Example of personal characteristics

85 Examples of Personality Traits: The Positive and Negative

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Everyone has that one amazing friend who’s funny, smart, generous, and creative — in fact, just being around them makes you feel funny, smart, generous, and creative too. But what makes someone’s personality so attractive? Are they just a generally cool person, or is their particular set of personality traits just irresistible?

What Are Personality Traits?

A personality trait describes how a person tends to think, feel, and behave on an ongoing basis. Personality traits are characteristic of enduring behavioral and emotional patterns, rather than isolated occurrences.

For example, anyone can occasionally have a bad day and make a snappy remark. When this happens in isolation, it doesn't reflect a personality trait. However, when someone's typical behavior is to snap at people rather than communicating politely, then “irritable” is likely one of their personality traits.

The Big Five Personality Traits

While there are hundreds of different personality trait examples that describe a person, psychologists often list five main personality traits, called the Big Five. They include:

conscientiousness - the degree to which a person prefers to plan ahead rather than being spontaneous
agreeableness - how strongly a person tends to be kind, sympathetic, and helpful to others
neuroticism - the extent to which someone is inclined to worry or be temperamental
openness - the extent to which a person has an appreciation for a variety of experiences
extroversion - the extent to which a person tends to prefer being sociable, outgoing, and talkative

The combination of these traits can determine whether you are introverted or extroverted, open to new experiences or fearful or the unknown, agreeable or temperamental, and more.

Personality Traits List

It would be nice if we could capture the entire human experience into five simple words. While the Big Five personality traits help us broadly define and explore one’s personality, there are many more examples of personality traits — both positive and negative.

Examples of Positive Personality Traits

When someone always tells the truth, honesty is one of their personality traits. When they are the first to volunteer their time, you can remark on their generosity.

A pattern of positive behavior and attitude leads to a positive personality, marked by positive personality traits. These traits may include:

accepting
adaptable
affable
broad-minded
charismatic

compassionate
competent
confident
congenial
courageous
creative
determined
discreet
driven
empathic
enthusiastic
exuberant
fair
friendly
gregarious
helpful
honest
humble
independent
insightful
intelligent
kind
loyal
mindful
optimistic
patient
persistent
precise
reliable
responsible
sociable
sympathetic
tolerant
trustworthy
understanding

Examples of Negative Personality Traits

People are generally not all good or all bad, or all positive or all negative. Chances are that people have at least a few negative personality traits. (If any of these sound familiar, consider them an opportunity for personal growth.)

aggressive
apathetic
argumentative
arrogant
boorish
bossy
callous
conceited
cowardy
dishonest
disloyal
disrespectful
finicky
forgetful
greedy
impatient
impulsive
indecisive
jealous
lazy
malicious
manipulative
obnoxious
pessimistic
picky
reckless
rigid
rude
sarcastic
self-centered
selfish
slovenly
sneaky
stingy
surly
thoughtless
uncertain
unfriendly
unpredictable
vulgar

More Ways To Determine Personality Types

Identifying an individual's personality style is not an easy task. Personality is a complicated construct influenced by many factors. There are many ways to assess and label personality types, with each assessment measuring specific variables.

Some personality assessments group personalities into four types based on letter labels (Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type D).
The DISC theory of personality groups people into four types (Dominance, Influence, Steadfastness, and Conscientiousness).

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, there are sixteen different types, including ESTJ, INTP and 14 others.

Personality Traits for Characters

While personality traits describe real people, character traits describe fictional characters. Authors use character traits, also known as characterization, to guide story development and to move their plot forward.

For example, a cowardly character may finally find the bravery they need by the end of a story. A self-centered character may learn the value of sharing with others in order to fulfill their goal.

When these traits are negative and hold a character back from their goal, they’re called character flaws. A character must overcome these flaws in order to achieve their goals — unless the story is a tragedy, and their character flaw is the cause of their downfall.

It’s more difficult for real people to grow and change their personality traits (Wouldn’t it be nice if we could resolve our biggest personality flaws in a few pages?). However, we can take some cues from these fictional people and their character traits in order to achieve our own goals.

