Building an outstanding resume can be a daunting endeavor, because your resume is more than simply a list of your previous jobs. A great resume highlights the distinctive blend of soft and hard (also called technical skills) you’re bringing to the table!
In this blog, we'll talk about three types of skills to include on your resume: people skills, business skills, and technical skills — each of which are essential for a majority of industries and job titles. We'll discuss some unique resume skills that can help you stand out in a crowd, as well as tips on how to tailor your resume to reflect your best attributes.
(Hint: you’ll notice all of these snapshot examples have concrete metrics attached to them! Demonstrating a measured result when possible is a great way to highlight your skills.)
People skills to put on your resume
People skills, often known as interpersonal or soft skills, are necessary for jobs that demand communication, collaboration, and teamwork...so, most of them. These skills refer to your ability to effectively communicate with others and are frequently extra valuable in professions involving customer service, leadership, or teamwork.
Top people skills
1. Communication
Resume snapshot: "Effectively communicated complex project updates to stakeholders, leading to a 15% increase in overall project satisfaction."
This skill is invaluable in roles such as sales, marketing, and management, where clear communication is essential.
2. Leadership
Resume snapshot: "Led a cross-functional team of six to complete a major product feature launch on time, resulting in a 20% sales increase."
Leadership qualities demonstrate your ability to motivate and manage a team efficiently.
3. Teamwork
Resume snapshot: "Collaborated with marketing and design teams to streamline product launch campaigns, reducing time-to-market by 25%."
Employers tend to prefer candidates who collaborate well with others to achieve common objectives.
4. Conflict resolution
Resume snapshot: "Resolved client disputes through active listening and negotiation, leading to a 90% client retention rate."
Whether in a team or with clients, conflict resolution demonstrates your ability to create harmony and seek solutions.
5. Empathy
Resume snapshot: "Used empathetic communication to improve customer satisfaction, boosting feedback scores by 30%."
Empathy has been recognized as an important leadership skill that enables professionals to relate with others on a deeper level.
Business skills to put on your resume
Business skills are required for managing operations, resolving issues, and driving growth. Whether you work in operations, finance, or strategy, these skills increase efficiency and align business objectives with tangible outcomes.
Top business skills
1. Project management
Resume snapshot: "Managed end-to-end delivery of a $2M project, completing it 10% under budget and ahead of schedule."
This skill is crucial to manage tasks, timelines, or teams and guarantee projects are completed successfully.
2. Analytical thinking
Resume snapshot: "Analyzed market trends to inform strategic planning, leading to a 15% increase in quarterly profits."
Analytical skills exhibit your ability to evaluate data, solve issues, and make sound decisions.
3. Financial acumen
Resume snapshot: "Developed and managed the department budget, resulting in cost savings of 12%."
This skill is vital for roles in finance, operations, and leadership involving budget management and financial impact analysis.
4. Sales and negotiation
Resume snapshot: "Negotiated contracts with vendors, reducing supply costs by 8%."
Sales and negotiation skills are essential to manage commercial negotiations, client relationships, or supply chains.
5. Strategic planning
Resume snapshot: "Led the strategic development for new market entry, contributing to a 25% revenue growth in the first year."
Strategic thinking is necessary for long-term planning in business growth and leadership roles.
Technical skills to put on your resume
Technical skills (or hard skills) refer to the ability to use software, tools, and methodologies, which is a prerequisite for fields such as information technology, engineering, and marketing.
Top technical skills
1. Programming languages
Resume snapshot: "Developed and maintained website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, improving site performance by 30%."
Programming language proficiency is essential for web, software, and app development.
2. Data analysis
Resume snapshot: "Utilized Python and SQL to analyze large data sets, providing insights that improved customer retention by 20%."
Data analysis is utilized in domains such as business intelligence, marketing, and finance.
3. SEO/SEM optimization
Resume snapshot: "Optimized website SEO strategy, increasing organic traffic by 40% in six months."
These skills are required in digital marketing and content creation fields where increasing online presence is critical.
4. Cloud computing
Resume snapshot: "Managed cloud infrastructure on AWS, reducing downtime by 15% through automated deployment."
Cloud computing skills are growing in demand for IT and system management positions.
5. UX/UI design
Resume snapshot: "Designed user-friendly interfaces that improved customer satisfaction by 25%."
UX/UI design skills are vital in the tech and product development industries.
Unique skills for your resume
Including unique skills on your resume can help you stand out from the competition. Unique skills, for the purpose of this article, may fall into other categories as well but primarily reflect your specialized knowledge and expertise outside the typical skill sets. You can develop these skills from personal projects, volunteer work, or nontraditional learning experiences.
Examples of unique skills:
1. Multilingual communication
Resume snapshot: "Fluent in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, enabling cross-cultural team collaboration on international projects."
2. Crisis management
Resume snapshot: "Led the crisis management team during a major system failure, restoring service within four hours."
3. Virtual event planning
Resume snapshot: "Organized a virtual conference for 500 attendees using Zoom and Eventbrite, achieving a 98% satisfaction rate."
4. Social media strategy
Resume snapshot: "Developed a social media content strategy that grew the company’s Instagram following by 50% in three months."
5. AI integration
Resume snapshot: "Implemented AI-driven solutions to automate customer service responses, reducing response time by 40%."
How to discover your unique skills
Reflecting on your past experiences helps you identify your unique skills. Here are several ways to uncover them:
- Do a skills audit: Take time to evaluate your skills by considering both your professional and personal experiences. Begin by asking questions like:
- Which tasks do I excel at?
- How many challenges have I resolved?
- Ask for feedback: Sometimes we are unaware of our own unique traits until others point them out! Ask coworkers or managers for feedback on what they believe you do well, or if you’re ready for honesty, skills you could improve on.
- Explore non-traditional learning: If you've participated in online courses, workshops, or even self-taught projects, your experiences can turn into unique skills that distinguish you from other candidates.
To help you discover your skills, use PowerToFly's SkillMeter tool to conduct a personal audit and highlight your unique skills.
How to list skills on your resume
An important question is: You’ve identified your skills, but how should you list them on your resume to pique a potential employer's interest?
- Tailor your skills to the job description: Always match the skills on your resume to those specified in the job posting. This ensures that your resume is tracked by applicant tracking systems (ATS) and read by hiring managers.
- Use specific keywords: Incorporate both soft and hard skills by using job-specific keywords. For example, if the position demands data analysis, include terms like "data analysis," "Python," or "SQL" on your resume.
- Incorporate skills into your experience: Don't simply highlight your skills in a separate section. Integrate them into your experience descriptions and showcase how you used them for optimal results.
- Quantify your skills: Whenever feasible, employ numbers to show your impact. For example, "Managed a team of 5 to complete a project 10% under budget."
- Keep it concise: List no more than 10-12 key skills, with a focus on the most relevant to the job you plan on applying for.
Building a strong resume begins with showcasing the relevant skills — those that reflect your experience, talents, and uniqueness. Identifying and successfully presenting your skills, whether they are people skills, business skills, or technical skills, can make a significant difference in securing your dream job. Ready to discover your unique strengths? Check out PowerToFly's SkillMeter tool — a resource designed to help you assess your skills and make your resume stand out.
Don’t forget to check out our comprehensive guide on How to Leverage Communication Skills for more tips!
