Important Soft Skills to Include on a Resume

You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about soft skills on your professional resume.

Soft skills are most commonly known as “people skills”. These are different from hard skills because they are usually not taught.

When it comes to soft skills, you are going to have to do more than provide a list of keywords on your resume. Soft skills require you to tell a story proving that you have these skills.

Below, we will share where to include soft skills on your resume, and some of the best soft skills to mention.

How to Include Soft Skills on a Resume

Soft skills on a resume are very different from hard skills. You’ve probably seen resumes with sections dedicated to “technical skills” or “areas of excellence”.

These lists of skills are usually going to be hard skills (See samples below).

Soft skills are unique in that they require you to tell a story, not just list a bunch of keywords.

That’s why you will want to prove you have soft skills in the work experience section of your resume.

In just a few seconds we will talk about some of the best soft skills to include on your resume with examples.

Best Soft Skills to Include on your Resume

1. Communication

Communication skills are essential for every job. Whether verbal or written, it’s inevitable that you will be required to communicate in your next job.

Communication is often required with peers, bosses, clients, cross-functional teams, and business partners.  Communication skills training is also an option to help you collaborate with colleagues/leadership effectively and validate your expertise with this soft skill.

Similar skills include:

• Verbal communication
• Written communication
• Clarity
• Reporting
• Presenting

Here’s an example of how you might show communication skills in your resume:

“Responsible for working cross-functionally with various business units and communicating client needs with upper-management.”

2. Leadership

 Leadership is a soft skill that is valued by major organizations like Amazon whether you are applying for leadership positions.

Even individual contributor roles require leadership. A true leader can take charge of any situation, project, or team and get the job done.

Similar skills include:

• Selflessness
• Listening
• Humility
• Project Management
• Coaching

Here’s an example of how you might show leadership skills in your resume:

“Developed an underperforming team of four sales reps to achieve 120% of quota and President’s Club in 2020.”

3. Creativity

Creativity is another soft skill that is appreciated by nearly every company. Sure, there will be some companies who don’t value creativity and want someone who can do things by the book.

But most companies love someone who can think outside of the box. We have a real-life story that was shared on a resume and in an interview to express creativity. This single story landed someone their dream job.

Similar skills include:

• Imagination
• Innovation
• Individuality
• Inspiration
• Vision

Here’s an example of how you might show creativity skills in your resume:

“Purchased see-through containers and filled them with water to demo and promote a new line of waterproof phones. Within 2-weeks, sales greatly increased, and the see-through containers became nationally adopted by the entire company.”

4. Work Ethic

Work ethic is not only about a commitment to working hard. It’s the belief that hard work is virtuous and truly valuable.

Nobody wants to hire someone who is passionate about putting forth minimum effort. A strong work ethic is one of the most attractive traits that an employer can find in a potential new hire. Someone who is willing to go the extra mile is a great person to have on your team.

Similar skills include:

• Integrity
• Dependability
• Initiative
• Discipline
• Earnest

Here’s an example of how you might show work ethic skills in your resume:

“Always the first to arrive and last to go home. Trusted by management for all major projects due to unmatched desire to learn and grow in my career.”

5. Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is often overlooked during the hiring process but it’s a skill that is invaluable. Being able to spot a typo on a report before it is sent out to a major client can make or break a business deal.

A strong attention to detail will make your managers life easier knowing they will not need to repeat themselves.

Similar skills include:

• Accuracy
• Consistency
• Precision
• Thorough
• Organization

Here’s an example of how you might show attention to detail skills in your resume:

“Regularly analyzed data to check for errors and inaccuracies resulting in a 99.9% accurate forecast.”

Soft Skills Should Go Beyond the Resume

As important as the resume is for your job search, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Soft skills should go beyond your resume and carry into the interview.

There’s only so much you can fit on 1-2 pieces of paper. Your true colors will shine during the interview process.

Take some time to think about each of the soft skills you are trying to highlight on your resume. Make sure you are telling a story on your resume that you are comfortable talking about during the interview.

Remember, soft skills should not be listed in bulk. Unlike hard skills, soft skills will require some proof.

Everyone can say that they are “great communicators, leaders, creative, hardworking, and detail-oriented” and chances are, everyone will say that. But very few people will take the time to prove this with stories in their resume.

Set yourself apart from the competition by telling compelling stories to prove your skills.

Mike Podesto is a former recruiter and current Founder & CEO of Find My Profession, a leading resume writing and career coaching company. Mike’s career advice has been featured on sites like Inc., Zety, Motherly, Fast Company, and more. His viral posts on employment have been seen by millions on LinkedIn. He’s even been featured in a variety of career-related podcasts such as the Hired podcast Talk Talent to Me, Strong Suit, and Authors Unite. Mike is passionate about helping job seekers find fulfillment in their careers by breaking down the tedious job search barriers.

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