Include Soft Skills in Your Resume

Marcianne Kuethen

April 15, 2014

Every choice you make today is a building block in the wall of your career.

Our blog is full of advice about how to write your resume, but now CareerBuilder has added a twist: They advise that you include soft skills in your resume.

In their most recent national survey, which polled 2,138 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes, CareerBuilder found that “the vast majority of employers – 77 percent – believe that soft skills (less tangible skills associated with one’s personality, such as a positive attitude) are just as important as hard skills (skills that are learned to perform a specific job function and can be measured, such as operating a computer program). Sixteen percent of employers said soft skills are more important than hard skills when evaluating candidates for a job.”

What’s the best way to include soft skills in your resume? Don’t just say that you have a great attitude or are a team player, advises CareerBuilder’s VP of HR, Rosemary Haefner. Give tangible examples that show how you used that soft skill successfully in an actual work situation.

What are the top three soft skills employers say they look for when hiring? A strong work ethic, dependability, and a positive attitude top the list. To see all ten soft skills employers look for when hiring, click here.

This survey brings up the question, If you want to be able to show that you have soft skills, what kind of employee are you being right now? When you hear your cell phone buzz, do you stay fully focused on your work or jump on your phone to check Facebook or your latest text? Do you show up to work when scheduled, and follow through on the work you’ve promised to produce? If your boss asks you to go the extra mile or stretch outside of your comfort zone, do you complain or leap to the challenge? However you behave right now as an employee now directly affects not only what soft skills you can put on your resume, but also how you will be able to answer behavioral questions in future interviews. Every choice you make today is a building block in the wall of your career.

It’s a great idea to include soft skills in your resume. It’s an even better idea to develop them here and now to ensure a better future.

Are you a contract worker struggling with workplace issues? Your employment agency can help!

By Marcianne Kuethen