How to Describe Yourself: 180 Words for Your Positive Qualities

Updated on November 10, 2019

Susana has a background in self development training which includes helping people describe themselves and their positive qualities.

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Describe Yourself for Dating, Job Interviews, Resumes & School Homework

Learning how to describe yourself accurately is something we usually have to put some effort into. This seems to be especially true in most western cultures, where being honest about our skills, qualities, and attributes can be confused with being arrogant, "blowing your own trumpet," and being excessively self-indulgent.

If we do learn to describe ourselves, we can become being our own confidence guru and simply acknowledge and appreciate our own positive qualities.

Ready? Scroll down for list of 180 adjectives to help you describe yourself.

Are You Empathetic?

Words to Describe Yourself Professionally

If you've already been interviewed for a job, you know the question: What would you say is your best quality? It can be an uncomfortable question to answer, especially since you're already nervous about the interview. What do they want to hear?

The good news is that it's possible to be completely honest. Because we can all identify with 90% of these adjectives in some situation or other, I suggest picking 10 to 15 words that describe you most of the time, regardless of the situation. It might be helpful to think about who are you when you are on your own, doing your own thing. There will be very few other people who will identify the exact same combination, because we're all different.

Once you've come up with a few words, think of situations from your life that demonstrate that quality.

Unique Adjectives to Use on a Resume


Inventive	Exciting	Thoughtful
Powerful	Practical	Proactive
Productive	Professional	Meticulous
Quick	Balanced	Achiever
Knowledgeable	Leader	Diplomatic
Logical	Initiator	Original
Outgoing	Particular	Patient
Active	Positive	Consistent
Compassionate	Incredible	Independent
Precise	Mediator	Emotional
Cheerful	Forgiving	Responsive
Candid	Industrious	Cooperative

Are You Analytical?

Positive Descriptive Words to Use in a Job Interview


Honest	Assertive	Attentive
Direct	Broad-Minded	Committed
Conscientious	Dynamic	Customer-Oriented
Persistent	Mature	Methodical
Motivated	Objective	Tenacious
Sociable	Friendly	Realistic
Reliable	Resourceful	Respectful
Responsible	Creative	Confident
Traditional	Trustworthy	Unconventional
Unique	Ecclectic	Observant
Innovative	Imaginative	Thorough

Why It's Important to Know Your Strengths

From my experience delivering training programs and seminars about building confidence and self-esteem, people get very quiet when they're are asked to describe five of their best qualities. "I don't know" is the most common response.

Conversely, we're all pretty good at listing our faults and failings. It's as if people don't dare to ask the question, "What's good about me?"

If this describes you, then it's even more important for you to do this exercise. Words are powerful! If you come up with a list of your best traits, even if it feels awkward to do so, you'll start believing them! This confidence will help you out in both your career and your personal life.

Are You Creative?

Positive Descriptions for College Applications


Optimistic	Accomplished	Adept
Analytical	Articulate	Artistic
Self-Disciplined	Controversial	Individual
Tolerant	Reflective	Participatory
Selfless	Sophisticated	Commited
Strong	Successful	Diplomatic
Talented	Team player	Fun
Intelligent	Changeable	Passionate
Intense	Intuitive	Upbeat
Vibrant	Funny	Constructive
Hard-Working	Dependable	Direct
Collaborative	Loyal	Engaged
Empathetic	Observant	Thoughtful

Why Do You Want to Describe Yourself?

What made you want to know how to describe yourself?

Are You Diplomatic?

How to Turn a "Negative" Into a Positive

What would you say if you were asked, "What's your biggest weakness?"

Not sure? You might even wonder why employers even ask such a weird question. The objective with a question like this is to see how a person responds when they're thrown off base a little. It's also a way to force an applicant to reflect on how they've grown or want to grow.

The key to answering this question successfully is to show that you've reflected on your personality and have identified ways to improve.

Come up with a few words that you think describe your negative traits. Here are a few examples:

controlling
rude
shy

Ok, now with a little thinking and reflection these traits could provide insights into your best qualities. For example, a controlling person might have a hard time asking for help. Have you ever wished you'd accepted an offer of help from a friend or co-worker? Are you aware of the benefits of not always being in charge? If so, you're looking for opportunities to let go and work with others for better results.

Rudeness can easily be re-framed as bluntness and honesty. But you may feel that you can be a bit too honest at times. Describe a situation when you said something that may have been true, but that you wished you'd kept to yourself. Then explain that you're working on making your feedback more constructive.

