Uptodate

In today’s job market, your resume is your most important tool for finding a job. It’s important to make sure your resume is not only up-to-date and accurate, but also includes all the information employers are looking for.

One way to make sure your resume stands out is to highlight your skills. But what exactly are skills, and how can you effectively highlight them on your resume?

What are skills?

Skills are the abilities you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. They can be either hard skills or soft skills. Hard skills are specific, tangible abilities that can be measured, such as writing, programming, or design. Soft skills, on the other hand, are interpersonal or people skills, such as communication, teamwork, or leadership.

Most jobs require a mix of both hard and soft skills. For example, a job in customer service might require excellent communication and people skills, as well as the ability to use a specific customer service software.

Why highlight your skills on your resume?

Employers are looking for candidates with the right mix of skills and experience for the job. By highlighting your skills on your resume, you can show employers that you have what it takes to succeed in the role.

In addition, highlighting your skills can help your resume stand out from the crowd. With so many candidates applying for each job, employers often don’t have the time to carefully read each resume. By featuring your skills prominently on your resume, you can make sure employers notice them.

How to highlight your skills on your resume

There are several ways you can highlight your skills on your resume:

In the professional summary: The professional summary is a brief overview of your skills and experience, typically at the top of your resume. This is a great place to highlight your most relevant skills.

In the skills section: The skills section is a list of your skills, typically listed after your professional summary. This is a great place to list both your hard and soft skills.

In the work experience section: In the work experience section of your resume, you can mention your skills in the descriptions of your previous jobs. This is a great way to show employers how you’ve used your skills in the past.

In the education section: If you’re a recent graduate or don’t have much work experience, you can highlight your skills in the education section of your resume. For example, if you have relevant coursework or have participated in relevant extracurricular activities, you can mention these in your education section.

Tips for highlighting your skills on your resume

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when highlighting your skills on your resume:

Be specific: When listing your skills, be as specific as possible. For example, instead of listing “communication,” list “oral communication, written communication, and interpersonal communication.”

Use keywords: When employers are looking through resumes, they often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help them filter candidates. These systems scan resumes for keywords, so it’s important to use the same keywords that are in the job listing. For example, if the job listing mentions “customer service,” make sure to include that phrase in your skills section.

Use action verbs: To make your skills stand out, use action verbs to describe them. For example, instead of listing “communication,” you could list “communicated,” “coordinated,” or “facilitated.”

By following these tips, you can effectively highlight your skills on your resume and make sure employers notice them.