Character strengths and weaknesses: a list for a resume

How to find out your strengths

Many people are well aware of their weaknesses - shortcomings. Since childhood, they are first pointed out by parents if the child does not meet their expectations, then by teachers, friends or colleagues. Some even try to get rid of them - these shortcomings, they struggle with them, because they interfere with achieving goals and building relationships with people.

Constantly focusing on one's shortcomings and self-flagellation lead to low self-esteem and the emergence of various complexes and phobias.

People think much less often about their strengths and advantages. But in vain. It is difficult for a person who does not know his own strengths to love himself. Anyone who does not love himself cannot sincerely love others, and therefore live in harmony with himself and the world around him. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” says God’s commandment.

And despite the fact that this commandment is as old as the world, self-love until recently was considered abnormal and condemned. A person who declared that he loved himself was treated with distrust, called an egoist, because for years he had developed the attitude “Loving yourself is bad!”

Psychologists say that it is bad not to love yourself, because a person who does not love himself is subconsciously determined that he is not worthy of a better life. He is content with what he has and does not strive to make any effort to develop and move forward.

“I am beautiful, I am strong, I am smart, I am kind. And I discovered all this myself,” said the famous Polish satirist philosopher Stanislaw Jerzy Lec.

Loving yourself does not mean not giving a damn about others and striving to grab more, even from someone else’s garden. Loving yourself means first of all valuing yourself. And to know your worth, you need to determine your strengths.

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.

List of weaknesses

Of course, it’s not at all easy to admit your shortcomings, much less tell a stranger about it. But still, nothing can compare with a truthful and sincere answer.

It is important to follow one rule here :

talk about a shortcoming that will not directly affect the performance of job responsibilities at a new place of work, or about a negative quality that you are actively working on and trying to improve.

Examples of shortcomings or weaknesses:

Disorganization
Perfectionism (if you notice negative consequences)
Self-doubt, shyness, fear of public speaking
Procrastination
Increased anxiety
Excessive scrupulousness
Self-confidence
Emotionality
Lack of experience
Fear of air travel
Excessive trust in people
Restlessness

Some weaknesses for one profession may be advantages for another.

But it’s better not to talk about the fact that you are lazy, unpunctual, don’t take responsibility and don’t like making decisions at an interview with your potential employer.

List of strengths and examples of answers to an employer's question

Approach the interview without unnecessary anxiety. Never evaluate your performance in the position you had to leave. About the reason for leaving, instead of the phrase “It was a long way for me to get there,” say this: “I want to work closer to home.”

Give answers even to “strange” questions. The employer, as a rule, observes invisible reactions and the construction of responses. You can ask about the financial side at the end of the interview.

When applying for a job, you may hear very uncomfortable questions, for example: “Why did you change so many places?” It’s better to answer this way: I was gaining experience to move on.

Women will definitely be asked if they have small children and do they get sick often? To this question, answer that children will not be an obstacle to work and growth.

Examples of other answers can be found on the Internet. Never speak badly about your previous place of work, your team or your manager.

There is an example of how one young man said: “I want to develop and grow in my profession.” He was accepted despite frequently changing places. Don't devalue yourself and your work experience.

List of strengths

If you want to mention strengths in your resume, then avoid the hackneyed ones: “communication skills”, “punctuality”, “responsibility”, “performance”. Choose exactly those strengths that will be useful in your new position.

From the list of strengths in the questionnaire, you can describe the following:

ability to take responsibility;
resistance to stress;
honesty;
organizational skills;
conscientiousness;
reliability;
energy;
focus on results;
accuracy;
love for details;
initiative.

Examples of successful answers to the question “What are your strengths”

Before your interview, research the strengths that the position will require. This will be your starting point. Then relate them to your skills, experience, and actual character strengths.

The manager may ask: “Why should we hire you for this position and not another applicant?”

Example 1

The answer to the question needs to be thought through. Look at the successful answer to a difficult question:

I can’t know whether I’m better than other applicants or not, but I’m sure that I have exactly those strong qualities that will help me cope with the requirements of this position.

Next, you can describe the skills acquired in a similar position that will help you cope with the tasks. It is necessary to talk about the results achieved in a short time and express motivation.

Example 2

If you haven’t worked for a long time, the employer will definitely ask a question on this topic.

In this case, you must answer that they switched to temporary part-time jobs, but I need permanent employment.

Example 3

Suddenly you may hear a question about logical thinking, for example, why are hatches round?

Don't blurt out something unreasonable. Think a little, then say that square ones are difficult to roll.

Mistakes to avoid when talking about your strengths

The employer wants to have not just a professional on the team, but also a real, thinking person. Therefore, when communicating, avoid making common mistakes:

Overcome shyness and fear. Do not allow your voice to tremble, your hands to tremble, do not lower your gaze;
Don't appear unprepared for the position you want to fill. Answer to the point, in a confident voice.
Think over your answers well, avoid being reckless in them;
Don't show your bad health. If you are sick, call back and ask to reschedule. Don't talk about the disease;
Don't get into an argument, don't raise your voice, no matter how much you want to.
If you refuse, do not show despondency. Say thank you and leave.

Character Strengths

Assess your skills and identify your strengths. This exercise should be done before any interview or writing a resume. Come up with a list then divide them into the following categories:

Personal skills. Skills that a person gains in a work environment (such as people skills, planning skills, communication skills, and more)

Personal qualities. These are the things that make you unique (for example, hard work, friendliness, reliability and responsibility, ability to work without supervision, expressiveness and punctuality)

Skills based on knowledge or authority. Skills acquired through education and experience (e.g., computer knowledge, languages, additional courses, training and technical capabilities).

Strengths and weaknesses relative to the position

Each position has a special list of character strengths and weaknesses that the employer will definitely pay attention to. For a manager to see you as an ideal employee, you need to maintain a balance.

Each profession has its own standards, for example, for a salesperson the following are important: positive thinking, self-confidence, resistance to stress, politeness, and the desire for development.

There are character flaws that are not very welcome: excessive talkativeness, sociability, distrust of people.

On the contrary, a manager is encouraged to have sociability, the ability to listen, as well as a focus on achieving results, literacy, punctuality, and politeness.

Hyperactivity and excessive adherence to principles are not welcome.

Thus, each profession has its own standards that must be taken into account when applying for a job.

Strengths according to Gallup researchers

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

Helpful tips on how to better understand your strengths and weaknesses

What to write on your resume or answer when talking with an employer to get the desired job?

Be as honest as possible. Honest answers will usually prevent you from being confused when talking to an experienced employer. Think first, then give an answer.
Choose the strengths that are needed in a given position. To do this, study the requirements for the employee, and then find the required aspects for this position in the personal character traits.
Don't be afraid to mention your weaknesses. Just never say that you don't have them.
Never blame anyone. Know how to take responsibility.
Turn off the chatterbox syndrome. The employer can provoke frankness. Keep your mouth shut and don't say too much. Frankness can prevent you from taking the expected position.
Don't deviate from the channel, talk only about new work. Give only adequate answers.