15 personal attributes examples

Jobstreet content team – updated on 01 October, 2024

Personal attributes are the unique characteristics that define who you are. Rather than what you can do or what you’ve learned, they’re your innate qualities and natural talents.

In the workplace, your personal attributes play a role in how well you fit in with the company culture. When you’re interviewing for jobs, they give the hiring manager an idea of how you work in a team and if you’re suitable for the role you’re applying for.

In this article, we explain what personal attributes are, why they matter in your job search, how you can identify and improve yours, and how to showcase them on your resumé. We also explore some personal attribute examples and tips on demonstrating these during an interview.

What are personal attributes?

What is a personal attribute? Attributes are the qualities that describe who you are. They include your attitude, character traits, and even some soft skills.

Some attributes may naturally be part of your personality; others are learned and developed throughout your life. Your personal attributes influence how you interact with others, handle challenges, and approach tasks.

Examples of personal attributes employers look for

Employers often look for attributes that match their company values and culture. Employers can gauge how you’ll fit into the team, handle responsibilities, and adapt to new situations by looking at your attributes. Here are some personal attributes examples for a resumé that employers often look for:

1. Honesty

Honesty means being truthful in your actions and words. Employers like this attribute because people who are honest are trustworthy, reliable, and act with integrity. Being honest also helps you build trust with your colleagues and clients, it’s part of open, transparent communication, and supports a positive work environment.

While honesty is generally the best policy, being too honest in the workplace can be harmful. Always be tactful and thoughtful about how you word honest feedback. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?” – if it’s not all three, then consider re-wording it or not saying it at all.

How to demonstrate honesty in an interview:

Be transparent about your experiences and qualifications.
Give honest answers to questions, even if the truth may not be what the interviewer wants to hear.
Share examples of times when your honesty benefited a team or project.

2. Confidence

Confidence is believing in yourself and your abilities. Employers like this attribute because having confidence often leads to better decision-making and communication.

When employees are confident, they’re more likely to take on challenges and be more efficient and productive. When you show confidence, your colleagues trust you and your decisions.

On the other hand, too much confidence can come across as arrogance and insecurity, and overconfidence in the workplace can lead to poor decision-making. So it’s wise to make sure you keep yourself in check. Keep a level head by maintaining a positive but humble attitude, and always being open to feedback.

How to demonstrate confidence in an interview:

Maintain good posture and eye contact.
Speak clearly and assertively about your achievements and skills.
Share examples of how your confidence has helped you succeed in previous roles.

3. Adaptability

Adaptability means you’re flexible in your approach, and can quickly adjust to changing circumstances. Employers value this attribute as it means you’re able to handle moving priorities, a fast-paced work environment, and changing the needs of the team, project, or client.

Adaptability helps you handle changing situations as they happen, enhances your problem-solving skills, and makes you a valuable asset to any team. A potential downside of being adaptable is that it might mean you’re accepting changes that aren’t beneficial to you in the long run, which is something to be mindful of.

How to demonstrate adaptability during an interview:

Share examples of how you've successfully adapted to changes in previous roles.
Highlight your willingness to learn new skills or take on new challenges.
Describe a time when you had to quickly adjust to a new situation and how you handled it.

4. Teamwork

Teamwork is the ability to work collaboratively with others towards a common goal. Employers value it because it’s essential for achieving company objectives and maintaining a positive work environment. With many different work styles and personalities within a workplace, it’s important to be able to collaborate smoothly.

Working well in a team means having good communication skills, encouraging idea sharing, and actively contributing to team morale. It’s always important to balance teamwork and your desire to get along with others while maintaining appropriate boundaries so that it doesn’t turn into people-pleasing and taking on others’ workloads.

How to demonstrate teamwork during an interview:

Describe a successful team project you were a part of and your role in its success.
Discuss your communication skills and how you adapt them depending on the team and setting.
Address your conflict resolution skills, with examples of how you handle conflicts or disagreements in a team.

5. Integrity

Having integrity means acting honestly and consistently committed to doing the right thing. Employers value integrity as it shows that you take work commitments seriously, have a good work ethic, and stick to your values – even when no one is watching.

Integrity builds trust with colleagues and clients, and your employer inspires others to act ethically and contributes to a positive and supportive work environment. However, be aware that being overly rigid in sticking to a long list of principles can lead to inflexibility and make you difficult to work with.

How to demonstrate integrity during an interview:

Share examples of times when you’ve upheld ethical or professional standards in challenging situations.
Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.
Match your values to the company’s mission and values.

6. A growth mindset

A growth mindset means believing you can always gain new skills and learn new things to better yourself. Employers value those who are eager to learn because it shows they’re adaptable, open-minded, and can keep up with changes in the industry or workplace.

