Tired of your CV getting tossed aside? Want to grab hiring managers’ attention and land that dream job? Landing your dream job requires more than just a fancy template and an impressive title. In today’s competitive market, it’s crucial to highlight the skills that employers crave.
Employers look for these skills when evaluating applications, and missing any could impact your chances of an interview. Whether creating a resume or CV, stick around to gain insights and ensure your success.
In this article, let’s explore the top 11 skills to add to your CV and propel your career to new heights.
Top 11 Skills You Should Include On Your CV/Resume:
1. Collaboration (not Teamwork):
Highlight your ability to work seamlessly with others, achieving goals through shared effort. Emphasize collaboration rather than mere teamwork, demonstrating your capacity to work closely with diverse colleagues towards shared objectives.
2. Interpersonal Skills:
Show proficiency in communication and interaction, building positive relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. Highlight your active listening, empathy, and cultural awareness. Remember, strong relationships fuel success!
3. Organizing & Prioritizing:
Employers value individuals who can take ownership of their workload and efficiently manage tasks. Prove you can efficiently manage your workload, prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines without micromanagement.
4. Problem-Solving:
Demonstrate your initiative and resourcefulness in tackling challenges, taking ownership and finding solutions. Highlight instances where you’ve taken initiative to address issues independently, demonstrating your problem-solving prowess.
5. Time Management:
Punctuality is key! Impress employers with your organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines consistently. Emphasize your punctuality and productivity, ensuring work is completed on time and minimizing disruptions.
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6. Computer Proficiency:
Today, competence in using technology is crucial across various roles. Showcase your mastery of common software like Word, Excel, and presentation tools.
7. Social Media Skills:
If you’re a social media whiz, flaunt it! Proficiency in professional online communication can benefit a company’s outreach. Showcase your ability to leverage social media platforms effectively for business purposes.
8. Customer Service:
Whether face-to-face, on the phone, or online, highlight your ability to engage and assist customers or clients effectively. Highlight instances where you provided exceptional service and improved customer satisfaction.
9. Adaptability & Flexibility:
Prove you’re a flexible and versatile team player, embracing change and willing to take on new tasks. Show how you thrive in dynamic work environments. Being adaptable and open to change can make you a standout candidate.
10. Commercial Awareness:
Understanding how businesses function and what drives success is highly valuable. Highlight your business acumen and awareness of how your role contributes to company goals.
11. Leadership skills:
Leadership skills allow leaders to organize a group of individuals to reach a shared objective. Whether occupying a managerial role or spearheading a project, these skills involve motivating others to accomplish a set of tasks, often adhering to a specified timeline.
How to List Skills on a CV/Resume
Listing skills on a CV/resume involves several key steps:
- Identify Relevant Skills: Determine skills relevant to the job you’re applying for. Review the job description and match your skills to those required for the role.
- Action Verbs Rule: Instead of passively listing skills, use strong action verbs to describe how you’ve applied them. “Communicated effectively with clients” is stronger than simply “communication skills.” Examples of strong action verbs include: developed, managed, achieved, implemented, resolved, analyzed, etc.
- Categorize Skills: Group skills into categories such as technical, soft, or industry-specific skills. This makes it easier for employers to identify relevant skills quickly.
- Place Key Skills Prominently: Highlight your most relevant and impactful skills at the beginning of your CV/resume. You can create a separate skills section or incorporate them into your summary/profile.
- Be Specific: Be specific about your skills. Instead of stating “good communication skills,” mention specific examples or achievements that showcase these skills.
- Use Keywords Wisely: Research and incorporate relevant keywords from the job description throughout your skills list. This helps your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and land in front of human eyes.
- Quantify When Possible: Whenever feasible, quantify your skills. For example, instead of saying “experienced in project management,” mention the number of successful projects managed or the percentage of increased efficiency.
- Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Don’t overload your resume with a giant list of skills. Choose 5-10 most relevant and impactful skills to showcase. You can always mention additional skills during the interview.
- Be Honest and Authentic: Don’t lie about your skills or exaggerate your experience. Hiring managers can easily spot inflated claims. Be genuine and focus on highlighting your true strengths and capabilities.
- Update Regularly: Keep your list of skills up-to-date, reflecting any new skills you acquire through training, certifications, or experience.
Additionally, I’ll provide a sample statement tailored to impress hiring managers.
Replace the bracketed information with your details!
YOUR NAME
Phone | Email | Location (City, State, ZIP)
Online Portfolio/Professional Website (Optional)
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
2-3 sentences or 2-3 bullet points that include your years of professional experience, accomplishments, top skills and strengths as they relate to the position and what you’re looking for in your next role.
EXPERIENCE
Title Start Date – End Date (Current)
Company Name, Location
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
Title Start Date – End Date
Company Name, Location
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
Title Start Date – End Date
Company Name, Location
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
- (Action verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
SKILLS
[Relevant skill] | [Relevant skill] | [Relevant skill] | [Relevant skill] | [Relevant skill]
EDUCATION
Degree Type, Major (if applicable) Month/Year of Completion
Institution Name
CERTIFICATIONS
- [Certification], [Certifying organization] – [Year earned]
AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS/VOLUNTEER WORK – (OPTIONAL)
- Award, recognition or volunteer workDate
- Award, recognition or volunteer workDate
Remember to tailor this statement to each specific job application. Highlight relevant achievements and skills, and demonstrate your passion for the company and role.
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Takeaway
Remember, it’s not just about listing skills; it’s about showcasing how you’ve applied these skills in real-life scenarios. Highlight relevant experiences and achievements to validate your proficiency in each skill.
Tailoring your resume to showcase these abilities effectively can set you apart from the competition and leave a lasting impression on potential employers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many skills should I include on my resume?
You have the freedom to determine the quantity of hard and soft skills you feature on your resume. However, a good guideline is to list around 5 to 10 relevant skills that align closely with the job description or the industry you are targeting. Ensure these skills are a mix of hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (personal attributes) that highlight your qualifications and suitability for the position. Avoid listing too many skills that may dilute the focus or seem unrelated to the job you’re applying for. Quality and relevance are more important than quantity when it comes to showcasing your skills on a resume.
What skills should I list if I have no work experience?
Studying the job description is a great approach to identifying skills that the employer values. Highlighting your relevant skills, even without direct work experience, can demonstrate your suitability for the role. Tailoring your resume to match the desired skills and qualifications mentioned in the job description increases your chances of getting noticed by the employer.
What top skills do employers look for?
Recruiters prioritize sought-after hard skills such as blockchain development, SEO, virtual reality development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, business analysis, Java development, affiliate marketing, UX design, machine learning, project management, video production and editing, sales, and business development.
The top soft skills hiring managers prioritize includes creativity, collaboration, persuasion, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.
How can I identify my skills?
Some effective ways you can identify your skills before adding them to your resume include:
Reflect on your accomplishments: Consider your past experiences, including jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, and academic projects. Identify tasks you excelled in, enjoyed, or found easy to do. Reflect on what you did well and the skills required to accomplish those tasks.
Seek feedback: Ask friends, colleagues, or mentors about your strengths. They may provide valuable insights and perspectives on your skills.
