Writing a resume is more than just your work experience and education – it’s important to showcase your skills and things that make you stand out as well. While you want to be wary of droning on and making your resume too long, having a resume with nothing of interest on it is a sure-fire way to be skipped over in the job search process. Here are 23 key skills to add to your resume that are sure to help you stand out from the crowd!
Essential Elements of Your Resume
There are a few essential elements of a resume that you don’t want to skip out on.
- Job Experience
- Education
- Contact Information
- Certifications
- Skills
1. Job Experience
Although you need to have more than just your job experience on your resume, be sure to put all your relevant experience on your resume. A good rule to follow is the last 15 years of relevant work experience (if you worked at McDonalds in high school, don’t use this experience to apply for a role at an architectural firm, for example) or the last 5 relevant positions, whichever one is shorter. When writing out your job experience be sure to include the month and year you worked in the position, key responsibilities, and
2. Education
Include your highest levels of education. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree there’s no need to include a high school diploma; however, if you have a Master’s you could include both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees.
3. Contact Information
It’s a wise idea to include your contact information in the header of your resume. This will ensure that prospective employers have no difficulty finding a way to contact you.
4. Certifications
Be sure to list every valid certification you have on your resume (that’s relevant to your industry). There’s no need to mention Pro Serve if you will not be serving alcohol. Certifications like First Aid, licences for heavy duty equipment, advanced driving licences, IT certifications, HR certifications, software certifications, etc. are all good things to include on your resume.
5. Skills
Sometimes we skip this element as a way to save space on our resumes, but it’s essential to include special skills you possess on your resume. We would even recommend keeping skills at the top of your resume to stand out and show off what makes you the best candidate.
Hard Skills vs Soft Skills
There are many different types of skills, some are hard skills and some are soft skills. Hard skills are technical abilities such as the ability to custom code a program or drive a skid steer; soft skills on the other hand aren’t as tangible and are how we work or communicate. On your resume, you’ll want to include a combination of hard and soft skills. Check out our blog to learn more about soft skills in the workplace!
23 Skills to Include on Your Resume
Here are 23 of the best skills to include on your resume to help you get your dream job!
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Digital proficiency
- Time management
- Organization
- Responsibility
- Attention to detail
- Creative thinking
- Critical thinking
- Adaptability
- Language proficiency
- Data analysis
- Sales
- Project management
- Negotiation
- Writing
- Customer service
- Research
- Public speaking
- Graphic design
- Mentoring
- Empathy
- Self-motivated
1. Problem solving
Problem solving is a fantastic skill to include on your resume. Every job encounters problems, so the ability to come up with solutions and find a way to efficiently solve problems means you’ll be an asset to your company.
2. Communication
Communication skills will always be important in the workplace. Whether you’re working on a construction site, in a warehouse, or in an office, being able to communicate effectively with your coworkers, management, and client will greatly benefit your position.
3. Digital Proficiency
Digital proficiency is mandatory for most modern positions. We need to be able to use computers, basic programs like Microsoft Teams or Google Suite, as well as other office tools and equipment. Digital literacy is a good skill to mention on your resume.
4. Time Management
Good time management skills are essential in every workplace. If you’re good at managing your time and working efficiently, it’s important to add this skill to your resume.
5. Organization
Much like time management skills, most jobs require the ability to stay organized. It’s a good idea to showcase your organizational skills on your resume by following all instructions in the job posting and making sure it’s neatly arranged.
6. Responsibility
Being responsible is something you show more than tell, but writing out that your past employers have trusted you, you’ve always been timely and on the ball with your tasks, communicating with coworkers, and showing up to work are great ways to showcase skills in responsibility.
7. Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is a great skill to have. Employers want people to notice important details within their day-to-day work, plus it ensures that mistakes aren’t often overlooked. A great way to show your attention to detail on your resume is to avoid any typos and ensure that all details within the job posting are accounted for.
