Professional skills and personal qualities are a mandatory point when filling out an application or for any vacancy. In this section, you have the opportunity to express yourself by telling a potential employer about all your advantages. Some applicants are sure that the professional skills section is considered key. But they are not entirely right. Recruiters pay the same attention to it as they do to personal qualities. And often their inconsistency with a certain vacancy can cause a candidate to be rejected.

Professional skills and personal qualities: what should be avoided?

When filling out these items, follow one simple rule: be sincere. There is no need to invent something that does not exist. The deception will be revealed, and then the employer

will be extremely disappointed. Don’t write that you can, for example, work with Photoshop, although in fact you’ve only opened it a couple of times. Very often, recruiters give a test task to a candidate they like to determine their level of knowledge, and this is where you risk getting into trouble. There is also no need to write in the “personal qualities” column, for example, that you are a very sociable, sociable person who quickly finds a common language with other people, if this is not true. Another piece of advice: do not write too much or, conversely, too little about yourself in these paragraphs, keep it in moderation.

Professional skills and personal qualities: what should you write?

When listing your professional skills, list only those that are relevant and relevant. For example, if you are writing a resume for a programmer position, then you will not need to indicate that you are good at computers, since this is already implied.

(programmer):

  • knowledge of PHP, JavaScript, C++, OOP;
  • with MySQL;
  • ability to optimize queries and tune databases;
  • working with the Zend framework.

Indicate everything you consider necessary. You can also open the requirements for the vacancy (if possible) and add from there everything that applies to you.

The employer is not fully interested in the personal qualities of the candidate. We are talking about what may be required of an employee. For example, there is no need to write that you are a kind and warm-hearted person, since this does not apply to work. Here is a list of what you can include in your resume:

  • diligence;
  • ambition (if we are talking about leadership positions, vacancies that require a creative and creative approach);
  • organization (this refers to both self-organization and the ability to organize the work of a team);
  • punctuality;
  • responsibility;
  • sociability (implies several concepts: the ability to quickly establish contact with other people, sociability, talkativeness);
  • initiative (the ability to take the situation into one’s own hands and develop new ideas and proposals);
  • good learning ability (the ability to quickly absorb new knowledge);
  • stress resistance (ability to work under stressful conditions).

Professional skills and personal qualities are two very important points, so treat them extremely carefully and do not try to deceive a potential employer.

You can be an incredibly cool specialist and even a guru in some narrow field, but what is the use of this if the personal qualities for the resume were chosen incorrectly or were completely forgotten about? It would seem: they should look at work experience, and the employee’s business qualities for a resume are of secondary importance. In fact, how you present yourself in the “personal qualities” column can become fateful.

Before moving on to considering the qualities an employer needs, a little advice: forget about the words “commitment”, “quick learner”, “result-oriented” in the templates. This is all great, but so old. Even if you want to write about such qualities, let them not be the only ones on the list of honor. Your characterization as a future employee will definitely not benefit from the scarcity and stereotyped presentation.

Let's start with general advice from professional HR specialists. In order not to waste their precious time on an interview with the wrong person or the wrong person, they will definitely pay attention not only to work experience, but also to personal qualities. And here’s what the HR people themselves advise:

  • You can value yourself very much as a specialist, but you don’t need to indicate more than 5 personal qualities
  • The qualities of an employee for a resume are indicated based on the position. We will write more about this later. But, for starters: an employee of a food warehouse will not need charisma when performing his direct job duties.
  • You can use humor, but only if you are not applying for a leadership position. The employer's preferences can most often be found out in advance in the job description.

Positive qualities of a person for a resume must correspond to the job responsibilities. That is why we have prepared a list of positions and personal characteristics for them.

Examples of business qualities for workers by specialty

Example #1: accountant. A lot depends on this person. Sometimes, even the life of the company depends on him and his ability to manage money correctly.

Strong professional qualities of an accountant that are important to indicate: resistance to stress, perseverance, learning ability, loyalty, responsibility, non-conflict. And it’s not for nothing that we put stress resistance in first place. Conducting financial transactions for a company with a million-dollar turnover is not a reason for stress? If the turnover is lower, the nerves are intact and the sleep is stronger.

