SKILLS FOR RESUME: The Top 25 Skill Examples Employers Want to See

skills for resume
Image source: Great Sample Resume

The skills you list on your resume show employers that you have what it takes to succeed in the given role. Employers frequently pay close attention to this part to assess whether you should go to the next stage of the employment process. Learning these essential skills for your resume will be beneficial, especially for freshers. This article will look at the skills employers want to see on your resume, with appropriate examples.

Types of Skills for Resume

Employers want individuals who have the perfect combination of two sorts of skills: soft skills and hard skills. Hard skills are usually teachable. However, soft skills are far more challenging to obtain because they are often personality traits and hence immensely desirable to employers. In most circumstances, your soft skills can supplement your hard skills. For example, suppose you’re a detail-oriented software engineer proficient in a computer programming language. In that case, you’ll most likely be able to detect and repair flaws in the code you and your team write.

Hard Skills for Resume

Hard skills are abilities that are specialized to a job or sector. Generally, these are more technical skills learned in school, certification programs, training materials, or on-the-job experience. Examples of hard skills for a resume include:

  • Bookkeeping proficiency 
  • Content Managing Systems
  • Languages other than English
  • Using specific equipment or machinery
  • Patient planning
  • POS (point-of-sale) system
  • Project administration
  • Software
  • Scheduling
  • Monitoring vital signs

Soft Skills

Soft skills, however, are transferable abilities that may be used in any position. These skills, sometimes known as “people skills” or “social skills,” involve competency in areas such as:

  • Communication
  • Customer care
  • Decision-making/ Drive
  • Integrity
  • Leadership
  • Organization 
  • Problem-solving 
  • Teamwork
  • Time administration

To position oneself as a well-rounded candidate, you should highlight your finest hard and soft skills on your resume. It’s also a good idea to think about how the two types of skills relate to one another and the job so you may bring it up in your next interview.

Examples of Skills To Put on a Resume

While hard skills are frequently easy to discern based on job description specifics, selecting applicable soft skills is not always as straightforward. Review the many duties of the employment and assess which of your own qualities will help you successfully execute those tasks to help narrow down which soft skills to include on a resume.

Here are some examples of the top skills that freshers should include on their resume:

#1. Active listening abilities

Active listening is the ability to thoroughly concentrate on the person speaking, comprehend their message, and reply meaningfully. An active listener uses verbal and nonverbal cues to demonstrate and maintain his focus on the person speaking. Active listening abilities can demonstrate to your coworkers that you are involved and interested in the project or task.

Listening skills that are related include:

  • Posing inquiries
  • Note-taking 
  • Organization
  • Punctuality
  • Communication (verbal and nonverbal)

#2. Communication skills

Communication skills are your abilities to give and receive various types of information. Some instances include sharing thoughts, sentiments, or information about what is going on around you. Listening, talking, watching, and empathizing are all communication skills. Strong communication skills are essential in every business and at every career level.

Among the related communication abilities are:

  • Listening actively
  • Constructive criticism
  • Interpersonal interaction
  • Speaking in public
  • Communication (verbal and nonverbal)
  • Communication in writing

#3. Computer skills

Computer skills entail the capacity to study and use many types of technology. Hardware abilities enable you to operate a computer physically and can be as simple as knowing how to power on and power off devices. Software skills enable you to use computer programs and applications more effectively. Some software abilities, such as spreadsheet use or knowledge of a specific coding language, may be considered prerequisites for employment by employers.

Computer skills that are related include:

  • Word processing/typing
  • Knowledge of coding languages
  • Administration of computer systems
  • Spreadsheets
  • Email administration

#4. Customer service abilities

Customer service skills are characteristics and activities that assist you in meeting your customers’ needs and providing a great experience. These skills, in general, focus significantly on problem-solving and communication. Customer service is sometimes regarded as a “soft talent,” encompassing attributes such as active listening and reading both verbal and nonverbal signs. Customer service skills include:

  • Active listening 
  • Empathy
  • Interpersonal abilities
  • Problem-solving
  • Reliability

#5. Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are characteristics that you rely on when interacting with and communicating with people. They cover a wide range of scenarios in which cooperation is crucial. It is critical to develop interpersonal skills in order to interact effectively with others, solve problems, and manage projects or teams.

