Whether you’re just starting your job search or are re-applying for a new position after an extended break, it’s important to know what to have on your resume. Aside from making sure that you have all the necessary work experience and education requirements listed, there are some skills and abilities that you have to list on your resume to get hired quickly!
Let’s say you are updating your resume as an experienced professional or creating a new one as a fresher, but you’re not quite sure what skills to list on a resume. You might be looking for some inspiration or an idea of which skill sets are important to employers. EZResume has got you covered! Check out this list of skills and see if any of them match up with the ones that are in your job description.
Before we go ahead and have a look at all the technical and professional skills you could possibly list on your resume, let’s see how one would describe key skills.
How Do You Describe Key Skills?
In order to describe key skills, it is necessary to understand what they are. Key skills, also known as employability skills, are those that are the most desired elements for employers when looking at a resume. To put simply, skills are the expertise or abilities required to perform a task or complete a job.
According to EZResume, only the best resume-building tool online, these skills can be divided into categories depending on the job you are going to apply for.
Also, Read Top 10 Things Recruiters Look for in a Resume
Different Types of Skills to Add to a Resume
When building a resume, it is essential to include a variety of skills to give potential employers a well-rounded view of your abilities. Technical or professional skills, interpersonal skills, soft skills, and computer skills are all important to list.
Technical skills: Technical/ Professional skills are those related to specific knowledge or abilities needed to perform a certain task. For example, if you are in going to apply for a job as a mechanic, you will want to list your technical skills, such as engine repair, brake repair, or transmission repair.
Interpersonal skills: These skills are related to your ability to interact with others. These can include things like communication, teamwork, and customer service.
Soft skills: Soft skills are those related to your personality and how you interact with the world around you, more like interpersonal skills. Examples of soft skills include things like problem-solving, critical thinking, and flexibility.
Computer skills: Computer skills are those related to your ability to use computers and various software programs. Also, these can be perceived as technical skills in case you are applying for software jobs. These can include things like Microsoft Office, social media, and graphic design.
Remember! when describing key skills on a CV or resume, it is most important to focus on the ones that are most relevant and important to the job position you are applying for. For each skill, it is helpful to provide an example of how it was used in a previous role. This helps the employer to understand how the skill could be applied in their workplace. Ultimately, key skills should be described in a way that highlights their value and importance to potential employers.
10 Best Skills to Include on Your Resume
In this blog, we’ll go over ten skills that will make a big difference in compelling potential employers to call you back!
Communication
The demand for communication abilities in the job market is high. There are a few essential abilities you need to possess in order to communicate effectively that you should list on your resume:
- Active listening: This involves being fully present when someone is speaking to you and making an effort to understand what they are trying to convey.
- Nonverbal communication: This includes things like body language and facial expressions. It’s important to be aware of how you’re coming across to others, as it can influence the way they perceive you.
- Verbal communication: This is the ability to express yourself clearly with a few words or little actions that make sense. When communicating with others, it’s important to be able to get your point across in a very simple way that can be easily understood by everyone on the team.
- Written communication: This skill goes hand-in-hand with verbal communication. Being able to write clearly and effectively is just as important as being able to speak well.
Interpersonal Skills
In order to be successful in any profession, it is essential to have strong interpersonal skills. This includes the ability to communicate effectively with others, build relationships, and resolve conflicts.
Some specific examples of interpersonal skills that would be beneficial to include on your resume are:
- Teamwork: The ability to work well with others and make an effort to communicate effectively within a team setting in order to achieve common goals.
- Conflict resolution: The ability to identify and resolve conflicts in the workplace or with clients in a constructive manner.
- Relationship building: The ability to develop positive relationships with co-workers, clients, or customers to build trust and harmony, which in turn results in good business for the company.
Here are Top 15 Tips for Personality Development and Its Importance
Planning Skills
When it comes to your resume, planning and organization are key. Here are some skills you can include to demonstrate your organizational prowess:
- Time management: Can you juggle multiple deadlines and prioritize tasks? Because it is probably the most required skill you have got to have on your resume, especially if you are applying for a job that runs on a time crunch now and then.
- Attention to detail: Do you have a keen eye for detail and take the utmost pride in your work? Then, you might be one of the few lucky ones who would capture the eye of the employer among the crowd of competition.
- Multi-tasking: Multi-tasking is basically you saying that you have the capability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without running past the time or giving lower-than-expected results.
