- Introduction
- Must add job skills to put on resume
- How to add relevant skills to a resume basis job description?
- Must have in-demand hard skills on a resume
- Must have in-demand soft skills on a resume
- Ways to weave in your skills on resume for a job
- Closing thoughts
When you’re building your resume, it is essential to understand the necessary skills to put on your resume. Job seekers are always looking to enhance their resumes to increase visibility and get shortlisted. Well, look no further. We’re here to help you understand what skills recruiters keep an eye on and how you can add skills to your resume. The skills to put on a resume will vary depending on the job role and experience.
Adding the right skills to a resume determines how far you can advance in the hiring process. A resume is like a business pitch to sell yourself, and your skills are like the USP, which influences your salary figure and job role. So, what skills do you put on your resume? Here are a few common skills that you can add to your resume, which are generally looked out for by the recruiters.
Must add job skills to put on resume
It is no secret that recruiters today are looking to hire the best talent pool with both hard skills and soft skills, and both types of skillsets are essential in the workplace today.
Hard skills are generally technical skills specific to job roles and help you accomplish tasks associated with your job. These can be acquired through regular practice, courses, and training; hard skills are easily measurable, and you get certifications to prove your expertise.
Soft skills are also referred to as transferable or interpersonal skills and are reflected in one’s personality. Examples of soft skills include adaptability, fitting into work culture, stress management, communication skills, teamwork, etc. These skills are more critical as you need them at any job role and can be learned only by experience.
A proper balance of hard and soft skills will be the icing on the cake and can tip the scales in your favor during your interview and job search.
Here are a few job skills to put on resume:
- Computer proficiency
- Problem-solving abilities
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Leadership experience
- Communication skills
- Organizational skills
- People skills
- Collaboration talent
- Commercial Awareness
Quick check – How to Prepare for an Interview?
How to add relevant skills to a resume basis job description?
The increase in automation has led many companies to start using ATS(Applicant Tracking System). ATS is an electronic tool used to parse and shortlist resumes basis specific parameters or filters given by the recruiter(s). Since thousands of applicants apply for a single job role, the use of ATS makes things easier for recruiters. Hence, you need to customize your resume and cover letter for every job role you apply for and ensure your resume is ATS compliant.
Here is an example for your understanding.
Following is the job description of a Graphic Designing Role:
Responsibilities
- Go through design briefs and determine requirements
- Schedule projects and define budget constraints
- Conceptualize designs based on requirements
- Prepare rough drafts and present ideas
- Design banners, illustrations, logos, and other designs using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
- Work on UI/UX Designing for client websites.
- Work with the marketing team and copywriters to produce the efficient final design.
- Test graphics across various media
- Optimize designs basis feedback
- Ensure graphics are in sync with the brand and are visually appealing
- Managing projects with large teams on a case-to-case basis
The above-highlighted texts are a few important keywords or keyphrases that your resume must have. You can also check other graphic designer job descriptions on job sites like LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed, and many more to add similar keywords and skills to your resume.
Must have in-demand hard skills on a resume
Hard skills are as explained previously, are mostly skills associated with the job role and can be measured. It is always important to showcase your skills with the level of proficiency you have in each skill. For example, Graphic Designer can include hard skills like Project management, Design Management, software expertise like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite, CorelDraw, etc., and other skills basis job descriptions. Most hard skills will have certification and add credibility to your resume.
Quick Check – Mastering Interview Questions
Here is a list of a few in-demand hard skills:
Technical skills
Technical skills include specialized knowledge and expertise in a specific field such as Engineering, Designing, IT, Management, or Science.
Examples of Technical skills
- Python
- CAD
- HTML5
- CSS3
- Java
- JavaScript
- SQL
- PHP
- ERP platforms
- CRM platforms
- Research
- Statistics
- Machine Learning Algorithms
- REVIT
- 3DS MAX
- Prototyping
Quick Check – Soft Skills for IT
Computer skills
Amidst the rapid digital transformation, computer skills are a must in any industry. Your knowledge of software and hardware is important.
