Did you know a human being never reviews an estimated 75% of resumes? You have applicant tracking systems (ATS) to thank for that. These systems look for resumes with particular keywords and skills and reject those without them.<\/p>\n
For the resumes that pass the ATS, most hiring managers won\u2019t spend more than 30 seconds looking at them. Several studies suggest that your resume might only get a quick, few-second glance before landing in either the \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d pile. So, it must catch their attention quick if you want an interview.<\/p>\n
A resume with carefully placed skills can help you pass through automated resume gatekeepers and busy hiring professionals.<\/p>\n
Learning how to list skills on a resume effectively can mean the difference between landing that fantastic new job and facing a longer, more frustrating job search.<\/p>\n
Simply put, you won\u2019t make it to the interview stage if you don\u2019t include your skills on your resume.<\/p>\n
As mentioned, both ATS and recruiters will only initially scan your resume. They look for keywords related to the skills they need from a potential employee.\u00a0So, if you want the job, you\u2019ll have to show how your relevant skills will fit in a particular organization.<\/p>\n
They also want to know how current your skills are. For example, a computer science degree from 2003 isn\u2019t the same as one from 2023, so it\u2019s very helpful to show that you are learning new job skills<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n There are two types of skills \u2013 hard and soft skills.<\/p>\n Hard skills equip you to perform the specific duties of your job. You acquire these through formal high school, college, or university education or on-the-job training and certification programs.<\/p>\n Computer, technical, analytic, math, and reading generally permeate the hard or \u201ctechnical skills\u201d required for a job. However, the specific hard skills required will vary by job and industry.<\/p>\n Some industry-specific examples of hard skills include:<\/p>\n Accountants<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Financial Analysts:<\/strong><\/p>\n Graphic Designers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Information Security Analysts:<\/strong><\/p>\n Nurses<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Very few employees work in isolation. You will interact with co-workers, supervisors, customers, and the general public, even if only a little. Because of this, most employers prioritize soft skills on par with or above hard skills.<\/p>\n Soft skills serve you beyond a specific job, which is why they\u2019re also called \u201ctransferable skills.\u201d That is, you need them to succeed as an employee (and a person) in general.<\/p>\n Unlike hard skills, you don\u2019t typically acquire soft skills through education or pre-employment training. Your soft skills depend on your personality characteristics and your behavior, thoughts, and emotions. They are learned and developed through living your life, including social interactions, practice, and practical experience.<\/p>\n Common soft skills include:<\/p>\n Adaptability<\/strong>: Adjusting to new, unfamiliar, changing, and unexpected situations. You might encounter increasing workloads, new production or design methods and equipment, and emergencies.<\/p>\n Communication<\/strong>: This skill refers to speaking, writing, and conveying messages. These communications<\/a> may include instructions by managers or supervisors and explanations of scientific or technical information to the public.<\/p>\n Decision-making<\/strong>: Skilled decision-makers can assess the benefits and costs of particular alternatives and make judgments. Many situations call for quick decisions.<\/p>\n Interpersonal<\/strong>: This soft skillset includes conflict resolution, empathy, compassion, selflessness, receiving constructive feedback, and more.<\/p>\n Leadership<\/strong>: Effective leaders establish and communicate goals and policies. Leadership skills include allocating human and physical resources, evaluating performance, and implementing improvements or changes. Many other transferable skills, such as communication, organization, and time management, are also included in this category.<\/p>\n Organization<\/strong>: Organizational skills encompass your ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines. It includes prioritizing tasks, delegating actions, decluttering your workspace, and arranging the necessary tools, supplies, equipment, and documents.<\/p>\n Employers also want workers adept at being open-minded, professional, dependable, inclusive, and sensitive to those of other cultures and races.<\/p>\n You likely have a lot of professional skills and abilities. But that doesn\u2019t mean you should stuff them all into your resume.<\/p>\nWhat are Hard Skills?<\/h2>\n
Examples of Hard Skills<\/h3>\n
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What are Soft Skills?<\/h2>\n
Examples of Soft Skills<\/h3>\n
Choosing What Skills to Include on Your Resume<\/h2>\n