Best Resume Skills to Impress Hiring Managers

It may not seem like it, but the United States is experiencing a faster rate of growth now than it did in the last decade.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11.5 million new jobs to be added to the workforce by 2026, part of a 0.7 percent rate of job growth, more than the 0.5 percent growth between 2006 and 2016. Much of the growth will take place in healthcare industries and related occupations as aging baby boomers  boost the demand for healthcare services.

While there are more jobs added to the market every day, competition within the job market is fierce. More college graduates are added to the workforce every year, making it crucial that you have a strong résumé for your skills to stand out from the rest of the field.

Specific skills related to the job you’re pursuing are paramount to include, as well as keywords that will attract the attention of human resources professionals who see dozens – even hundreds – of resumes per day. Many HR professionals use scanning software to read files each day, making it integral that your resume garners a second glance.

Below, we’ll go through some of the best resume skills to impress hiring managers, and help get your resume in the right hands.

Resume skills best conveyed in the experience section

The experience section of your resume is arguably most important to the HR professional or hiring manager.

You’ll list all of your recent work experience, especially highlighting jobs or roles similar to the one you are pursuing. But instead of talking about what you accomplished or achieved in these roles, use the experience section to showcase how you achieved success in your prior or current work.

For example, if you work in sales and you brought in $200,000 to your company last quarter, add bullet points. Note the skills you used to bring in the money. Consider the interpersonal communication that was needed between you and your client, colleagues and superiors. Consider the organization and prioritization skills it took to stay on top of your work, keep your client happy and boost revenue.

Hiring managers see lots of resumes for sales positions. By adding your skills and how you developed a reputation for success at previous jobs, you can separate yourself from the pack. It’s important to show soft skills too, but don’t just list them. Make sure that they’re conveyed to the hiring manager through examples.

Skills to put on your resume

Every resume should be tailored to the job you are pursuing. For example, if you’re applying for a job in marketing, don’t list the six months you worked at a car repair shop. It doesn’t apply.

However, you should definitely list resume skills that will matter for the industry and job your pursuing. Basic skills like Microsoft Office and Excel are assumed, and should not be included. Instead, highlight your human-based skills that will put you ahead of the competition.

Resume skills examples

Below are some examples of skills to list on sample industry résumés:

Project Manager

• Technical product R&D
• Team leadership
• Product lifecycle management
• Agile/scrum methodologies
• Go-to-market launch plans
• Product roadmaps
• SDLC
• UX/UI Design
• QA Testing
• SaaS solutions
• Requirements gathering & analysis
• Market & competitor research
• Test-driven development
• Troubleshooting & debugging
• Financial modeling & forecasting

Marketing Manager

• Deep Understanding of Consumer Lifestyle
• Public Speaking Skills
• Social Media Marketing
• Copywriting
• SEO & SEM

Special Education Teacher

• Creative planning
• Developing behavioral intervention plans
• Completing functional behavioral assessments
• Effective leadership
• Adaptability
• Assertive technology

Nurse Supervisor

• Record keeping
• Budgeting
• Recording patient vitals
• Communication with patients and visitors
• Coordinating patient care
• Care and discharge planning

Additional Sources: Best tips for a project manager resume; How to write a standout marketing resume; How to write a special education teacher resume; Nursing resume guide.

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