Your resume isn’t meant to be a laundry list of your former job duties. The goal of your resume is to demonstrate the value you would bring. With that in mind, it’s important to ensure your skills are front and center! You may be thinking, “Which skills?” Rather than simply overloading your resume with fluffy terms like “team player” and “great communicator,” be sure to include the following five types of skills in your resume.

1. Position-specific skills

These are the skills you’ll find listed in the job description. Since these skills are necessary to complete the job, you’ll find them listed under titles like “Required Skills” or “Qualifications.” Consider these core skills necessary for the job. For instance, for careers in finance, you may find jobs requesting underwriter, banking, or accounting experience. You acquire position-specific skills through education, training programs, or real-world experience.

Ex: engineering, program coordination, investment banking, tech support

2. Industry-related skills

These are skills in heavy demand for the industry you’re targeting. Industries are constantly changing to meet demands, so the skills needed may vary year to year. To stay on top of the current trends, you should tap into your network, join relevant professional organizations, and subscribe to outlets that provide relevant updates.

Ex: data science, sales, and digital marketing, UX design, and innovation management

3. Technical skills

These specialized skills can be demonstrated through education and are typically evaluated via assessments. In the workplace, these skills allow you to use specific tools and programs to complete the job. Since technology varies from industry to industry and role to role, you’ll want to check the job requirements to ensure you’re highlighting the skills they’re seeking.

Ex: data mining, Microsoft Excel, JIRA, project management, programming languages

4. Soft skills

These refer to interpersonal capabilities and how you interact with others. Here’s the thing, a recent survey by Forbes reported that 94% of hiring managers believed soft skills mattered more than experience. So how do you know which ones to include? Select the soft skills that complement your technical skills. For instance, if your industry is project management, include skills associated with teamwork, such as cross-functional collaboration or conflict management.

Ex: dependability, communication, relationship building, work ethic

5. Leadership skills

These are skills that demonstrate your ability to lead others well. While many of these skills will also fall into the other categories, the key is to highlight the leadership context. How did you guide fellow employees toward a goal, inspire them through a transition, or deliver results on a project? How did you help turn a complex idea into one everyone could understand? Remember, you may have demonstrated leadership skills even if you didn’t hold a management position.

Ex: empathy, ability to drive change, effective communication, problem-solving

Next Steps

Not sure your resume is up-to-snuff for the positions you’re targeting? Book our resume review service today! The Resume Review service includes a deep-dive review of your current resume, including feedback on the content, format, and overall structure via in-document comments.

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