Good day, dear friend!

If you value concise answers, then the question “What shortcomings can be listed in a resume?” - you will receive it. I will answer right away, and you decide whether to read this article to the end or not.

The answer is as simple as five kopecks: c - no shortcomings should be indicated. I hope I didn't disappoint too much.

I can imagine that you are thinking like this: there are no ideal people and everyone has shortcomings. And you're absolutely right, but...

What is the purpose of writing about shortcomings in a resume? The resume should be designed to answer the question: Who are you and why should you be invited to?

How can your shortcomings help answer this question? That's right - none.

However, I would not put an end to this. We will need the shortcomings very soon, namely at the next interview. If not by telephone, then in person - for sure.

Why do we need disadvantages?

1. The employer needs them

Everything is very prosaic. The employer needs the shortcomings so that they have something to point out. A person who tries to hide his shortcomings does not inspire trust. They will still find your shortcomings, you can be sure.

2. You need them

Awareness of your problems is the first step to solving them. Your shortcomings are just as distinctive as your advantages. The desire to seem like a superman with a stone chin will not buy anyone now. Quite the contrary.

What not to talk about

1. About shortcomings that are critical to work. If you are an accountant, but you confuse debit with credit, this is not a case that you need to tell everyone about)
2. Never use templates that are worn to holes. For example: “I’m a workaholic and I don’t notice how quickly time flies.” Such memorized phrases cause nothing but irritation.

“I tried to sell memorized bullshit” - this is what your humble servant saw in the interview report of one of his employees. I think there is no need for comments here...

Your flaws should be as unique as you are.

Failures are also a plus

It is quite normal to talk about some kind of failure. For example, I started accepting delivery drivers without taking into account subsequent loading. Or rather, he made a too superficial forecast. As a result, I recruited people, but gave few orders. Accordingly, salaries are low, people leave and we need to recruit again.

The most important thing about failure is what conclusions did you draw? Your humble servant has learned to force his colleagues to make a correct forecast of customer orders and give it to me as an order for the selection of people. And everyone is fine.

By talking about failures and shortcomings, you show that you are a person with adequate self-esteem.

How to compensate for shortcomings

Everyone has shortcomings and that's normal. The problem is if you don't compensate them in any way. That's right, not so much how you fight it, but how you compensate.

Example: I have a bad memory. I can easily forget some important things.

I can fight this as long as I want, for a year or two or more.

But I installed reminder programs on my smartphone. They don't forget anything and compensate for my forgetfulness. It’s even convenient, I write down everything I need, what I don’t need I forget and free up my brain for more important things.

Sometimes a disadvantage can even be presented in a positive light. For example, the same forgetfulness. I receive quite a lot of confidential information from the people I talk to, but I forget it, which means I won’t spoil it for anyone.

My old friend, a colleague in the shop, is a person who is difficult to motivate with a carrot in front. He is motivated to action by the ass in which he finds himself. He doesn't hide it.

The main thing is that he understands his motivation for avoidance and knows how to generate the energy that allows him, like Baron Munchausen, to pull himself out of the quagmire in which he finds himself by the hair. And ultimately, to solve the problems at hand.

Not every recruiter will understand you. Someone will measure with stamps. But an experienced and thoughtful recruiter will understand. A competent person will always understand.

Take responsibility

What is really valued at? Your adequacy and responsibility.

Show that you are willing to take responsibility for your successes and failures.

Talk about yourself as a person who is the only reason for everything that happens to him.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again,

1. We do not write any shortcomings in the resume.
2. For the interview: We evaluate ourselves adequately. We find our shortcomings, which clearly exist. We talk about how these shortcomings are compensated.

Thank you for your interest in the article. I would appreciate your comment (at the bottom of the page).

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Have a nice day and good mood!

A person's strengths and weaknesses are often asked about during a job interview. You have to answer this question by writing your own resume. So you inevitably begin to think about your strengths and weaknesses. With advantages, that is, character strengths, it usually works out well. But with the weak... Is it really impossible without them? It is forbidden...

A person's strengths and weaknesses are often asked about during a job interview. You have to answer this question by writing your own resume.

So you inevitably begin to think about your strengths and weaknesses. With advantages, that is, character strengths, it usually works out well. But with the weak... Is it really impossible without them? It is forbidden! Recruiters - experienced professionals - will appreciate your frankness, and who knows, perhaps your combination of “pros” and “cons” will help them make a choice in your favor.

About the benefits of “soul-searching”

Every person has strengths and weaknesses. It would seem, why look for them at home? What can this do? According to psychologists, a lot. You need to know your strengths in order to feel confident in various life situations. And knowing your weaknesses will help, if not overcome them, then at least take control of them and engage in self-development. The latter, according to experts, helps in both your career and personal life, and generally leads to harmony with yourself and the whole world.

Strengths

Strengths taken together make for a strong character. Let's see what qualities and traits determine a person's strong character. This is all the more necessary to know if you do not want to be content with a modest position and low salary, but want to succeed in your career endeavors. The list turns out to be quite extensive.

So this is:

• professionalism;
• analytical thinking;
• learning ability;
• responsibility;
• discipline;
• hard work;
• patience;
• determination;
• self confidence.

Developing strengths

Professionalism is your knowledge multiplied by experience. If you didn’t spend your time in college in vain, if you love and know how to study, if you know your job well, you will certainly become a professional. By the way, according to experts, there is a fairly simple path to professional self-improvement. To do this, it is enough to read one book in your specialty every month.