Interpersonal skills that are related include:

  • Communication
  • Empathy
  • Flexibility
  • Leadership 
  • Patience

#6. Leadership abilities

Leadership abilities are used while coordinating others to achieve a common goal. These abilities are required to motivate others to perform a sequence of duties, typically on time, whether you are in a managerial role or heading a project.

Among the related leadership abilities are:

  • Capability to instruct and mentor
  • Flexibility
  • Team building through risk-taking
  • Time administration

#7. Management skills

Management abilities enable you to regulate both tasks and individuals. To help a team or project, a good manager is organized, empathic, and communicates well. Managers should also be proficient in both soft skills and industry-specific technical skills.

Management skills that are related include:

  • Decision making
  • Project planning
  • Delegation of responsibilities
  • Communication within the team
  • Team management

#8. Problem-solving abilities

Problem-solving abilities enable you to identify the cause of a problem and rapidly develop an efficient solution. This ability is highly regarded in any profession and in any business. Solving challenges in your role may necessitate the use of industry or job-specific technical skills. Examples of these skills include:

  • Attention to detail 
  • Collaboration 
  • Communication
  • Patience
  • Research

#9. Time management abilities

Time management abilities enable you to finish activities and projects ahead of schedule while maintaining a work-life balance. Staying organized might assist you in allocating your workday to certain tasks based on their relevance. Understanding your individual, team, and company goals in depth will help you decide how to manage your time. Examples of time management skills include:

  • Delegating tasks
  • Focus
  • Organizational 
  • Prioritization 
  • Goal Setting

#10. Transferable skills

Transferable skills are characteristics that can be used by any employer when changing professions or occupations. Examples of transferable skills include adaptability, organization, teamwork, and other attributes that employers look for in good applicants. When looking for a new job, transferable talents can help you position your previous expertise, especially if it is in a different field.

Transferable skills include:

  • Ambition
  • Creativity
  • Empathy 
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork

The best skills to include on a resume differ depending on the job, career level, education, and other criteria. For example, the skills required of a commercial truck driver differ from those required of a marketing manager. Take the time before applying for any job to evaluate the most useful talents to the business and modify your CV based on which of your unique skills meet their needs.

Your resume skills list aims to demonstrate to the recruiter or hiring manager that you are the ideal candidate for the job and will provide significant value to their team. You may rapidly distinguish yourself from the competition by paying attention to the type of applicant a company is searching for and drawing links to your abilities.

Resume Skills For Freshers

Aside from your work experience, the skills you list on your resume help the recruiter choose the best candidate. This is especially important for freshers.

In this section, we will go through the skills that freshers should include in their resume to catch the recruiter’s attention.

Skills to Include on A Resume For Freshers

We will focus on the soft skills for resumes for freshers to list in this section because the hard skills to highlight depend on the job description.

The following are examples of soft skills that freshers can put on their resume regardless of the job profile.

#1. Adaptability

Adaptability is adjusting to new work culture, the team’s working rhythm, etc.

As a result, adaptability is one of the most crucial to include on a resume for new and experienced candidates.

#2. Time administration

You will be expected to manage numerous projects simultaneously when you enter the workforce. As a result, time management is a crucial talent to include on a resume.

You can highlight situations where you successfully juggled various projects to demonstrate your time management skills.

#3. Attention to details.

The margin for error is one of the most significant contrasts between student and professional life. As a student in college, you can always correct your error with no/minimal consequences.

A minor error in the workplace, on the other hand, might result in a loss of time, money, or even market reputation.

As a result, it is critical to pay close attention to details at work. As a result, you can demonstrate your attention to detail by delivering an error-free CV to the recruiter.

