A well-written resume allows the employer to get a complete picture of the person. For many, not only the work experience and education of employees, but also their personal qualities matter. Therefore, you should not ignore the item "additional information about yourself". At the same time, indicating everything that comes to mind is undesirable, because some facts can change the impression of the applicant for the worse. We will talk about what information should be written in the resume, and about which is better to be silent, in the article.
What information can be provided?
Personal qualities
The block of additional information about the applicant is unregulated. However, it should indicate only what matters within the framework of the vacancy under consideration. Each person has a whole set of personal qualities, but you do not need to describe in detail your character and temperament. It is important to emphasize those traits that may be associated with professional activities.
It is also worth noting that although a resume is a business document, dry listing of qualities will not impress the employer. On the contrary, it will seem that you thoughtlessly copied a sample from the Internet. Expand each concept, explain what you mean. For example, if you work in a large team or constantly contact customers, sociability will be a determining factor. At the same time, you should not limit yourself to indicating this word. You will be positively characterized by phrases that you easily find a common language with people, build business relationships based on mutual respect.
Stress resistance is another plus for a service worker. Instead of this term, you can write that you know how to resolve conflict situations. Responsible workers are appreciated in any company. Therefore, you can indicate that you are punctual, attentive to the wishes of customers, clearly and quickly complete work tasks. If you consider yourself a purposeful person, do not inform about it unfoundedly. Better write about your significant achievements (if they relate to your chosen field of activity).
If you have a little experience, but are willing to study hard, indicate this point. However, it will be better if you can reinforce the phrase “good learning” with some facts. Maybe you regularly attend seminars on the topic of your activity, study professional literature, plan to enroll in continuing education courses.
You can simply write that you are ready to learn in order to quickly enter the workflow.
Additional education
It is also not worth mentioning all the courses that you have gone through in your life. The employer will be interested only in the knowledge you have acquired that is related to a particular vacancy. For example, participation in a culinary master class on cooking exotic dishes will come in handy if you are getting a job as a cook and it will be completely unimportant if you apply for the position of secretary-referent.
Special Skills
Particularly important here. For some professions (for example, a driver), the ability to drive vehicles is important. In this case, it is worth clarifying which category you have a driver's license. Do not forget to indicate if you have any experience driving cars or trucks (how many years). Sometimes, an additional plus is owning your own car (for example, if you get a job as a manager). In this case, it is not necessary to indicate the make of the car, but it is necessary to inform about its availability.
If you know foreign languages, it is worth clarifying at what level you speak them. Maybe you speak fluently, or maybe you can just translate with a dictionary. In this situation, you can report on the availability of diplomas issued at educational institutions or courses (if any). It would be useful to say about an internship abroad, if it was.
“Computer knowledge” is also too general a phrase. For the employer to immediately understand what programs you know, list them. Of course, it is worth considering the specifics of the profession and writing only about what is relevant to it.
For example, for an accountant, knowledge of 1C is important, and for a web designer, Adobe Photoshop and Corel Draw.
Awards, achievements and rewards
If you have successfully participated in exhibitions or competitions related to the industry in which you want to work, please report this. Diplomas, diplomas and prizes will say about you as a co-worker desired by the company. If you took part in the Olympiads at the relevant institute and took first places, this will also be a plus. It would be useful to attach letters of appreciation from clients or a laudatory description from the former boss to the resume.
Special wishes
If you have special wishes regarding future work, you can also indicate them. However, it should be understood that nobody will adjust the whole system for you. Therefore, in general, you need to specify only the factors that limit you in a particular issue. For example, if you can’t work at night and stay at work on weekends due to family circumstances, it’s better to write about this immediately in the resume. The main thing is to avoid negative language.
In terms of psychology A job seeker who does not want to do anything is perceived by the employer negatively. It doesn’t matter what the issue is about. Changing the wording from “do not work at night” to “preferred schedule: from 8:00 to 17:00” immediately changes the overall impression of the resume. And you can also specify some preferences if the profession allows the choice of direction.