But analytical thinking and learning ability depend on the level of intelligence. By the way, intelligence, according to the latest research, is transmitted through the maternal line. So if you got good genes, your parents took a lot of care of you as a child, and you studied diligently and didn’t play the fool, then you have every reason to add the second and third positive qualities from the list to your resume (see “”). What follows are strengths that you may not possess, but which you are quite capable of developing in yourself.

Responsibility

It seems that this quality is also innate, but in women mainly for some reason. It is not for nothing that there is even such a term as hypertrophied responsibility, and what is meant by it is precisely the female ability to be responsible for everything: for children, husband, parents, friends, animals, work, country, and so on. So we have nothing to develop here, except perhaps learn the opposite.

Discipline

This is sometimes difficult. Set an alarm for 6.30 and get up at the first signal, rather than endlessly delaying the moment of getting up. Arrive at work on time, not 10 minutes late. Likewise, don’t be late for business meetings or get-togethers with friends. To become disciplined, you need to come up with motivation. For example, it’s easy for me to get up early in the morning because I know that a cup of coffee with something tasty and an interesting read are waiting for me. The anticipation of all this helps you not to lie in bed.

And in order not to be late for work, try to see what a thrill it is to come to the office... first! Silence and tranquility, you can calmly collect your thoughts, make plans for the whole day and get to work. By the way, in the morning hours, the brain works more productively.

Hard work

Rarely do people have this innate quality. All humanity is lazy to one degree or another. And only hunger, cold and fear forced him to get up from the warm skin of a mammoth and do something useful. So we do: we get down to business not because we are tired of resting, but because there is such an inexorable word “needed”.

You need to wash the windows for the winter, iron the washed clothes, select unnecessary books and take them to the nearest library... But what a feeling of satisfaction comes over you when you realize that you managed to overcome yourself and accomplish what you set out to do. So you gradually get the hang of it and become... a workaholic in the good sense of the word.

Patience

This is when you realize that you won’t be able to get everything at once and right away. And you learn to wait, gradually, step by step approaching your goal. Career growth, by the way, is exactly what happens. Almost no one gets into top management immediately after graduating from university. Well, maybe some computer genius level.

Determination and self-confidence

You get these strengths as a bonus to the ones listed above. Professionalism gives rise to self-confidence (see “”). The more you know and can do, the more confident you feel in your business. And this helps you go your own way, persistently achieving your goals.

Let's add to the list

We also call character strengths:

• honesty;
• reliability;
• justice;
• honesty;
• responsiveness;
• courage.

People who have all of the above qualities are able to control themselves, their desires and actions, and therefore manage their lives and control their circumstances. Well, such individuals always inspire respect and trust.

On the path to professional self-realization, every person, immediately after training, is first of all puzzled by finding a decent job. Unfortunately, in our realities, this is not at all easy to do, especially if you are a young specialist with no work experience. Each of you knows perfectly well how important it is to provide a potential employer with a competent, decent resume when looking for a job.

At first glance, it may seem that writing a few words about yourself is not difficult and does not require special knowledge. But with this approach, do not be surprised if you receive a refusal from your next employer. The more reputable the company where you are going to work, the more important it is that a successful resume cannot be made completely universal. As a rule, it describes in detail your strengths as an individual and professional. But no less important is the ability to correctly pay attention to your weaknesses in your resume.

Man is a multifaceted being, and this shows his integrity; it is not for nothing that Abraham Lincoln said that a person without flaws, as a rule, has few virtues. Don't be afraid to talk about your shortcomings, which in certain circumstances can become your main trump card.

Tell the truth about yourself

If your resume needs to be written in any form, then focus on your strengths as an individual and a specialist. But how can you correctly describe your negative ones in order to still get the coveted job?

The first step in writing a resume is to pay increased attention to the style of presentation of information. You must write clearly and clearly, because during an interview you have the opportunity to get out and convey the necessary information in different ways, focusing on the listener’s reaction, and what is written is perceived unambiguously.

The main mistake that you should never make is ignoring the section of your resume where you need to write down your weaknesses. Many people believe that admitting one's own shortcomings can interfere with success.

However, this is a wrong opinion - the employer will automatically form a negative impression of you as a person with inadequately inflated self-esteem.

Ideal people do not exist; the employer will appreciate your honesty if you briefly talk about your negative qualities, guided by some important points.

Lack of standard

It is impossible to say unequivocally that a particular quality is positive or negative. In different fields of activity, the same quality can become both a weak and a strong side of an employee. A simple example can be given: if you are applying to work in a team, then your strong leadership qualities can only get in the way. But if you are applying for a position as a manager, then this quality is definitely your strength.

Be honest

The employer's request to indicate your negative qualities as a person and a specialist for your resume does not have the direct purpose of finding out about your weaknesses. This is done in order to find out how self-critical you are, how aware you are of your imperfections and the integrity of your personality.

Only an adult, mature person knows how to adequately assess his strengths and weaknesses. A mature personality in the eyes of the employer is a priori perceived as a more valuable candidate.

Indicate those weaknesses that can be improved

It is very important to tell truthfully about your negative qualities, but to pay attention to the fact that you are working on yourself, and not just accepting the presence of negativity, from the “Yes, I am like that!” series.

An example of such qualities: shyness or impulsiveness. You can say that these qualities manifest themselves situationally, but you are constantly working on yourself, in the first case, expanding your social circle, and in the second, trying to control your emotions.

Your weaknesses as a person can become professional strengths on your resume.

An example is this: you don’t know how to say “no” and in your personal life this quality prevents you from being guided by your own desires. But in the professional sphere, this quality can make you an indispensable worker who is always ready to carry out important assignments. This quality is especially valuable for specialists who work under management.