Character Traits List with Examples

Character traits are the individual characteristics and qualities that make characters from books, stories, movies, plays, and other art forms come to life for readers.

Use the following list of character traits as a guideline when writing book reports and essays about the different characters you've read about. Don't stop with this list, though; you can probably think of many more terms to describe your characters.

Search and explore the definitions of character trait with our sister company Infoplease's dictionary.

Values, Morals, and Beliefs Character Traits

Honest
Brave
Compassionate
Leader
Courageous
Unselfish
Loyal

Hard-working
Independent
Selfish
Responsible
Considerate
Self-confident
Humble

Looking for a printable list of character traits?

Our printable character traits list features more than 200 characteristics and qualities that your students can use for writing or a character study.

Download

Physical and Emotional Character Traits

Poor
Rich
Strong
Tall
Dark
Light
Handsome
Pretty
Ugly
Messy
Gentle
Wild
Joyful
Busy
Patriotic

Neat
Popular
Successful
Short
Prim
Proper
Dainty
Able
Fighter
Tireless
Plain
Expert
Imaginative
Conceited
Mischievous

Personality Character Traits

Demanding
Thoughtful
Keen
Happy
Disagreeable
Simple
Fancy
Plain
Excited
Studious
Inventive
Creative
Thrilling
Intelligent
Proud
Fun-loving
Daring
Bright
Serious
Funny
Humorous
Sad
Lazy
Dreamer
Helpful

Simple-minded
Friendly
Adventurous
Timid
Shy
Pitiful
Cooperative
Lovable
Ambitious
Quiet
Curious
Reserved
Pleasing
Bossy
Witty
Energetic
Cheerful
Smart
Impulsive
Humorous
Sad
Lazy
Dreamer
Helpful

Just like real people, literary characters have behaviors, attitudes, traits, and beliefs that give them a unique personality. These can be surface characteristics, like personality or physical traits - or they can be deeply-held values and morals. Writers develop characters with myriad traits to help readers build empathy or antipathy, relate to the narrative, create realism, and develop various plot points and storylines.

Looking for activities, lessons, and printables on character traits to use in your classroom? View all of our character trait resources here.

Recommended Character Traits Classroom Resources

WORKSHEET

Describe That Character Printable
Describe a character's physical and personality traits.

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Introducing Character Traits
Introduce the concept of character traits in your instruction.

WORKSHEET

Your Character Comes Alive
Answer questions about a character's implicit and inferred traits.

Personal qualities for a resume: what to write, examples

We praise and criticize ourselves in such a way as to interest the employer

Updated November 23, 2022, 10:45

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What kind of worker are you? Responsible, creative, punctual and friendly? Resume writing experts believe that such standard wording should not be included in a resume. RBC Life figured out how to describe your personal qualities in order to get a job.

Contents

What is it
What to indicate
What not to indicate
Tips
Negative qualities
Examples

What are personal qualities

Personal qualities are features of the character, labor discipline of the applicant. Typically, resume templates do not have a separate column, but for most employers, the information is useful, especially if it is illustrated with case studies. This helps to understand how a person meets the requirements, how he will cope with the tasks, whether he will be able to adapt in a team.

Often personal qualities are indicated in the "Key Skills" section, they correspond to soft skills, the so-called soft, over-professional skills.

Indication of personal qualities in the resume is a big plus if their listing includes a description of how they were applied at the previous job, how they can be applied in the future. If you write that you are sociable, then add how this helped you attract new customers or partners.

Anastasia NazarovaI. O. Head of Skillbox 9 Career Center0003

Personal qualities - what is inherent in a person and can be adjusted in the process of working on oneself: temperament, character, willpower, emotions. For example, if we are talking about the profession of an Internet marketer, for him “I quickly and efficiently draw up media plans and optimize campaigns” is a key competency, and “I have an analytical mindset” is personal qualities.

Daria Panova HR Manager iConText Group

What personal qualities to indicate in a resume

According to Darya Panova, depending on the professional sphere, personal qualities will change. For example, in the field of advertising, marketing and PR, the most common are "teamwork", "active life position" and "dutifulness". For IT specialists, judging by the vacancies, “the desire for self-development”, “learnability”, “thoughtfulness” are important [1], [2].

