Man often becomes what he believes himself to be.

On an average, recruiters will spend 10 seconds looking at a resume. Skills are your perfect chances of an Eureka!

Your skills are a summary of what you can do for the potential employer. For most job seekers, this section presents a challenge because they are not sure what to put on a resume in the skills and abilities sections.

The following walks you through the detailed respects of how you can place your skills in the resume section. Further, you may try Hiration's online resume building tool to gain free access to the industry specific keywords used in the key skills section.

What are Resume Skills?

All of the personal skills and talents you have can fall into one of three categories:

• Transferable Skills - are key skills that you can take with you from one job to another. Examples: Microsoft Excel or Phone Etiquette

Transferable Skills for a Resume

• Computer and Internet Skills

• Written and Verbal Communication

• Organizational Skills

• Multi-tasking

• Time Management

• Job-related Skills - job-related skills are the specific skills you need to do a certain job. Examples: Scuba Diving or Java Programing

Hiration's online resume building tool possesses a pre-filled list of skills which are related

• Adaptive Skills - adaptive skills are personal attributes or skills you use to survive life. Examples: Persuasion or Confidence

Adaptive Skills for a Resume

• Analytical
• Adaptable
• Quick Learner
• Relationship Building
• Discreet
• Flexible
• Efficient
• Detail-oriented

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?

There are two basic types of skill-sets that a resume has.

Hard skills are your quantifiable abilities. These are teachable skills that can be acquired through formal learning, seminars, certification programs, specialized courses, apprenticeships and in-house training. These mainly include things like operating tools, computer programming, etc.

If you were applying for a job as a Legal Assistant, you should have the following hard skills:

• Legal Transcription
• Legal Research
• Foreign Language
• MS Office
• Office Administration

Soft skills refer to your attributes, your behavioral qualities, etc. Unlike hard skills, these types of skill is more subjective and is hard to quantify. However, some companies use psychological tests, group work, and online programs to measure and verify soft skills. They and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills”. Some examples of soft skills include

• Communication
• Relationship building
• Self-awareness
• Patience
• Meticulous
• Pressure Player
• Excellent Communicator
• Results Oriented
• Resourceful
• Patient
• Writiing
• Dedicated

Why do you need a skill section?

The company you are interviewing with and the job you are interviewing for both require specific set of skills to get the job done.

The system of "Applicant Tracking System" is being increasingly used by almost all the major organizations nowadays before your resume actually lands with a recruiting manager.

These systems work on a keyword matching algorithm in which they match the keywords in your keywords to the keywords in the job description that you have applied for, thus helping you get through the first screening by the ATS.

However, filling up the skills section of your resume with skills unrelated to the target job is just a waste of space. This is why it is important that you understand how to choose the correct skills to include.

Which skill should you put on your resume?

An individual’s soft skills is derived from his work and life experiences. Many recruiters believe that soft skills are more important because hard skills can be taught or learned.

First, find out the nature of the job.

If you deal with people on a daily basis as a customer service representative, then it may be advisable to inclue more soft skills. However, if the job is highly technical, as a Cyber Security Specialist, the recruiter might place a higher premium on the candidate’s hard skills.

Where Do You Put Skills On Your Resume?

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put the “skills” section on your resume. There isn’t one right answer, because just like everything else in the job interview world…

The standard format of a resume normally includes Personal Information, Work Experience, Educational History, Training & Certification, Additonal Information/Interests. Not having have a dedicated resume section on key skills, will reduce your value proposition to the recruiter. The skills section of your resume ideally comes right below the summary.

It depends on the industry, company and position you are interviewing with/for.

For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience and put the skill section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves (and ensuring that the right skills are chosen) is the most important thing.

After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

How to Write your Resume Skills Section

Over the years, you have acquired a multitude of skills from your experiences at school, work and your own volition. But diversity may not always work to your favor. Some skills may be relevant while others are not. The question which has most job applicants stumped is “What skills should I put in my resume?”

Identify and List Down Your Various Skills

The first step is to identify your various hard and soft skills and list them down on a piece of paper or on a spreadsheet. Next, grade your proficiency level in each hard skill.

You have to be very honest in your assessment because your skill ranking will help you determine the types of jobs you should apply for. Once you’ve graded your proficiency level, arrange the hard skills from highest to lowest.

