The skills to create a irresistible resume that will be successful in the selection process vary according to the trends and demands that the world goes through year after year. Therefore, it is possible that many of the skills that were relevant a few years ago, are no longer relevant today.
If you are not aware of the skills you should put on your CV today, it will be difficult to meet the expectations of companies that are looking for new talent. To help you with this, in the following lines, you will discover which are the skills to build a highly employable resume .
At the end, you will find a list with the best free tools to complement all the skills in your CV and secure the position of your dreams.
what skills should you put on your resume?
The skills to build a clear and informative resume are divided into soft skills and hard skills. Of course, these vary depending on the experience and studies of each professional.
If we take into account that this document will be your cover letter, the skills you should put on your resume should describe exactly what you offer to the company. Remember that, by definition of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), a skill refers to “the things that a person executes with grace and dexterity”.
So, what should a successful resume include? Below, we tell you what skills you should include in your CV.
1. Soft skills
Soft skills are essential for a CV. Raquel Roca, teacher of the course on essential soft skills for professional success and speaker on topics related to the future of work, tells us the following:
“92% of recruiters say that candidates who have well-developed soft skills are the ones who are most in demand when it comes to hiring.”
While hard or technical skills can be learned, “the added value of the person will be found in the soft skills. Thanks to them we can really be more competitive,” explains Roca.
Because the soft skills on a resume refer to the relationship an individual has with others and with him or herself -as they are connected to one’s personality traits-, they are essential to predict how the applicant will perform in the team .
LinkedIn’s blog highlights these examples of soft skills to create a successful resume:
Communication
Organizational skills
Teamwork / Collaboration
Accomplishing (following through on obligations)
Critical thinking (breaking with the status quo)
Social (or relational) skills
Creativity
Interpersonal communication
Adaptability
Friendly (empathetic) personality
Persuasion
Emotional intelligence (one of the newest)
There is no doubt that these soft skills in your resume will make you stand out. Find the ones that best suit you so you can include them in your resume.
If you feel you are still missing to develop some soft skills to include in your CV, sign up for our leadership and communication learning path.
Image: Pexels
2. Hard skills
The other side of the coin are hard skills, which refer to technical or intellectual knowledge. Unlike the previous skills for a CV, these skills can be improved, updated or acquired through certifications or academic degrees, as they are quantifiable .
For example, within this section of the skills on your resume you can include your level of knowledge in Excel, Power Point or any other program that contributes to the performance of the activities of the position.
According to the LinkedIn report we mentioned previously, these are the hard skills most sought after by recruiters:
Blockchain
Cloud computing
Analytical reasoning
Artificial Intelligence
UX Design
Business analytics
Affiliate marketing
Sales
Scientific Computing
Video Production
Keep in mind that these examples of hard skills are not the only ones that exist. To incorporate them as professional skills in your CV, you must match them to your profession or field of expertise
what are the skills you should have on your resume starting today?
Now you know that both soft skills and hard skills should be placed on your resume profile, however, it is important to know what the current focus of recruiters is to know what they are looking for.
In the third edition of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Work Report, it has been determined that companies are currently looking for resumes with skills that benefit them from different perspectives .
In fact, the organization developed a list of the professional skills that will be most in demand by companies until 2025. Here are the 10 skills you need to build an attractive CV in the coming years :
Complex problem solving
Active learning
Creativity, originality and initiative
Analytical thinking
Leadership and social influence
Use and control of technology
Technology design and programming
Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility
Reasoning
Ability to shape ideas and concepts
The WEF highlights the importance of soft skills in CVs, as these cannot be displaced by technological advances. Therefore, if you want to be among the favorites in selection processes, you must include them in your resume.
how to put your skills on a resume?
If after reading this article you are ready to update the skills on your resume, but you don’t know how to write a professional profile correctly, don’t worry! Here are some tips on how to put your skills on a resume
Mention your most outstanding skills.
Be honest and don’t create false expectations.
Avoid cliché phrases such as “I am very responsible” or “I seek to achieve my goals”.
Use the present tense and avoid gerunds.
Take care of your writing and spelling.
Try to be concise and do not overdo it with details.