Present your strengths as weaknesses

This is an old trick that should be used very carefully. You can safely consider your workaholism, desire for perfectionism and increased responsibility to be your trump card in your professional activities, but think twice before writing about this, because the employer may suspect you of insincerity.

Some tips in the video:

What specific weaknesses of your personality can become a trump card in the professional field?

However, in some cases it is best to be yourself!

Interview question: your weaknesses. Questions about a candidate's shortcomings

We decided to prepare our own version of the analysis of the interview question for the general collection, perhaps some of our fellow recruiters will find it useful not only as an example of how to apply for a job, but also in their work. And the topic is one of our favorites - the question about the weaknesses of candidates.

Applicants often consider this question about shortcomings to be provocative or tricky; they suspect the employer of wanting to find reasons for refusal, catching 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 “peculiarities” the company can or cannot tolerate.

When asking the interview question: “What are your weaknesses?” or "What are your main weaknesses?", we want to evaluate:

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

Restrictions

From the candidate's side

Training. Candidates now prepare for interviews as if they were preparing for exams. Thematic websites and forums, career consultants and coaches do everything to ensure that the applicant appears fully armed before the employer. Answers to standard questions are memorized to the point of bouncing off your teeth.

On the one hand, this is bad, because getting anything even remotely resembling sincerity from a candidate is becoming more and more difficult. But on the other hand, the majority of the “helpers” listed above strongly recommend not lying during an interview, which is good. In addition, if the candidate took the trouble to prepare for the conversation, it means that he is serious about his career, does not like to leave things to chance, and the vacancy is important to him. And this is a “plus” in his piggy bank.

From the recruiter's side

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 the interview focus on this aspect. The candidate may be left with an unpleasant feeling, which may affect his perception of the company as a whole and discourage him from further cooperation.

When it comes to weaknesses, it is important for us not only WHAT the candidate says, but also HOW he presents the information. This is precisely what gives us the opportunity to cope with learned and unnatural responses. Behavioral reactions, calmness or nervousness, lengthy or monosyllabic phrases, and 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 spoken about himself, his experience and achievements. It can be addressed to candidates for any vacancies. The ability to soberly evaluate oneself is important in every business. It is rather the expectations from the answers that should be ranked. Managerial positions require a much higher level of reflection than executive positions. Potential managers can be asked to give examples of professional failures, describe the conclusions reached and the steps taken to correct the situation.

Rules for evaluating the answers received to the question about the candidate’s shortcomings

Let’s immediately make a reservation that during an interview the answer to the question about weaknesses can and should be assessed in conjunction with what the candidate says throughout the interview.

A person without a higher education will help you write a resume correctly, who in a short time has worked his way up from an ordinary sales consultant to the head of the lending department at a bank. Once upon a time, it was a well-written resume that helped me build a dizzying career. I have not been employed for 9 years now, but I often have to deal with resumes, since now I myself act as an employer (IE).

There are many services that can help you create a resume. But such a resume will not always help you find a good, well-paid job. The trouble is that people write their resumes as carbon copies. On the one hand, there are certain rules for writing a resume, but on the other hand, it is important to have an individual handwriting.

Your resume needs to be written in such a way that you will be noticed among the general stream of competitors. In this article, you will learn about the standard rules for writing a resume, I will also share with you my most killer tricks that will help you stand out from your competitors and show you the typical mistakes that people make when writing a resume and subsequent contacts with a potential employer.

Summary(translated from French as “summary”) is a document that contains brief information (previous work experience, education, skills, contact information, etc.) about the applicant for employment. This information helps the employer choose a suitable candidate among the many applicants for a vacant position.

Why do you think a resume is the main tool when looking for a job? What do you usually write about on your resume?

Beginners at my seminars usually say that a resume is an attempt to declare themselves and their advantages. Then I ask them to list their advantages to what 90% people are given the following characteristics:

• responsibility;
• communication skills;
• diligence;
• creativity;
• perseverance, etc.

I'm sure you write something similar on your resume too.

Almost everyone lists the same benefits when drafting them. ATTENTION! These are all standard, cliched phrases that you need to get rid of if you want to stand out from your competitors.

But what and how to write about your advantages? Below I'll show you some secret tricks, but first let me tell you a little story:

He asked me to create an advertisement so that when people saw it, they would immediately want to buy everything.

I then listened to him with irony. And already in my office I imagined for a minute that if I knew how to write such advertisements, I would probably now live somewhere in the Maldives and enjoy life, having a huge amount of money in the bank.

But over the years I have rethought what I said. Maybe because I was young, I took it literally then. But later in life this phrase helped me a lot and continues to help me to this day.

Now, when I write a business proposal to someone, or create an ad, or even when I fill out my resume, I try to make it in such a way that when the employer looks at it, they immediately want to hire me.

Still, I still have hope of learning how to write such advertisements.

The most important thing is to use this phrase to try to set yourself in the right mood. I noticed that when I sit down to fill out my resume and repeat this attitude to myself, my head begins to work differently. I end up with completely different phrases and sentences, the very essence of the summary changes somewhat, and the output is a completely different version than without this setting.

Conclusion: When you compose your resume, you need to write about your advantages not in standard, template phrases, but give arguments that, having studied them, your potential employer will immediately want to hire you.

Believe me, it works and this is being told to you by a person who has passed a rigorous selection process among dozens of candidates for positions such as the head of the lending department at a bank and the head of the sales department at a wholesale company.

Now try to answer, what, in your opinion, is the main task of a resume?

Here is what participants in one of my trainings answered this question:

A resume is a commercial proposal, the purpose of which is to sell you, or rather your knowledge, skills, and experience.