As mentioned earlier, assessing soft skills is much more difficult. It will take more introspection and deeper evaluation to determine which soft skills you can confidently call your own.

Try to recall challenging experiences from your past and pinpoint the key attributes which helped you resolve or overcome the situations. Similar to hard skills, arrange these soft skills according to your level of confidence in having them.

Keep in mind the Hiring Manager may ask you to take behavioral profiling tests. You have to be honest when assessing your soft skills.

Review the Job Post and Look for Clues

The next step is take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills that are listed. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. You just need to dig a little deeper into your past in order to demonstrate that you have the skill… more on that in a minute.

When HR departments compose job posts, it always includes a summary of skills that are needed for the job. If you are interested in applying for a specific job, review the post carefully and take note of the list of skill requirements.

Find out if any of the skills identified on the job post are on your personal list. The skills that appear on both lists should be placed front and center in your resume. Remember that the company may be using Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS which identifies keywords to prequalify candidates for the job.

What happens if you don’t possess any of the required skills? First of all, don’t panic! It’s not the end of your application. Recall your previous experiences at work and think of incidents or situations whereby you displayed similar skills.

For example the job requires a candidate with at least 2 years experience in project management and you don’t have this qualification in your work history. However, you did volunteer work for a local organization and was asked to manage a 3 month campaign to raise $15,000 for a children’s charity foundation.

It may not have been for 2 years but if you could show that you were successful in accomplishing the campaign goal, the Hiring Manager at the very least, would take note of your potential. This is why it is very important to include details in your resume.

Customize Your Skills to Fit the Position

Hiring managers and recruiters do not spend a lot of time going through a resume. Studies have shown that on average, they may only scan your resume for no more than 6 seconds. In that short amount of time, they are actively looking for keywords and specific skill sets that are integral to the job position.

When writing your resume, you should always customize your skills to fit the position. As discussed in the preceding section, reviewing the job post and identifying skill requirements is a good place to start. But you should look for other definitive reference points.

For example, visit the company’s website. Review their “About Us” page and see if your soft skills or attributes are aligned with the company’s core values. Go over their “Latest News” page and take note of the company’s current developments.

Are they launching a new product, system or innovation? Are they involved in a number of socio-civic projects? How involved is the company in developing its own people?

You should also check their social media pages and take note if they are frequently citing specific hard and soft skills that are sought after by the company. Ask yourself if you have any of these hard and soft skills.

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your job interview to the company and position you are interviewing with/for (for a more in depth look on our Tailoring Method, check out our article Job Interview Questions and Answers 101). This includes your resume and the skills you include on your resume as well!

As we mentioned before, the company will have a specific set of skills that they will require the successful candidate to have in order to do the job to their standard.

So as you might have guessed, it is absolutely essential that these skills make an appearance on your resume.

You need to spend some more time researching the company, and this means going through all of their various web properties including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

In other words, try to learn as much as you can about the company. Try to internalize company culture and build an understanding on who they are and what they represent.

Choose Only Relevant Skills

As we pointed out in the previous section, you have to review the job post and note down the skills identified by the company as relevant and integral for the position.

For example, if you are applying for the position of Web Developer, the following skill set would be relevant:

Certified expert in 5 programming languages: Java Script, Python, C++, PHP and CSS.
Designed, programmed and managed over 350 websites in the last 5 years.
52% of websites built were of the e-commerce variety.
Integrated SEO and digital marketing with web design services; 92% of clients who availed of program increased annual sales revenues by an average of 81%.
Analytical; carefully reviews each stage of the web development process.
Meticulous; subjects websites to numerous testing methods before declaring it fit for turnover.
Results- Oriented; stays onboard with the client for at least 3 months from turnover of website to make sure it is running smoothly with no technical issues.

If you won the “Capcom Streetfighter” competition 5 years in a row or set the world record in eating chicken wings in 1 hour, it would be best to leave these skills out of your resume.

Quantify Your Skills

As you can see from our example skills for resume above, the applicant quantified his skills by including figures. Quantifying your skill set adds more substance to your overall value proposition.

A candidate who can quantify his or her skills with data has a big advantage over someone who just writes

Don’t just pull out numbers from thin air. The figures that you will use must be truthful and can be validated. If you get invited for an interview, you should bring charts, data and other empirical data to show you did not present manufactured figures.