#4. Unambiguous communication

Another key talent for freshers to highlight on their resume is communication. On the job, you will need to communicate frequently, not just with your team and your management, but also with other teams in order to collaborate. This makes clear communication a critical skill for any working professional, regardless of experience.

#5. Work ethic

Work ethic is another crucial characteristic to include on a resume. To begin, work ethics entails your feeling of responsibility, integrity, honesty, and dependability, among other things. You can provide an example of when you shown a strong work ethic.

#6. Self-motivated

Although you will receive onboarding training on the day you start and assistance for the first week, you will be expected to pick up and navigate your work on your own after that. As a result, self-motivation is one of the most significant abilities for new graduates to include on a resume.

#7. Good team spirit 

This is another key talent for freshers to include on their resumes because they will need to work with a team to attain team goals. As a professional, you will be evaluated based on your personal and team goals.

Even Nevertheless, everyone’s input contributes to the team’s effectiveness and can significantly impact the firm. As a result, it is critical to collaborate with others in harmony.

#8. Making quick decisions

After carefully assessing the problem, decision-making allows an employee to determine the next course of action.

This opens up several opportunities for individuals to learn and demonstrate their abilities at work. As a result, it is one of the most crucial abilities for freshers to highlight on their CV.

#9. Ability to solve problems

Work, like life, can provide problems and obstacles, and how you handle them not only helps you acquire self-confidence, but also gains the trust of your management and teammates. Thus, including problem-solving abilities in resumes for freshers might be quite advantageous.

Aside from these skills in resume for freshers to highlight, go over the hard skills listed on the job description to show yourself to the recruiter as the best-suited candidate.

What Are The 8 Employability Skills?

The 8 employability skills include:

  • Communication
  • Team work
  • Problem solving
  • Initiative and enterprise
  • Planning and organising
  • Self-management
  • Learning skills
  • Technology

What Are Basic Skills?

Basic skills, also called skills for life, are skills like reading, writing, number skills and computer skills that we use everyday. They are important for effectively running our day to day activities. We can also use them to learn other skills.

How to List Skills on a Resume

Here are some tips for listing skills on your resume:

Even if you have multiple areas of strength, list only those relevant to the position you’re looking for. Begin by examining the job description and noting any required skills or abilities that correspond to your own. Consider the company and its culture, in addition to the employment criteria.

#2. List your expertise in a separate area.

When examining resumes, recruiters frequently have limited time, so make your skills section specific and concise. When you get to the interview stage, you’ll have the chance to comment on talents that weren’t listed on your CV.

#3. Emphasize your skills in other sections of your CV.

In addition to a separate skills section, it’s a good idea to include relevant skills in your resume summary and work experience section.

#4. Indicate your level of expertise (when appropriate)

Skill level is a term used to describe a person’s knowledge of a specific subject. To illustrate your level of experience with a certain skill, words like novice, intermediate, proficient, or expert can be applied to your personal and professional qualities.

For example, if you mention American Sign Language as a skill on your resume, you should provide a metric indicating your competence level, such as “Fluent” or “Basic.”

Consider arranging the talents in which you believe you have an expert level of experience before the ones in which you think you are proficient. This can assist an employer focus on your most valuable skills before skimming through the skills you are less experienced in.

#5. Include at least 2-4 general soft skills.

Most employers emphasize soft skills, which define how you work independently or with others. The following are some of the most in-demand soft skills:

  • Time administration
  • Effective communication
  • Adaptability
  • Creativity
  • Problem-solving
  • Leadership
  • Interpersonal abilities
  • Openness
  • Pay close attention to the details.
  • Work morale

In Conclusion,

Understand that recruiters receive a flood of applications and only have 2-3 minutes to review each. So your job is to capture the recruiter’s attention with your resume.

Before answering any job application or HR interview question, research and correctly read the job description.

Reading the job description assists you to determine which skills to include on your resume by aligning them with the recruiter’s needs.

However, please make sure that you genuinely possess the talents or have plans to learn them. 

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References

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