Soft Skills for Resume to Land Your Dream Job During COVID-19
Millions of employees worldwide have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are one of them, you may be looking at new job opportunities available. Often, job hunting can feel stressful, especially now. Yet, you can boost your chances of landing your dream job using these tips and tricks.
The pandemic has changed the job market demands. Hence, you must adapt to these new requirements. Most important, focus on updating your resume. Now more than ever, employers realize the importance of soft skills.
During these uncertain times, companies aseek employees who can adapt and learn. Moreover, applicants who are creative and can handle remote work have a significant advantage.
Highlighting the right soft skills for a resume make you stand out from a sea of applicants.
Critical soft skills for a resume
1. Communication skills
2. Creativity skills
3. Leadership skills
4. Problem-solving skills
5. Time management skills
6. Teamwork skills
Hard skills vs. soft skills
While hard skills are usually taught, soft skills are harder to learn. Hard skills for a resume include job-specific skills that are quantifiable and easy to learn. They may consist of knowing how to code or sew.
Diversely, soft skills are usually skills you are born with. They are part of your personality and determine how well you will get along with others. The types of soft skills for a resume may include communication, teamwork, or creativity. Often referred to as “people skills,” soft skills will affect your career significantly.
Soft skills and why are they important
Soft skills are essential not only for finding a job but also for career growth. Most recruiters agree that soft skills can get an employee promoted to a higher position.
A good set of soft skills for a resume is hard to find. Thus, demonstrating your soft skills from the get-go can give you a great advantage.
Soft skills will enable you to thrive in your workplace. After all, you will always need to communicate and solve problems within the workplace. This is why identifying and highlighting your soft skills is vital to your success in the job hunt.
Here are the 60 soft skills for resume employers are looking for right now:
1. Communication skills
Communication skills are at the top of the soft skills list because they are vital to professional success. You will need to communicate with customers, colleagues, or vendors, whatever the job. This also includes communicating via phone or email. Strong communication skills will allow you to get your point across. Also, you will be able to agree with those around you. Apart from communicating your ideas, you should also be a good listener. Actively listening to those around you will help you solve problems and be a better team member.
- Verbal communication,
- Non-verbal communication
- Clarity and concision
- Negotiation
- Listening
- Public speaking
- Confidence,
- Empathy
- Respect
- Friendliness
2. Creativity skills
Creativity enables you to devise solutions, develop new ideas, and increase overall efficiency. Employers always seek out employees who can tackle tasks using their imagination and generate new ideas. Creativity allows you to find new, unique solutions even when solving complex problems. This might be through discovering patterns or making connections between problems. By tackling tasks in a way that has not been done before, you can find new opportunities and be more efficient.
- Open-mindedness
- Creative thinking
- Problem-solving
- Brainstorming
- Experimenting
- Imagination
- Networking
- Proficiency
- Learning
- Ideas
3. Leadership skills
Most employers are looking for applicants with growth potential. For this reason, including leadership skills in your soft skills for a resume is a great move. Leadership skills are soft skills that enable you to lead a team by example. A good leader can manage his team to better its performance. Moreover, a leader should be able to make decisions and resolve conflicts when they arise.
- Strategic thinking
- Strategic planning
- Decision making
- Team building
- Responsibility
- Achievement
- Adaptability
- Delegation
- Flexibility
- Motivation
4. Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving skills are invaluable in almost every job. Being able to solve arising issues before they affect the company will make you irreplaceable. It requires a mix of creative and analytical thinking that uncovers new, better solutions. Most high-paying leadership jobs require strong analytical and creative thinking. Problem-solving demonstrates both and is a great way to make your resume stand out.
- Analysis
- Research
- Diagnosing
- Dependability
- Decision making
- Imagination
- Inspiration
- Implementing
- Persistence
- Troubleshooting
5. Time management skills
If you can effectively manage your time, you will be more efficient and productive. Consequently, many employers seek applicants with strong time management skills. Especially now that many companies are moving towards a virtual workspace, time management is a great skill to include on your resume. Organizing your day and prioritizing time-sensitive tasks is the key to performing well outside of the office.
- Task management
- Goal setting
- Organization
- Prioritization
- Scheduling
- Brainstorming
- Multitasking
- Proactive
- Auditing
- Focus
6. Teamwork skills
Teamwork is often the most sought-after characteristic on this soft skills list. This is because you will most likely work in a team or at least have to attend meetings. To succeed in most positions, you will need to work with those around you. This includes understanding their perspective, negotiating, and appreciating their input. Moreover, to work well in a team, you should be able to accept and act on feedback from those around you.
- Project management
- Project planning
- Critical thinking
- Team oriented
- Collaborative
- Goal Setting
- Cooperation
- Influencing
- Supportive
- Listening
Remember: While soft skills alone won’t get you a job, they make a big difference in your job hunt. Including the right soft skills for a resume and relevant experience can boost your success. Soft skills will make you stand out and can be the deciding factor for the hiring manager.