Highlighting specific job skills on your resume can help you stand out from the crowd and boost your chances of employability. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, virtually 86% of hiring managers say they will be looking out for evidence of problem-solving skills on the resumes of fresh graduates they are employing. So, instead of simply mentioning that you possess a specific job skill, why not try to impress the potential employer by illustrating how you have solved specific problems in your previous positions using this skill?
Moreover, while crafting your resume, ensure your skills match the job for which you are applying. In this article, I am going to give you examples of how to showcase these six most sought-after job skills, including problem-solving skills on your resume or cover letter.
1. How to highlight problem-solving skills on your resume
When hiring managers seek to employ people with problem-solving skills, they are typically looking for candidates with the ability to handle unexpected or complex situations in the workplace. Every organization relies on employees who can assess difficult situations and effectively identify solutions. Consequently, the traits that enable you to do that are problem-solving skills. As a result, nearly 86% of employers say they value problem-solving skills, which are also highly useful in our day-to-day decision-making. Consider the following examples while highlighting problem-solving skills on your resume:
- While working at [NAME OF COMPANY] I managed to reduce inventory handling costs by 30% using [NAME OF SOFTWARE OR METHOD]
- Improved process efficiency by 150% and reduced costs by $250K by developing solution designs in collaboration with software architects.
- Supervised a team of forty employees.
- By documenting a standard process to address frequently asked questions, I increased customer satisfaction ratings by 30%.
2. How to highlight Analytical Skills on your resume
In today’s job market, it is unsurprisingly hard to find a job vacancy where analytical skills aren’t listed among the requirements. Analytical skills, which consist of a set of abilities, are the same as problem-solving skills. However, an analytical skill, in some cases, can be more than solving a single problem. For instance, analytical skills can be used to prepare a highly accurate sales forecast. Nearly 79% of hiring managers want to employ entry-level candidates who possess analytical skills. In other words, these employers are simply searching for critical thinkers. Employers value critical thinkers because they have the ability to collect, organize, visualize, assimilate data, draw conclusions, and find solutions that can boost an organization’s bottom-line performance. Among other traits, analytical skills include research, brainstorming, troubleshooting, data mining, and diagnostics.
Examples of Analytical Skills on your resume
- Developed a marketing strategy in California that resulted in 1 million bottles being sold in the first year of production.
- Through proficient management of stock and orders, I increased the store turnover by 22% and the main KPIs by 17%.
- Effectively managed and inspired a team of ten employees, reducing the employee turnover to 0.
- Effectively managed events with over forty suppliers involved and up to five hundred attendees.
- Increased impressions by 2% with first-ever digital content into TV integration.
- Invented cross-category solutions, increasing penetration by 3% on ABCD portfolio and sales by 5.7% sales.
3. How to highlight Written Communication Skills on your resume
Excellent written communication skill is a major component of your professionalism. However, many talented people are often not excellent writers. In addition to poor writing making an exchange of ideas and information less efficient, it also makes the writer look unintelligent. Developing a well-written communication skill has two important side effects: It teaches you to speak and to think better. To highlight written communication skills on your resume, you can mention any experiences with creative or technical writing, marketing, SEO-friendly blog content, and translating.
4. How to highlight Team Building Skills on your resume
The vast majority of job listings require candidates to possess team-building skills before entering the workplace. These skills are essential because employers expect their employees to be able to work effectively together. As a result of team-building skills appearing on many job postings nowadays, job seekers are highlighting them on their resumes.
During interviews, hiring managers will try to assess a candidate’s teamwork skills and look for evidence on their resumes. As a result, group interviews are becoming increasingly common nowadays. In a group interview, employers try to measure an individual’s group work skills. Therefore, you need to be ready because 76.3% of employers are looking to employ team players. In other words, candidates who can effectively collaborate with lots of different personalities. An excellent team player is an individual who performs well within a team. However, you need to the qualities that make an employee an effective team player. Some characteristics of a strong team player include but are not limited to:
- Genuine commitment
- Flexibility
- Reliability
- Active listening
- Transparency
- Good communication
- Being respectful
- Problem-solving
- Patience and forgiveness
- Acknowledgment
- Positivity
- Tolerance
An effective way to highlight team-building skills on your resume is to identify the keywords in the job description and include them in the skills section. It isn’t convincing to just write on your resume that you are a strong team player. Firstly, you need to do more than just include the keywords in the skills section of your resume. Secondly, you need to include specific examples of the actions you took as a team player in the past and what the successful outcome was. Thirdly, and most importantly, you need to be concise and include figures or statistical evidence to back it up, using an action verb.