When it comes to quantifying soft skills, since this is rather subjective, present situations which best call these attributes into play.

Use Bullet Points

Your best job skills for a resume would not be able to maximize their full power if you don’t take a strategic approach in presenting them to the Hiring Manager.

Always keep in mind that hiring managers do not spend a lot of time perusing a resume. They have a system of scanning its contents whereby they can easily identify the applicant’s strong points.

Thus when writing down your job skills take the time to strategize and figure out the best way to organize them in your resume. Hiring managers appreciate the use of bullet points because it makes it easier to read through your list of qualifications.

Here are 4 valuable tips to keep in mind when using bullet points to organize your work skills for a resume:

Make sure all the skills you plan to list down are related to the job requirement.
Start out with your strongest skill; the one that the job posting identifies as a prerequisite for the position.
Arrange your skills in order of importance and relevance.
Always include figures and numbers that validate your accomplishments.

As you have read from our sample skills for a resume, the applicant started out with his certifications for different software development programs. Then he proceeded to itemize his achievements before indicating he expanded his services to include SEO and digital marketing. Finally, he concluded his resume skill set by summarizing the attributes that best describe his work ethic.

Highlight skills throughout your resume

Talk about your abilities in the main “work experience” or “experience” section of your resume, too. Remember to show, not tell. Rather than saying simply that you’re a good communicator, give concrete details. Here are some explanations of common skills that applicants list on a resume and examples of how to present them:

Communication — Focus on your verbal and written communication skills, or your sharp listening abilities. Play up your track record of strong communication with your colleagues, manager, clients and customers, and offer tangible examples:

“Wrote a monthly email newsletter to customers that increased leads by 35 percent.”

Multitasking — Handling several tasks simultaneously is the status quo for many employees today. Note on your resume the types of tasks and situations you've handled regularly — and how you did so calmly and efficiently.

“Juggled multiple projects and project deadlines, and served as the liaison between clients and colleagues, gathering and implementing feedback from both parties for projects with tight turnaround times."

Leadership skills — Whether you’re managing a team or positively influencing colleagues, employers often seek leadership skills in potential hires.

“Lead a 10-person team from different areas of the firm that worked together to succeed in reducing operating expenses by 15 percent.”

Prioritizing — Employees are often tasked with tackling multiple projects at once, and many requests come in on the fly, which requires you to operate with grace under fire. Detail how you prioritize your projects and requests. The last thing an employer wants is an easily flustered employee.

“Smoothly and calmly prioritized multiple web design projects for a team of 20 people in a fast-paced environment.”

Initiative and problem-solving abilities — Prove how essential you've been to past managers by highlighting examples of ways you took the initiative to solve problems and take on special projects. Or perhaps you excel at looking at complicated business issues and bringing creative solutions to the table.

“Implemented new consolidation procedures for monthly and quarterly close, reducing closing time by 30 percent.”

Dependability — It doesn't matter what the job is, hiring managers want people on their team who do what they say they're going to do. Dependability can be particularly important if you're working with outside clients. Missing a deadline can mean lost business and a damaged reputation.

“Completed projects on time or before the deadline, and always followed through on work commitments, leading to greater work responsibilities and an eventual promotion.”

Technical skills — As mentioned above, play up your technical knowledge specific to the job, whether you’re a receptionist or UX designer:

“Developed personas and usage scenarios for a variety of clients in fields including finance, entertainment and law.”

Taking the time to create a unique, targeted resume for each job opportunity that showcases both your hard and soft skills takes some time, but it’s worth the effort. You’ll have a much better shot at making it through applicant tracking software and being asked in for an interview. In addition, you’ll be well-prepared if you do get a job interview. The process of truly thinking about what job skills best apply to the opportunity will help you make a stronger case for yourself in an interview with a hiring manager.

In case you do not possess relevant skills

We brought up the earlier scenario in which you didn’t necessarily have the skills required to do the job.

Here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

Use your common sense to determine whether or not you are a suitable candidate for the job.

Quite often though you will come across a situation where it is close…where you kind of have the skill.

This is where you need to get creative (and NO we don’t mean lie).

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill. So go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing the skill.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it and everything will be fine.

