If you’re currently job hunting and looking to enhance your resume to make it more appealing to recruiters, you might wonder what professional skills you should highlight.

Sometimes, possessing just the right career skills can make you stand out from other candidates, even when your technical skills and experience are not competitive.

In this article, we will discuss the top seven career skills employers seek in applicants.

Along with advice on how to showcase these skills and make yourself more attractive to hiring managers.

Soft Vs. Hard Skills

Before delving into the discussion about top professional skills, it’s important to mention the distinction between hard and soft skills. These two types of skills form the most fundamental categorization of skills sought after in a professional environment.

Hard skills are generally specific to a particular role and are typically acquired through practical experience or education.

In contrast, soft skills are more reminiscent of personality traits. They encompass interpersonal abilities, good work habits, a positive attitude, and other broadly applicable skills that contribute to being a better employee or leader.

One could even think of soft skills as personal qualities or character traits. However, these skills can be developed by anyone, even if they don’t come naturally to a person.

Professionals often emphasize their hard skills on their resumes, but according to a LinkedIn survey, 92% of employers believe that soft skills are equally or even more important than hard skills.

Note that most of the skills we will cover here are classified as soft skills.

#1 Communication Skills

Communication is a skill that almost all employers look for in their candidates. However, many professionals underestimate its importance.

In a professional setting, communication goes beyond speaking well with your colleagues, superiors, or clients. Good communication entails effectively conveying thoughts and ideas, actively listening to others, and understanding their message.

Apart from speaking effectively, communication as a career skill incorporates concise writing, active listening, providing constructive feedback, expressing ideas, negotiating and persuading others, presentation and training skills, and proficiency in written communication (email, digital media). Networking skills, public speaking, and report writing are also important.

Building strong relationships with limited or no in-person interaction can be challenging. Thus, as more businesses adopt remote practices, the ability to communicate effectively via virtual meetings will become more crucial.

Tip: Highlight your communication skills by enhancing your resume with experience in conducting training, presentations, or interacting with clients or stakeholders in previous roles.

#2 Digital Literacy

As even the most traditional roles experience some aspect of digitalization, tech proficiency grows to be essential not only for developers, designers, and other digital-related industries but for almost any occupation.

Digital literacy, or the ability to use digital technology effectively, is crucial in almost any job.

Knowing how to use Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite, as well as email communication and leveraging search engines for research, are all very important.

Moreover, being proficient in software critical to your career field or specific job title, such as project management tools, customer relationship management systems, and specialized marketing platforms, is beneficial.

Tip: Dedicate a section of your resume to tech skills and assess your knowledge of each tool objectively.

#3 Upskilling & Reskilling

In today’s rapidly evolving world, it’s crucial to keep learning and improving our skills. Therefore, it’s vital to demonstrate on your resume that you are committed to upskilling and reskilling.

Upskilling means enhancing your abilities to perform your current job at a higher level.

Reskilling, on the other hand, involves acquiring new skills to move into a different role or to train for alternative positions.

Employers value candidates who show dedication to staying updated with industry trends and advancements. It shows you are committed to continuous learning and integrating new skills into your job responsibilities.

Potential employers see upskilling and reskilling as a sign you’re committed to individual growth that will, in turn, benefit the company.

Tip: You can highlight your commitment to continuous learning by mentioning activities such as enrolling in higher education, obtaining specialty certifications, attending professional events, or participating in educational trips abroad on your resume.

#4 Self-Management Skills

Self-management involves directing your own activities to achieve objectives.

This includes the ability to prioritize tasks, thrive in changing environments, set goals, meet deadlines, solve problems, work well under pressure, accept responsibility, and make self-evaluations and decisions.

Recruiters seek self-management skills in candidates as a tell-tale sign of an independent and resourceful employee who will help maximize productivity in the workplace.

Tip: Self-management overlaps with other important career skills, such as organization, problem-solving, self-motivation, and a strong work ethic. Adapt the skill’s name to how the recruiter’s job description refers to it. Elaborate on it by including that you won’t need micro-management, you can manage challenging situations positively, and you’re great at planning and time management.

#5 Data Analysis & Interpretation

You don’t have to be a professional data analyst to have data analysis skills—employers need people who can extract meaningful insights to make strategic decisions.

For example, a teacher whose test results show poor student performance can use that data to understand that the student did not fully comprehend the subject matter.

If you have experience in reading and understanding data, presenting data in easy-to-read formats, predicting trends, or using data to support decisions and processes, you should emphasize this experience on your resume.

Tip: Include any previous positions or projects where you made data-driven decisions. Remember that data doesn’t have to be limited to tables and databases. Your experience as a tour guide, babysitter, or delivery driver can all involve some form of data, so highlight that.

#6 Teamwork & Leadership

Teamwork and leadership are often treated separately in job descriptions and resumes. However, in reality, they are inseparable.

As a team leader, you need to be a good teammate, and being a great part of a team means sometimes taking initiative and responsibility.

Being a leader and a team player are intertwined.

Both skills ensure that teams move forward and work harmoniously to achieve common goals.

This involves sharing credit, accepting responsibility, contributing to and encouraging the ideas of others, developing rapport, and respecting other opinions.

Tip: To make your leadership and teamwork skills more appealing to recruiters, consider adding specific outcomes to your resume, such as increased productivity resulting from your efforts as part of a team or through individual contributions.

#7 Research & Problem-Solving Skills

Many roles require research and problem-solving skills and employers look for proactive candidates capable of carrying out cross-channel research.

Using tech tools to streamline processes, identify needs and required resources, gather relevant information, evaluate and interpret results, and disseminate information are all vital aspects of a problem-solving skill.

Tip: Research can sometimes be as simple as Googling ‘20 dollars an hour is how much a year.’ Your research skills don’t have to be Ivy League professor-level, but you need to be able to define a problem you’ve come across, know where to seek a solution and find an answer.

Finally, About Transferable Skills

Transferable skills refer to skills that can be applied to different jobs and are not specific to a single role. These versatile skills are valuable across various careers, roles, and industries.

Therefore, developing these skills can broaden your career options as they remain relevant even in new or unfamiliar positions and are appealing to a wide range of employers.

Most skills you’ve developed in past positions will be applicable to a new context, with an adaptation to some extent.

Transferable skills include teamwork, data analysis, critical thinking, decision-making, leadership, management, problem-solving, adaptability, communication, interpersonal skills, time management, and many more.

You’ve probably noticed that many of the transferable skills mentioned are actually the skills we covered as the most sought-after by recruiters. This is because the most valued skills are those that go beyond a single role and make you a reliable, organized, efficient employee who is inspiring and great to communicate with.

Whether you are aiming for a promotion, considering switching jobs or looking to transition into a new industry, the skills listed above are versatile and will be invaluable in any situation.

Therefore, don’t take them for granted. Instead, practice, sharpen, and utilize them in your daily work.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Tags: Career Skills