Best Skills for a Resume
- Written by News Co Media
Recruiters value skills on a resume because they help them quickly filter through large quantities of candidates. As a best practice, you should include a list of skills and abilities covering:
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Professional skills
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Communication skills
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Sports and other “fun” facts
That way, you can present yourself as an all-rounded candidate who brings additional value to the company. If you need help with laying out the different skills, you can always use a rezzy resume builder or an approved template.
Just keep this in mind: your skills should convince the recruiter that you’re not only the perfect candidate for the job, but also have what it takes to grow a team to the next level.
Add a List of Hard Skills
The bottom line of any hiring process is to find someone who can do the job. Therefore, the first thing to include on your resume is a list of hard skills. Hard skills, also known as professional skills, can be position-specific or general skills.
Some professional skills examples include:
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Skills unique to the position, for example, coding languages or design software
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General computer skills, such as understandings of the Office Suite
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Presentation skills
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Project management skills
Keep in mind lacking certain hard skills will get you disqualified for the position. Therefore, make sure you understand what the job asks for before putting the list together.
Soft Skills, or Personal Skills
In today’s world, having hard skills alone is insufficient. Make sure you include soft skills focusing on communication, relationship building, and leadership. Some examples of soft skills include:
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Leadership development
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Decision making
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Critical thinking
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Stress management
These items tell the recruiter if you are a good fit for the company’s culture. It also shows them how much growth potential you have and can determine your future career development.
Skill Qualifications
Qualifications usually appear as a sub-section under the skills sector. They are very helpful if you are applying for a high seniority position. Including high-value qualifications on your resume also gives you more leverages to negotiate salary and benefits.
When adding qualifications, you should always include the following information:
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The issuing institution
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Year/month issued
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Expiration date, if applicable
Organize these certifications in the same order you listed the hard and soft skills in the main section for a better reading experience.
Bonus Tip: Include Qualities in the Summary
Qualities don’t count as skills, but they can prove your integrity and professionalism to a recruiter. While most resumes have a skill section, qualities often go into the summary section.
Make sure the qualities resonate with the skills you choose. For instance, if you included time management as a soft skill, you should mention punctuality as a personal quality.
Feature the Best Skills on Resume
Start with a list of good skills to put on a resume. You can find plenty of examples online. Then, read through the job description and edit your skill list accordingly. Ensure you include both hard skills and soft, personal skills to present yourself as an all-rounded candidate.
Be sure to use a clean design and put the essential skills on top of the list, so recruiters see those first. Remember to leverage the summary section because that’s the first thing on your resume a recruiter will see.
Finally, always be honest. Never lie about your skills and qualifications, because in the end, those lies will come back and haunt you.