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To determine your personal qualities, remember how you were characterized by colleagues, subordinates, manager. Analyze difficult work tasks, what personal qualities of yours helped, thanks to which you overcame difficulties. Make a list, mark intersections, and create your own resume list.

Daria Panova HR Manager iConText Group

Indeed's top 10 personal traits to add to your resume have been identified by Indeed Jobs Site:

honesty;
liability;
diligence and organization;
ethics and loyalty;
punctuality;
flexibility;
ability to work in a team;
tech savvy;
creativity;
the ability to find solutions to problems [3].

Most often in the resume of candidates from Russia one can find "social skills", "responsibility", "diligence", "stress resistance" and "mindfulness".

Anastasia Nazarova advises choosing not from popular qualities, but from those indicated in a particular vacancy. For example, an employer is looking for a responsible employee - add “responsible approach to business”, “ability to complete what you started”, “ability to meet deadlines and deadlines” in your resume.

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What personal qualities should not be included in a resume

"Undesirable" personal qualities will depend on the position you are applying for. For a leader, modesty, pedantry, and straightforwardness are most likely unacceptable. It is more important to show that you know how to work in a team, are ready to resolve conflict situations, and have a developed emotional intelligence.

The popular quality "sociability" should not be indicated for specialties that require concentration and perseverance. The employer may think that you will talk a lot, and not do business.

Do not include in your resume those personal qualities that may not be useful for the desired position. It is not necessary to describe all your abilities for show. It is better to write only what can really come in handy, and what you can always talk about at the interview, giving examples.

Anastasia NazarovaI. O. Head of Career Center Skillbox

It is not necessary to list all your soft skills: the list can turn out to be large and uninformative. Focus on the main qualities - five will be enough.

How to indicate personal qualities in a resume

Study the vacancy, highlight the personal qualities that the employer is looking for.
Write down what qualities you have. If necessary, ask friends and colleagues, both former and current, to characterize you.
See what your personal qualities may be of interest to the employer. Try not to write a "standard" list that does not distinguish you from other candidates in any way.
Add up to five personal qualities to your resume in a separate section or in the "Key Skills" list.

The description of personal qualities should not be formulated in too much detail - you should briefly provide information, highlighting the main thing. Moreover, properly formulated personal qualities can set you apart from other candidates. For example, “I perform my duties in good faith” is better than the standard “responsibility”. Instead of "social skills" - "I strive to build working relationships based on trust and mutual respect."

Daria Panova HR Manager iConText Group

Negative personal qualities in resume

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Sometimes employers ask you to indicate the negative qualities of the candidate in the resume or questionnaire. Think of it as a kind of test. Negative qualities include:

emotionality;
perfectionism;
modesty;
slowness;
stubbornness;
ambition [4].

You shouldn't write that you don't have any negative qualities, it can be considered as pride and high self-esteem. In this case, it is better to turn a disadvantage into a virtue.

Carefully read the vacancy, proceed from what position you are applying for. Emotionality can turn from a negative quality into a plus, for example, for a children's animator who hosts concert programs. Slowness will not be a big minus for professions where perseverance and thoughtfulness are valued. Modesty will not affect the work of accountants, handymen, programmers.

Personal qualities in a resume: examples for professions

iConText Group HR manager Daria Panova advises how to replace the standard wording of required personal qualities.

Do not copy and paste examples into your resume. It is better to carefully study the vacancy, see what interests a particular employer, come up with original descriptions of a particular quality.

For manager

Communication skills - "I can find an individual approach to each employee", "increased the number of team meetings where each employee could speak about problems and achievements. "
Responsibility - "when performing tasks, I always meet deadlines."
Team management - "I can effectively organize the work of the team."

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For programmer

Thoughtfulness - "I always aim for a quality result, I carefully approach each task."
The desire for self-development - "I constantly improve my knowledge, skills and abilities" / "ready to learn" / "open to new knowledge."
Ability to work in a team - "I know how to listen, do my part of the work in a common rhythm" / "the ability to cooperate, constructively overcome differences."
Analytical mindset - "I work with a large amount of data, I can draw logical conclusions."

