Top 15 Skills to Include in Your Resume

If you are looking for a new job or trying to progress in your career, your resume needs to be perfect. It has to be impressive and engage the employer enough to shortlist you for the position. While we all know the basics of a resume, what skills should you definitely include in your resume?

It always helps to indicate your skills as a way of creating impact on the company or solving a particular problem. The employer isn’t interested in your ‘self-starter’ attitude unless it translates to can lead a team or supervise other members on a project. Let’s find out the top 15 skills to include in your resume.

• Organization– Every recruiter and hiring manager wants evidence of these skills since organized people can ensure projects get completed in the right manner and on time. You can include project management skills or examples in this.
• Public Speaking- Employers want somebody who is confident and can present to a room full of strangers.
• Communication-Usually at the top of the list, provide examples of written and verbal communication skills so prospective employers can gauge your experience and knowledge. You can link blogs, websites, or any speeches you have given in the past.
• Customer Service- Even if you don’t work in customer service, connecting with clients, vendors, or customers can indicate good people skills, communication skills, and networking capabilities.
• Problem Solving- How did you fix X in the past? Can you tackle Y if it happens in the future? Using your roles to suggest problem-solving skills can intrigue your employers and make you stand out.
• Teamwork- Can you work in a diverse team? Do you play well with others? Is your personality friendly? Or are you unable to handle criticism and shy from collaboration?
• Critical Thinking- Problem-solving is about using critical thinking skills to see routes and paths which can seem unorthodox or unconventional but give good results.
• Leadership- Are you able to delegate tasks? Can you handle authority? Show past examples of leadership skills or project management skills to explain your leadership capabilities.
• Persuasion- Being persuasive is a great soft skill to have as it can attract clients and customers to your brand.
• Sales- With most roles requiring multiple capabilities, having a sales experience or skills can make you stand apart in the crowd.
• Networking- Do you have a knack of engaging people about your work or projects? Are you skilled at networking or finding new contacts and building a database? Networking is an invaluable tool in several industries as you can bring in new business, pitch for a project, or get an interview if you network right.
• Negotiation- Employers want strong, assertive candidates who can stand up for themselves and negotiate good deals. They want people to have an equal give and take during interviews which translates well for future employees.
• Patience- Many employees lose out on the role because they are impatient or want quick results. Employers prefer patient, calm employees who can put in the effort and wait for desired results.
• Positivity- Employers want candidates who can turn failures or setbacks into something constructive and learn from them. Use your gap years, bad jobs, or experiences to narrate your growth and improve your skills.
• Proactive- Companies want candidates who can take charge and tackle duties or responsibilities without letting them spiral or blow out of proportion.

These are the 15 skills that you definitely should include in your resume. Your resume is a brief summary of your experience, education, and skills. Use it wisely so employers understand what you are trying to convey.

Many candidates make the mistake of keeping the language vague and generic. Instead of saying, ‘Worked in teams to create XYZ campaign‘ use actionable words such as ‘Collaborated with other creators across 5 cities to create, design, shoot, and produce XYZ campaign in 3 months.’ To show your success rate you can use figures such as ‘ Increased conversion by X%‘ instead of saying ‘Increased audiences.‘ Add testimonials from your previous employers or clients to prove your work or show you are loyal and have a steady client base. You can also include references that can vouch for you personally and professionally. Don’t link social media unless you have separate professional accounts for it. Be very clear and transparent in your resume about your experience and expectations. Employers spend very little time reading resumes which is frustrating but that’s why it is essential your resume stands out in that small window.

The new world is extremely flexible so your resume can be a link, a website, a blog, a visual portfolio, or a regular document. The idea is to ensure your skills and experience translate well enough for the employer to consider you for the role.