Example No. 2: sales manager. The more he can sell, the better. The more new customers it attracts, the more confidently the company will develop. Yes, the life of the company largely depends on the sales manager. True, representatives of this position are not always rewarded with decent wages. But we will only talk about the good, and only about professional sales managers, for whom it is important to indicate the following employee qualities for their resume:

Sociability, stress resistance, presentable appearance, well-spoken speech, learning ability, responsibility. In the case of the sales manager, we put communication skills first. True, what kind of sales can there be if the manager does not know how to start a conversation, and even more so, “lead” the conversation with a potential client to the result necessary for the company?

Example #3: Secretary. For some reason, there is a stereotyped opinion that a secretary is an exclusively attractive person. And she is included, but many complex routine tasks fall on the shoulders of the secretary, depending on the needs of the company.

Personal qualities in a resume for a secretary: competent speech, attractive appearance, diligence, responsibility, perseverance, ability to work in a team, non-conflict. And here is the destruction of the template: primacy goes to “competent speech.”

Secretaries must be able to win over every visitor, be it an applicant for a position in the company or a potential business partner. The secretary is the first to create a general impression of the company. Have you ever met secretaries who couldn’t say two words? If you have met, you understand exactly why competent speech is so important.

Here we “went through” some of the most common vacancies that appear on the Internet every day in the amount of several dozen and even hundreds.

Why not pay special attention to IT specialists?

The professional skills of IT specialists are especially valuable today. Many companies need incredibly cool specialists who can catch up and surpass their competitors, while increasing the company's income several times.

Here's what IT specialists most often write about themselves in their resumes:

  • Analytical mind
  • Hard work
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Ability to work with large amounts of information

Hard work, it seems to us, is approximately the same pattern as “determination” with “the ability to work for results. It is not hard work that potential employers want to see in the personal qualities column of their future IT specialist. Do you want to know what they want to see?

Here's what:

  • Independence
  • Initiative
  • Stress resistance
  • Energy
  • Responsibility
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Attentiveness
  • Mobility
  • Creativity

This is the track record.

Business qualities, as you can see, have absolutely no importance for an IT specialist’s resume. In the first positions: independence and initiative.

True, what employer wants to get an IT specialist into their team, who will have to be constantly monitored or adjusted and reminded of something? Moreover, the IT sector is one of the few where narrow specialization does not allow management to influence the result in any way.

So it turns out that an IT specialist must be independent, proactive (where would we be without this), creative, etc. Resistance to stress is a plus for the karma of not only the IT specialist himself, but also the entire company. This work is rarely without stressful situations, and deadlines cannot be missed, it is undesirable to show one’s emotions and losing a client is like the collapse of one’s own and corporate reputation.

Here is a list of qualities that IT specialists list least often in their resumes:

  • Charm
  • Bravery
  • Eloquence
  • Forethought
  • Strength of character
  • Skepticism

It seems to us that most of this list are very important personal characteristics for a resume. Especially if you want to join a creative team. Why not indicate courage and charm? When communicating with clients and employees, these qualities will not be superfluous. True, everything should be in moderation.

Universal positive qualities for any resume

And finally, about the universal qualities that HR specialists recommend indicating in your resume without reference to the position and its requirements:

  • Fast learner
  • Honesty
  • Initiative
  • Stress resistance
  • No bad habits

This is a small but universal set. You can take note of it, but do not forget to indicate those personal qualities that the future employer expects from you.

And it’s very simple to write what you need: put yourself in the shoes of this employer. Think about what kind of specialist you would like to see on your team? The right employee qualities for a resume are not templates. You want people to pay attention to you, right? Then pay special attention to the “personal qualities” column, and the position will be yours, we are sure.

In my work, I often had to interview candidates for the position of Sales Manager. A corporate application form typically asks candidates to answer questions about their strengths and weaknesses. It is striking and surprising that the majority of people write unsubscribes. Almost no one has any weaknesses, but strengths written, as if, as a carbon copy.