Examples of Computer skills
- Microsoft Office
- Word
- Powerpoint
- Excel
- Outlook
- Access
- Project
- SharePoint
- Google Drive
- Database Management
- Social Media Management
- Canva
- Email (Gmail, Outlook, and many more)
Few programming skills can also be added, such as
- C#
- SQL
- Python
- Java
- CSS
- JavaScript
- HTML
- Ruby on Rails
- C++
Analytical skills
Analytical skills are researching, collecting data, analyzing, and predicting trends or forecasts while making detailed reports. Data is like a gold mine today, and everyone needs to learn to present their information/outcomes with credible data.
Examples of Analytical skills
- Market research
- Data collection
- Data mining
- Data presentation
- Data analysis
- Data forecasting
- Data cleansing
- Data management
- Data engineering
- Reporting
Marketing skills
A few of the trending in-demand skills in the modern-day digital marketing era are marketing skills. These skills include knowledge of Sales, PR, Advertising, Consumer Psychology, Social Media, and Consumer research with some technical skills of marketing tools.
Examples of Marketing skills
- SEO/SEM: Ahrefs, SEMRush, BuzzSumo, Majestic
- Paid marketing
- Social media marketing
- Copywriting
- Creative writing
- Email marketing
- UX Design
- Google Ads
- Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn Ads
- CRM tools/platforms like WordPress, WIX
- Analytics tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, HubSpot, Aritic PinPoint, Google Search Console, Google Trends
- UI/UX design
- Designing and editing tools like Canva, Biteables, Adobe Spark
- Storytelling
Presentation skills
Well, you might think presentation skills are soft skills, but to pull off an effective presentation, you need hard skills too.
Examples of Presentation skills
- Visual communication
- Research
- Data analysis
- Reporting
- Graphic design
- MS Office
- Softwares/tools like Prezi, Canva
Management skills
People skills are essential skills in this world of networking. Managing resource and people are not that easy, and hands-on experience is needed to learn them.
Examples of Management skills
- Team management
- Business knowledge
- Budgeting
- Planning
- Strategizing
- Project management
- Operational management
- Business development
- Logistics
- Negotiating
Project management skills
Project management skills are essential as every organization works on many projects and gets things done within budget and time. Expertise in project management will help you in any job that needs you to coordinate with multiple stakeholders.
Examples of Project management skills
- Project lifecycle management
- Project scheduling
- Strategic planning
- Agile project management
- Scrum management
- Forecasting
- MS Project
- Primavera
- Performance tracking
- Budgeting
- SAP
- Tools lie JIRA, Crunchbase
Writing skills
Content is the king today in this digital world. It is the first thing that consumer experiences, whether it is social media, a website, or a blog. Content Marketing plays a crucial role in building a solid brand presence for every organization. Strong writing skills help you get into multiple job roles ranging from Digital Marketing and SEO to PR Reports and Sales Pitches.
- Basic content writing
- Email writing
- Message writing
- Creative writing
- Storytelling
- Business writing – reports and press releases
- Copywriting
- SEO content writing
- Social media content writing
Quick Check – How to improve writing skills?
Must have in-demand soft skills on a resume
Soft skills are fundamental, and hiring managers are generally looking for interesting soft skills you put on your resume. Experienced managers will be on the lookout for a resume with soft skills, as hard skills can be picked up quicker by individuals than soft skills. Candidates who can adapt to the work culture and have good communication skills will have an edge over other candidates in the hiring process. The way you present yourself during the interview should be positive such that the recruiter or employer can believe you can help them grow. Customize your resume basis the job role and the organization you apply for, which showcases your strengths and enables you to stand out.
Here is a list of a few in-demand and valuable soft skills:
Adaptability
Whether you are joining a new organization or a long-term employee adjusting to changes in organizational structure, or a manager adapting to new team members, change is inevitable. Organizations prefer individuals who can rapidly adapt to new, unexpected situations as these are bound to happen amidst new processes and technologies.
Teamwork
Working in an organization calls for being able to work in a team. Demonstrating teamwork skills in your resume is essential. It is possible to develop your ability to work in a team through various hobbies, sports, jobs, and college. Working alongside people in a shop or participating in group projects at your college are ways to build teamwork skills.
