Weaknesses in a resume 2021: what shortcomings to indicate + Examples

CREATE A RESUME ON YOUR PHONE

Many employers, in addition to your positive qualities, want to be aware of your negative ones. Character weaknesses are an insidious point on a resume, but thanks to them, the boss can learn more about you and understand how suitable you are for the company.

A resume is the link between the applicant and the employer. A well-written questionnaire is the key to further success. Create your resume carefully, truthfully and carefully, only then will it bring you the desired result.

Expert opinion

Nikolay Borozdin

Director of a recruitment agency

The main goals of this column are to make it clear how self-critical the potential candidate is, how correctly he can evaluate himself and whether he accepts criticism from the outside.

Most often, managers are interested in answers to the following questions:

How adequately do you treat yourself?
Are you ready to hear and listen to the opinions of others?
How will you relate to management?

When answering this question, remember that people are not perfect, so talking about your shortcomings is quite normal. Moreover, sometimes a disadvantage can turn into a plus.

For example, slow people tend to be very detail-oriented and are accustomed to doing the best possible work. And this is a very good characteristic for an accountant.
The lack of excessive talkativeness can also be a plus for work where the ability to concentrate and not make mistakes in numbers is required. Therefore, feel free to point out your shortcomings and do not be afraid that this may spoil the impression.

When listing your weaknesses, mention how you deal with them. For example, you can answer that you are aware of your slowness and love of perfectionism, so you mentally indicate the period of time by which the task must be completed. This helps you work more efficiently and get everything done on time.

# How to identify weaknesses

It is difficult to determine on your own what shortcomings you have, and even more difficult to accept them, so you can turn to friends or family for help. Ask them to be honest about your character weaknesses - listen carefully. This way you can analyze what was said, draw conclusions and start working on yourself!

Character is the established mental properties of a person, which are reflected in behavior and actions. And character traits are the qualities of a person that he displays in society. They can be both positive and negative.

Also remember what you were told at your previous place of work, what you were praised for and what you were blamed for. Admit honestly what you don’t like about yourself, look at yourself from the outside - this way you will understand where your strengths and weaknesses are. Once you realize this, you will become much stronger and wiser.

What to write

Before filling out the box in which you need to indicate your shortcomings, think about your answer. Do not miss it under any circumstances, because ideal people do not exist. As a rule, managers want to see how adequately you evaluate yourself. If you don't know what to write, look at the suggested options and choose something that suits you best.

A universal formula: select character traits that are an advantage for performing this particular job, but in ordinary life can really be considered a human flaw.

The following weaknesses can be written:

excessive directness, the habit of telling the truth face to face;
difficulty establishing contact with strangers;
inability to show flexibility in labor matters;
reliability;
increased anxiety;
excessive emotionality, hot temper;
love of formalism;
restlessness;
slowness;
hyperactivity;
fear of air travel.

All of the weaknesses listed in your resume can become strengths if you look at them from a different angle. An example is restlessness. For a sales representative or active sales manager, this can even be a plus. The same goes for reliability. This is a signal to the manager that you may be the person who will do all the overtime work.

Good to know: Additional information in your resume

# How to turn disadvantages into advantages

When answering a question about weaknesses, you should not specifically show your imaginary “good weaknesses,” otherwise you will cause distrust.

Bosses have a stereotype: if a person wants to show only good things, then he is probably hiding something bad in himself and maybe he doesn’t even realize it.

It is important to show that you know your weaknesses, recognize them and know how to deal with them. This is the kind of presentation that will make a positive impression on the employer.

Expert opinion

Ekaterina Troitskaya

HR manager

It will be difficult to fully turn minuses into pluses in the questionnaire. Therefore, it is better to highlight a line in your resume and indicate that there are many more advantages, and the disadvantages do not affect the work in any way. But when talking with a boss or an interviewer at an interview, character weaknesses should be revealed with a smooth switch to strengths.

Example: I can be meticulous and scrupulous. This irritates many people. But it seems to me that as an analyst I simply do not have the right to treat tasks differently, and therefore I am used to checking everything several times and analyzing everything down to the smallest detail. I can’t work calmly until I recheck everything completely several times.