Inventory of your own advantages

In order to create a resume that would make an employer immediately want to hire you, you need to identify your key advantages. This can be done by answering the following questions:

• How am I better than others?
• Why should I get this job?
• What do I do better than others?
• How am I different from my colleagues?
• What significant things have I done in my career?
• What are my life achievements?

If you answer these questions, then you will have something to fill out the most resume viewable area which you can learn about from the short video below:

Video: Most Viewed Resume Areas

Answering the questions above will help you make your resume more personal, rather than generic and generic like most job seekers. Always try to stand out among other candidates and focus on creating a sales resume, the key to which will be your advantages and achievements. With this, you can very gracefully switch the recruiter’s attention from your shortcomings to your strengths.

How to write the most important part of your resume

Below you will see a sample of my resume. This option worked great when I was looking for a job. I'm not saying that this example is the ultimate in perfection, that it's the ideal solution, but I can say that this resume worked great and still works to this day.

Even now, when I am not employed, but developing my business, years later I receive calls from employers who have saved my resume and who invite me for interviews.

Important note: in the most important part of the resume, I do not write about what I have achieved in previous jobs. Here I write about significant things that have happened in my life outside of work, but that also relate to my professional skills:

Standard rules for writing a resume

So, how to write a resume according to standard rules, but using “selling” elements.

Step #1: Specify a name

Step #2: Position

We write what position we are applying for.

Step #3: Contact Information

Enter contact information. Indicate your phone number, or preferably two numbers, in case the first one is unavailable. As a second phone number, you can indicate the number of your wife, husband, or any other close relative or friend. Enter your email, these contact details are sufficient.

Step #4: The Best Part of Your Resume

The most delicious part of the resume that most often catches the eye of employers is the section that comes immediately after your contact information. This is usually the first half of the first page. And my main life achievements are posted there.

What people don’t put in there. Most often they write about the education received, which for me personally plays the last role, both for an applicant who has never had a higher education, but who managed to become a boss in a bank, and as for an employer who, when applying for a job, always looks not at the presence of certain crusts, but at real cases and facts.

So, if you look at my example, then immediately after contacts I have my main life achievements. This is the best part of the resume.

If you can interest the employer in this particular part, then the chances that he will look through your resume to the end will be much higher. And our goal is to use all available methods to encourage him to look through your resume to the end, to interest him so that he invites you for an interview.

Step #5: Previous Employment

We indicate previous places of work, and be sure to do so in reverse chronological order. That is, first of all, indicate your last place of work, then the penultimate one, and so on.

In this section you must indicate:

• place of work;
• from what date and until what date did you work there (you can specify the month and year);
• the name of your position;
• what were your responsibilities;
• what have you achieved and what made you stand out at this place of work.

Step #6: Education

After you have indicated your work experience, start adding information about your education. On job sites, the item about your education is sometimes earlier than your previous work experience. When you compose a resume in Word and plan to send it out yourself, then education should be placed higher if you graduated from some prestigious educational institution, or if your position is not considered without the appropriate education.

Since at the time of employment I did not have a higher education, which was a disadvantage, I had to lower it lower in order to concentrate the attention of employers on more important points. However, if I were writing a resume now, I would still lower education below. In my opinion, work experience is much more important than the educational qualifications you receive.

Step #7: Additional education

Immediately after this, indicate the courses you have studied and training completed. Indicate everything that can be called additional education.

Step #8: Additional Skills

Please indicate which languages ​​you speak. If only one, then there is no need to write about it. Or, if you speak Russian and Tatar, then there is also no need to indicate this, unless you are employed in a company where everyone speaks Tatar.

Write how experienced a computer user you are. And also write which professional programs you own that may be useful to you when doing your work.

If you have letters of recommendation from previous managers or have an agreement that you can provide their contact information to provide your characteristics to an interested employer, then be sure to indicate this. And for the future, always try to have a good relationship with your bosses, so that they can “put in a good word for you.”

Step #10: Personal Qualities

Fill out the section with personal qualities and additional information. Here I write that I have my own car, category B license and I am ready to use it in my work. This is especially true if your work involves movement.

I provide additional information about myself, what I do in my free time and what my interests are. I don’t smoke or drink, I consider these to be my advantages, so I definitely include them in my resume. The employer will know that you will not take smoking breaks, which means you will work more. He will understand that you will not come to work “with a hangover,” which means you will always be full of strength, of a sober mind and strong memory.

I always write about studying professional literature. And I’m not writing this for the sake of words, I actually subscribe to specialized literature and spend a lot of time on business books, because I don’t want to sit still, but I want to grow professionally, constantly upgrade my knowledge and skills.

I definitely write about what sports I do. Pay attention to the line: “I am fond of team sports...”. The key word here is command. By this I emphasize that I can and love to work in a team. Thus, I killed two birds with one stone: And I talked about sports, once again emphasizing that I am a healthy, energetic person, and I used the emphasis on the team, giving importance to my person.

My resume ends with duplicate contact information and a call to action. This way, we make the recruiter’s job easier; he won’t need to scroll to the top of your resume to find your phone number there. It is already in front of him and in large letters we ask him to call right now!

This is another small detail that none of my competitors have that makes all the difference. It sets me apart from my competitors and increases my chances of getting a call from an employer.

How to get a recruiter to look at your resume

If you think that all recruiters carefully read all the resume options that come to them, then you are very mistaken.

Let's imagine one working day in the life of a real recruiter.

When a recruiter is given the task of finding a person for a vacancy, he has a specific list of tasks that is limited in time. It is very important. Surely, you are familiar with what it means to have a lack of time, rush jobs, and the like.

