This article was originally published on Employbridge.com

9 Good Skills To Have on Your Resume

It’s safe to assume that hiring managers don’t read every resume word for word. In fact, recruiters spend as little as six seconds reviewing a resume, according to Forbes, which means job seekers need to make every second spent on their resume count. In many cases, resumes also need to make it past AI screening tools and applicant tracking systems before human eyes even have a chance to review them.

Customizing your resume with relevant skills can help you make it past applicant tracking systems, capture the attention of employers, and stand out from other candidates. If you’re on the hunt for a new role, understanding skills that are relevant to the job to include on a resume could increase your chances of getting hired.

The importance of a well-crafted resume

Technical jobs are becoming more common across industries and there’s high demand for qualified individuals to fill them. This has led to a shift from credential-based to skills-based hiring, with research showing that 41% of recruiters look for key skills on a resume first. Carefully writing a resume and ensuring you have the relevant skills listed to match the posted job requirements is essential for success in your job search. This not only showcases your appropriate qualifications and experiences, but allows you to present yourself in the best light possible.

What are the signs of a good resume?

A good resume generally includes the following characteristics:

• Well-organized, easy to read, and free of clutter.
• Customized for the specific job or industry.
• Relevant technical and soft skills that are directly applicable to the target position.
• Specific, quantifiable accomplishments and outcomes.
• Strong action verbs to describe experiences and achievements.
• Visually appealing, with consistent formatting and appropriate font choices.
• Free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Hard skills vs soft skills: What are employers looking for?

Keep in mind that you’ll want to include both soft and hard skills on your resume to get the attention of hiring managers.

Hard skills are the specific, tangible abilities you’ve learned through education or experience. Examples include proficiency in programming languages, data analysis, and project management. Soft skills to add to a resume are your interpersonal or transferable skills, which can be more difficult to quantify and aren’t tied to specific technical knowledge. These could include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and leadership.

So what are the best skills to put on a resume? While technical skills might seem essential for securing a job, research published by the Carnegie Foundation found that 85% of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills and people skills. This stresses the importance of showcasing transferable skills. That said, emphasizing both technical and soft skills on your resume ensures you are presenting a well-rounded profile to potential employers.

Here’s a good list of skills to put on your resume 

Your resume should be an indispensable asset in your job search, providing prospective employers with a snapshot of your professional journey, achievements, and contributions. But in a competitive job market, some skills may be more valuable across the board than others.

These are the best skills to include in a resume and why they matter:

1. Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills involve your ability to analyze situations, identify challenges, and develop effective solutions. This demonstrates your capacity to navigate complex situations. Be sure to include specific examples of how you have solved problems, highlight successful outcomes, and the strategies you used.

2. Communication skills

Communication skills are one of the most important competencies that hiring managers look for today. They involve the ability to convey information clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, while actively listening to others. With your communication skills, you show your expertise in conveying ideas effectively, collaborating with team members, and engaging with clients or stakeholders. Emphasize these skills by incorporating instances where you effectively communicated ideas, resolved personality conflicts at work, or facilitated productive discussions.

3. Teamwork and collaboration skills

These skills emphasize your ability to work effectively with others, contribute ideas, and cooperate toward achieving common goals. To accentuate these competencies, provide examples of successful team projects, underlining your role and how you contributed to reaching shared objectives.

4. Adaptability and flexibility skills

These skills involve the capacity to adjust to new situations, embrace change, and thrive in diverse environments. As industries face uncertainty, it’s important to demonstrate your ability to navigate unexpected challenges and embrace change. Provide examples of when you adapted to new circumstances, learned new skills, or took on diverse responsibilities.

5. Technical skills

Falling under the umbrella of hard skills, technical competencies refer to your specific abilities to perform tasks related to a profession, industry, or field. This often involves specialized knowledge in areas such as technology, software, or machine operation. Showcasing technical skills enhances your value to employers. On your resume, you can list relevant technical certifications and provide specific examples of how you used them in previous roles.

6. Customer service skills

Exceptional customer service skills encompass expertise in interacting positively with people, addressing their needs and concerns, and providing assistance courteously. These competencies are crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction and maintaining business relationships. Corroborate this by including experiences where you provided exceptional service, resolved complaints effectively, or demonstrated empathy and professionalism in client interactions.

7. Leadership skills

Those with leadership skills exhibit the ability to inspire and guide others toward achieving common objectives, while also applying effective decision-making and communication skills. Take care to highlight instances on your resume where you led projects, facilitated team upskilling, delegated tasks effectively, and demonstrated strategic decision-making.

8. Time management skills

Highlight your capacity to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines. Offer examples of how you’ve organized your workload and demonstrated prioritization to meet milestones.

9. Attention to detail

Attention to detail refers to your expertise in focusing on the small aspects of tasks or projects to ensure accuracy and precision in work outcomes. Showcase your ability to produce high-quality work by incorporating instances where you’ve identified errors.

Customizing your resume skills list to the open position

It’s best practice to tailor your basic resume skills to each job description. Research shows that 61% of hiring managers consider customized resumes to be the most effective strategy for job seekers to boost their chances of getting hired.

Customization ensures that your resume skills list aligns with the employer’s requirements. It also shows you’ve read the posting carefully and understand how you can meet the employer’s needs. Making these adjustments to your resume not only boosts its effectiveness but also highlights your attention to detail and interest in securing the job.