Writing a great key skills section in your resume could be the key to securing your dream job. The skills section that generally comes below the professional summary section, is a natural attention grabber.
Because this section has a lot of white space, and it looks easy to understand for shortlisting the resume, a lot of recruiters would skim through it quickly. Also, it is a great way to match the recruiter’s interests with what you offer as your experience and skills as a candidate. Lastly, it makes a powerful method to to rank in the Applicant Tracking Systems within the jobs that require your skills.
So it makes a lot of sense to focus on this section.
No matter if you are just starting out or have years of experience, a well-crafted skills section is a must. So, let’s go through some tips and tricks to help you write a great skills section for your resume.
1. Showcase Your Transferable Skills
Whether you are a fresher or experienced professional, it is important to showcase your transferable skills. This will demonstrate to an employer that despite your lack of experience, you have the necessary skills to bring value to the job.
For example, if you are a fresher, you could include skills such as communication, problem-solving, or organization. If you are an experienced professional, you could showcase your leadership and communication skills.
2. Include Relevant Keywords
When you are looking to make your resume stand out, including relevant keywords can help the employer find your resume quickly and easily.
For instance, if you are a software engineer, you could include words such as ‘software development’, ‘programming languages’, ‘databases’, and ‘APIs’. It is important to make sure your keywords are relevant to the position you are applying for.
Remember that while showcasing the skills, you must include relevant examples of applying these skills in the work experience section. This could include specific projects you have worked on and the results of your work.
Simply listing the keywords does not work as the ATS have grown smarter, and humans always look for proof.
3. Prioritize Your Skills
When writing your key skills section, it is important to prioritize the skills you want to showcase. You should focus on the skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for, as well as the skills that set you apart from other applicants.
For example, if you are applying for a project management role, you could prioritize your skills in project management, such as ‘creating project plans’, ‘managing budgets’, and ‘developing project timelines’.
Does this mean that you should write a different resume for each job you apply to ?
An honest answer is – yes !!
I will come to that in some other post. For now, follow these tips to write a great skills section in your resume that will help you stand out from the competition.
So, go ahead and make sure your resume is working hard for getting you your next offer!