For example, if you get a job in a dining room or restaurant, you can write that you prefer to cook desserts or hot dishes.
What is not worth writing?
As mentioned earlier, it is not worth reporting all the details of your life, hobbies and activities that are not related to your future profession. This is especially true for hobbies that girls and women like to paint. It is believed that if a person talks about what he does in his free time, this will contribute to creating an image of an interesting and versatile personality. However, this is not always the case. The hobby of an accountant is knitting, and a manager is not interested in floriculture. If a hobby can somehow improve your professional skills, this is a completely different matter. For example, a passion for psychology can help an advertising agent or other specialist who engages in personal conversations with clients.
No need to write about things that can ruin your impression of you. Suppose if you are a supporter of a healthy lifestyle, exercise and eat properly, you can mention this. This will be especially appreciated where strong and hardy people are required. But about bad habits (for example, about smoking, alcohol abuse) can not be written. Passion for gambling will also be perceived with a negative.
In some cases, a completely “healthy” hobby may not play in favor of the applicant. If your hobby is connected with risk, the probability of injury is increased. Not every leader will be glad to see in his staff a person who can lose his ability to work at any time. Boxing, martial arts are perceived ambiguously. Some people think that people involved in sports are too aggressive. Do not write about your religious beliefs (they may not coincide with the beliefs of future bosses). Passion for esotericism can also be perceived with bewilderment.
It is impossible to put your conditions in a resume. Phrases like “I don't work on weekends,” “I don't go on business trips” are better to reformulate. And expressions like "looking for work near home" are not at all permissible. Before sending a resume, a responsible person always carefully studies the features of the proposed vacancy, learns about the location of the company and the requirements for employees. Accordingly, sending a request to a company whose working conditions are not suitable for you is simply silly.
Recommendations
Young mothers often indicate in a summary the age of the baby. However, if the child is small, this will lead the manager to the idea that his future employee will often go to the hospital to care for her daughter or son. This can especially be a problem if work involves a permanent presence in the office and a great responsibility. If you have a grandmother or other family member who can look after the child during illness or other unforeseen situations, you can just write about this in the additional information section. So you will convince the authorities that the family situation does not interfere with your work.
Desired income level is another sensitive issue. Not every job announcement indicates the size of the proposed salary. By announcing a minimum rate for you, you save yourself from wasting time interviewing for vacancies with too low a salary. But some are afraid of selling themselves too "cheaply" and indicate large amounts, missing acceptable options. There may be a reverse situation - you may be hired for the position that you indicated, although initially the manager planned to pay the future employee more. A rare boss will miss the opportunity to save money and not hire a person with modest needs. Thus, to indicate the desired salary is a question that everyone must decide for himself, depending on the situation.
Important! If you consider different professions and send a resume to one company for several positions at once, you can combine all the skills and qualities that apply to all of these options.
If you compose separate documents for each profession and send them to different companies, adjust each resume in accordance with a specific case.
Examples
Here are some examples of successfully filled resume items with additional information about the applicant.
For the manager, the following information is suitable:
- own car, category B rights, driving experience - 10 years;
- ready for irregular schedule, business trips of any duration;
- I easily find a common language with people, I have it for myself, I have extensive experience in concluding contracts.
For the administrator, you can specify items such as:
- knowledge of basic PC programs and office equipment;
- document management skills, development of instructions and schedules;
- experience in managing small teams (up to 15 people);
- I can quickly resolve disputes, smooth out conflicts.
For an accountant, the following information should be indicated:
- Married, child 12 years old;
- knowledge of 1C, office programs, office equipment;
- participation in annual seminars on accounting and auditing;
- I can work overtime during reporting periods.
For the cook, information such as:
- participation in master classes by Italian chefs;
- experience in organizing banquets;
- participation in a cooking show in front of guests.