5 Top Skills That Should Never Be Missing on Your Résumé or CV.

Time was when all you needed to land a job was a degree certificate with great grades.

But that was decades ago. One characteristic feature of the present age is what I call ‘Job Stagflation’ - a situation where there are a few jobs available for a crowd of job seekers.

As expected, this job scarcity has made the labour market tight and globally competitive. Therefore, it is inescapable that as a job seeker who is passionate to land a high-paying job, you do all you can to stand out from the crowd. One of the most effective ways to do this is by honing your strategies to gain an edge and highlighting your skills that are in high demand by employers.

Here are the 5 Top Skills you need on your resume:

1)   Team Spirit (ability to be a team player).

Contrary to what many people think, most employers are reportedly more interested in how good a candidate works in a team than the individual skills they possess. Surprising, yes?

Years of experience have shown that candidates who can work well in a team are not only teachable but also fast learners.

Moreover, there is hardly any job that will not require you to work with others in order to complete tasks and achieve the organisation’s goals.

Coming from employers themselves in a 2011 survey carried out by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), they reported that most of them prefer candidates that are open to new ideas and inputs by others as well as the ability to consider the other people's interests.

There is a place for independence, no doubt, but most employers are beginning to admit that lasting growth comes from the collaborative synergy of all members of the organisation.

2)   Effective Communication (ability to communicate clearly with others).

Verbal and written communication skills form the starting point of any organisational activity.

To complete a task, you may need to communicate with multiple departments in the organisation. Be it in the planning or execution of tasks or to simply coordinate a project. It aids you greatly within and without the organisation as one relates with superiors, colleagues, clients and customers. An effective communicator is almost always an asset to the organisation as he/she will be a good motivator, listener and can manage others in doing their jobs.

3)   Problem Solving and Decision Making.

Employers are perpetually in need of candidates with highly developed problem-solving skills because almost every organisation is solving one problem or the other. So, your résumé or CV should convincedly show that you can first identify the problem and then proffer the best solution for it.

This, no doubt, goes together with good decision-making skills which come in handy when deciding what options to use I'm solving a given problem. It’s so because most employers want candidates that can make the best decisions that are in the best interest of the company along solving problems with the most efficiency.

4)   Good Planning and Execution.

Most of the tasks and projects employees engage in often require effective planning and efficient execution.

Your résumé or CV should prove that you have good organisational and planning skills which help to beat deadlines. This implies that you have a high sense of priority to know what to put first especially in line with the company's goals. Thus, planning and execution are essential to the success of every project and you should be able to show you can offer that, in your résumé.

5)   Flexibility

Many employers strongly desire employees who are dynamic and adaptable to every situation. By showing in your résumé that you have a natural ability to use a variety of methods and approaches in different circumstances to get the best result, you stand out and apart from others.

Indeed, to put out a job-winning résumé is not a ride in the park. So, it is imperative that you do it right by making sure you have what it takes to make a significant difference.

 Always remember to keep your résumé short and sweet, but still include enough quality information to make an impression.