Organizational Skills
Being organized is a valuable job skill for the majority of occupations, and it’s a need for jobs that demand working under pressure, like those in print and publishing.
It will look incredibly good on your resume if you can demonstrate that time management is one of your strongest points and that you can prioritize your workload. Taking on a part-time job while successfully juggling work and studies, planning an event, or editing the school newspaper are a few examples.
Technical Skills
Technical skills refer to specific abilities or knowledge related to using certain tools or systems. They could include anything from using software programs to operating machinery.
If you want to get a job in today’s market, you need to be proficient with computers. This doesn’t mean that you need to be a tech wizard, but you should at least be comfortable using common applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Many employers will also expect you to have some experience with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. If you don’t have any experience with these types of systems, don’t worry! There are plenty of online tutorials that can help you acquire those skills quickly.
Leadership
When it comes to your resume, leadership is always a valuable skill to highlight and be proud to display. Whether you’re applying for a management position or simply trying to demonstrate that you have the ability to take charge and motivate others in the team, highlighting your leadership skills can help you stand out from the competition.
Some examples of leadership experience that you could add to your resume include:
- Organizing and leading team projects
- Coordinating and training new employees or volunteers
- Developing and implementing process improvements
- Acting as a mentor or coach to others
If you don’t have formal leadership experience, that’s okay – there are plenty of other ways to show that you have what it takes to be a leader. For example, if you’ve taken on any sort of additional responsibility at your job or in your internship, make sure to mention it on your resume. You might also want to highlight any special awards or recognition you’ve received for your leadership abilities.
Analytical and Critical Thinking
Analytical and critical thinking skills are some of the most important and much-needed skills that you can include on your resume. These skills are important because they allow you to analyze information and make decisions based on that information.
One of the best ways to show that you have these skills is to include examples of times when you have used them. For example, if you have ever had to make a decision based on data, include that on your resume. If you have ever had to solve a complex problem, include that as well.
These skills are important in many different fields, so if you have them, be sure to highlight them on your resume.
Project Management Skills
With so many moving parts in any given project, effective project management is essential for keeping things on track and ensuring that deadlines are met. If you have experience successfully managing projects, be sure to highlight this on your resume.
Problem Solving Skills
You can solve problems fast and successfully if you have problem-solving abilities. Employers prioritize people who possess this skill since these individuals have the potential to be independent. It takes quick thinking to pinpoint the root of the problem and put a fix in place.
Problem-solving is seen as a soft skill rather than a hard skill that can be acquired through education or training. By being familiar with common problems in your business and picking up tips from more experienced employees, you can enhance your problem-solving abilities.
Creative or Inventive Thinking Skills
Creative thinking is the skill of coming up with and implementing new and innovative ideas or solutions. It involves looking at things in a different way and coming up with original solutions. Inventive thinking is similar to creative thinking, but it also includes the ability to find new uses for existing products or ideas.
Both creative and inventive thinking are important skills to include on your resume. Employers are always looking for employees who can think outside the box and come up with new ideas. If you have a history of coming up with innovative solutions, be sure to highlight that on your resume.
Skills to Put on a Resume If You Have No Experience
You will need to put in more effort to show how you will be a valuable employee if you don’t have any formal work experience. After all, when you start a job for the first time without having previously worked, you’re expecting your employer to spend the time and effort to teach you everything from A to Z. However, if you have abilities that set you apart from the competition, most reputable employers would view your lack of experience as an opportunity.
Spend a lot of time thinking about the hard and soft abilities you possess before you begin writing your resume. Hard skills are those you have acquired through formal schooling or on-the-job training, but soft skills, such as social skills or leadership qualities, are those you have developed yourself and are applicable to any situation. The majority of job applicants who lack experience have hard and soft abilities that stand out on resumes. Some examples of those you should highlight on your resume are:
- Literary skills
- Computer skills
- Negotiation skills
- Aptitude
- Stress-management skills, etc.
To wrap it up, skills on a resume would make a prominent shift in the dynamics of hiring, so you must always remember that adding skills relevant to the job description and role you are applying for would play a major role in getting them hired as quickly as possible.
To get resumes that stand out with templates that highlight your skills and technical prowess more, visit EZResume. Browse through the multitude of templates available on this tool and create one that makes you stand out in the crowd of other applicants. Don’t wait any longer! Create a resume today and apply for your dream job on easy-to-use job portals like EZJobs to get a job easily.