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

Or a situation that I see all the time: people only know how to go to work. Someone else knows how to relax, someone combines vacation with work in the country, and other little things. But no one dares to look into themselves, their beloved...

Think back to yourself as a child, or remember the time when your children were little. You know from your own experience that parents try their best to send their child to different schools (dance, sports, music, art, etc.) in order to determine what their child is passionate about. Where he can show his talents more.

But as adults, we happily forget about this and surrender to the flow of life. Wherever it takes us, we will swim there. Some people still become successful in some activity, perhaps due to luck or a favorable combination of circumstances, but the majority never think about realizing their abilities, and accordingly, they do not achieve anything in their own lives.

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

You probably know that the same can be said about any of us. Those unique abilities that we are given need to be looked for very carefully. Perhaps they are hidden very deep.

Strengths. What is this?

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

Scientists have identified a list of human strengths:

  1. Adaptability (changing oneself depending on environmental requirements, adaptation, flexibility).
  2. Activation (energy to get down to business and do it).
  3. Analytical thinking (understanding causes and consequences, critical thinking).
  4. Faith (the presence of deeply rooted values, ideas, the search for the meaning of life).
  5. Inclusion (helping others become whole and successful).
  6. Imagination (creativity, originality, new ideas and concepts).
  7. Harmony (ability to find common ground, avoid conflicts).
  8. Discipline (organization, ability to meet time, order and structure).
  9. Achievement (pursuit of goals, productivity, satisfaction with what has been achieved).
  10. Significance (great desire for recognition, hard work).
  11. Individualization (perception of other people as individuals and recognition of their talents, attention to differences).
  12. Intelligence (ability to think in many directions, intellectual discussions, decisions).
  13. Information (active acquisition of knowledge, curiosity).
  14. Correction (recognizing problems and being able to solve them).
  15. Communication (explanation, clarification, ability to speak well).
  16. Competition (hard work to achieve high results, success, desire to win, comparison with others).
  17. Context (see historical parallels, objectively assess what is happening).
  18. Maximalism (increasing personal and group skill levels).
  19. Learning (enjoying the learning process, focusing on improvement).
  20. Future orientation (focus on the future, the ability to see opportunities, encouraging others to act).
  21. Responsibility (being someone you can rely on, many responsibilities and obligations).
  22. Relationships (establishing close relationships with people)
  23. Positivity (enthusiasm, optimism, excitement, stimulating others).
  24. Consistency (equal treatment, fairness, concern with questions of good and evil).
  25. Development (see potential in others and help them develop it).
  26. Judgment (making the right decisions, being thorough, considering all options).
  27. Leadership (ability to cope with conflicts and crises, ability to bear responsibility).
  28. Self-affirmation (self-confidence, independent thinking).
  29. Coherence (connecting ideas or events into a meaningful whole).
  30. Strategy (seeing the pros and cons, understanding the situation as a whole, developing an adequate action plan).
  31. Focus (prioritization, direction, efficiency).
  32. Ability to win favor (quickly establish contact with people, create groups/relationships).
  33. Arranging (organizing, coordinating, determining the right combination of people and means).
  34. Empathy (understanding others, establishing supportive relationships).

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

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

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

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

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

Now you will have those strengths that you either want or do not want to use and develop. Not a bad trick? And what really matters is that it works. Introduce this method to your loved ones, perhaps it will help them paint their lives in brighter colors.

If one of you is already in the process of identifying your strengths, that is, actively acting and learning to manage your life independently, it will also be effective for you to use this technique, which, by the way, can be used in many situations.

Let’s take the topic of website building as an example. Among my colleagues, webmasters, there are mainly people who do this not under compulsion, but at the same time experiencing the joy and pleasure of doing an interesting and favorite thing. But even in this case, each of us shows exactly those strengths in which he feels much more comfortable.

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

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

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

Realizing what you need to do in life can take quite a long time. Test, experiment, check your inclinations, abilities and, if possible, pay more attention to the development of your strengths, your personal development. Enjoy what you do. You won’t argue if I tell you that if you do what you like, immersing yourself in your work completely, you will undoubtedly bring more benefit to yourself and other people?