Committing to ongoing learning helps you stay up to date with your employer’s needs and the tasks required of you. It shows you're interested in professional development, which makes you a valuable asset.

While learning and growing is important, it shouldn’t keep you from your work responsibilities. It’s also important not to overcommit and suffer burnout.

How to demonstrate a growth mindset during an interview:

Share examples of when you took the initiative to learn a new skill or technology relevant to your role.
Mention any books, courses, or workshops you've done to improve your knowledge and skills.
Highlight how your learning mindset has helped you adapt to changes in your previous roles.

7. Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness means doing your work carefully and thoroughly. Employers want conscientious employees because they’re reliable, have a strong work ethic, and pay attention to detail.

Displaying this attribute at work leads to consistently high-quality work with fewer errors, which means greater productivity and efficiency. While being thorough is good, being pedantic can lead to perfectionism and burnout, so it’s important to know where to draw a line.

How to demonstrate conscientiousness during an interview:

Arrive for the interview early and dress neatly and appropriately.
Describe a time when your conscientiousness helped you meet a tight deadline or solve a complex problem.
Highlight any processes or systems you’ve implemented to improve efficiency in your work.

8. Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think imaginatively and develop new ideas or solutions. Employers like this trait because being able to approach your work in a creative way can improve problem-solving and lead to innovations and improvements.

The ability to view challenges with a creative mindset can bring fresh perspectives and ideas, which is a valued trait in some companies, but not all. If you’re naturally creative, it’s important to make sure you demonstrate logic and consistency too, as employers want to know that you can handle traditional processes and routine work.

How to demonstrate creativity during an interview:

Describe your creative process and how this enables you to approach problems from different angles.
Share examples of how you’ve implemented creative ideas in previous roles.
Discuss any projects or initiatives where your creativity made a significant impact.

9. Resilience

Resilience is the ability to quickly bounce back from setbacks or challenges. Employers value resilience in employees as it means they can stay positive and productive in difficult circumstances.

Being resilient helps you stay calm, focused, and motivated, even when the going gets tough. Overall, a positive mindset is a great benefit, both inside and outside of work. While getting on with things through adversity is great for your employer, you need to make sure you’re not ignoring underlying issues or normalizing work stress by being overly resilient.

How to demonstrate resilience during an interview:

Use the STAR method to provide clear and concise examples of your resilience.
Give examples of maintaining a positive attitude and motivating yourself during tough times.
When discussing challenges, focus on your actions to find a solution.

10. Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is showing strong interest and excitement about something. Employers want to see that you are eager to work and fulfil the duties of the role. Being enthusiastic can also be contagious, motivating others in the workplace and creating a positive work environment.

Enthusiasm among employees often means higher worker engagement, good morale, and a willingness to go above and beyond. However, showing too much enthusiasm as an individual can sometimes be perceived as insincere. It can also be overwhelming for others, so make sure to temper your excitement levels to what’s appropriate for the situation.

How to demonstrate enthusiasm during an interview:

Express genuine excitement about the role and company during interviews.
Ask thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company.
Share examples of times when your enthusiasm inspired others or led to positive outcomes.

11. Attention to detail

Attention to detail is the ability to notice the small aspects of a task and ensure everything is correct. Employers look for this in employees as it means you’re thorough and pay careful attention to your work, spotting and correcting mistakes, and efficiently completing work to a high standard.

Having a high degree of attention to detail leads to higher accuracy, fewer mistakes, and better quality work. Plus, it’s an attribute that can demonstrate a strong work ethic. However, excessive attention to detail can lead to perfectionism and less productivity when completing tasks.

How to demonstrate attention to detail during an interview:

Emphasise your organisational skills and how you manage multiple tasks without sacrificing quality.
Mention any processes or strategies you use to ensure accuracy in your work.
Highlight any feedback you've received regarding your attention to detail.

12. Leadership

Leadership is a combination of traits that guide, motivate, organise, and inspire others to achieve a common goal. Employers look for leadership skills because they can be used to motivate and drive team performance. Employees with leadership traits also make good candidates for senior management roles.

Leadership traits can boost productivity and have the ability to influence positive change in the workplace. They’re not always beneficial, though. An incompatible leadership style can result in low morale and conflict within teams. It’s essential to develop a leadership style that suits the team and role that you’re in.

How to demonstrate leadership during an interview:

Discuss your leadership style and how you motivate others to achieve goals.
Share any examples of times when you’ve taken on a leadership role or demonstrated leadership qualities.
Ask about leadership opportunities that are available to you, either in the role or at more senior levels.

13. Empathy

Empathy is imagining yourself in another person’s situation and understanding how they feel and why. Those with empathy often have good communication and people skills, and work well as part of a team, with the ability to build strong relationships.