You can also indicate that you are working on your weaknesses and doing everything possible to improve:

Example: I'm not a very good speaker. I can become confused and stutter when I'm in front of a lot of people. I realize that for a journalist this is a clear disadvantage, which is why I signed up for public speaking courses. And I’m even glad that I can develop and work on myself, realizing my shortcomings.

You can use the method of compensating for negative qualities if you realize that you cannot turn them into positive ones, and you can no longer fight:

Example: I'm an owl. Getting up early is very difficult for me. This could make me late for work. But I’m ready to compensate for this; I can happily stay late in the office to complete all the errands. After all, my productivity increases in the evening, so I will happily do everything that is necessary, and I can even complete urgent additional assignments.

Good examples of disadvantages that can be turned into advantages are the following:

Distrustful - a person who will only enter into transactions with trusted companies.
Excessive self-confidence - you will be seen as a leader who is always moving forward.
Increased anxiety – a responsible approach to work, in other words, fear of making mistakes.
Demandingness - if you are demanding of yourself, then of your work and your subordinates too.
Self-criticism - you are responsible and do quality work.
Shyness - you will not have conflicts with colleagues and be polite with your superiors.

Why is it important to prepare for an interview?

Every person has shortcomings and obvious strengths of character. When writing an application or resume, it is important to indicate both. If you talk only about the strengths, the HR manager will understand that in front of him is a person who is deprived of the ability to even give a correct assessment of himself.

How to Assess Your Character

A correct assessment of your character can serve you well. You are afraid to name your weakness, thinking that you will lose, and perhaps this position requires just such individuals.

Don't be afraid to tell a little more about yourself than you would like. To get to know yourself better, ask your family or friends to tell you what they see in your character from the outside.

After “discovering” new character traits from the outside, you will understand what is worth talking about yourself and what is not.

Are you waiting for an invitation or a call from the company where you want to apply?

The call may come unexpectedly, so prepare in advance what you will say at the interview.

Be prepared for the manager to start the conversation as if you were there for a friendly conversation. Having lulled your vigilance, he will begin to insert the most dangerous questions. You must be prepared for them too.

Preparing for an interview

Think in advance about what you will say. Give your speech several times at home, without getting confused in your words, speak clearly and clearly. But don’t act like a soldier, otherwise the personnel officer will see that you were just rehearsing.
Do not use abstruse or, conversely, words used in common parlance.
Go to the official website of the company, find out what they do, who the manager is, what their activities are.
Collect a portfolio where you show your strengths as a professional and how they were noted in your previous places of work.
Think about how you will dress, what kind of makeup you will do. There is no need to dress too expensive today. Neat, with a minimum of accessories.
Don't be late, come early.
Take a notepad and write down the questions and answers you asked during the interview. If you didn’t get hired, analyze the answers and work on the mistakes.
Don't hide easily verifiable information.

# Number of negative aspects in a resume

Expert opinion

Ekaterina Troitskaya

HR manager

The employer is interested in learning about the weak character traits of the applicant, as well as about the strong ones. But writing a 2-page story about yourself is not worth it. It is enough to indicate 3 negative character traits.

If you write more negative aspects in your resume, this may negatively affect your business reputation and raise suspicions of unprofessionalism.

What weaknesses are not worth mentioning?

The basic rule for filling out this item in a resume is the number of specified traits (no more than three) and their combination with professional responsibilities. But there are aspects of human character that under no circumstances should be included in a resume.

A potential employer will probably not want to consider a resume where the applicant has indicated the following among his weaknesses:

passivity, laziness and carelessness;
I constantly fly in the clouds;
not ready to make decisions;
you cannot concentrate on completing the task at hand, you are often distracted;
lack of punctuality;
conflict;
absent-mindedness;
selfishness;
amorousness;
habit of lying.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with examples of character strengths and weaknesses in a resume.

# Inappropriate negative character traits

Do not indicate disadvantages if they go against direct responsibilities. For example, shyness that is suitable for a programmer is not at all suitable for a fitness trainer. Therefore, the column must be drawn up based on the specifics of the desired position.

Below are examples of a bad combination of qualities and future profession. Please note that for excellent positions, shortcomings are quite acceptable.

Important nuances and little tricks

You must be able to present yourself in such a way that the personnel officer grabs hold of you tightly. There are several psychological techniques that usually make it easier to get the desired position.

