Skills to add to your resume to make you standout from the crowd

Since the start of the pandemic, the job market has become scrambled. Many experienced professionals started losing and gaining jobs; making the competition for job hunters even harder than before.

Let’s face it, the dynamic has shifted. You are now looking at some pretty fierce competition. All the more you need to have a well crafted resume as your weapon. When we say well crafted resume, it means a carefully written resume that’s tailored for the specific role you are applying for.

Every professional is unique and special in their own way and it’s just how you portray yourself which will make you standout. Below are some tips on how to sell your key skills in your resume.

What are soft and hard skills?

Talent acquisition specialists only spend a short amount of time looking at a resume before deciding to pass on the candidate or file them for the short-list. That is why it’s important to identify your soft and hard skills upfront to make you stand out from the crowd.

Hard skills are technical skills that will help you finish the task and responsibilities associated with the job. Soft skills or interpersonal skills are your personality and personal attributes as a professional. Below are some examples of both skills:

Soft Skills:

• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Collaborative
• Creative
• Great at customer service
• Multitasker
• Time management
• Work ethic.

Hard Skills (these may vary based on your career):

• Content creation
• Market research
• Web analytics
• SEO and SEM
• Critical thinking
• Project management
• Content management systems
• Social media (strategy, campaigns, etc.)
• Creativity.

How to identify your technical skills and what to put in your resume

Identifying your technical skills may vary with the job you are applying for. However, when listing these kinds of skills on your resume, include specific proficiencies and certifications that will cater the career you are taking.

Below are some technical skills for a number of in demand jobs:

1. Writing and editing
2. Multilingual
3. SEO/ Search Engine Optimization
4. Photo and video editing
5. Research skills
6. Data analyst
7. Project management
8. Typing skills.

There are many more other technical skills that can be based on the job you are applying for. Take note that when in the interview process you can provide examples of how you’ve used those hard skills and to the job that is most relevant to the one you are applying for.

How discovering skills that the company values is a plus!

Don’t just stop at customising your resume skills and work history to fit the role you are applying for. Take the extra mile and research the company to gain insight into the workplace and their culture. You may discover additional qualities that would be considered as appreciated by the employer.

you’re applying for and try to find out what their culture is. Also, you can visit their websites and social media channels to find out more about their brand story and how they value their staff members.

How to create a resume skill section

Your resume should be easy to read because not all recruiters have the time to screen your profile. Usually they will just browse your resume and look for the skills that are required for the job opening. It would be nice if you could limit your hard and soft skills to a minimum of 9 top skills.

Also, place them at the top just above your professional experience. It can be a two or three- row highlight section depending on how you section off your skills. You do not need to use complex words to impress. Just add simple words to show what you can bring to the table. This should be bulleted so that it will be easier to scan.

The DON’T of placing your skills on your resume

Here is a quick recap of what not to do when you are listing down your skills in your resume.

Here is a quick recap of what not to do when you are listing down your skills in your resume.

• Don’t exaggerate or lie about your skills. Making false claims or even stretching the truth is not worth the risk. Remember recruiters still do reference checks and you may ultimately lose the chance of ever getting hired at your dream company or job.
• Never leave out numbers. Numbers may be used to your advantage. Because it’s one way to show the recruiters what you have achieved and what more you can bring to the table.
• Don’t misuse words. As the saying goes, keep your resume factual, short and simple. Check your resume for wordiness. If you feel that a section from your resume is short, it can get tempting to add and add more words. Stop and take a look at your resume and remember that recruiters have a small amount of time to read an applicant’s resume. Better to be short and straight to the point then use business jargon to make your resume longer than expected.
• PROOFREADING is a must. Before sending out your resume, you have to double check your resume for wrong spellings, grammar, and formatting mistakes. It might be better to have a friend or a colleague as a second eye and ask for a professional opinion as to what your resume looks like to them.

It’s time to work some magic and put your skills to work for you! Try now and apply at Beepo!