When updating your resume to embark on a job search, you want to present yourself in a way that is attractive to hiring managers and reflects not only what you can do, but who you are. You don’t want your resume to make you look like an emotionless robot that simply churns out tasks. Instead, you should showcase a balance of both hard and soft skills that align with the job you are seeking.
Employers value soft skills because they offer a glimpse into your mindset, work ethic, and behavior. They are a combination of interpersonal, social, and emotional characteristics. While hard skills such as software programs or Lean methodologies can be taught in a class, soft skills like teamwork or flexibility require more personal development and take longer to build.
If you want to know what an employer is seeking in their next hire, read through the job description and learn more about the company’s culture and vision. Pay attention for keywords such as:
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Leadership
Whether you are an hourly associate or the CEO, these skills often come into play in some aspect of your work. They are transferable between industries, positions, and levels of leadership. As you gain more work and life experience, your soft skills continue to grow and evolve.
How to Demonstrate Soft Skills on Your Resume
Figuring out how to effectively show that you are a team player or are flexible in ambiguous situations can be tough, but with some careful thought, you can make your resume reflect these skills. Remember that you don’t just want to list a bunch of skills in your competencies – provide context and details. Here are just a few examples:
Teamwork: Highlight collaboration across your department, other business units, or with individuals at a client organization. How did you work together to resolve a problem or complete a project?
Communication: Being able to talk to people and express important information using various mediums is essential. Do you regularly follow up via email or phone call to ensure client needs are met? Have you generated reports or created presentations? Are you in charge of the company newsletter or developing marketing campaigns? Do you work at the customer service desk or handle complaints? These all express your ability to convey information in a way that makes sense.
Problem Solving: Issues arise every single day in the workplace. How do you respond? Showcase a time when you came up with a solution or implemented a change that saved the company time or money, helped retain a client account, or reduced errors.
Time Management: With so many businesses shifting to remote work in recent years, being able to manage your time, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines is critical. Share bullet points about hitting project milestones, achieving quotas as far as call volume or prospecting, or prioritizing tasks.
Adaptability: Seldom do things go exactly as planned. Your resume should show your ability to quickly adjust and be flexible to changing demands. Implementing new processes or procedures or transitioning to a different software system can also let a potential employee see how you adapt.
Creativity: Creativity can present itself in many different ways. It can be part of how you solved a problem, a campaign you designed, or recommendations you made to improve a product or process. Demonstrate how you can see things from multiple perspectives and bring innovation in how you approach situations.
Leadership: You don’t need a manager, supervisor, or executive title to be a leader. Highlight on your resume how you trained and mentored others, stepped up to work on a difficult project, or motivated your team. Let a hiring manager know that you can take initiative and influence without authority.
Don’t forget to incorporate metrics when possible to show quantifiable results. How many people did you manage or collaborate with on a team? How much time or money did you save through an initiative you implemented? How many calls did you complete during your shift? Numbers matter.
Hiring managers care about soft skills because they provide insight into how a future employee may act and conduct their work. Don’t overlook showcasing your soft skills on your resume. Not sure how to demonstrate your abilities and what you bring to the table? The team at Grammar Chic is here to help. Contact us today (803) 831-7444 or resumewriting@grammarchic.net to get started.