Avoid interviews on Monday and Friday. Tuesday, for example, at 10.30 is the best time.
A suit of blue, gray and brown indicates a serious personality. Girls should definitely wear tights. Heels are a plus for the applicant.
Similar tastes with the employer are a clear plus. They may agree, for example, in clothing and hobbies.
Those who insert filler words into their speech have little chance.
Don't smile from ear to ear.
If you submitted a resume, then when you meet in person, say: “Let me tell you something that is not on the resume.” This phrase will confuse the one with whom you had to talk.
Don’t just listen to the HR officer, nodding your head, but let them understand that you have learned all the information. Sometimes you can repeat what you hear.
Girls with provocative photos on their resumes are more likely to get jobs. Just not too openly.
For girls, the triangle “eyes-nose-lips” should attract, not repel. Thinking about discreet makeup.
While waiting for the personnel officer, do not chat on the phone; it is better to leaf through the magazines lying on the table.

Finally: every person has character strengths and weaknesses. Were you able to quickly get a job as a result? Share with our readers how you managed to achieve success?

# What shortcomings to indicate in a resume - examples

If an applicant refuses to fill out an item about personal weaknesses, this may raise suspicion. Therefore, it is better to mention flaws, but do it competently. There are neutral deficiencies that can be indicated on the application form. For example:

I don’t know how to respond to rudeness with rudeness;
I sometimes have a critical attitude towards people;
Tendency to stick only to one’s own;
I can’t always express my thoughts quite clearly;
I am overweight and I am embarrassed about it;
I devote a lot of time to evaluating my actions and actions;
I take a lot of things to heart;

I'm afraid of heights and flying on an airplane;
I don’t like moving and business trips;
I can’t live without sweets and coffee;
I'm afraid of spiders and insects;
I can’t swim and I’m afraid of drowning;
It takes me a long time to fall asleep at night.
Too trusting;
I don’t like to act to please others;
I don’t like to make trouble and swear, even when necessary;
I don't know how to flatter.

A universal method for writing shortcomings: select a few of your strengths and add the prefix of exaggeration - too responsible, too honest, too pedantic.

But there are also qualities that should not be advertised in order to avoid a negative impact on the recruiter:

Do you hide your shortcomings?

Not really

Laziness or passivity;
Fear of responsibility;
Lack of punctuality;
Distraction of attention;
Self-interest, I think only money;
Love for office romances;
Conflict person;
Habit of lying;
Absent-mindedness.

# Examples for the seller

Sales is a common profession, but when applying for a job you may be asked to voice your weaknesses. Therefore, you should be prepared for this. The following qualities will not cause indignation among the employer, but on the contrary will interest him:

excessive sociability, talkativeness;
increased activity;
excessive self-confidence;
need for motivation;
distrust of people.

# Examples for an accountant

In order to look favorably against the background of other candidates for an accountant vacancy, you can present the following qualities:

inability to lie;
self-esteem;
lack of agreement in work situations;
scrupulousness;
inflated sense of responsibility;
taking other people's problems to heart.

distrust;
excessive pedantry;
increased anxiety;
straightforwardness;
scrupulousness;
modesty;

# Examples for a manager

For a manager, it is more profitable to indicate completely opposite weaknesses in a resume. For example, you can use:

weak perseverance;
hyperactivity;
excessive demands;
impudence;

stubbornness;
self-confidence;
straightforwardness;
impulsiveness.

# Examples for a manager

Leaders can pay attention to those negative character traits that contribute to being a leader in a team. These qualities, in moderate quantities, even help in leadership positions:

narcissism;
excessive demands on people;
excessive dramatization of events;
strict adherence to the rules;
authoritarianism;
rigidity;
stubbornness.

For all occasions

Many people are afraid to write about shortcomings, believing that the employer will immediately send their resume to the trash bin. Of course, you shouldn’t be too frank, but you shouldn’t completely skip this section of the questionnaire. In this case, you can write about some neutral qualities that will not affect your work in any way. For a person applying for any vacancy, among the inherent weaknesses one can indicate:

fear of airplanes;
arachnophobia (fear of spiders), vespertiliophobia (fear of bats), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes);
excess weight;
lack of experience;
age (suitable for people over 40 years old);
love of shopping;
love for sweets.

