Level up your resume with your soft skills!
It’s almost summer which means there is a whole world of summer jobs looking to hire. You’re probably sitting down to update and send out your resume right about now. It’s common knowledge that you include your work experience and education, but did you know that including your soft skills can give you a leg up in the competition?
Soft skills include things like your ability to communicate and work with a team, how you manage your time, and how you problem solve. They are often called “transferable” because you likely won’t find them in the job description under “responsibilities.” You can use them in any job, any situation or environment which is why they’re so valuable.
There are 2 places where you can highlight these skills: in your skills section and in the description of what your job responsibilities are.
Work Experience
When outlining your relevant job experience, the purpose is to highlight your background, skills, and accomplishments. With a bit of strategy and tact you can weave in your softer skills in this description.
For example, writing “Collaborated with other members of my team to implement a strategy to consistently decrease drive-through times by 30 seconds,” not only demonstrates what you accomplished, it shows that you can work with other people to get a job done. This particular description would also show that you saw a problem and found a way to solve it for the benefit of the company, another impressive skill that employers would take note of.
Remember, you will see the best results from your resume when you highlight the results of your work. Your transferable skills likely played a role in achieving them, so highlight them!
Skills Section
This section of your resume is for anything that you didn’t already mention when explaining your work experience. So, if you have been in a position where solving workplace disputes was a large part of the job, you should put conflict resolution in this section. The same goes for other soft skills such as:
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Adaptability
- Creative thinking
Remember, hiring managers don’t spend very much time looking at each resume, so aim for a strong impression. Your resume won’t say everything, that’s what the interview is for. Use your soft skills to make an impression that will leave them wanting more!
Need more resume tips? Check out our other advice here:
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About LGC
Since 2003 LGC has been building connections between businesses with staffing needs and job seekers looking for new opportunities. Our range of solutions includes temporary and permanent placements (and everything in between) for a variety of industries. With offices located nationwide, we can tap into a dynamic pool of talented professionals. We have a passion for creating partnerships that last and work hard every day to ensure both clients and candidates reach their employment goals.