8. Creative Thinking
Creative thinking allows us to approach ideas from different angles, coming up with new and exciting approaches to problem solving, campaign ideas, products, and more. If you find you’re a creative thinker, be sure to add it to your resume!
9. Critical thinking
Alongside creative thinking we want to ensure we can critically think. Critical thinking goes beyond common sense and is more about the ability to rationally and analytically think through something and determine a set of steps for a project or issue.
10. Adaptability
Sometimes we have to deviate from our original plan when new information or issues arise. The ability to adapt and respond with flexibility rather than rigid stubbornness is an important skill to have and add to your resume.
11. Language Proficiency
If you have proficiency in any languages other than the primary one spoken at the workplace be sure to add this to your resume. Language proficiencies show adept learning abilities and they can be an asset to your organization (especially in Canada if you are proficient in French and English).
12. Data Analysis
Analyzing data can really come in handy when working in a variety of roles. The ability to look at a set of data and come up with a conclusion on how to act can move projects forward and help you notice increases or decreases in sales in the workplace. If you have experience with data analysis, be sure to add this skill to your resume!
13. Sales
Although you may not work in sales, we all want to be able to sell ourselves and our company to others – at least a little. Sales and persuasion skills can help you with networking, talking to customers and clients, and ensuring that you are viewed favourably by your team.
14. Project Management
Project management skills are important even if you don’t work as a manager. Employers want candidates who can push projects forward and don’t need to wait for approval on every little thing during a project. Being able to take on some coordination and management is a good skill to include on your resume and help you build trust within the company.
15. Negotiation
Negotiation is another skill you may not need to use all the time, but it can be helpful when it comes to dealing with clients and customers and pushing projects forward as you deal with vendors or other companies. Negotiation skills can also help you with negotiating a contract and salary increases!
16. Writing
Not all of us are professional writers, but we should all be able to write decently well. Even with programs like ChatGBT, it’s important to be able to edit these for clarity. Whether you’re sending an email or writing out a notice, being understood through the written word is a necessary skill to have.
17. Customer Service
We may not all deal with customers on a daily basis, but being friendly, amenable, and accommodating to customers can help your company and make you stand out from your coworkers. Be sure to add your customer service skills to your resume.
18. Research
Research skills are helpful for most jobs. Whether you’re looking for the best price on office equipment or you’re helping your client build a strategic plan, the ability to effectively research problems and come up with data-based solutions is a great skill to have.
19. Public Speaking
Very few of us relish the idea of speaking in public, but it’s a wise choice to become comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. Public speaking skills can help you in meetings, small, internal presentations, as well as larger work functions and networking. Be sure to practice your public speaking skills!
20. Graphic Design
If you have a visual eye and know the basics of making things beautiful, be sure to add this to your resume. You might not work with graphic design all the time, but if you need to brand a document that’s being sent externally or a small sign needs to be made, having some graphic design skills can really come in handy.
21. Mentoring
Mentoring skills are a great thing to mention on your resume as they set you up for success, especially if you are applying for more managerial positions. Most employers seek out employees who are happy to teach others and take younger staffers under their wing, so if you have a skill in mentoring others, be sure to mention it!
22. Empathy
Empathy is a soft skill that you might not always mention on your resume, but it’s good to display through subtext and interviews. Having empathy for others can be seen in being a team player, helping your coworkers out when they’re struggling, and choosing kindness and cooperation in the workplace.
23. Self-Motivated
Finally, an important skill to mention on your resume in the modern age is being self-motivated. With hybrid and remote workplaces becoming the norm, being a self-starter is necessary to ensure you get all your work done. Employers will likely be looking for someone who they can trust to do their job well – and on their own!
Recruitment Partners Will Hone Your Resume
Recruitment Partners has resume writing tips on our website’s Career Centre! If you meet with one of our recruiters, we’d also be happy to provide you with a personalized approach to unlocking your career potential. If you need help getting your dream job, contact Recruitment Partners!
