The Most Valuable Skills you can bring to Any Job!

Have you been wondering what job skills are actually useful and relevant to employers? Do you want to ace your next interview and prove that you’re the perfect candidate for the job!? In this post, I am going to share the five most valuable skills that every employer is looking for in an employee. These are skills that you can bring to ANY job and that will set you a part!

I have been working in Human Resources for five years now and I’ve gained a lot of insight into the job search and recruiting process. Information on what employers look for in potential candidates, resume formatting techniques, questions to ask a hiring manager, what not to say in an interview, what to include in a cover letter, phone interviewing tips and more!

If you’re looking for more career-related content, here are a few posts that you’ll want to check out!

• How to Make the Most Out Of a Job You Don’t Enjoy
• 7 Life-Changing Productivity Hacks!
• Public Speaking Tips You Must Know

Conveying your soft skills to a potential employer is so important. However, most individuals have a hard time displaying soft skills on a resume because they aren’t quantifiable. They also may not be directly relevant to your job. Unlike hard skills which are specific, teachable, and measurable.

You may be asking, “What specific soft skills should I display on my resume and cover letter? There are so many skills out there, which ones are employers actually looking for?”

By the end of this post, you will know what soft skills are, the five most important skills that employers look for in an employee, how to set yourself a part from other applicants and how to effectively display soft skills on your resume and cover letter.

So, What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills describe your personality, attitude, work style, communication and people skills. They’re often referred to as transferable skills because they can be used in a wide range of different jobs. They are also hard to teach, which makes them extremely valuable. Meaning, effectively displaying your soft skills on your application could be what sets you apart from other applicants.

Nowadays, employers are looking for candidates who are well-rounded, with a lot to offer. It’s not enough to have the job-specific skills listed on the job posting anymore. Almost everyone applying for the position will have the required skills. Soft skills are what will differentiate you from the rest of the applicant pool!  

That’s why it is SOO important for you to know what soft skills employers are looking for.

What Skills are Employers Looking for?

Skill #1: Communication

Having great communication skills is essential to almost every job. You’ll be an extremely valuable asset to any company if you know how to successfully communicate with people verbally, non-verbally, through email, and by phone. Knowing when and how to adjust your communication style to different groups is a bonus!

Employers look for individuals who are able to effectively convey their thoughts and opinions, get their point across, give and receive constructive feedback, present to a group of colleagues, and build relationships with others.

If you’re lacking in one area of communication (maybe it’s presentation skills), you can always attend trainings or professional development opportunities to improve.

If you want to work on your public speaking skills, click here to read how to overcome your speech anxiety and boost your confidence!

Your communication skills can be displayed on a resume using words like:

*Verbal Communication

*Public Speaking

*Active Listening

*Email and Phone etiquette

*Writing skills

*Non-Verbal Communication

*Empathy

Skill #2: Strong Work Ethic

This is such a highly desirable skill employers look for in a candidate.

Someone who has a strong work ethic is motivated by the work they do. They know how to successfully manage their time to prioritize and complete tasks. And they’re consistent and dependable employees who produce high quality work.

You can display your work ethic by using words like:

*Dedicated

*Motivated

*Punctual

*Deadline Driven

*Time Management

*Results Oriented

*Dependable

*Reliable

*Adaptable

*Proactive

Skill #3: Problem Solving

It’s essential to know how to think quickly, analyze a situation, use independent judgement and take initiative to find solutions to a problem. A manager loves an employee who comes to them with a solution. Don’t just state the problem to your manager, provide a solution to the complex problem.

Problem Solving can be displayed by using words like:

*Critical Thinking

*Creative

*Innovative

*Analytical

Skill #4: Teamwork

Knowing how to collaborate and work together on a project in a group is so important. Even if your job is primarily independent work, it’s essential to know how to share ideas, negotiate, and show respect to others’ opinions. Employers look for individuals who work well with others in a collaborative setting and appreciate individual differences and diversity.

To display your Teamwork abilities on a resume use words like:

*Collaboration

*Team Player

*Leadership

*Build Relationships

*Negotiation skills

*Team Building

Skill #5: Positive Attitude

Having an optimistic attitude and friendly personality is essential. Nobody wants to hire someone who is pessimistic or seems uninterested in the position. Employers want to make sure they hire a person that shows genuine enthusiasm about the company and the position.

Managers search for individuals like this because having a positive attitude and uplifting personality can bring great benefits to the company. AND positivity is contagious! Having someone on the team that is always building people up will lead others to do the same.

To display your Positive Attitude on a resume, use words like:

*Energetic

*Friendly

*Optimistic

*Respectful

*Inclusive

*Enthusiastic

*Collaborative

Now that you know which soft skills you should include in your cover letter and resume, here’s how you can display them!

How to Convey Soft Skills on a Resume

*Include a Professional Summary at the top of your Resume

A professional summary highlights your professional skills and qualifications for the job. This gives hiring managers a glimpse into your competence.

A professional summary is a great place to add in your soft skills! Make sure your summary is well written and demonstrates the needed skills for the position!

*Add a Skills Section to your Resume

If you don’t want to add a Professional Summary to your resume, you can add a separate Skills section. Here you can list out all the soft or technical skills that you’ve acquired. This makes it easy for employers to noticeably see your skills.

*Incorporate Soft Skills into your Bullet Points on your Resume

You can do this by making these skills action verbs. Start your bullet points with words like: Collaborated, Dedicated, Communicated, Motivated, etc. As an example you could say “I collaborated on…” to demonstrate that you can work well on a team.

*Add Soft Skills into your Cover Letter

You should use your cover letter to introduce yourself and share how your acquired skills and experience match those required by the job. This is a great place to talk up your soft skills. Try to pick at least one word from each of the categories that I listed above and include them in your cover letter!

I hope this post was extremely beneficial those of you currently job searching or looking for ways to display your job skills to an employer! Let me know in the comments below if you found this post helpful!

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{Related Post: Making the Most Out of a Job You Don’t Enjoy}