Common skills

Here is a list of common good skills and example bullet points to add to your resume:

Achievement

Approach all work activities with deliberate focus to ensure that each task is completed correctly, efficiently, and effectively.
Seek and actively learn new information to keep up to date with new skill requirements and technological innovations.
Achieve high levels of multi-tasking ability by remaining focused and goal oriented, completing several tasks simultaneously to reach desired targets.
Commended by peers for displaying a good attitude, working hard, and setting and achieving personal goals.
Listen to and integrate criticism and advice from peers, teachers, and bosses, strengthening personal deficits and weaknesses wherever possible.
Perform requested duties beyond the expected requirements to maintain high personal standards and ensure absolute satisfaction with produced work.

Adaptability

Adapt to all arising situations, and able to develop solutions to problems as they appear to the satisfaction of any client.
Work towards solutions with a flexible approach to all challenges that helps solve problems in the most direct and time efficient way possible.
Respond and adapt to developing challenges and obstacles when under pressure calmly and logically to develop working solutions in a timely manner.
Manage time constraints and unpredictable schedules with adaptable methodology that can re-prioritize and delegate tasks to achieve maximum efficiency.
Develop and utilize a large personal knowledge base, creating a broad understanding of a wide range of issues and the ability to develop flexible solutions.
Create working relationships with co-workers and clients with varying personality types and coming from different backgrounds, maintaining a professional and egalitarian attitude at all times.
Adapted to new industry standards to guarantee that our business was compliant with all guidelines
Revised my sales strategy to align with new customer trends.

Analytical Thinking

Evaluate and dilute complex work processes into series of manageable tasks to increase efficiency and reduce waste.
Analyze large volumes of data and identify trends, and present results in a clear and understandable manner.
Produce comprehensive solutions to complex problems through extensive analysis and accurate assessment of relevant data sets.
Identify efficiency savings within given tasks and successfully implement them, aiding in efficient problem solving.
Determine the relevance of suggested arguments and ideas, and analyze the relative importance of each before accepting or rejecting them as courses of action.
Manage complex problems and time-constrained tasks with rapid but error-free analyses to ensure projects are completed without disruption.
Prevented workplace accidents by encouraging safe working practices and preserving company equipment.
Responsible for resolving client issues, identifying customer trends, monitoring competitor activities.

Attention to Detail

• Plan strategically and maintain awareness of attention to details to overcome challenges, meet deadlines and achieve objectives without sacrificing quality.
• Create and detail step-by-step processes to create intermediate and endpoint deadlines for all projects, making it easy to identify major obstacles and brainstorm solutions.
• Organize and communicate highly detailed planning and time management objectives to ensure all team members understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Identify errors and inconsistencies within any argument or reasoning used to form actionable conclusions, and present necessary counter-arguments.
• Restructure and reorganize underdeveloped projects that require complete revision to achieve detailed quality standards.
• Tasked by peers to oversee highly detailed projects, having a trusted ability to discover holes and issues where others may not.

Communication

Communication is a critical soft skill. No matter what your job is, you will have to interact with employers, colleagues, and/or clients.

You might have to engage with people in person, on the phone, via email, or a combination of all three.

Employers look for job candidates with strong written and oral communication skills. They want to hire people who can speak and write clearly, accurately, and professionally.

You will probably also have to do some writing, whether that involves making reports, creating signage, filling out records, or something else. Broadly speaking, communication skills break down into either written or oral skills, although there are areas of overlap, such as email. Good communication must be accurate, easy to understand, and appropriate.

That means employing tactful, professional speech and correspondence, and it also means creating well-crafted writing in the correct format. Appropriate communication might mean very different things for different positions, and good communicators know which standards apply to which context. While it’s true that communication is much more important in some jobs than others, it is always a factor to some degree.

Related Resume Keywords: Administrative, Advising, Storytelling, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Consultation, Counseling, Customer Service, Human Resources, Interpersonal, Negotiation, Networking, Proposals, Public Relations, Recommendations, Reporting.