If a recruiter takes too long to find candidates, he will have problems. He can simply be punished for inaction. Moreover, this applies to both employees of recruitment agencies and employees of the personnel department, which are found in any large enterprise. Therefore, the recruiter’s task list looks something like this:

1. Create a vacancy announcement, including information about the vacancy, information about the company, requirements for the applicant, working conditions, etc.
2. Then you need to place an ad
3. After which, streams of resumes will begin to pour in at the coordinates indicated in the advertisement.
4. All these resumes need to be processed and weeded out unnecessary candidates.
5. Qualified candidates will need to be called and interviewed.
6. After that, from among those surveyed, some of the people will be filtered out again, and the other part will need to be called again and invited for an interview.
7. Then, interview all candidates and once again weed out unnecessary ones.
8. And send the remaining ones for an interview with the immediate manager of the department where the required employee is needed.

I remember well the case when I posted three vacancies on one of the job search sites. I posted job advertisements around 5:00 p.m. And the very next morning in my mailbox there was about 70(!) summary. Just imagine how much work needs to be done to study all the letters sent. By the evening of the same day, the number of resumes reached 200 pieces.

Therefore, your chances of remaining unnoticed are quite high. Your task is to increase the response rate from employers with the help of a well-written resume. By the way, I recommend that you watch the video master class Resume through the eyes of a recruiter. Has this ever happened to you when looking for a job, when there are vacancies, but there are practically no responses to your resume? Have you ever tried to look at your resume through the eyes of a recruiter?

Today you will have such an opportunity. I posted several advertisements for available vacancies on one of the job search sites. This was last night. And the next morning, I received about 70 incoming messages from candidates in my email.

I did some research and identified 12 key mistakes that will reduce the effectiveness of your resume and significantly reduce your chances of being considered.

Right now, you have the opportunity to learn these mistakes and learn a useful lesson that will help you avoid as many as 12 mistakes when submitting your resume for that coveted position.

Video: Resume through the eyes of a recruiter - part #1

Video: Resume through the eyes of a recruiter - part #2

Ready-made resume samples and samples in Word format

Below you can download a sample resume of yours truly, as well as several resume options from our readers, who compiled it according to my recommendations.

By the way, if you want to get feedback on your resume, then compose it according to the rules of this article and send it to Email info doggy site. I'll give you feedback.

Cases and reviews of readers' resumes

Readers regularly contact me with various questions about writing a resume. I try to help everyone, so please contact me. Below are the most interesting cases:

Case #1: What to write on your resume if you haven’t officially worked for a long time

Hello Roman, I liked your article about a resume that sells, one of these days I want to purchase training from you about “I want to find a good job,” I need your help, please help. I’m writing a resume and I don’t know what to write in the resume in the “work experience” section, since I haven’t officially worked for the last 7 years, that is, before that I have experience, since during these 7 years I tried to work mainly on the Internet, where I mostly lost money and worked in network marketing, but in the end nothing worked out. Please help me write this gap as cleverly and concisely as possible. I plan to get a job as an engineer, either a manager or a motor transport engineer, I will look at the options. Best regards, Rustem. Thank you in advance.

Dear Rustem! I would not treat this 7 year period of your life as a “gap”. I am sure that over these 7 years you have gained invaluable experience, which can and should be turned to your advantage.

Indicate that you have been an online entrepreneur for the past seven years. Next, highlight the key competencies that you developed during this period. If you were involved in network marketing, then this contributed to the development of sales and communication skills. I myself was once involved in network marketing, I know firsthand that you have to get out of your comfort zone, call different people, convince them, highlight and give some strong arguments in favor of this activity, work with objections, try to fulfill the sales plan, etc. In general, think of your occupation as a real business and take steps to develop it.

Don't be afraid to speak directly to your employer about this. What are most workers doing now? They want to do nothing and get paid for it, and shirk work. You can write in your resume that your entrepreneurial experience has helped you take a different look at the relationship between employer and employee and made you more responsible.

Alternatively, you can include in your resume or cover letter some suggestions from your most recent work that could help improve the profitability or efficiency of the business you are applying for.

Let’s say that over the past 9 years I’ve learned a lot of things on the Internet:

All this knowledge can be successfully applied in any business, since now you can’t live without the Internet.

You have indicated the specific positions for which you will apply. Here you need to start from the knowledge that you have gained over this seven-year period and how it can be applied in your industries. Maybe you, as a vehicle engineer, can offer some kind of online system for tracking vehicle traffic or for accounting for spare parts.

Perhaps your experience in network marketing will help improve the control room of the fleet in which you plan to work. Or you can build a new scheme for selling motor transport services. This, of course, does not apply to the position of an engineer. But maybe it's time for you to reconsider your career direction? Maybe it's time to change your field of activity?

Try to answer these questions and write down your proposals, and then put it all together in your resume (business proposal).

Roman, what can you answer the employer’s question when he asks: “Why exactly do you want to work for a company if you are engaged in business? After all, there is more money and opportunities there. Still, 7 years is a lot of experience.” What exactly needs to be answered to such a tricky question?

Tell it like it is. In your case, the truth is the best weapon. Tell me, I overestimated my strength, “bought” the promise of easy money, millions, but this is not there. More precisely, maybe there is, but I didn’t succeed. It took years to understand this.

Entrepreneurship is a slippery slope that is like a roller coaster. Today you can earn a lot, and tomorrow you can go into a serious minus. Not everyone can succeed in entrepreneurship. When I started, I thought it would be different. I don't regret my attempt, but now I realized that I want stability.

