READ TIME – 7 MINUTES
CVโs… we all have one! (Even if youโve not started on the career ladder yet)
Your CV is an essential tool for opening doors to new opportunities. It’s fascinating to consider how a simple sheet of paper can hold so much power in the job search process. With a well-crafted CV, you can showcase your skills and experience in a professional and compelling way. So take the time to ensure that your document is polished and tailored to each job you apply for.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are essential abilities that can be used in any job and are typically linked to one’s personality traits. They are not easy to teach and even harder to measure. In essence, soft skills refer to the way you interact and communicate with others, which is a crucial aspect of any job. Here are a few valued soft skills to consider:
#1. Teamwork
Having strong teamwork skills is essential for success in any job.
Working with others is inevitable in most professions, so being able to thrive in a team environment is valued highly by employers. It’s important to demonstrate your ability to work effectively in a team setting when applying for jobs.
Here are some examples of effective teamwork to help guide you:
- โ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐จ ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐, ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐ก๐โ
- “๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ฎ๐๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ข๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ“
When including team projects on your CV, it’s important to provide specific details. Be sure to mention who you collaborated with and if you worked with other departments. This demonstrates your adaptability. Additionally, showcasing your ability to work with senior colleagues as part of a team can highlight your sense of responsibility.
#2. Communication
It’s hard to think of a job that doesn’t involve communication.
In fact, studies have shown thatย 86% of employees believe poor communication is the primary reason for workplace failures. That’s why it’s essential to demonstrate your excellent communication skills to potential employers.
Effective communication is more than just exchanging information; it’s about making sure your ideas and thoughts are understood, and you understand the emotions and intentions behind what others say. By becoming an effective communicator, you can avoid misunderstandings and prevent frustration in the workplace.ย
Here are some examples of incorporating communication skills on your resume:
- Counselled a small group of colleagues on performance, resulting in a 20% increase in productivity.
- Delivered monthly presentations to the senior management team to report progress
#3. Problem-Solving
Unfortunately, sometimes things donโt go to plan in the workplace and employers need to know that you are capable of identifying the problem and creating quick and effective solutions. Problem-solving skills allow you to resolve issues that may cost your employer time and money.ย
When it comes to showcasing your problem-solving skills on your CV, there are several approaches you can take. One effective way is to provide examples of how you developed your skills. Here are a few ways to highlight your problem-solving abilities:
- Mention them within your employment history section – By providing specific examples of how you applied your skills in a professional setting, you can give potential employers a better understanding of your capabilities. For example, โI identified inefficiencies on the website, decreasing website bounce rate by a significant amountโ
- Include examples from your educational experience – This can show a greater development of your skills as you’ve been practising them since your education.
- List skills that represent your problem-solving ability – This is an alternative to just writing โProblem-Solvingโ in your skills section. Instead, include the related skill that helps you efficiently solve problems. Here are some examples of what you could put: Logical analysis, Creative mind, Thoughtful Planningโฆ
#4. Leadership
Having leadership skills means having the strength and ability to oversee processes, motivate team members, and guide employees towards achieving targets. Employers value these traits even in non-managerial positions.
There are many types of leadership skills you can include on your resume. Here are a few common ones:ย
- Organisational skills – Being able to handle multiple projects simultaneously is a common task for many leaders. Therefore, possessing good organisational skills can greatly assist in accomplishing these tasks efficiently.
- Delegation – The ability to delegate tasks efficiently is undoubtedly one of the most important skills that a leader should possess. This skill involves a wide range of activities, including planning, scheduling, organising projects, and many other tasks that are essential for successful leadership. Without proper delegation, it can be challenging to meet the demands of the workplace and achieve the desired results. Therefore, it is crucial to master this skill and apply it to your daily work routine to enhance your leadership capabilities.
Hard Skills
Job-specific skills are referred to as hard skills. They can be acquired through various means, such as formal education, certification programs, job experience, and training materials. While many people believe that hard skills are the most crucial factor in the hiring process, a LinkedIn study reveals thatย 57% of leaders prioritise soft skills over hard skills.
#1. Computer Skills
In this modern era, where technology has taken over almost every aspect of our lives, having basic computer skills is of utmost importance. The demand for such skills has skyrocketed as many businesses have shifted their operations to the online platform. It has become important for employees to possess these skills to keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape and contribute to the growth of their organisations.
There are endless amounts of different computer skills you could add to your CV for example:
- Software skills (Programming/Coding, Graphics & Design, Database management)
- Hardware skills (Maintenance, Network configuration)
- Basic Computer skills (MS Office, Spreadsheets, Email)
#2. Project Management Skillsย
Having project management skills is crucial for effectively planning, managing, and executing projects. These skills involve a combination of both hard and soft skills, allowing one to manage resources, analyse performance, lead teams, and report progress.
Some examples of project management skills include:
- Data analysis – a crucial skill for project management, enabling you to analyse resources, budget, schedule and ROI.
- Time Management – To be a successful project manager you must have the ability to manage your own time and ensure target dates are achieved as well as, manage others’ time.
- Effective communication – Being able to convey information and ideas clearly in ways others can understand is a huge key to project management. This includes both verbal communication and written.
#3. Language Skills
The ability to speak multiple languages can greatly enhance your resume and increase your chances of securing certain job opportunities. You never know when this skill may come in handy, as some roles require basic language knowledge. It is crucial to include your proficiency level when listing your language skills.
Here are some languages that are highly in demand:
- Frenchย
- Spanishย
- Germanย
- Arabicย
- Chineseย
#4. Analytical Skills
Data analysis is becoming more and more valued in the workplace as many organisations begin to analyse their competitors and progress in depth, identifying room for improvement. Now we are in the digital era almost all companies have a website to maintain which makes data analysis even more important!ย
Here are common skills related to the analysis of data:
- Data collection
- Summarising & categorisingย
- Reportingย
- Web analytics
Did you know,ย a key skill section with 15-20 words can help a job seeker’s chances of getting an interview? No one wants to read a huge endless list of skills. This is why you must conduct enough research to know what skills the employer is after and what keywords they have included, in order to catch their eye.
We at AvA-V understand how stressful job hunting can be at times. This is why we want to support job hunters as much as we can and secure you that big career opportunity. Just by including a skill section, you will already have a better CV than 10% of candidates, as a study indicates thatย only 89.81% of resumes have a skills section!
Now that your CVโs one step greater, why not take a look at some more AvA-V blogs and make it even BETTERโฆ Discoverย how to make your CV stand out from the crowd.