Foster strong relationships with customers and strategic partners to strengthen our brand awareness
Facilitate monthly meetings with employees to ensure there is a mutual understanding of a project’s directives
High levels of confidence when speaking either to groups or individuals that allows the conveyance of ideas or instructions in a clear, easily understood manner.
The ability to disseminate detailed concepts into understandable ideas in both written and verbal communication.
Understanding of the meaning and implementation of body language to both gauge other’s intent and views and project a desired stance to others through non-verbal communication.
Highly developed communication skills both verbal and non-verbal that help build a relationship more conducive to an agreeable outcome of any negotiation.

IT / Computer Skills

Outstanding Typing Skills (WPM: 90).
Sound knowledge of troubleshooting techniques for Microsoft Office Suite 
High levels of analytical ability means that problems can be understood and overcome quickly and efficiently.
Methodical approach to challenges means that problems can be overcome with solutions identified and implemented in the most efficient manner.
Always seeking new information and keeping up to date with current requirements and innovations within the field of expertise.

Concern for Others

Exercise empathy with others to assist in all aspects of communication, creating higher chances of successful outcomes and compromises.
Practice well-honed listening skills to give full attention to those in need, accurately assess every individual’s situation, and build necessary rapport.
Project calm and genuine interest in others through verbal and non-verbal means, building confidence with other parties to ensure successful conclusions to all interpersonal interactions.
Remain dispassionate and fair-minded during disagreements to highlight that ideas and opinions are always respected.
Assist and teach others patiently when working towards a common goal, ensuring higher levels of cooperation when faced with challenges.
Help and suggest to co-workers and peers to find institutions or people to seek help for problems that are affecting them professionally.

Cooperation

Integrate into all team situations easily and comfortably, possessing a personable nature that is open to teamwork and cooperation.
Negotiate team and co-worker conflict or pressure effectively and efficiently through strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Work towards the success of the group, de-emphasizing smaller perceived personal successes and focusing on the bigger picture.
Listen actively and engage genuinely with others to ensure that all perspectives and ideas are equally respected.
Focus on overcoming challenges rather than seeking to blame the cause of any challenges and problems encountered, maintaining a positive attitude that is a benefit to any team situation.
Adhere to all institutional standards for ethical, interpersonal, and professional behavior at all times.

Dependability

Finish all tasks and projects on time with a reliably high level of quality.
Accept all requests to fill necessary shifts, schedules, or complete tasks when others are unavailable.
Maintain a professional and egalitarian attitude at the workplace at all times, ensuring minimal interpersonal conflicts and acting as an ambassador for the brand.
Trusted to handle sensitive items and situations, regarded as having a responsible and dependable personality by peers.
Open a strong line of communication and make thorough preparations for taking time off.
Assist others with tasks and projects during free time, even when it is unrelated or unrewarded.

Independence

Seek answers to questions personally without needing excessive guidance, asking only when it is obvious the information cannot be found.
Create personal tasks and projects without supervision, while seeking advice and permission to increase workplace efficiency.
Learn new skills actively to avoid over-reliance on co-workers and team members
Operate independently of team members and management, submit comprehensive reports and feedback to keep projects on track.
Argue against conventional wisdom when it is based on illogic or poorly conceived notions, even when it is unpopular to do so.
Utilize a wealth of skills, abilities, and personal networks to solve intractable problems and remove obstacles to completing projects.

Initiative

Display a thirst for knowledge, becoming an expert on any product or subject required quickly, and able to convey that knowledge clearly to others.
Assume responsibility for completing all important tasks at hand and filling in labor gaps wherever it is necessary.
Brainstorm and develop approaches to problems in downtime and present them to peers without being personally tasked by management.
Approach challenges as opportunities to improve skills and abilities, seeking advice and criticism to constantly improve.
Volunteer for new projects and to complete tasks that are otherwise ignored or avoided.
Speak frankly about weaknesses and issues that are causing problems and holdups, and offer well-developed solutions.
Received award for outstanding work ethic 2 years in a row.
Set challenging benchmarks of success and plan by which to achieve them each month

Innovation & Creative Thinking

Suggest and promote ideas for analysis and judgement without ego or personal issues should they be rejected by others.
Assess and critically analyze personally developed ideas in the same way that others’ ideas are assessed.
Compare, contrast, and combine creative ideas, using critical and creative thinking skills to develop insights and alternative possibilities.
Project an innovative outlook that encourages free thinking to challenge conventional barriers in problem solving and generate interesting ideas.
Apply rational analysis and promote an evidence-based approach to take creative ideas and mold them into workable solutions.
Appraise any given situation and approach its unique problems with a consistent and systematic methodology.
Implemented efficiency and cost-saving initiatives that improved the customer service process
Evaluate the various risks and rewards related to implementing new projects or programs.