Conclusion

So, let's summarize and consolidate the knowledge gained:

• Play by the recruiters' rules;
• Spend a lot of time writing your resume and approach the writing process responsibly and seriously;
• Get yourself a decent email account (no need to use email like [email protected] and so on.);
• Compose cover letters;
• Do not use template phrases, try to tell about yourself and your advantages in simple and accessible words;
• Highlight the key blocks of your resume so that the employer is sure to pay attention to them;
• Keep your resume 1-2 pages long. Don't make your letters too long;
• After sending your resume, be sure to call the employer and find out whether your letter was received;
• Be sure to call the employer and find out the result of consideration of your candidacy.

I'm sure these simple tips will help you create a competent and interesting resume that will help you stand out among your competitors and increase your chances of successful employment.

Use compelling, professional language when describing your personality, abilities, experience, and accomplishments. Ask yourself: what is my working style? What is my mindset? What are my goals? What have I achieved so far? What do I want?

For each statement you use, mentally ask a question that you might be asked at an interview: “your resume says that...”, “could you give a specific example from your work experience,” etc. Make sure you think of a really good one answer, which presents compelling evidence.

Words to use include: good, very, excellent, intense, energetic, active and patient.

Below is a more comprehensive list of persuasive phrases that will help you make a positive impression immediately. However, to make these phrases more effective, it is necessary to use your own personal examples.

Useful phrases to describe your abilities:

decisive and persistent
enterprising and active
reliable
good strategic grade and vision
results-oriented, consistent and methodical
independent and confident in itself
thorough and accurate
responsible, diligent and conscientious
has good interpersonal communication skills
works well in a team
searches and finds solutions to problems
tolerant and understanding
has good planning and organization skills
highly developed interpersonal and communication skills
high integrity and honesty
technically competent / skilled(in something)
energetic and positive approach
calm, responsible and persistent approach to achieving goals
responsible, confident in himself and easily unites the team
provides reliable support and creates favorable conditions for team work
full of energy and determination to succeed
conscientious and reliable excellent organizational skills
excellent communication skills
creative and innovative
active and dynamic approach to work
successful project management
purposeful
excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to work accurately and efficiently under pressure

Useful phrases to start sentences:

Motivated and full of energy...
Took part in...
Assisted in...
Worked on...
Was involved in the development...
Participated in organizations...
Managed / Supervised...
Gained extensive experience in...
Extensive practical experience in...
XX years of experience in...
Acted as...
Managed production...
Worked as...
Worked together with...
Successful... Achieved success in...
Responsible for...
Founded...
Initiated...
Conducted training...
Was engaged...

A well-written, informative, interesting resume can guarantee successful employment in a prestigious company. Among the components of the relevant document, which many HR specialists consider key, is information about achievements. How to correctly reflect them on a resume? What types of facts must be included in a document?

Priority of facts

Experts recommend that achievements in your resume should be supported by facts and figures. This will be more convincing than any beautiful words. The main thing is to correctly correlate the indicators with the positions that the candidate held at that moment, and not to confuse anything. Because, for example, a record like: “The client support specialist increased the department’s sales by 20% in a year” would look quite strange.

There is no need to be shy about artificially increasing the number of feats by reflecting personal achievements in your resume. That is, for example, you can classify those same sales of 20% (if you are really an expert in them!) into separate product groups. How? As an option - “increased department sales in the office supplies segment by 30%”, in another line - “increased software sales turnover by 10%”. The arithmetic mean will remain the same, but in fact there will be more achievements.

Non-disclosure principle

At the same time, when reflecting achievements in your resume using numbers and facts, you need to know when to stop. The fact is that in the activities of almost any company it is present, however, it can be contained in the very figures and facts that the candidate wishes to cite in his resume. Perhaps, for the former employer, the leak of such and such data will not be critical. But the managers of the company where the person is going may not like the fact that the candidate easily takes secret information outside the employing company. Experts advise those who work in retail to be especially attentive. Achievements in a sales consultant's resume certainly require numbers (like no other document of this type). But in many cases they will constitute a trade secret.

Reliability instead of numbers

What to do if, due to the specifics of the position held, the candidate cannot provide specific figures and facts? It is quite difficult, for example, to reflect this kind of achievements of an accountant in a resume. Or, for example, an office manager. They don't sell anything, but perform functional work. How should they be?

In this case, experts recommend focusing on the precise implementation of functional operations. That is, list job responsibilities with comments like “performed without errors.” And if there were some shortcomings, then that might even be good. If they were corrected, then the fact that there were errors can be turned into an achievement. It is enough just to enter a small explanation in one line with information about the defect: “I solved such and such a problem.”

Templates are useless

Achievements on a resume are an important aspect. But an equally significant factor is the form of presentation of information. It often happens that there are plenty of achievements, but for some reason the HR manager ignores them. The summary should be made in such a way that the person reading it has a desire to at least get acquainted with the facts contained in it, and not just skim at one glance. How to do it?

Experts recommend, as an option, to focus on reflecting the uniqueness of previous experience. So that when looking at the resumes of candidates with the same track record, the manager can see that this person really learned something useful from his previous job. And therefore there is a high probability that he will do the same in the new company. How to do this in practice?

Very simple. When listing previous jobs and positions (with achievements), give small accompanying comments. Such as, for example, “mastered the art of cold selling.” Or, let’s say, “learned the 1C program.” An employer always wants to see effective specialists in its ranks. One of the criteria for this is the desire to learn and master new tools at work. However, this quality must be reflected in the resume.