For resume. As a rule, employers pay special attention to this point. After all, no one needs a hysterical or mentally unstable person. So now we will look at how to write a resume correctly. What to write? Personal qualities - which ones are valued most? All this will be discussed.

Fast learner

So, we will start with the most interesting point, which is usually forgotten by future employees. This is a quick learner. This characteristic is important, especially if your profession covers several fields of science. Capturing everything on the fly is a great personal trait to have on a resume. Example: You are going to work in a fast food cafe. There are several so-called zones - cash register, kitchen and cleaning. This position is being filled by a person who is very quickly able to retrain from a cleaner to a cook. But you did not indicate this feature. Your opponent is most likely to fill the vacancy.

Being a quick learner lets the employer know that you can be a good all-rounder. These are the ones that are valued now. If the bosses are honest, then for this merit you will still receive pleasant bonuses - promotions, bonuses, and so on. Otherwise, an unscrupulous boss may sit on your neck. Now let's see what other personal qualities for a resume can help you get a job.

Responsibility

Another very important point that must be indicated is responsibility. Any adult should be aware of what one or another action can lead to. And you will have to answer for the consequences. And independently.

If, due to the negligence of an employee, someone was harmed, then, naturally, the employer does not particularly want to be held responsible for this. Therefore, the personal qualities indicated in your resume should reflect your independence and seriousness. This is both a guarantee that you should have a minimum of “jambs” and a sign that you are ready to be responsible for your actions. So, include such personal qualities in your resume. Example: due to the recent conflict, all employees of the company are afraid of layoffs. Who will be dealt first - the one who takes his tasks responsibly, or the “negligent” person? Probably the second one. So, if you do not want to fall into the ranks of workers who are not particularly valued, then you will have to treat your profession with responsibility.

Stress resistance

And we continue to compile resumes for work. Personal qualities, of course, cannot be the same for all professions. Nevertheless, we are considering those points that are necessary for absolutely every employee. Next on our list is stress tolerance.

The thing is that now at work many people suffer from nervous breakdowns. The reasons may be completely different, but the result is the same - such people cannot fully cope with their work. Instead of, for example, drawing up an annual report, the employee sits at home and takes sedatives. In addition, hot-tempered people usually move to a new place very quickly. They don't stay in one company for long.

It is usually easier to establish contact with a person who has high stress resistance. Such an employee will not be afraid of difficulties and crises. It is these “stone walls” that every employer really needs. They are the guarantors that the company will develop and function despite difficulties.

Personal qualities for a resume, complemented by resistance to stress - this is another plus in your favor. Let's look at a vivid example where a person will have a hard time. For example, at the post office. Operators have to sit in a stuffy office all day and communicate with different people. Some individuals are capable of infuriating the calmest person. Thus, a stress-resistant employee will be able to “grit his teeth” and honestly work his hours. And then he won’t go write a letter of resignation. Just let off some steam at home and then get back to work. As you can see, this point is very important.

Willingness to work in a team

Personal qualities for a resume should be diluted with such “things” as communication skills. In particular, the willingness to work in a team. This is a very important characteristic, especially if you choose to work as a manager or call center operator. The thing is that quite often such companies carry out various promotions. Then all employees must quickly cooperate and begin to attract new clients together.

A single person cannot cope with this task. Independence is, of course, good, but you should also help and accept help. Sometimes you will have to go to corporate events (sometimes competitions). Teamwork skills will come in handy there.

In addition, such personal qualities indicate that you are a fairly sociable person. This means you can find an approach to almost every client. And this is a very important element, especially in the field of sales. Do you want to have an advantage over others? Then don’t forget about sociability and willingness to work in a team.

Non-conflict

If you are puzzled by indicating personal qualities for a resume when applying for a job, then do not forget about such a point as non-conflict. This is another plus in your favor.

The thing is that during work different situations may arise. This includes relationships with management, with other employees, and with clients. Agree, after all, some individuals will not make friends with you, maybe “clashes” will happen with some of them. And this does not reflect very well on the work of the company. You will have to learn to find a common language with everyone. This is when our non-conflict nature comes to the rescue.

