So, you are racking your brains on crafting a resume. By this time, you have already realized how hard it can be, as well as how long it can take. Writing a resume is not merely specifying where you went to college or listing your work experience. You need to impress, and doing that is often much more difficult than you had hoped.
Your resume has to be original and impressive if you want to get the job. However, you probably have no idea how to achieve that since the HR team of the company you are applying for a job at has definitely seen tons of various resumes. Each of the candidates is trying to do their best, as well as to present themselves in the most favorable light. This is the right thing to do. However, there is no guarantee that this will be enough considering the current situation on the market. To be able to compete, you need to have a lot to offer. At this point, you may not even realize what you can offer other than profound knowledge and vast experience. The main thing to keep in mind is that you and your resume simply have to stand out. You have to be different. You have to be original. There is no magic formula with the help of which you will be able to craft an unconventional resume in five minutes.
Writing a resume requires discipline. You need to allocate a lot of time to be able to write and edit your resume.
Apart from that, it is advisable to take a look at a few perfectly written resume samples to get a better understanding of what you are supposed to do here. Keep in mind that you may need to rewrite your document several times. It is completely normal as it is quite difficult to craft an impressive resume on your first try. Ideally, you should read a bit before you get down to writing a resume to figure out how it all works. Check out the Job Search Writing section on the website of Purdue OWL to learn more about crafting impressive resumes. Apart from that, this resource will come in handy whenever you get to deal with any kind of writing. There is a lot of useful information, resources and workshops.
If you are a beginner and this is your first time writing a resume, even looking through Google Docs resume templates may be quite helpful. You will at least familiarize yourself with the structure of a resume, as well as be aware of the aspects you need to cover in each of the sections.
In case you are looking for new approaches to resume writing and reimagining the whole process of applying for a job, you should check out this TED Talk.
You will definitely be inspired. Even if you decide to use a common method of sending your resume when applying for a job, you will at least learn more about different techniques with the help of which you can make your resume more interesting to a potential employer.
Types of skills for resume
Nowadays, most employers are typically looking for a candidate who has developed their hard and soft skills. Hard skills are those which are related to a specific field or area of expertise. Soft skills are related to personality traits of a candidate, such as leadership or communication. Yet, there is another set of skills to consider – special skills. These are skills that you and only a small number of people have acquired. If you think that you have any of these special skills, you should definitely mention it in your resume.
What is important to highlight in regards to the types of skills for resume writing is that it is no longer enough to be a qualified expert in one’s area of expertise. Having soft skills is as important as having hard skills mainly because a person will most likely be working with others on tons of different projects. That is the reason why it is important to know how to lead, stay organized and communicate with one another.
Top hard skills to put on your resume
Taking into consideration the fact that hard skills are related to the field you work in, defining the list of the top hard skills to put on your resume will not be easy. Yet, there is a set of hard skills that will come in handy no matter whether you are applying for a position of an engineer or a school teacher. Here are the top hard skills you should definitely put on your resume if you possess them:
- Data analysis. These skills are valued no matter the field you work in as most people need to gather and analyze information on a daily basis. The better you are at it, the more useful your input will be. As a result, you will be more valued as an employee. If you are good at conducting research, data management, web analytics or data visualization, feel free to mention data analysis as one of the hard skills you possess.
- Computer technology. This term refers to an employee’s ability to use technology-based platforms which is what the majority of today’s jobs are all about. Basically, you need to demonstrate that you know how to use Microsoft Office, Google analytics tools, WordPress, basic HTML, as well as are familiar with various social media platforms and know how they function.
- Foreign languages. This one is pretty obvious. The more foreign languages you speak, the more career opportunities you will have. Besides, having this hard skill will come in handy no matter what field you want to work in next as you may be the candidate who has the advantage due to your ability to speak a few languages.
- Project management. If you have experience working as a project manager, don’t hesitate to mention it on your resume. Don’t forget to dwell upon your main responsibilities, as well as describe the projects you managed in this position. Nowadays, project management skills are becoming more and more valuable to employers. If you know your way around such project management tools as Scrum or Trello, you will definitely have more chances on the job market.