At the same time, HR specialists do not recommend experimenting too much with the appearance of your resume. It happens that candidates present information about themselves in the form of pictures, and sometimes even in poetry. Of course, this kind of resume may be in demand if a person is applying for a job in a company for a corresponding creative position. Of course, this format of presenting information will be a positive factor for the candidate. However, this is rather an exception. As a rule, due to his profession, he is conservative. In his attitudes, the invariable rule is that if the candidate is worthy of the desired position, he will find a way to present facts about himself within the framework of a standard, but at the same time informative scheme.

Achievements in resume structure

How to reflect achievements in a resume in terms of the structure of this document? Experts recommend not delaying the presentation of facts in accordance with the algorithm for presenting information. Personal achievements in a resume should go immediately after information about responsibilities at previous jobs. Regarding the content of the relevant section, as we said above, specifics, numbers, facts. No general phrases like “gained invaluable experience while solving assigned tasks.”

What would be a sample scenario for highlighting accomplishments on a resume? For example, a sales consultant? The facts can be reflected this way. First we write: “Work at such and such an enterprise, in such and such years.” The line below: “Developed an algorithm for communicating with customers, which allowed us to increase smartphone sales by 20%.” Even lower: “Sold more than 300 iOS devices in 4 months, while the department average was 100 devices.”

If the task is to reflect the achievements of an accountant in a resume, then the algorithm may look like this. First - place of work, position, deadlines. A line below: “Ensured error-free reporting.” Even lower: “Transferred accounting completely into electronic format using digital signature.” What about problem solving? And we also reflect this: “We made adjustments to the mechanism of interaction with the Federal Tax Service, which allowed us to avoid errors in recognizing file formats.”

Types of achievements

What other examples of achievements can be on a resume? There are a lot of options. Both exclusively professional achievements can be reflected in the resume, and, for example, those that are related to the business development strategy of the employing company. At the same time, achievements of the first type may well predetermine the second. In the first case, you can write: “I have mastered three such and such programming languages.” In the second: “I created an IT product that allowed the company to enter the international market.”

When achievements are still ahead

Of course, it is possible that it is problematic to provide examples of achievements in a resume due to their small size or because there is nothing special to boast about yet. In this case, experts recommend that the document at least reflect a sincere desire for numbers that are worth talking about out loud. For example, if we are talking about describing achievements in the resume of a retail salesperson, then it is quite acceptable to comment on previous work experience as follows: “Regularly practiced sales using Neil Rackham’s SPIN method.” The desire to master an effective technique in itself can be almost a greater advantage for a future employer than the successful results of its application. Therefore, if a person has not yet decided what achievements can be reflected in a resume, what to write as an alternative, we now know.

Reliability is the main criterion

When presenting facts, especially those related to regalia, the candidate is obliged to write the truth. Even if there is a temptation to paint inflated figures, for example, on sales. Or the pace of implementation of such and such solutions. An experienced HR specialist can check the achievements that a sales manager reflects in his resume without any problems. And therefore, experts advise candidates: it is better to forget to enter some facts than to indicate unreliable ones.

Incorrect wording

Experts note an interesting fact. Many candidates are confused by the terminology that requires the correct presentation of information about achievements in a resume. What types of cases are most common? Many HR specialists believe that this is either a conscious or an involuntary substitution of the concept of “achievement” with another, which sounds like “job responsibility.”

Let's study a few examples.

Many candidates write comments in their resumes like: “I performed high-quality work related to the timely sale of goods.” Or, for example: “Stably performed tasks related to software compilation.” Essentially, this is a reflection of the positions held. It is therefore extremely important to distinguish between responsibilities, functions, and achievements in your resume. Subjectivity in determining performance criteria is undesirable. It is necessary that the HR manager shares the candidate’s vision that such and such a fact is an achievement, and not a job description.

There are other interesting points of view regarding this aspect. Some experts, for example, believe that one of the criteria for recognizing a person’s achievement may be going beyond the scope of one’s job duties. Of course, if in this case we are not talking about a direct violation of production instructions. A good example: if a person, working, for example, as an office manager, encourages colleagues to take advanced training courses and organizes a joint trip to them after work. A new employer may well like this. And the manager may well reflect this fact in his resume. Achievements of this nature can significantly influence a positive decision on the employer’s choice of this candidate.

Achievements must be relevant

An important aspect is the relevance and relevance of the facts that the candidate presents in the relevant documents. It is also important to consider from the point of view of how to correctly present achievements in a resume. What should a candidate write so that the HR manager considers the information relevant and up-to-date?

First of all, you need to pay attention to the timing. Many skills tend to be forgotten over time. For example, if a person managed to master the 1C program, for example, 4 years ago, but did not reflect in his resume the fact that he had used it until recently, then the HR manager may not count the corresponding skill. Likewise, there are skills that require practice to master reliably. That is, if a person, relatively speaking, studied the 1C program in courses literally a month before submitting a resume, then he, most likely, simply did not use it in a real production environment. And in this case, the relevance of the skill is low. The manager probably won't count it either.

Of course, information about achievements should be as closely related to the intended position for which the candidate is applying. That is, the corresponding section of the resume should be targeted. By the way, the candidate’s ability to correctly place emphasis in presenting facts related to work experience is a significant plus for the HR manager. Even if, perhaps, some information about achievements seems rather modest to an HR specialist, the very fact that they are applied to the place is likely to play a positive role for the candidate. In turn, undeniably high-quality results, but not in line with the vacancy profile, will quite possibly make the HR manager doubt the prospects of hiring the person who reflected the relevant information in the resume.

