How To Impress Employers With The Skills Section Of Your Resume

The skills you list on your resume have a say in whether or not you’ll get the job, as employers are looking for an applicant with the greatest number of skills relevant to the position they’re hiring for. If you want a chance at securing an interview, you’ll need to choose which skills to highlight and which skills to leave out of your resume.

You won’t be there to explain the resume to the employer, so it needs to be able to speak for itself and do well at representing you and what skills you can bring to the company. Simply listing out every skill you can think of won’t cut it, as specific jobs require specific skills. No matter what job you’re applying for, the employer will expect certain hard skills and soft skills, and you need to be able to show you have the right amount of both.

Hard Skills Vs. Soft Skills

Hard skills are the technical skills you need to have in order to be able to get the job done. These skills are usually obtained through education, training, internships, or other learning opportunities. Hard skills are also specific to each job role, and are not a one size fits all.

When employers are looking to fill job openings, they will first check to see if applicants possess the necessary hard skills to be able to successfully do the job. The hard skills you can have are limitless, but some examples are coding skills, content writing skills, graphic design skills, knowledge of other languages, software management skills, and more.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are not as easily learned as hard skills. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills, and determine how ‘emotionally intelligent a person is. Soft skills are what make employees easier to work with, communicate more efficiently, as well as lead group discussion and innovation.

Some examples of soft skills include communication, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and empathy. Unlike hard skills, it’s not possible to learn soft skills. Fortunately, though, soft skills can be practiced and improved on.

What Skills Should You Include On Your Resume?

The skills that should be included on your resume are case specific, but some of the more in-demand skills include leadership skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills.

Leadership Skills

Are you applying for a management position? If so, it’s important to list any and all leadership skills you might possess. Be sure to list any experience you’ve had managing a team or otherwise showing leadership qualities if you want your best chance. Leadership skills aren’t just for management positions, either, and if you feel it’s something that would improve your chances of getting a specific job, feel free to include it.

Job-Specific Hard Skills

These will vary by job, but depending on the position you’re applying for, you may want to include relevant skills on your resume. Are you applying for a coding job? You’ll definitely want to include any coding experience you have, as well as which languages you’re proficient in. The same model applies to any job. Put your most relevant hard skills forward, and give yourself the best chance at securing the job.

Communication Skills

Good communication is key for any job out there, and all employers should be looking to fill every job with a person who has communication skills. If you have communication skills, add them to your resume regardless of the job you’re applying to. They will also add a nice mix of soft skills into your resume, which can be helpful as many people tend to forget their soft skills in favor of their hard skills when it comes to resume writing.

Problem-Solving Skills

Similarly to communication skills, problem-solving skills are soft skills employers are always on the hunt for. Highlight any problem-solving skills you have on your resume, no matter the job you’re applying for. Every workplace can benefit from creative, quick thinking, and employers will be impressed by your strong soft skills.

Interpersonal Skills

It doesn’t matter how many relevant hard skills you have if you’re impossible to get along with. When considering who to hire, employers are looking for someone who will fit in well with their work culture, and get along with their coworkers. If you’re combative, unfriendly, or otherwise difficult to get along with, employers won’t be as interested in hiring you. List your interpersonal skills on your resume to let potential employers know you have the mix of hard and soft skills they’re looking for.

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Author - Staff Writer

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