Writing a good resume is a difficult balancing act. Sometimes it can be a challenge to keep your resume length short and sweet while also including enough quality information to make a lasting impression.
Hiring managers will also hold a particular interest in the skill set you possess. This means it’s very important to know what is relevant to the job when thinking of skills to list on your resume. And though it goes without saying, we’ll say it just in case: any job skills listed on your resume should be skills you truly possess.
So how do you figure out the best skills to put on your resume? And what if you’re looking to find a season job?
Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills in Your Resume
There are endless skills that you can include on any resume, and you have to decide which ones will be the most effective. There are hard, industry-specific technical skills, as well as soft skills that every job demands.
Hard skills are technical abilities that are specific to a particular job and are often measurable. For software developers, their set of hard skills would include specific programming languages. Soft skills are personal skills or creative abilities that can come naturally or be strengthened over time. Some examples of soft skills are adaptability, self-motivation, people skills, time management, and the ability to work under pressure. The softer skill employers are after
Top Skills to List in Your Resume
There are tons of soft skills (personal skills) that you can include in your resume, but how do you know which ones to include? Here is a quick list of soft skills examples you should list on your resume. (Be sure to carefully look at the job description and determine which soft skills you possess that are most applicable for the job.)
Problem Solving Skills
No matter what the job is, eventually something will go wrong and employers want to know that you’re capable of coming up with a quick and effective solution. In fact, there are jobs that are essentially nothing but solving problems for the company, the clients, or both.
Flexibility
Many organisations and industries covet employees who are dynamic and adaptable to every situation, or who have a natural ability to use a variety of methods and approaches in different circumstances to get the best end result.
Communication Skills
Whether it’s written or verbal, being able to communicate with your boss, coworkers, and clients/customers in all situations is very valuable. The better you are at it, the better results you will generate.
Teamwork
Most jobs will sometimes require you to work with other people at some point, and employers want to know that you can succeed in a team environment. Some jobs will prize this skill more than others.
Organization Skills
This is not just about having a neat desk, but organizing tasks and projects for your coworkers, management, and at the very least, yourself! If you want to show off your organization skills, having a tightly structured resume certainly helps.
Attention to Detail
On the job you need to ensure you follow all instructions in order to complete your work. This can be especially important when you work with others. Paying attention to detail will be needed at any role you have. Consider times when you caught or fixed a potential mistake due to your attention to detail
Responsibility
Part of being a good employee is taking responsibility for your duties and even owning up to mistakes. Most managers don’t want to have to check in on their employees to ensure every part of their job is getting done. Responsibility means doing what you need to do to complete your tasks.
What Are Communication Skills?
- Written And Oral Communication
- Presentation
- Active Listening
- Nonverbal Communication
- Clarity
- Honesty
- Friendliness
- Effective Communication in the Workplace
Top Takeaway! Prepare for Communication Interview Questions
Work on your answers regarding effective communication in the workplace
Hiring managers will also hold a particular interest in the skill set you possess. This means it’s very important to know what is relevant to the job when thinking of skills to list on your resume. And though it goes without saying, we’ll say it just in case: any job skills listed on your resume should be skills you truly possess.
So how do you figure out the best skills to put on your resume? And what if you’re looking to find a remote job?
Look for Target Keywords
If you’re still not sure if any of these skills are right for your situation, one quick way to check which skills the employer is seeking is to check the job description.
Read through it a few times and you’ll likely spot three or four key skills mentioned several times throughout the document. If that’s the case, you should do your best to focus on those skills in your resume, too.
How to List Skills In Your Resume
Sort Skills By Relevance
If you are applying for a sales job, your prior experience as a car mechanic is not the most relevant. You will want to emphasize experience that can be applicable to a sales role. However, if you lack the experience, search through your existing positions for relevant skills.
For example, if you were responsible for providing customer service as a mechanic, that is something that can be transferable to a sales role.
Add a Highlights Section
Modern resumes are built to be value-oriented, which requires providing information that is more achievement-based as opposed to task-based. If you’ve had multiple roles with varying achievements, select the top four you are most proud of and incorporate them into a Career Highlights section.
Try to avoid adding more than four as this section is meant to be the highlights of your achievements, and you don’t want to create sections with long lists of bullets, creating a very boring way to read content.