Evidence of realism

Let's study one delicate nuance. We talked above about the fact that it is unacceptable to indicate lies in your resume. However, close to the presentation of false information is the tactic of reflecting in the relevant document facts about achievements that may seem dubious to the HR manager due to their amazing effectiveness. And this despite the fact that the candidate writes the pure truth. Moreover, the remaining components - responsibilities, functions, achievements - are built into the resume very competently. How can this be?

Here everything comes down to the subjectivity of the perception of facts. The fact is that a person, working, for example, as a sales manager, increased the sales dynamics of a certain product not by 20%, but by 320%. And if he indicates the second number, then it is quite possible that the HR specialist simply will not believe him. What if this type of achievement is true? Experts advise: there is no need to be modest in any case. Facts of this kind cannot be excluded from labor achievements. But they must be accompanied by a primary evidence base - one that, at a minimum, will force the HR manager not to put the resume aside as containing clearly fictitious information.

What options might there be? It is quite acceptable, for example, to accompany a phrase that reflects figures of 320% with a comment like: “Due to the successful implementation of a combined sales technique using the SPIN method and Steve Shiffman’s strategies, it was possible to increase the company’s turnover by 320%.” It will be more believable.

Another great option is to accompany your resume with a recommendation. Ideally, from a former boss or a well-known specialist in the industry, which will reflect praise for the candidate for precisely that same 320%. Then any HR specialist, even the most conservative ones, will believe what is written in the resume. Recommendations, by the way, are an excellent addition to the corresponding document in all cases. So it won't hurt to stock up on them anyway.

When writing a resume, most job seekers focus on what to write, but rarely pay attention to how to write it. Meanwhile, the logic and style of the text can tell no less about the author than the content. A well-written CV is more likely to become a ticket to an interview, while one careless phrase will make the recruiter put the resume aside and never return to it. Experts from the International Personnel Portal talk about how to choose the right words and place emphasis.

Create a text structure. In conditions of time shortage, a recruiter spends no more than a minute looking at one resume. If HR sees a large continuous text or “stumbles” on the first phrase, then it simply closes it and moves on to the next one. When starting to write a resume, you need to clearly understand its structure. Each section (goal, education, work experience, etc.) should be written on a new line. The font should be large enough, and the text should be as short and meaningful as possible.

Tell us your success story. The parts of the resume should be logically related to each other. The CV should read like a success story, where each subsequent section (education, experience, personal qualities) complements the previous one. If the job titles do not indicate career growth, then it should be emphasized in the list of responsibilities. Every sentence should add value to your resume. The purpose of such a chain is to show the recruiter that you did not just change jobs, but developed professionally and personally.

Eliminate template phrases. Resume sentences must be specific. You should not write a universal text and send it to all suitable vacancies. For example, in the “Goal” section, it is better to immediately indicate the position for which you are applying. The template phrase: “find a job in order to develop and achieve success” does not convey important information and only wastes the recruiter’s time. It’s also a good idea to show that your knowledge and experience will be useful in a new position.

Give reasons. Messages such as “performed various duties”, “carried out activities”, “was a problem solver” are also taboo. Your experience should be presented as an achievement, supported by numbers and facts. To do this, use perfect action verbs: “increased sales by 20%,” “developed 30 instructions,” “trained 10 managers.” Don't call yourself an "expert" or a "guru." The best evidence of an employee’s professionalism is clear goals and demonstrable results.

Don't write it off. Most of the phrases have long been boring to HR people. Regardless of the job titles, resumes are sent by “communicative,” “responsible,” and “trainable” applicants. It is better to demonstrate such a trait as communication skills with a specific example: “improved interaction with the customer,” “found a compromise with colleagues.” The same goes for “learnability.” Not all employers want to train a new employee. At the same time, the majority welcome professional self-development. The following phrases will help here: “open to new knowledge”, “constantly working on myself”, “ready to participate in seminars and conferences”.

Follow the rules. When writing a resume, hardly anyone remembers the Russian language school course. However, there are a few rules to follow. You should not pile up nouns in indirect cases. For example, the phrase “to improve the quality of customer service” can be replaced with the phrase “to improve the quality of customer service.” It is also worth replacing passive structures with active ones. For example, instead of “was completed” you should write “completed”. A fairly common mistake in a resume is replacing a verb with a participle, gerund, or noun (“process improvement,” “department management”). The use of subjectless sentences may indicate the passivity of the applicant.

Look for a compromise between “I” and “we”. In any position you have to perform different types of tasks. Some are decided collectively, others are the responsibility of a specific employee. In your resume, it is important to show that you are not only ready for dialogue, but also can take responsibility. Omit the pronoun “I” if you do not want to convey the impression of a self-centered person. A true professional understands and values ​​the contributions of his colleagues. On the other hand, an overuse of phrases such as “in cooperation” and “under the guidance” indicate a lack of competence and independence of the applicant.

Write simply about difficult things. Recruiters often have to work with a huge amount of documents. Accordingly, most of them are read “diagonally”. Write your resume as simply as possible, excluding complex phrases and subordinate clauses. It is better to replace words of foreign origin with Russian ones. Do not overload the text with special terms and abbreviations. An insufficiently knowledgeable specialist tries to cover up his incompetence with “smart” phrases. A true professional knows how to convey complex things in simple words.

Add some magic words. As a rule, applicants leave their contact information and wait for a response from the employer. Show interest in the vacancy and initiate a meeting. The phrases “I will be glad to cooperate” or “I will be glad to join your team”, at a minimum, indicate the politeness of the applicant.

The ability to write concisely and to the point is an indispensable skill for an office worker. Let your resume prove the phrase “I can conduct business correspondence.”