For teacher

Friendliness - "I know how to win over children, inspire confidence and create a favorable working environment."
Organized - "I know how to organize the educational process."
Punctuality - "I am punctual in filling out documentation, I have never been late for a lesson. "
Responsibility - "I approach every lesson responsibly."

For digital specialist

Creativity - “I am able to find non-standard solutions even for the most complex tasks” / “I am looking for original solutions to perform standard tasks”.
Ability to work in a team - "ready for constructive criticism" / "I focus on the team achieving a common goal."
Responsibility - "I distribute tasks by priority and urgency" / "I know how to prioritize tasks."

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Personal qualities in 2022 resume examples. Personal qualities for a resume

In order to interest the employer, it is important to correctly present yourself as a future employee. Describe your qualities in your resume. We show how to do this with specific examples.

Contents

What personal traits to include in CV

Personnel services carefully study the personal qualities in the resume of applicants for positions. For an employer, personal characteristics are important. They demonstrate the attitude of a potential employee to job functions.

The applicant for the position includes in the document a description of the strong qualities of the employee that will be of interest to the potential employer. The description should not be too detailed, the information is presented briefly, concisely, focusing on the main benefits.

Personal characteristics are presented honestly, as any deceit will become apparent during the interview process and jeopardize the opportunity to get a job. It is better not to indicate anything than to ascribe non-existent features to oneself.

Employers traditionally include in the list of positive qualities of a person for a resume the properties that characterize the attitude towards:

oneself;
colleagues;
labor activity;
things.

What to write in a CV about personal characteristics, the following information will help you understand:

Relationship type	Positive properties
To myself	Self-criticism Ambition Demanding Self-confidence
To colleagues	Sociability Politeness Willingness to help Openness Ability to work in a team Stress resistant
To work	Liability Mindfulness Punctuality Multitasking Initiative Discipline Organizational skills
To things	Accuracy Thrift

The strengths of employees in different areas of activity are different. Check out this helpful example of how to describe your qualities for resumes for job applicants in various professions. If communication skills are important for a consultant and sales manager, then for an accountant or a driver this is a negative trait that only interferes with work.

Which ones not to mention

The job applicant usually does not provide information about his weaknesses, unless the employer requires it. If the requirement is established, then the candidate should be careful when talking about negative character traits.

The list of properties that indicate depends on the position. An office worker, for example, should not mention love for children in a document, and sociability is not a strong point in professions that require focus and attention. The mention of an attractive appearance or athletic physique is appropriate only if a person is applying for positions for which this is important.

This is how the list of personal qualities in a resume for a woman applying for the position of secretary looks like:

organizational skills;
competent written and oral speech;
neatness;
execution of orders on time;
maintaining self-control in difficult situations;
conscientious attitude to labor duties;
individual approach to clients;
high level of labor productivity;
discipline;
flexibility of thinking;
dynamism in the execution of instructions;
good diction;
ability to listen.

And this is a list of personal qualities for the resume of a man applying for the position of manager:

ability to coordinate work;
ability to organize employees;
good analytical skills;
flexible thinking;
consistency;
objectivity;
ability to work in a team;
energy;
self-control in difficult situations;
personal approach to clients;
focus on high results;
purposefulness;
exactingness.

The CV does not mention:

negative aspects that hinder successful work;
negative features for a particular specialty;
features that are not required for work in the specialty in question.

Thus, the decision on which personal qualities for a job resume should be indicated, the candidate makes, based on the specifics of the desired position and the requirements for it established by the employer.

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How to describe personal characteristics

An applicant who correctly formulated the list of personal and professional characteristics for occupying the desired position is more likely to be employed.

The decision on what qualities to write in a resume is made in accordance with the requirements established for functional duties.

When describing strengths, mention features that reflect personality characteristics. Do not overestimate or underestimate the level of self-esteem. Objectively evaluate yourself and highlight those traits that are required for a particular job.

Using typical language such as "ambitious", "purposeful", you automatically get into the list of the same candidates. Employees of the personnel department do not focus on banal phrases. Avoid using the particle "not": its use has a negative connotation.

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