There's nothing wrong with shyness, but you may feel that it holds you back from participating fully. Maybe there have been times when you wished you'd been more assertive. Explain that you're working on speaking up more and overcome your fear of offending others.

Words to Describe Yourself on Online Dating Sites


Direct	Enthusiastic	Spontaneous
Open	Adventurous	Lighthearted
Communicative	Passionate	Witty
Self-Aware	Playful	Strong-Willed
Easy-Going	Intellectual	Silly
Responsive	Big-Hearted	Intense

Unique Adjectives to Describe Your Personality


Competitive	Political	Socially Conscious
Modest	Courageous	Enthusiastic
Enterprising	Entrepreneurial	Facilitator
Focused	Genuine	Open-Minded
Wise	Sensitive	Witty
Sensible	Sincere	Skilled
Solid	Communicative	Helpful
Fast	Responsible	Results-Driven
Results-Oriented	Self-Reliant	Organised
Knowledgeable	Logical	Personable
Amiable	Flexible	Adaptable
Persuasive	Perceptive	Insightful
Trustworthy	Easy-Going	Visionary
Imaginative	Warm	Ambitious
Diplomatic	Curious	Persuasive

Take This Quiz: Which Words Describe You?

Question 1/12

When someone tells you they are sad, do you feel sad too?

Yes, always.
Pretty often, but not all the time.
No, never.

view quiz statistics

Ask Yourself Now: "What's good about you?"

How many descriptive words can you come up with? Knowing how to describe yourself is something that comes in very useful especially on resumes, on job applications, and when meeting new people.

On top of that, many of us use dating websites or forums and have profile pages on various websites that ask us to describe ourselves or provide a bio. In the online world, the only tools we have available to make an impression are words. So using them to create a good online perception and making the most of our online relationships is important.

An added bonus to knowing how to describe our positive qualities is that it helps us combat all the negative talk that goes on in our heads -- the voice that continually tells us what and where we're going wrong.

What to Do With Your List of Positive Qualities

So, how did you get on? How does it feel to identify your positive qualities? Good, I hope!

You may have undertaken this exercise because your teacher asked you to. Perhaps you're about to interview for a job or are making an online profile. In any case, here are some "next steps" to make the best use of the list you've made:

Look over your list of adjectives. Say them out loud to yourself with "I am . . ." before each one.
If you are interviewing for a job, look back at the job description and circle all the adjectives and phrases on your list that best relate to the position. Pick two or three words that relate to both you and to the job.
Be prepared to give examples of specific times when you've demonstrated the adjectives that you've chosen. For example, if you tell the interviewer that you're "reliable," describe projects you have completed on deadline or times when an employer or teacher have commented that they can count on you.
If you're applying to a school or university, read over the school's website and look for clues about the kind of student they are looking for. All schools want students that are "hard-working," "inquisitive," and "persistent." Show them your unique qualities. Are you particularly creative and imaginative? Are you exceptionally focused and determined? Do you have a big heart for social justice? Toot your own horn!

How Do I Describe Myself?


Perceptive	Down-to-Earth	Open-Minded
Knowledgable	Logical	Analytical
Quick learner	Genuine	Warm
Inventive	Rebellious	Generous
	Insightful

These are some of the words that I think best describe me.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question:
How can I describe myself in three words?

Answer:

Go through the list of adjectives in the main article and find the words that most resonate with you. In the article, I advise you to think about who you are when you're on your own and free from outside influences. If you're still struggling to describe yourself think about what's important to you. Are you a tidy person? Are you someone who likes to socialize? What interests you? If a loved one was in trouble how would you react? How have other people complimented you?

To me, the most impressive 3 words to describe someone would be compassionate, generous, warmhearted. With qualities like that, a person can go really far in life.

Helpful 469
Question:
How would you describe yourself as an engineer or for an engineering job?

Answer:

Words that would be appropriate for engineers to describe themselves would include ones such as: research skills, intelligence, mathematical, detail-oriented, precise, perfectionist, exacting, methodological, excellent planning skills, technically minded, ability to critically analyze own work, open to feedback, manually dexterous, technical drawing skills, creative thinking, conceptualization, good communication skills, IT skills, scientific.

All of these words are helpful to describe an engineer but the type of engineering you do or want to do may require additional descriptive words specific to the role.

Helpful 141

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