Communication skills
Be it working with customers, clients, or your colleagues. It is highly essential to have excellent communication skills. In a client-facing role, it is crucial to provide excellent customer service, and thus, communicating effectively becomes a critical skill. However, verbal communication is not the only skill employers are looking for. Writing well and accurately conveying yourself on paper is important too.
Quick check – How to improve Public Speaking?
Decision making
Decision-making skills are very important as they can be the difference in making a choice that improves your team/project/organization. The ability to make the right decisions is a crucial leadership trait, which portrays your ability to think objectively, keep in mind the goals and your peers, and boost the organization’s culture. This is why employers value individuals who can assess a situation and determine the actionable steps to take fearlessly rather than waiting for approvals or guidance.
Empathy
As much as we understand ourselves, it is essential to understand others. This is what is generally considered as being in someone else’s shoe. Understanding different perspectives from different individuals is a key to EQ which will help you effectively engage with your peers, coworkers, managers, and customers. Empathy is an important personality trait, especially for leaders.
Leadership
Employers are always on the lookout for leaders who can take the lead in their job roles. Here leaders do not mean that one should be in a managerial or leadership position. Hiring managers prefer individuals who can inspire and motivate team members and act with honesty, fairness, and a strategic attitude, even if they are not hiring for a managerial or leadership position. Wherever possible, highlight professional experience and skills on your resume that demonstrate your leadership qualities.
Problem-solving
We live in a world filled with plenty of problems all the time. Whether personal life or professional career, we come across challenges and issues daily. Employers prefer individuals who would be ready to face the challenges arising rather than handholding them to manage situations. The ability to resolve conflicts and come up with solutions to solve problems is an excellent add-on to your resume.
Organizational Skills
Being able to work tight deadlines is crucial in most job roles. Adding this skill to your resume will help you show the employer that you have good time management skills and effective prioritization. It also shows that you are proactive and self-motivated. Be sure to back up your abilities with real examples that demonstrate your achievements. When you’re applying for a job in any fast-paced environment such as social media, publishing houses, graphic design, advertising, there will be a greater interest in individuals with organizational skills.
Commercial Awareness
Whichever industry you are working in, almost all hiring managers value commercial awareness. It is essential to understand market trends, competitor analysis, and understanding the business and its products. You will naturally develop commercial awareness if you have several years of work experience. However, work experience is not the only way to gain this awareness.
You can work internships, take up part-time jobs, or carry out extra-curricular activities to help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of the industry you are working in. Actively following or reading social media feeds, newsletters, journals, or company emails will help you stay in the loop with the current trends.
When you think of skills to put on your resume, you can give practical examples to demonstrate your soft skills and build credibility to edge over other candidates.
Quick check – Behavioural Interview Questions
Ways to weave in your skills on your resume for a job
Now you know what skills to put on resume, but putting it in the right way is essential to stand out. The skills can be highlighted in the work experience section, volunteering activities, or certifications. Simply adding like “led a project” or “written content pieces” will not significantly impact. Metrics play an essential role and have a better impact when read by recruiters. Here are some concrete examples with tips on how to add skills to your resume:
1. Communication
Communications skills are not just what you speak but also your writing and presentation skills, and this needs to be showcased in the track record in your work experience section.
Example: Acted as a keynote speaker for 15 webinars with an average of 1,500 people per webinar.
2. Leadership
You need not be in a managerial position to demonstrate leadership. Taking control of your tasks and taking up challenging tasks like an entrepreneur demonstrates leadership qualities.
Example: Initiated and built a team to resolve on-ground safety issues at a cement plant with ensured fatalities by 95% in the last 5 years
3. Problem-solving
You need to showcase examples of resolving critical issues with clients or internal stakeholders.
Example: Led a 5-member team during a critical issue on a client project reducing the closing time by 5%.
Closing Thoughts
This brings us to the end of the blog. We hope you are now better prepared regarding what skills to put on your resume. One way of developing these skills is to take up an online course that can help you enhance your knowledge. Upskill with Great Learning’s Online Courses and power ahead of your career today. Various courses are available, from technical to business-related, to help you learn. Great Learning also offers mentor support and live sessions with industry experts. Join today! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