Integrity

Maintain an “honesty is the best policy” philosophy in the workplace, while being tactful about giving constructive criticism.
Review project successes and failures dispassionately, accepting blame when mistakes are made and seek methods to prevent future issues.
Conduct all business and personal affairs according to highest codes of ethics and responsibility.
Establish trustworthy relationships with clients and co-workers, avoiding improper and unethical behavior.
Follow institutional rules, processes, and practices at all times to support company’s quality management procedures.
Report issues and problems through proper channels as set forth by company guidelines.

Leadership & Management

Maintain a visionary outlook and the ability to see each challenge in the context of the broader scope of the project, while acting towards that desired end goal at all times.
Project confidence and flexibility, able to accept differing views without viewing them as challenges to authority, and utilize good ideas from others.
Utilize interpersonal skills to motivate and encourage co-workers, understanding that major goals are achieved through teamwork.
Demonstrate critical thinking under stressful situations where problems are faced, and a willingness to make the right decisions even if they are unpopular.
Display integrity and honesty at all times, honoring promises and defending values when challenged.
Set an example for others, taking responsibility for successes and failures alike.
Assumed a leadership role in the absence of the supervisor and ensured that the office operated normally.
Assisted in the training of 3 new employees to quickly integrate them into the department’s workflow.

Organization

Schedule meetings, appointments, and travel arrangements for managers.
Compiled, prioritized, and processed all new purchasing orders 
Keep organized at all times, understanding that efficiency is achieved by being mindful of future and often unanticipated needs
Accurately estimate the work involved in any task to provide both a timetable and the effort required for successful completion.
Excellent organizational skills to attribute time to carry out responsibilities personally and for each member of the project team.
Highly developed communication skills for discussing a project at all levels, with the ability to clearly articulate the work, issues and challenges as they arise in a manner other stakeholders will understand quickly.

Persistence and Persuasion

Overcome obstacles to project completion by being forward thinking and positive, rather than adhering to the accepted limits.
Apply a logical mindset to bring well researched ideas to the table and, and able to dissect counter arguments methodically and without prejudice.
Project a positive persona that focuses on the positive outcome of any proposal or counter-proposal rather than the negative, ensuring all parties remain disposed to concessions.
Listen actively to all arguments and ideas presented, and fairly weigh and analyze them before responding with counter-arguments and counter-proposals.
Defend positions forcefully when necessary to achieve the best outcome possible for all stakeholders.
Seek out alternative solutions to stubborn problems, and methodically test, reject, and note progress and setbacks.

Research

Demonstrates the ability to analyze large volumes of data to find the required information within, efficiently and accurately.
Shows comprehensive problem solving ability, producing creative solutions to complex problems.
Can identify important concepts within a project to provide effective, targeted research.
Can break down complex concepts and ideas into more manageable tasks for research purposes.
Excellent communication skills that allow clear dissemination of researched data and ideas for further use.
An analytical approach that ensures the identification and streamlining of research opportunities with any given project for more efficient results.

Self Control

Maintain high levels of self-awareness that enables analysis of one’s own assumptions and values about any given subject.
Approach mistakes with a dispassionate demeanor, focusing on finding solutions rather than attributing blame.
Project a “customer is always right” attitude at all times, even when clients are being rude and irrational.
Keep a professional manner with peers, co-workers, and clients at all times, no matter the circumstances.
Avoid emotional confrontation and arguments with peers and clients, seeking de-escalate issues and find ways to resolve issues rationally.
Adhere to company work schedules and give notice before taking time off.

Stress Tolerance

Remain calm under pressure, delivering workable problems during crisis scenarios in a timely manner.
Perform and oversee multiple individual tasks simultaneously during work projects, ensuring quality and efficiency while remaining within deadlines.
Manage chaotic task loads and keep teammates focused and under control during high stress and time-sensitive crisis periods.
Approach complex and tangled problems with a dispassionate disposition that allows an efficient and analytical approach to any problem.
Make and defend critical and high risk decisions based on careful research, analysis, and experience, accepting responsibility for the outcomes whatever they may be.
Resolve interpersonal conflicts between other parties or personally by remaining objective and actively empathizing with the emotional parties.