Some examples of team building skills
- Oversaw a group of 20 people and increased product sales by 25%.
- Collaborated with 10 other fundraisers to raise more than $1000.
- Worked effectively to increase sales by 35% over a 1-year period.
- Motivated a team of 15 people with a bonus increase of 10% and an increase in sales by 30%.
- Collaborated with 3 other departments t reduce onboarding process time by 50% using internal HR procedures.
- Independently worked in collaboration with an international virtual team on an effective $10M M&A transaction.
- Built and inspired a cross-functional group of 10 experts to identify tailbacks and speed up transaction times, resulting in an upward quarterly saving of $500K for the company.
5. How to highlight Technical Skills on your resume
Also known as hard skills, technical skills are the specific abilities you acquire in performing particular tasks, either physical or digital. Technical skills as opposed to soft skills, which are strengths that help you to achieve success in your work, are typically job-specific and are often related to information technology (IT), mathematics, computer science, and mechanics. However, nowadays, 64.9% of employers say they rely on employees with technical knowledge. For example, salespeople in food service and retail shops often need to know how to use point-of-sale (POS) software.
For instance, an individual might be technically skilled in:
- Coding
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Operating systems
- Software developing
- Technical writing
- Machining
- Technical support
However, the specific technical skills you intend to showcase on your resume will totally depend on what you’re best at, your industry, and the job you’re applying to. Before including your specific technical skills, it’s crucial to know what the employer is looking for. For example, if employers seek someone with digital marketing technical skills, they are definitely looking to hire a candidate with the following technical skills:
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization
- Blogging or Vlogging
- Social media marketing and e-commerce
- Analytical skills
- Automated Marketing Software (AMS)
- Content Management Systems (CMS)
Consider the following examples when highlighting these skills on your resume:
- Attracted high-quality backlinks to the company’s website using skyscraper content. This increased the brand’s awareness by 35%.
- Developed a WordPress plugin that automatically shares the company’s blog post to different social media.
- Used infographics to drive tons of traffic from Pinterest.
- Used Instagram story tactics to generate more views and engagement.
6. How to highlight Leadership Skills on your resume
According to the NACE survey, a whopping 60.3% of employers want potential candidates to possess great leadership skills. When employers talk about leadership skills, they are typically referring to someone who can motivate others to execute tasks while working toward shared goals. A person can demonstrate his or her leadership skills by being actively productive and efficient within teams, thus improving a company’s overall performance. On your resume, it is not enough to mention that you have leadership skills. It is much more effective to show employers how you guided employees or a team to success in the past. Moreover, during interviews, it is also important to demonstrate your leadership communication.
A leader must:
- Have good communication skills
- Be a team builder
- Be a conflict resolver
- Know how to manage time
- How to organize
- How to plan strategically
Consider the following examples when highlighting leadership skills on your resume:
- Oversaw a group of 15 workers using effective communication to set priorities for each shift.
- Swiftly resolve issues by paying attention to concerns and finding solutions in collaboration with assistant managers.
- Increased employee retention by 25% through an incentive program.
- Coached a team of 25 employees through weekly team meetings.
Above all, you need to show employers that you possess exceptional communication and problem-solving skills.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, I would like to advise you to always prepare a relevant anecdote whenever you are going for interviews. In other words, always have a brief and interesting story that backs up the skills you mentioned in your resume. However, make sure your short story is related to what the company wants. This will show the potential employer how valuable your skills could be to the company. As a result, your chances of employability will increase. And, remember that the six skills highlighted in this piece are just part of the top ten in-demand skills that employers look for.
