results.

We are able to develop any of our talents. This is due to the property of neuroplasticity of the brain. But it is better to direct more efforts to where there are already some serious inclinations.

There are character traits that are useful to develop for any person:

Dealing with personality weaknesses

Objectively, in addition to strengths, each of us has its own disadvantages. It doesn't need to be embarrassed or hidden. On the contrary, you need to understand yourself properly and be aware of your shortcomings. By and large, there is no point in directing all your efforts to combat your weaknesses. Developing a quality in which we initially lacked, it is difficult to achieve an outstanding level. Although - in some cases it may well be possible.

As a rule, you should simply avoid work that is not compatible with your weak qualities. May help in some cases work on your weak side and bring it down to the minimum acceptable level.

Your weaknesses should be taken into account when choosing a job, place of study. And it will promote life balance. We recently wrote a material about.

But there are weaknesses that are worth fighting in any case. this is about:

• and postponing things for later;
• and self-flagellation;
• and other low-tone states such as .

There are cases where people the most difficult situations were able to get together and do what they want not because of their capabilities, but in spite of them.

Here, the presence of will and character. attitude towards life and optimism are also the companions of success.

The fact is that in order to be productive, and to be in the so-called state, you need to avoid such negative habits and depressed states.

You must clearly understand that we can reconfigure ourselves very flexibly by working with our mood, as well as by training the necessary qualities and getting rid of unnecessary habits. Even people who are terribly afraid of public speaking can eventually completely get rid of fears and become excellent speakers. always unpleasant, but allows us to develop.

Balance between strengths and weaknesses of the personality

As I already wrote, in interviews and in life in general, you should not be ashamed of your weaknesses. You need to choose a job where your weaknesses will not interfere much, and where your strengths, on the contrary, will drag your career forward.

At the same interviews, it is better to be honest about your weaknesses. Because they will pop up anyway. And it is better for the employer to know in advance that you have both advantages and strong personality traits, and disadvantages that are specific to you.