Empathy allows you to better understand people’s motivations and actions, and build social connections and networks. It can also help create a supportive and happy work environment. Be mindful that empathy doesn’t lead to unproductive decisions or compromises that don’t line up with company goals.

How to demonstrate empathy during an interview:

Demonstrate active listening in the interview and respond thoughtfully to questions.
Ask about the company culture and values that are related to empathy and compassion.
Discuss how you’ve used empathy to resolve conflicts or improve team dynamics.

14. Ambition

Ambition is the desire and determination to achieve success. Ambition is a popular attribute for many employers because it shows that employees commit to improvement and career progression.

Ambitious employees are motivated to set and achieve goals, driving growth for themselves and the company. Ambition can lead to increased productivity and performance and a drive for continuous professional development.

Be wary of showing too much ambition in the workplace, which can lead to a lack of work-life balance, cause conflict between colleagues, and detract from other traits like attention to detail and empathy.

How to demonstrate ambition during an interview:

Clearly communicate your career goals and long-term career objectives.
Share achievements that demonstrate your ambition and drive to succeed.
Highlight goals you've set for yourself and how you've worked towards achieving them.

15. Initiative

Initiative is the ability to figure out what needs to be done and take action without always asking for direction. Employers like workers with initiative, because they increase productivity and efficiency and can drive innovation.

Taking the initiative means you’re proactive: you see what needs to be done and you do it. You also spot potential opportunities and improvements, and have a can-do attitude to problem-solving. Showing initiative demonstrates leadership potential and shows a willingness to go above and beyond.

One drawback of showing initiative is that you can overstep your boundaries when you take matters into your own hands. If you’re unsure how proactive you can be, check with your manager before taking action.

How to demonstrate initiative during an interview:

Share specific examples of times when you've taken the initiative to improve a process or solve a problem.
Demonstrate how your proactive approach has benefited your team or company.
Highlight any recognition or rewards you've received for your initiative.

How to include personal attributes in a resumé?

When choosing attributes for a resumé, you must highlight the ones most relevant to the job you’re applying for. You should also be specific and show results where possible. Here are some tips on how to prepare resumé attributes:

1. Tailor them to the job

Identify the skills and qualities mentioned in the job description, and highlight your personal attributes that directly correspond to those requirements. For instance, if the job demands strong communication skills, emphasize your proficiency in public speaking or client interaction in your previous roles.

If you're applying for a job in a giant enterprise, your resumé will often be read by an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) programmed to look for keywords and criteria required for the role. By tailoring your attributes to what the employer is looking for, you can make sure you pass this initial check.

2. Show results

Instead of listing generic adjectives like hardworking or reliable, use action verbs and specific examples to demonstrate your attributes in action. For instance, you could rephrase hardworking as increased sales by 15% through implementing a new marketing process.

Use the STAR technique for structuring your resumé experience (situation, task, action, result) and include measurable results (e.g. percentages) where possible.

3. Keep it concise

Recruiters typically see many resumés, so keep your list of attributes brief and easy to read. Focus on four or five main qualities most relevant to the position – ideally, ones mentioned in the job ad.

4. Consider a dedicated skills section

If your resumé format allows, you can incorporate a skills section listing hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal skills and personal attributes). Having a dedicated section makes it easier for the hiring manager to instantly see that you have the relevant skills for the role.

5. Weave personal attributes into your work experience

When describing your past experiences, use action verbs and achievements to showcase how your personal attributes contributed to your success.

In summary

Personal attributes are your innate characteristics and natural abilities. They often define who you are as a person and how you interact with the world around you. These attributes include things like honesty, ambition and resilience.

When searching for new jobs, you must emphasise your most relevant attributes to the job ad and the employer’s company culture. You can improve your chances of landing the job by highlighting these traits on your resumé and during interviews.

FAQs

1. What are some personal attributes companies are looking for?

Some of the personal attributes that companies value include:

Empathy
Honesty
Teamwork
Adaptability
Attention to detail
Initiative
Resilience

2. What is an example of a character attribute?

One example of a personal attribute is attention to detail or being detail-oriented. Being detail-oriented means paying attention to the small aspects of a task, being thorough and making sure everything is correct. Employers like this quality because it means you have high work standards, and there will be fewer delays or costs due to errors.

3. What’s your strongest personal attribute?

Your strongest personal attribute is the personality trait you feel you demonstrate the most. If unsure, narrow it down by asking friends, family or colleagues to describe you in three words, and see which attribute comes up most.

4. How do I find my attributes?

Identifying your attributes can help you understand your strengths and how these can help you in your job. To find your attributes think about:

What you’ve done in the past
What people have said about you
What do you think are your best qualities

Reflect on situations where you’ve excelled or received recognition or praise for your abilities, and consider how these qualities match with what employers are looking for.