Your Skills and Adding Them to Your Resume

by Nathaniel Davis

When compiling a resume, it is important to show your potential employer that you have the right skills for the job. The Skills section should showcase the skills that would be important to the position you are seeking. You should start by searching and reviewing postings that target the position that you are seeking. Record the frequently repeated skills and list them, as well as create a list of your skills that match for incorporation into your resume. Skills and acquisition of them are not limited to just employment, but can come from extracurricular activities and even self-study.

Three Types of Skills

·         Job-Related: These are relevant to a specific job.

·         Transferable: These are skills that are learned in one field and are transferable and applicable to different fields or jobs. Transferable skills can show how work with materials, data, and people. For example, you can show how you deal with actual things such as machine operation, or data such as research and dissemination of information, even how to manage and instruct people.

·         Adaptive: These skills are the hardest to substantiate as they include personality traits and characteristics that determine your style of work. Adaptive skills include reliability, ability to get along with colleagues, honesty and productivity.  

Adding Your Skills to Your Resume

For each skill, indicate your skill level and years of experience. It's important to describe your true skill level. Don’t consider yourself an expert unless you can substantiate your claim. At the same time don’t underplay your skill level which could be just as negative.

Here's a guideline for rating your skill level:

·         Beginner: A novice understanding of the skill. You have exposure to the skill and understand its basic concepts.
 

·         Intermediate:  You have experience with and can carry out the skill but don't understand its advanced concepts.
 

·         Expert: A highly developed skill level. You have solid experience and training with the skill and understand advanced concepts. You demonstrate proficiency and superior skill level.

Select 10 to 15 of your strongest, most desirable skills, because most employers scan for the most relevant and beneficial skills that can add to their organization. A short, targeted skills list will be more effective than one that's long and overwhelming.