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Use This List of Skills to Put on Your Resume

Use This List of Skills to Put on Your Resume
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The purpose of a resume is to provide the basis of why you should be considered for an open position. A resume is a professional summary presenting your qualifications, experience, education, accomplishments, and, of course, your skill set. Each is essential for evaluating whether or not you’re a good fit for the role you’re applying for.

Impressing a potential employer, securing an interview, and eventually obtaining an offer begins with this one document. 

When it comes to skills, careful consideration should be given to ensure you’re as close to the company’s desired applicant as possible. Is the company a culture-first type of business? Emphasizing you’re a team player and collaborative will help your resume stand out among competition that isn’t. If the organization is looking to fill a management role, then leadership skills should be front and center.

This is just the place for sorting out the type of skills that will help you tailor your resume to the job you hope to get.

Demand for skills in the workplace

In 2019, a study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that HR professionals believe skill gaps to be the biggest concern when acquiring talent. Fall 2022 Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey researchers ranked the labor/skills shortage in the top three external issues that CEOs expect to influence or disrupt their business strategy within the next 12 months.

Companies are growing their current workforce with upskilling practices, but job seekers with the right skill set are an in-demand asset hiring managers are looking for.

Soft skills vs. Hard skills

The most popular categorization of skills is soft skills and hard skills, also known as technical skills. All skills have value depending on how you frame them within the context of the position you’re applying for. 

Soft skills are habits, traits, and qualities that shape your work individually and with others.

Hard skills are technical knowledge or training you’ve gained through career or educational life experiences.

Before resume writing and job applications, you should start with some light research regarding what the position and company are asking for in terms of skill, experience, and cultural fit. Go the extra mile by reviewing the requirements of similar job listings and job descriptions before deciding which skills make the cut and become bullet points on your resume. 

Skills for first time resumes

Drafting your first resume can stir up some worry regarding inexperience. But here’s some good news: Having a good balance of skills is just as valuable and sought after in the workplace. 

Even when lacking work history as a new job-seeker, there’s a wide range of job skills that are of interest to potential employers, and a lot of them can be learned while in school, playing sports, and even through family teachings. 

Professionals with useful skill sets under their belt, even without specific work experience, reflect the potential for continued growth and development. Take your job search to the next level by writing a resume that leads with skills hiring managers will struggle to pass up.

  • Research
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Organization
  • Creativity
  • Planning
  • Self-motivated

Skills for entry-level positions

Entry-level roles are ideal for professionals looking to break into a new industry. While specific education or previous work history differs from job to job, the skills you’ll need on your resume should indicate that you’re ready and capable of taking on whatever necessary challenges the position has in store.

There are types of skills useful for entry-level jobs in the workforce. 

Skills for leadership roles

Unlike the list of skills for first resumes or entry-level jobs, leadership positions require skill sets that reflect a professional’s ability to handle a wider variety of responsibilities. Showcasing a set of skills regarding ownership and team support is how job seekers pursuing leadership or management roles stand apart from their competitors on the market.

For those seeking to obtain a leadership role, these skills on resumes are an asset:

Top transferable skills for any industry

Career changes are at an all-time high, given the climate of workforce trends leading into 2023. Gainfully employed professionals and job-seekers alike are constantly on the search for opportunities that will satisfy their workplace desires and help propel their career goals, regardless if it means entering a new industry.

This set of skills doesn’t come from specific industry experience but is essential for transitioning into a role you want your growth to carry over.

  • Resourcefulness
  • Strong work ethic
  • Foreign languages
  • Microsoft Office
  • Public speaking
  • Punctuality
  • Networking

Looking for industry experts to help with your job search? Check out these LinkedIn pages:

Construction | Financial Services | Veterinary | Legal Services | Recruitment 

Supplement your skill set

Having a robust skill set, from a first resume to your 50th version, is desirable, but it’s how you pair those skills with relevant courses, projects, certificates, etc., that conveys confidence in your self-worth. After all, skills are an important part of your resume, but not the only thing on there.

Even though your resume may lead to the next phases of the hiring process, being able to support them in conversations with potential employers will speak volumes. Compliment the skill set on your resume by having examples ready when applying for a job, answering interview questions, and steps further along the hiring process.
Check out this article with additional advice for professionals ready to write a resume.

Contributed by Mary Dominguez

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