Top 12 Skills to Put on a Resume
Take a few moments to think about your work experience and compile a list of your skills. Your skills may include your best technical skills in addition to your best non-technical qualities as an employee. When considering what kind of skills to put on resume, here are some prime skills that hiring managers and employers are typically looking for on resumes from job applicants:
1. Active listening
Active listening skills give you the ability to focus your attention on anyone speaking to you. A good active listener will interpret what’s being said and respond appropriately.
A customer service representative uses active listening skills to evaluate customer needs and offer a solution.
A nurse uses active listening skills to diagnose a patient’s issue and create a remedy/treatment plan.
2. Adaptability
Adaptability is your ability to effectively adjust to a continually changing work environment. This skill shows how you rebound from a situation to maintain movement on work responsibilities, projects and tasks.
A marketing manager uses adaptability skills to notice an unexpected customer engagement outcome and react quickly and accordingly with a marketing plan to fix the issue.
A police officer uses adaptability skills when faced with unpredictable situations in order to maintain peace or quickly resolve issues.
3. Communication
Communication is how you handle expressing your thoughts and holding a dialogue in your work environment. Communication skills may include verbal, non verbal, written, visual and listening.
A journalist uses communication skills to report a news event or tell a story to readers of a periodical.
A teacher uses communication skills to present a lesson plan to students.
4. Critical thinking
Critical thinking in the workplace may be how you solved a difficult problem, when you had to use logic to make a critical plan, treatment or decision.
An emergency medical technician (EMT) uses critical thinking skills to treat patients requiring immediate, often lifesaving treatments.
A lawyer uses critical thinking skills to evaluate a legal issue through facts and evidence and come up with a court argument, plea or conclusion.
5. Data analysis
Data analysis is your ability to collect, organize and interpret work-related data to share with key stakeholders in your organization.
A data scientist uses data analysis skills to work with a multi-functional Agile team to develop and analytic solutions.
A business analyst uses data analysis skills by working with various software and tools including Tableau, Excel, and Python to interpret and analyze data for driving effective solutions.
6. Decision-making
Decision-making in the workplace is the process of making the best possible choice based on your assessment of a situation in a timely manner,
A pilot uses decision-making skills to fly an airplane and maintain flight schedules, whether it’s in perfect conditions, or facing a storm, heavy winds or even mechanical failure.
A surgical technician uses critical decision-making skills prior, during and after performing delicate surgical procedures.
7. Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are performed with every interaction you have with a coworker, client or customer. These skills show how you react emotionally when engaging or communicating with others.
A dentist uses interpersonal skills to read a patient’s comfort level and make the person feel at ease during a dental procedure.
A sales representative uses interpersonal skills to understand what a customer’s needs and wants are in relation to the sales process.
8. Leadership
Leadership skills show that you can successfully and effectively lead a team by motivating, giving direction, mentoring, training and disciplining when necessary.
A CEO (Chief Executive Officer) uses leadership skills to manage the overall operations of a company with the goal of reaching financial success.
A hotel manager uses leadership skills to monitor services provided to hotel guests from each department of the hotel, including front desk operations, housekeeping, concierge services and maintenance.
9. Problem-solving
Problem-solving skills allow an individual to objectively analyze the task/problem at hand, understand what is at stake and devise an effective plan to rectify the situation.
A staff accountant uses problem-solving skills to analyze a financial situation to find errors, inconsistencies and red flags, and create a solution plan.
An automotive technician uses problem-solving skills to explore, diagnose and repair autos, restoring them to reliable working condition.
10. Project management
Project management skills are used in an organization to see to it that a project is worked on efficiently from start to finish including meeting assigned budgets and project deadlines.
A retail store manager uses project management skills to supervise and assist employees, provide customer service, maintain inventory, store maintenance and safety, maintain profitability and execute product sales promotions.
A project engineer uses project management skills to plan, coordinate and execute engineering projects to meet compliance regulations, budget and time constraints.
11. Teamwork
Teamwork skills show a candidate’s ability to work efficiently with a team to complete job tasks cohesively, efficiently, productively and successfully.
A construction manager uses teamwork skills to coordinate all team members to safely work together to complete all aspects of construction projects from planning to completion.
Culinary workers use teamwork skills when collaborating to produce mass amounts of quality food in a fast paced environment.
12. Time management skills
Time management skills show that you can perform all of the job responsibilities effectively, productively, efficiently, profitably and successfully.
A pharmacist uses time management skills to fill prescriptions in a timely manner while at the same time meeting strict efficiency protocols.
An event planner uses time management skills to ensure all elements of a social event meet strict deadlines from set up to clean up.
Bonus: Technical Skills
While the skills mentioned above show how you interact with people and how you approach work, you should also feature technical skills, or skills that you learn through training that are important in your industry.
Technical skills may include:
- Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python)
- Graphic design expertise (Adobe Suite, Maya, Blender)
- Web development
- Writing skills
- Advanced computer skills
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Marketing (SEM, content marketing, digital marketing)