In general, this quality is valued not only when hiring. It will help you throughout life. Everyone can have conflicts, for example, with their boss. And such that you want to send him very far and leave. For example, when wages are repeatedly delayed. If you freak out, you can leave your job forever. Thus, non-conflict will help you avoid dire consequences.

The desire to earn money

And here is another rather interesting point that can be indicated in your personal qualities for your resume. This is the desire to make money. At first glance, it may seem that this quality means nothing. Maybe this is true for you. But for your future boss - no.

The point is that if the employer sees that the employee wants to receive more money, then he can provide him with such an opportunity. Especially if a person copes with his tasks quickly and efficiently. Various part-time jobs, additional tasks - all this will allow you to win over your bosses and also generate income.

True, unscrupulous bosses can sometimes sit on the necks of such employees. Literally fill them with work (for 2-3 people), and pay the same salary. In this case, it is better to look for another place. Remember that there is no universal example of personal qualities. However, the character traits discussed today will definitely help you.

17 Jan 2018 Recruiters often ask candidates to list their weaknesses. The purpose of this question is for the HR specialist to understand how self-critical the potential employee is, whether he evaluates himself correctly and whether he is able to perceive criticism. The applicant can independently indicate his negative aspects in the resume, however, not forgetting to emphasize his skills and abilities. In this article we will tell you how to correctly present your negative qualities in a resume and give clear examples, but first things first. First, consider the basic rules for filling out the section on shortcomings.
If an employer sends you an email or asks you to fill out a resume form from the company before a meeting, then most likely there will be a question about your weaknesses. Under no circumstances should you put a dash. If this section is present in the application form, then this item is definitely of interest to the employer. A dash in this case will be regarded as an inability to soberly evaluate oneself and inflated self-esteem. Also, you should not get too carried away when filling out this section. Remember that disadvantages can become your advantages. For example, being unsociable for an accountant is undoubtedly a plus. But for a sales manager it is obviously a minus. Remember that your adequacy, self-criticism and truthfulness are assessed, and not how many shortcomings you have. Examples of undesirable personal qualities in a resume - shortcomings that are definitely not worth mentioning I am often late; I am fond of gambling; I have bad habits (alcohol, smoking, etc.); I am often distracted; I work only for the sake of a salary; I like to have office romances; I am lazy; I am greedy; I am quick-tempered; Passive; I am envious; I am careless; I often feel indifference to what is happening around me, I love living in my own world. Disadvantages that may not work in your favor: Pedantry; Individualism; Self-criticism; Self-esteem; Hyper-reactivity; Modesty; Mistrust; Conceit; Straightforwardness; Vanity; Self-confidence; Excessive exactingness; Painstaking. Before pointing out certain shortcomings, read the requirements in the vacancy and draw up an approximate portrait of an ideal employee. After that, highlight character traits that will not hinder you or will help you in your future work. Good weaknesses for a resume: Inability to respond to rudeness with rudeness; Increased demands on others; Tendency to make decisions based on one’s own opinion; Reluctance to act to please others; I can’t always accurately express my thoughts; Prone to reflection; I trust people, sometimes too much; I spend a lot of time assessing of my actions and actions; I can get carried away with work and forget about a break; I let all situations pass through me; I don’t know how to swear; I don’t know how to lie. Neutral qualities: Fear of insects, snakes, mice and other living creatures; Fear of airplanes; Lack of work experience (for those starting a career or changing field of activity); Age (for people over 40 years old); Love of shopping. A list of negative qualities of a person should not be included in a resume contradict your line of work or call into question your professionalism. So, for example, to get a job as a sales consultant, you can indicate: reliability (is a plus when working with clients); excessive scrupulousness (will be a plus when working with money); an inflated sense of responsibility (usually sellers are financially responsible for the product, and this “disadvantage” is simply necessary for a good salesperson; excessive love of communication (an important point in working with clients, which is also a positive “disadvantage” for retail.) Negative qualities for an accountant can be the following: Distrust of people and a love of facts (or rather, numbers); Discharge from disorder (everything should be in its place and that’s the only way); Slowness (when working with large sums, you definitely shouldn’t rush); Excessive attention to detail or pedantry.