Key Skills and Abilities to Help You Get Hired

In the workplace, skills and abilities are the things you can do competently. This expertise can be based on technical knowledge, which you gained through getting your degree, or based on your personality and habits, such as your ability to communicate effectively. Each person can gain and develop a skill set through study, with experience, or by developing certain personality traits. Employers typically outline the proficiencies that are necessary for a position in the job listing. To improve your chances of getting hired, it is important to develop relevant skills and abilities and articulate them competently in your resume.

While each job requires a specific skill set, the skills and abilities that most employers look for can be categorized as follows:

• Communication: Being a good communicator is an important proficiency that most employers look for because most jobs involve some form of communication, even if it is limited to updating your supervisor on your progress.
• Computers: Demand for computer-based skills is growing as more businesses use tech to simplify and innovate their offerings. The level of ideal proficiency varies according to each job.
• Customer service: With globalization and increasing competition in industries, great customer service can give employers a competitive edge, so workers with a track record of quality customer service are likely to be preferred by companies.
• Teamwork: Most companies are comprised of teams of people, so being able to work effectively in a team setting is a key ability that can distinguish employees for lucrative positions.
• Leadership: As leadership is a valuable skill in both entry-level and senior-level positions, many employers seek applicants who have the ability to lead others by motivating and organizing them to reach goals.
• Time management: Being able to manage one’s time is an important skill because it enables a worker to meet deadlines, be conscientious, and perform effectively.
• Management: Managerial ability requires a mix of hard and soft skills and involves expertise in handling both people and tasks. Most employers are likely to prefer candidates with education or work experience that demonstrates this ability.

Skills can be categorized as either hard or soft based on several factors, such as:

• Hard skills are job-specific skills, such as knowledge of Java for a Java programmer position, while soft skills are abilities that are fueled by personality traits, such as patience in a medical professional.
• Hard skills can be gained more easily through education or training than soft skills because the latter has a personality component.
• While hard skills are required for each job, employers also seek specific soft skills in job applicants, such as time management and communication.
• Certain soft skills, such as teamwork skills and communication skills, are more transferable between jobs or between careers than hard skills.

For an outstanding resume, there are a few skills and abilities you should include, such as:

Communication skills

Listing your skill as an effective communicator can inform the hiring agent that you can handle the communication demands of the job. Communication skills can include:

• Active listening
• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Note-taking
• Punctuality
• Constructive criticism
• Public speaking
• Empathy

Time management skills

Including your abilities in managing your time can communicate your dependability to your employer. Time management skills can include:

• Organization
• Keeping a schedule
• Punctuality

Teamwork skills

Showing your skills in relation to interacting with your team members or supervisors can inform the recruiter that you have what it takes to work in team settings and take direction. Teamwork skills can include:

• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Active listening
• Emotional intelligence
• Empathy
• Patience
• Flexibility
• Expectation management

You can enhance your resume with the following hard skills:

Computer skills

Using your resume to communicate your computer skills can show the recruiter that you have the technical expertise to perform your job duties competently. Computer skills can include:

• Operating job-specific computer programs and devices
• Typing
• Using spreadsheets
• Email management
• Proficiency in a coding language
• Systems management

Management skills

Including your managerial abilities in your resume effectively can differentiate you from other applicants even if you’re applying for an entry-level position. Management skills can include:

• Planning projects
• Task delegation and task management
• Communication
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Leadership

Consider including skills and abilities on your resume with the following steps:

1. Choose the best skills. Read the job description thoroughly, and make a list of your abilities that match what the employer wants. Review your professional achievements or ask your colleagues for their feedback to make this list. Get advice from a senior professional in your field to make sure your skills match the job description requirements.
2. Link work experience with skills. An effective way to highlight your abilities on your resume is to demonstrate them through your work experience. Mine your employment history for examples that show each key skill on your list. Then, write the work experience section in your resume using the job description keywords to highlight your suitability for the position.
3. Write the skills section. Use the list you made to write the skills section of your resume.
4. Edit your skills. Double-check the spelling and syntax of your work experience and skills sections, and make any necessary corrections. Keep these resume sections concise.