Here is an example of how to include your skills in your resume:
“Graphic designer with 5 years of experience in editorial design and children’s illustration. During my time at Vista previa publishing house, I developed the editorial design of the magazines “Las horas” and “Core”. I have a diploma in Children’s Literature and a specialization in Branding for digital brands. I consider myself an organized, collaborative, adaptable and critical thinker”.
As you can see, this example is focused on the applicant’s achievements and skills, as it mentions his or her experience, the studies he or she has and the skills he or she has acquired so far.
Based on this example, think about what skills you should put in your CV to make it eye-catching and avoid it going unnoticed. Then, post it on LinkedIn or the job board of your choice and get ready to land the job of your dreams .
Free tools to highlight the skills on your resume
We know that applying for a job can be a time of many nerves and anxiety. Therefore, in this section, you will find some free resources with which you can enhance the skills of your CV to ensure good results .
As a bonus, we bring you some templates that will help you to impress recruiters in your job search.
1. Creative resume templates
Being clear about the skills for a CV is one of the first steps to create an amazing resume. However, you should also pay attention to the design of this document.
In this resource, you will find 3 editable templates that you can download and use as you prefer, so have your resume skills ready and include them in the template you like the most.
Tip: Tailor the skills on your resume according to each job search, so that the skills most related to the position you are applying for are listed first.
2. Graphic Design Resume Templates
If you’re in the graphic design industry, these templates will be perfect for capturing your skills in an eye-catching resume. 5 different styles to choose from to suit your personality
Typography Design Specialist CV Template.
CV template ideal for finding your first job.
CV template with your photo in the center.
CV template more extensive and with more information.
CV template with plant decoration.
use them and get ready for a shower of job offers!
3. Personal Recommendation Letter Templates
did your former boss keep a good image of you? ask him or her for a letter of recommendation to surprise recruiters! From these recommendations, you can draw examples of skills to put on your resume. Some may even be skills that you may not have known you had, but that your superiors appreciated in you .
Think about who you can send these templates to and save time in your job search.
4. Cover Letter Templates
A job cover letter is a short text that shows interest in a particular position.
Just as you should think very well about the skills for your resume, you should also think about which ones you would highlight in a cover letter to ensure your passage to the next stage of the selection process. Remember that this document gives more seriousness to your application
5. Job Interview Questions Guide
If your CV is succeeding online, it is only a matter of time before you have job interviews. Therefore, we recommend you to make a list of the skills in your CV to answer the questions you will be asked in them.
In this guide, we tell you in detail what you need to keep in mind to highlight the skills on your resume in front of the interviewers.
6. Templates for a successful professional biography
Another way to highlight personal skills in your CV is through a professional biography: a short summary of the best of you.
The professional biography will help you catch the attention of your clients or recruiters faster, as it summarizes your job skills, abilities and competencies, as well as your experience and education.
Also, did you know that there are different types of professional biographies? Find out more and choose the type of bio that best suits your profile by clicking on the following link:
7. Personal references format
do you know why personal references are so important? Basically, these are the recommendations that other people give about you and your work. Thanks to them, recruiters will be able to confirm if you really have the skills on your resume.
This information will show that you have a good relationship with the people in your work environment. Remember that the headhunter can call them at any time, therefore, you must choose well the people who will complete this information.
So, what are you waiting for to give weight to your resume and add extra points in the selection process?
8. Personal Branding Canvas Template
If you are looking to enhance your personal brand, then it will be necessary to analyze what elements make you different from the competition. The results will help you define the skills to build your resume and match it with the employer.
To communicate the characteristics that make you unique in a changing and competitive environment, this Personal Branding Canvas template, made by our teacher Fabián “El Publicista”, will help you define the action plan to promote your talent with the skills in your CV.
9. Handbook to create your personal brand on LinkedIn
If you want your personal brand to gain relevance, you must have a presence in professional social networks such as LinkedIn.
In this handbook, you will discover all the secrets to make your profile more employable and not just the skills on your resume.
10. Remote interviewing guide
do you have remote interviews scheduled? Don’t let your nerves stop you! In this guide, we explain the keys to successful videoconferences, in which you can communicate the skills on your CV with confidence and a lot of naturalness.
In addition to making a good impression, you will have more chances to continue with the selection process.
Well, so much for today’s article! We hope we have solved all the doubts that prevented you from identifying the skills to build your resume. Now you are ready to include in your CV the skills that will become the most demanded in the future.
best of luck!