This information does not characterize you in any way, it simply speaks about your fears or small weaknesses.

Good to know: Positive character traits on a resume

The following disadvantages can be mentioned:

I don’t always express my thoughts accurately;
I trust people too much;
prone to reflection;
I often analyze past mistakes, focusing too much attention on them;
I spend a lot of time evaluating my actions.

These are negative qualities, but they should not affect the work process.

Regardless of the position for which you are applying, you can write the following weaknesses in your resume:

I get so carried away with work that I forget to take breaks;
I can’t build relationships with colleagues because I don’t like gossip;
I can’t fight back in response to boorish treatment;
I constantly pass all situations through myself;
I let people get too close;
I don’t know how to swear;
I get noticeably worried when I have to lie.

What women value most in men

Human character traits - what they are, their description and characteristics

Girls love men who care about them and who make them feel confident around them. Everyone wants her chosen one to be attentive to detail and behave like a gentleman. Such small actions as opening the door or giving a hand mean a lot to women; they form their impression based on them.

Hugs a girl

What qualities should you value in your man:

Decency, the ability to restrain your emotions and be reasonable. Such a person will not allow himself to insult or humiliate a woman;
Courage, ability to take responsibility;
The ability to love and show emotions. Such a man will make a good family man and father;
Attractiveness. A real man has charm, a girl unconsciously reaches out to him and can trust him;
A sense of humor is an important character trait. Girls like witty guys who can lighten the mood.

Note! The qualities that women value also extend to appearance. Representatives of the stronger sex take care of themselves and take care of themselves, this is right, but some are too passionate about their appearance. Not every woman appreciates hours-long visits to the hairdresser for the perfect hairstyle.

Examples of character strengths for a resume

Even experienced job seekers have difficulty preparing an answer to questions about their strengths. Therefore, we have prepared examples to help you cope with this task.

Just don’t copy the example, but take it as a basis and adapt it to your situation. And remember: no lies!

QA Tester

When a new version of software comes out, I am the first to test it and get familiar with the updates. I love moving forward and learning every aspect of a new program.

For example, last week I discovered a software problem in the project " xxx

", which I have worked on in the past. I called the developer and told him about it and they fixed it right away.

This position will give me the opportunity to apply my skills and help improve programs within your company.

Manager, teamwork

I have always preferred to work in a team and have realized that collaboration is one of my strongest qualities. In the projects I have led, I have always achieved great success by inspiring my colleagues.

I enjoyed working productively alongside colleagues to achieve my goals.

Over the past two years, I have increased the productivity of the department by 10%

Copywriter

My strong point is writing skills. I always meet deadlines and never miss deadlines.

For example, I was once asked to complete a project that a colleague had forgotten about. The editor realized this only two hours before the deadline.

This was an important article, so I quickly got to work and was able to complete the work with precision and on time.

Not only did I not miss the deadline, but I also completed the work efficiently, because the article was well received by the readers.

Economist

I'm relatively new to the finance industry, but I'm good with numbers and really enjoy it. I love helping people save money and finding new investment opportunities for my clients.

I like to identify people's needs and find ways to achieve results.

Working as a freelancer, I helped my clients increase their net worth by an average of ten percent.

Salesman

I am an empathetic person who knows how to communicate with people and understands everyone's needs. During my summer internship, I worked in a call center on a helpline and received a call from a dissatisfied client with whom the company had recently terminated its contract unilaterally.

However, there was still no solution to her problem. I offered her alternative options, together we selected other contractors who helped her and she left with a positive response about the company.

I know how important a happy client is, and I am ready to be friendly, optimistic and focused on solving problems of any complexity.

Financial Director

I believe my strength is my ability to solve problems quickly and effectively. I can assess a situation from different points of view. This makes me a unique specialist, able to complete the job even in difficult conditions.

This approach to problem solving has allowed me to become a better negotiator. I can negotiate freely with both the board of directors and technical experts. My ability to see all sides of an issue helps me be a leader and driving force for the team.

Marketer

I know the industry inside and out. Having worked in sales and marketing for over fifteen years, I have acquired skills that will help increase company profits.

When I first started working for [previous employer], the company's sales were falling.

