Skills for a resume can be divided into two major categories, namely HARD SKILLS and SOFT SKILLS

Hard skills for a resume are simply those skills that allow candidates to perform the tasks that will be expected of them upon landing their desired job. For reference check out professional resume examples and you’ll see HTML and CSS proficiency for Web Developers or Color Scheming and Spatial Design for an Interior Designer for almost any related job listings in that field.

However, any professional will tell you that knowing how to do the job is just part of the battle. If you plan on just showing up for a job, doing the bare minimum for the paycheck, and going home, you’re going to have a bad time. Not only is this not a sustainable model of working but this will reflect in your work and employers will take notice.

The good news is that no matter who you are, you are more than just your Hard Skills on a resume. Even if you’ve spent a few days in a work environment, professional or otherwise, you may have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way in order to know how to conduct yourself. These personality-based skills can be presented on a resume in the form of Soft Skills and in this article we will discuss the 5 most impressive soft skills you can add to your resume. 

If you look at professional resume examples you will see a familiar pattern. All of them demonstrate how an individual is capable of handling their duties once on the job but they also consist of a demonstration of soft skills and how having the particular soft skills for a resume can benefit, them, the company, and the industry in general. Therefore, creating value for themselves in the eyes of the employer. 

5 Soft Skills for a resume that will help you land your dream job.

Computer proficiency

In this day and age, almost everyone knows how to work a computer and surf the web. Computer Proficiency however refers to more particular knowledge of computers that employers might be interested in. Don’t get it wrong, Computer Proficiency skills for a resume aren’t just reserved for developers and software designers, this could also mean an understanding or skill at using particular computer software that the general public simply doesn’t have. Professional resume examples of Computer Proficiency might look something like this.

“Used Computer Proficiency with Oracle to improve production efficiency by 13%”

“Computer Proficiency with Photoshop used to create 3d and 2d character models for mobile gaming”

Leadership experience

Of course, Leadership is among the most sought-after skills for a resume. Leadership is a quality possessed by those who aren’t afraid to put the first step forward, someone who others follow based on personality and ideals. A leader is someone who isn’t afraid of taking risks and liability. This skill looks great on a resume no matter which field. Professional resume examples of Leadership might look something like this.

“Demonstrated leadership in 2008 during the housing market crash and took a stand against downsizing”

“Led management team to negotiate with corporate to raise warehouse wages in light of recent inflation.”

Communication skills

Communication skills don’t just mean the ability to speak but show someone’s ability to use the correct form of speech in the right context. Quite simply it’s the ability to say the right thing at the right time.

“Communications skills allowed me to negotiate with multinational clients to secure crucial deals”

“Communication skills used to create a channel of dialogue between engineers and management”

Organizational know-how

Organizational know-how doesn’t just mean straightening up the cupboards. Organizational know-how in the workplace is used to demonstrate how an individual was able to increase efficiency of the workflow. Let’s have a look at some professional resume examples.

“Organizational skills allowed me to create calendars for [Name of Company] decreasing burnout rates by 10%”

“Organizational skills were used to recreate the appointment scheduling system to the result of an increase of servicing 14% more patients from any given previous month.”

People skills

Last but not least a skill for a resume that looks good anywhere is People Skills. This is a very sought after skill, especially, in customer service and sales. Here are a couple of examples of how to use people skills in your resume.

“Demonstrated excellent people skills in managing customer requests and questions with no bad reviews”

“Excellent people skills, proven by never missing sale quotas”

SO there you go 5 basic soft skills for a resume that you need in your resume and professional resume examples that show exactly how to use them.