What's In Here
When reviewing your resume, the employer first looks at the “Work experience” and “Skills” sections. Then the employer reads the “Personal Qualities” section at the end.
However, information about your personal qualities can play an important role when the employer makes the decision about whom to invite for an interview and, ultimately, which of the two applicants to hire.
If there are two applicants with equivalent qualifications and experience, the employer will definitely prefer a specialist who more vividly and convincingly describes his/her personal qualities. And all because this applicant is more likely to be remembered.
Don’t forget that the employer is looking for a person whose personal qualities meet the requirements of the job.
Show that you have the potential to perform the job effectively – namely in the form of wishful personal qualities – and your chances of getting a job would increase.
Personal qualities are indicated in the penultimate block at the resume after the basic information is listed.
After that, you can only add a hobby block.
Fill this block with the utmost care, even if you think it is not worth to spend the time.
Every line in the resume matters. Use every opportunity to show your advantages over other applicants and increase your chances of getting a job.
So, we need to specify personal qualities. What qualities are important to emphasize?
First of all, you can find it in their vacancy announcement.
Often, the employers write themselves what qualities they value most. Include in the summary the qualities that your employer has identified as key one – and which you really have.
It is very important to show the employer the real picture, not the desired one. There is no point in listing the benefits that you do not have. At the interview, the employer finds out very quickly that the applicant has decorated the reality.
Career consultants from Resumeget.com says,
“A common mistake that applicants make is that they literally copy the wording from the job posting and use it into their resume. This is a tactical mistake”.
The wording should be your own. It should show you as a specialist and as a person. It must be unique, only then the section “Personal qualities” hit the nail on the head.
The personal qualities you add in your resume should not look like you wrote them in a couple of minutes. Standard qualities such as “responsibility”, “hard-working”, “honesty”, “result-oriented”, “ability to learn quickly” cannot be added because every other also uses them.
The list of personality traits you specify should be purposeful.
Concentrate on the job you are applying for. Each profession has its own set of qualities that are the best.
For example, stress management, the ability to concentrate on multiple tasks at the same time, kindness, and attention to detail is important for the secretary. But, system thinking is not as important for the secretary.
Here are examples of personal qualities for different professions. Remember that they should not be used as templates – you need to be guided by the requirements of a specific job.
Accountant
Honesty, accuracy, attention to detail, stress resistance, rapid learning. For the chief accountant are also important leadership qualities.
Manager
Attentiveness, initiative, vigor, resistance to stress, honesty, punctuality, responsibility, ability to respond promptly in non-standard situations.
PC Operator
Attentiveness, the ability to work on the same tasks for a long time without reducing the concentration of attention, the ability to learn quickly.
Call center operator
Attentiveness, stress resistance, the ability to learn quickly, multitasking, kindness, the ability to quickly get into work.
Sales consultant
Benevolence, empathy (ability to feel the companion mood, empathize), high emotional intelligence, stress resistance, positive attitude to life.
The driver
Responsibility, punctuality, non-conflict, discipline, time manager.
The First Job
If it is the first time and you have nothing to fill in the column about the work activity, then it is better to indicate the following in the section about the personal qualities of an applicant:
- the desire to develop yourself and improve;
- good memory
- energetic nature
- desire to work as one team
Nobody Is Perfect
From the information given in the previous paragraphs, it is understandable how to describe your personal qualities in a resume.
But, what should you do if the employer asks you to describe your shortcomings?
Do not neglect this item or leave it blank in any case. Because there are no ideal people. A reluctance to point out your weaknesses can alert a potential employer.
So, let’s consider which personal qualities you can add in a resume in a favorable light:
- Excessive scrupulousness or perfectionism.
- Excessive activity.
- Inability to cheat or trick.
- Bad habits.
Today, many firms and businesses refuse to employ people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle.
But a person who smokes would fit into the position of sales manager in a tobacco company really.
Appearance.
For example, overweight can be a huge disadvantage for many professions, but for a support manager or a telephonist who accepts a taxi order, such a disadvantage is irrelevant as no one sees her or him.
You should remember that there are no win-win options for the feature set. Even if you pick the right list, take it seriously.
Write down only the character traits you really have. HR experts do not recommend specifying more than 5 qualities.
Here is such a small, but universal set. You can take it on your note, but do not forget to indicate those personal qualities that the future employer expects of you.
It is very simple: you need to put yourself in the shoes of this employer.
Think about what kind of specialist you would like to see in your team? The right qualities of an employee for a resume are not templates.
Do you want to pay attention to you? Then pay special attention to the block “personal qualities”, and the post would be yours, we are sure.
