Make the Most of
Your Resume Skills Section.
The resume skills section complements your resume by emphasizing any special skills you have. This is a great place to add important keywords that are relevant to your career choice.
Many employers use skills-based keywords when searching for resumes online. You will increase your chances of being found in the job search engines if your resume has the skills that the employer is looking for.
It is best to reserve this section for information that has not already been captured in other sections of your resume. You will want to refrain from repeating the same thing in more than one section.
What should the skills section look like?
Short bullet points.
Prioritized information with most relevant skills first.
Have you ever made a list of all the skills you have attained either in school or during your work experience? If not, here is your chance to do so...
- Create a list of all of the skills you have used to complete assignments at school or work.
- Include skills that you attained through your education or from work experience.
- Focus on the skills that are relevant to the job or career field of your choice.
To help jog your memory, here are some questions you can ask yourself... - What are my strengths?
- What special skills have I learned that most others do not have?
- What skills have I developed and used throughout my work experience?
For extra help, review several job descriptions for the job of your choice. Jot down keywords that are frequently used in the descriptions. Use those keywords to recognize skills that will complement your experience.
Here are some examples of skills you may want to include in this section.
- Computer / Technical Skills
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access)
- Foreign languages
- Project management
- Special Equipment/Machines
- Transferable skills
- Any skills that have not been captured in other areas of the resume
The skills section is optional, but I highly recommend it if the information you provide here complements your qualifications. But, don't include this section just to include it.
There are several other optional resume sections that you may include if they apply to you. If you do not have any additional skills to place in these sections, don't worry about it.
Just make sure that you have captured all of your pertinent skills in other sections.
Other resume sections:
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