When a job seeker creates a resume, it is best to target the document for a particular job posting.
Each job posting will have a list of requirements that they are seeking in the candidates applying.
These often include a certain degree, appropriate certifications and even related job experience. The posting may also include knowledge of a specific software or fluency in a foreign language. If you are applying for a job, you want to make sure you include how you meet all (or most) of these requirements.
It is important to point out that in addition to these requirements, soft skills are also mandatory. A candidate with the right degree but the inability to manage their time or horrible customer service will not be a good employee.
According to a recent LinkedIn article, companies are looking for the following five soft-skills when evaluating new hires:
Analytical Skills
Customer Service
Marketing
Time Management
Project Management
While it is easy to list on a resume that you are fluent in Spanish, have an elementary education certification, or have experience modeling with Solidworks, it can be more difficult to demonstrate soft skills. Here are some tips for showing strength in important soft skills when crafting your resume:
Incorporate Soft Skills in Your Title
Instead of just listing your title as "Mechanical Engineer," consider elaborating on this to include both soft and hard skills. For example, "Innovative Mechanical Engineer Focused on Design and Analysis" immediately showcases that you have strong analytical skills to provide to the company, and will attract the attention of the hiring manager.
Use Soft Skills in the Summary Section of your Resume
An executive summary provides you the opportunity to explain how you meet both the educational and work experience requirements, as well as pointing out your possession of these important soft skills.
For example, is time management important for the position you are interested in?
Here is an example of a statement that demonstrates time management and could easily be included in an executive summary: "Project manager of 5 key products simultaneously. Successfully met completion timelines for all five."
Include Soft Skills in Details
When listing job experience, provide details of what you have achieved. If you worked as a manager at a supermarket and want to demonstrate marketing skills, you might include an accomplishment bullet that says "Increased sales of seasonal items by 25% by creating appealing displays."
For customer service, you may want to add something like "Provided superior customer service by examining 12 common customer concerns and creating solutions to mitigate each" in a bullet under the work experience job listing.
Don't Forget the Cover Letter
The cover letter offers a fantastic opportunity to fit in anything you haven't addressed in your resume. Even better, try to highlight important job requirements and soft skills in both the resume and cover letter.
As an example, a cover letter could include a statement similar to the following which demonstrates time management: "I have excellent organization skills and focus on completing tasks accurately, efficiently and on-time."
Employers are looking for soft skills as well as certifications, degrees and other job requirements. Crafting your resume to demonstrate both will increase the chance you will be called in for an interview.
Revision Resume excels at creating resumes that will demonstrate your unique capabilities and qualifications. We provide resume writing for Rochester NY and beyond, so let us know if we can be of assistance in your career documentation creation.
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