- Marketing. In case you decide to apply for a position in a company that produces or sells something, having marketing skills will help you score some points not only with the HR team, but also with your potential boss as well. Here are those marketing fields expertise in which will help you get the job of your dreams: search engine optimization (SEO), content management systems, email marketing, copywriting, A/B testing, web scraping and a few others.
- Cloud computing. There is no need to highlight the importance of storing information securely. That is the reason why more and more companies are using various cloud technologies: to store sensitive information and to be able to guarantee their customers privacy. If you have experience building cloud networks, this knowledge will definitely come in handy. These are some of the hard skills employers are looking for: cloud architecture, networking communication, storage and data management, and cloud middleware technologies.
Top soft skills to put on your resume
You are already aware of the fact that soft skills refer to the personality traits of an employee. These are those types of skills that you do not necessarily think of when you are writing a resume or getting ready for a job interview. Yet, you should not forget that being able to communicate with your team to solve a certain problem is as important as knowing how to code. The good thing is that the majority of soft skills can be easily developed. Here are the top soft skills you should develop and put on your resume to have more chances to get that job:
- Communication. This is one of the most important soft skills in any position at any company. The main reason why communication skills are so significant is that being able to talk to everyone on the team and provide constructive feedback helps to solve problems faster and move the project along. Such skills as negotiation, persuasion, the ability to listen, storytelling, reading body language, presentation and public speaking will help you do your job in a more effective way.
- Critical thinking. The best way to make an informed decision is to analyze all factors and use one’s critical thinking skills. What is more, critical thinking helps you not only to understand the problem better, but also be able to come up with a creative solution.
- Teamwork. Most companies have huge teams that are working on a project. To be able to achieve the desired result, teamwork is required. If you know how to be a team player and value everyone’s input, you have more chances to build a career in that company. What is more, when the goal is to achieve fruitful results, working on a project together is more effective.
- Leadership. Not everyone is a born leader. Not everyone should be. Yet, having leadership skills will definitely help you move up the career ladder faster than you can imagine. Apart from that, most employers expect their employees to take responsibility and to come up with a few bold suggestions. It shows that an employee is ready to take risks, as well as willing to do more in order to help the company achieve its goals. A true leader is the one who is good at conflict management, inspiring colleagues, making decisions, resolving disputes, mentoring others, finding and nurturing talent, and making deals.
- Adaptability. This skill is always of great importance due to the constantly changing circumstances. The more flexible an employee is when it comes to taking on a new role within the company or to accepting that they are going to have more duties, the more valuable to the company they will be. What is more, adaptability is a superb skill in everyday life as well. It teaches us to be ready to react when something does not go according to plan and not to stress out about it.
- Positive Attitude. Believe it or not, having a positive attitude really helps even when the chances for success are very low. It is important to inspire others, as well as to create an atmosphere in which everyone believes that they can do it no matter how many obstacles they will have to overcome. Apart from that, people who have a positive attitude tend to be very friendly and eager to work, not to mention the fact that it is simply pleasant to be around them.
Top special skills for resume
As you have already understood, special skills are those skills which not that many people have acquired. If you possess any of such skills, you will be greatly valued by your employer. For instance, having high emotional intelligence will be crucial in those professions where interpersonal communication is common. This way, it will be easier for you to connect with other people and understand their problems.
Another useful skill that not that many people have is responsibility. Surely, everyone likes to highlight how responsible they are on their resume. However, not that many job applicants will actually prove that they can be responsible later on. What is vital to specify is that it is impossible to test how responsible a person can be, so the only thing left is to take notice and observe. Administrative skills will come in handy even when you are not applying for an administrative role within the organization. What is interesting to mention is that a surprisingly small number of people are actually good at planning, organizing, managing files, sending follow-up emails and scheduling. That is the reason why these skills can be grouped into the category of special skills.
All in all, an ideal candidate is the one who possesses a huge variety of hard, soft and specific skills. The more you can do or achieve, the more chances of being employed you will have. What matters is being able to showcase the skills you have acquired in your resume to prove both to the HR team and to the potential employer that you are the one they are looking for.
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