Teamwork

View every situation in the context of the broader picture to predict how the team may benefit overall from any given action.
Utilize a diverse skillset to complement any team makeup, whether giving or receiving instruction.
Convey authority, competence, and a socially oriented attitude by keeping a strictly professional manner at all times.
Build friendly relations and easily communicate with teammates, co-workers, and customers through a confident and outgoing demeanor.
Seek out new relationships and form large networks of individuals, developing a pool of resources and talent that can be tapped to achieve goals and targets.
Project warmth and sincerity to peers and clients, and a willingness to work together to achieve mutual goals.
Team worker who is able to adapt in highly dynamic and changing situations.
Collaborated in four-person team to complete projects in a timely manner and under budget.

Willingness to learn

Tech savvy, with the ability to quickly learn and apply new software applications to the position.
Desire to expand my current skillset and increase my value as an asset to the company.

Writing

Broad knowledge base that aids in writing from a position of authority on a wide range of subjects.
Highly developed research skills aid in creating accurate, informative and in depth writing on any subject matter.
Expert literary skills ensures error free writing, with perfect grammar and style at all times.
Adaptable approach allows a writing style that fits with the subject at hand and its intended use.
Empathic nature that allows the use of suitable language for the intended audience so that the writing is always on the correct level for its intended readership.
Focused and driven to always meet deadlines and targets as required.

Industry specific skills

You can find below a list of the best skills you can put on your resume depending on the type of job you are applying for. As we stated, you should always use the job post as the primary reference but the sample skills listed below are generally sought after in these occupations:

Administrative, Business, and Finance/Accounting

Financial Statements
Tax Audit
Bookkeeping
Payroll Preparation
Inventory Management
Accounts Management
Accounting
Business Intelligence
Business Storytelling
Business Transcription
Clerical
Company Payroll
Cost Savings
Customer Service
Finance
Licensing
Microsoft Office Skills
Negotiations
Office Administration
QuickBooks

Acquired Skills – MS Office, Asana, WebEx, QuickBooks, MS Excel, SAP, Oracle, BillQuick

Customer Service

Acquired Skills - ZenDesk, LiveChat, Support Center, C-Desk, BlazeDesk, MS Office

Marketing job position

Educational Attainment – Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing
Certifications – Digital Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Web Management, Content Writing
Achievements – Average Increase in Web Traffic, SEO Rankings of Clients, Size of Generated Leads, Percentage of Leads Conversion, Increase in Number of Indexed Pages
Attributes – Client Oriented, Dedicated, Analytical, Creative Thinker

Office Clerk

Computer Programs and Applications – MS Office, DropBox, SalesForce
Competencies – 60wpm Typing Speed, 90%+ Transcription Accuracy, Content Writing, can operate basic office equipment, Filing and Documentation
Attributes – Pleasant Disposition, Disciplined, Professional, Resourceful, Courteous, Earnest Learner

Soft Skills

Problem Solving
Adaptability
Collaboration
Strong Work Ethic
Time Management
Critical Thinking
Self-Confidence
Handling Pressure
Leadership
Creativity
Decision Making
Negotiation
Motivation
Networking
Conflict Resolution
Customer Service
Business Etiquette
Planning
Adaptability
Multitasking
Leadership
Management
Teamwork
Problem-solving
Collaboration
Time management
Empathetic
Prioritizing

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Key Takeaways

The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for, and more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

The top desired skills are:

1. Communication
2. Leadership
3. Planning & Strategic Thinking
4. Analytical Thinking & Research
5. Teamwork

Your resume skills will differentiate you from the candidates applying for the same job. It is possible that nearly every applicant will share the same skills as you. Thus you should always take the time to plan and strategize your approach to presenting your resume skills before putting them to paper. How you present them could be the key that gets you inside the interview door.

1. Make your skills relevant to the job offer
2. Reseaech people in similar job postings to find common keywords which you can include
3. Add transferrable skills and universal skill for extra values
4. Quantifiable skills or numerical values will make your resume stand out
5. Ensure that your skills are phrased as keywords to bypass the ATS