Under my leadership, revenue increased in subsequent years by 7% and 5%

respectively.

Energy Engineer

My strength is my work ethic and willingness to step in when needed. I'm not afraid to take on a difficult client or a project that no one else wants because I get good experiences with those clients and projects.

I love to take on extra work outside of my job description and do whatever is asked of me.

I pride myself on my ability to jump into any challenge and adapt to the situation to get the best results for the company.

You know what storytelling is, right? This is a way to give an answer in the form of a story, creates a pleasant impression. It is considered one of the key techniques of modern marketing and sales.

And employment is the ultimate sale. Your candidacy to the employer.

And the better you can formulate a story about yourself that focuses on your strengths, the better the information will serve you in your job search.

If you're having trouble understanding your advantages, ask a close friend or former colleague for help, or use our examples. Once you identify your strengths, a story with an example from experience will form itself.

Arrogancei

Having heard enough that the man is the boss in the house simply because he is a man, the not yet established “head of the family” may begin to turn up his nose, without any reason. Constant claims to power, arrogant “know your place, woman,” narcissism - seeing this, any self-respecting woman will run away immediately.

This situation is especially aggravated by the fact that the owner of cosmic conceit rarely has equally cosmic successes and achievements. In the list of negative character traits of a man, arrogance will deservedly occupy one of the first places.

How to treat: respect for the woman and a critical attitude towards yourself. It is possible to build full-fledged relationships only on the terms of an equal partnership. This does not mean that you need to humiliate yourself in front of a woman (they don’t like them either), but adequate self-esteem and recognition of a woman as an equal participant in your relationship is vital for any happy couple.

Who is the ideal man

The phrases “ideal man” and “dream man” are found so often that they are no longer given much meaning. No one knows exactly what this ideal looks like, what its character is, and what qualities it possesses. Everyone puts their own meaning into these words.

For any woman, the standard qualities of an ideal man include high intelligence, wit and respect. Everyone dreams of seeing next to her a handsome and fit chosen one who will give gifts, preferably with his own apartment and car. He must have beautiful eyes and a charming appearance. All this looks like a description of a prince from a fairy tale, but not a description of a real man.

According to family psychologists, the main qualities of a man should include:

Kindness is the first quality that all girls talk about when describing their ideal. A kind person will come to the rescue, love his children and value his family;
Reliability. This can be called a person who will not change his opinion and will do what he promised;
Ability to care. Everyone wants to see a chosen one next to her who will take care of her and say pleasant words;
Responsibility. A man must realize that he is the head of the family, the woman and his children depend on him;
Loyalty. Every woman wants to be sure that her husband will not leave her or exchange her for another.

Note! All girls are partly right when they describe real masculine qualities in their character, but many of them are exaggerated. For example, having a car is an absolute plus, but if a guy with a car turns out to be an infantile egoist, he can hardly be called an ideal.

Jealousy3

Just another form of self-doubt. In most happy couples, this feeling does not even arise, because the partners trust each other and do not look for reasons to doubt their beloved simply because she started talking to another man. Some couples believe that a healthy dose of jealousy will not harm, but on the contrary, will make the relationship interesting, but even they will agree that if a man is jealous of a woman at every post, there is nothing good about it.

How to treat: if every man seems like a competitor to you, capable of taking your beloved away with a snap of his fingers, then there is one of two things. Or they all seem more successful, smarter, more interesting and funnier than you, and then it’s time for you to work on your self-esteem. Or you don’t trust the girl you’re trying to build a relationship with at all, and then you need to find out if there is a reason for this mistrust. Perhaps you just came up with this reason out of the most common fear of losing such a wonderful girl? Awareness of this fear is already halfway to solving the problem.

Aggressiveness2

Rudeness, anger, insults and even assault are faithful companions of marginal families, and sure signs of the imminent destruction of relationships. An adequate modern woman will never believe in the monstrous myth “hitting means loving.” A man who shows aggression towards a woman will always look like a loser, compensating for his shortcomings on the weak and defenseless. Women do not stay in relationships with such people for long.

How to treat: find another way to express aggression. Punching bag, contact sports, violent computer games, after all. Beat your woman in Mortal Kombat and feel like a winner in life, if that doesn't make you laugh already. If so, then congratulations, you are on the road to recovery!