Let’s start our discourse with a resume definition. Apparently, its general meaning doesn't present any intricacies for the majority of people, so it will be informative but concise. A resume is a document that showcases a person’s background, qualifications, and experiences. It is used all over the globe during the recruitment process. Its role is extremely significant, considering a fact that employers use it as a key source in the pre-selection of candidates.
It is important to point out that the word "Resume" is widely used in the U.S. and in Canada respectively, while in the UK people generally refer to it as a "CV", that stands for a Latin expression Curriculum Vitae. But don’t be concerned about this matter.
Despite the mentioned difference, its structure and main objective remain the same everywhere. They could be slightly different in terms of layout due to some cultural specifications. Be sure to check it out before writing a resume from scratch, because certain requirements may differ slightly in relation to the country of your job application (and even on the company level sometimes).
The Resume Formats: Which One to Choose?
The only point that could probably cause certain complexities is the resume formats. The first thing you should do when starting to write your resume is to choose the right format, for sure. The most common formats include: chronological, functional, and combination resumes.
The most popular type of resume format among the ones indicated above is chronological. Generally, it serves as a good template for a resume. Although, it is not always the best option to choose, especially if you don’t have any significant work experience (that can be applied, for instance, to people who have just recently graduated from the university).
It would be useful to invest some time to examine this matter thoroughly since some formats could work better for you than others with regard to your specific situation. Quite frequently you may be asked to add a cover letter to your resume. It is essential to attach it, otherwise, your candidature could be rejected immediately in spite of the professional and highly-structured resume.
If you have any difficulties with your cover letter writing, you don’t have to manage it on your own, benefit from CoolEssay service that delivers high-quality assistance in the professional cover letter writing. You will get a fully customized cover letter at an affordable price. It is truly important nowadays, since the skills of presenting any kind of information clearly and moreover creatively plays a major role in every field.
Types of Skills for Resume with Examples
The most important thing every person should be aware of is the fact that resume skills are generally divided into three different categories: soft skills, hard skills, and general skills. These are all preferable skills to put on a resume. In that way, you can present yourself as a well-rounded personality with multiple interests in various spheres of life.
In general, soft skills can relate to your interpersonal skills, they tend to expose your personality traits, your innate qualities that define your place in the social environment, your capability to interact with other people, collaborate and communicate with them successfully. According to many classifications, the most common soft skills examples are:
- Communication
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Motivation
- Flexibility
- Positive attitude
Hard skills are usually associated with technical skills received by the means of education or professional training, online courses, internships, etc. They relate to your professional knowledge in a specific area of industry. The most common examples of hard skills could be introduced by profound expertise in one of the following fields (and many others as well):
- Accounting
- Statistical analysis
- Software development
- Digital marketing
- Copywriting
General skills include a wide range of commands in completely different fields. They can be conditionally divided into managerial skills, life skills, or fundamental computer skills. They are used in the following activities:
- Project planning
- Decision-making
- Creative thinking
- Time management
What Skills to List on Your Resume?
It is crucial to indicate your strengths in a resume as well as to be 100 percent truthful in the description of yourself and your skillset. Of course, you can find any list of skills on the internet and put it randomly on your resume, but what for? There’s no use in wasting your precious time and the time of a hiring manager, too. The credibility of your data will definitely help you to get a job you are best suited to.
It is not recommended that you put false information to impress your potential employer on your resume! Make sure the skills in your resume are relevant to the position you are applying for. For a job of an Office Manager or a Customer Support Agent, you should definitely indicate that you are very sociable and energetic individual with computer literacy and an ability for multitasking.
Don’t put controversial data that could damage your image. If you loathe public events, can’t stand parties, official meetings, etc. and acknowledge a shortage of basic organizational skills, then there is no sense in posting for an Event Manager or a Business Coordinator just because it offers a quite competitive salary. Irrelevant personal and technical skills stated on your resume can lead to distressing consequences sooner or later.
While applying for a Research Analyst position your drawing skills or pedagogical skills are not regarded as significant ones if not completely inappropriate. You should learn how to match your skills to the job ad, or not to mention them in case of obvious discrepancy. To sum up, the main idea is to put only pertinent skills on the resume. In addition, they should be in complete conformity with job requirements.
Soft Skills Vs Hard Skills to List on Resume
A survey by the Pew Research Center showed that communication skills are very important to the American society in terms of upbringing and education of their children. According to The State of American Job Report by Pew Research, the most valuable skills are social ones that have grown by 83 percent since 1980. Whereas the importance of analytical skills has grown by 77 percent. A combination of these skills has grown by 94 percent, that is rather impressive.
These data showcase the importance of soft skills no matter what industry you are going to work for. Even though hard skills are almost on the same level, your disposition to social interaction, the qualities of a team player are crucial. And often, in a situation when several applicants possess the same level of hard skills, their soft skills determine whether they pass selection for a desirable job or not.
In summary, it is vital to choose the most relevant skills for the resume. Don’t be reluctant to show all your personal and technical strengths. On the grounds of our own analysis members of a Human Resource department usually search for employees with a well-balanced combination of multiple skills, initially giving preference to soft skills that demonstrate the graph below.
If you are a fresh graduate, this information will definitely help you to launch your career. Consider it as a stepping stone on the way to better understanding the process of writing the resume, and specifically what skills to include on your resume to get noticed by a potential employer. Stand out among hundreds of other candidates! And get your dream job straight away!
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