The Top 7 Soft Skills To Include On Your Resume

In the ever-changing job market, it’s common to underestimate the value of your experiences, assuming they may not align perfectly with your dream job. However, your array of skills, even those you consider unrelated, can be the key to unlocking your dream career and setting you apart from the crowd. 

When looking for a new role, we often tend to focus solely on hard skills when writing our resumes and job applications. According to a study by LinkedIn 92% of talent professionals hold a different belief – they consider soft skills to be equally, if not more, crucial than hard skills. These qualities, like effective communication, leadership, adaptability, and time management, can set you apart from the competition and transform you into an invaluable asset to any business. 

To help you highlight your soft skills and provide strategies to showcase them in your next interview, we’ve curated a list of the top soft skills to add to your resume.  

Adaptability 

Including adaptability on your resume is a stand-out skill that is often forgotten on resumes. Having the ability to swiftly respond to unforeseen challenges and changing circumstances is invaluable. By showcasing your adaptability, you signal to potential employers that you possess the agility and resilience to excel in environments where rapid adjustments are the norm. 

Being adaptable not only positions you as a versatile candidate but also signifies your openness to embracing change. Employers often seek people who can wholeheartedly embrace change, rather than clinging to outdated methods and perspectives. 

Positivity 

Incorporating your ability to obtain a positive outlook on your resume holds considerable significance for multiple reasons. In the face of adversity, your resilience and positivity can be an asset, especially for businesses that value company culture. Demonstrating an inclination to find the silver lining in challenging situations portrays you as someone capable of maintaining composure and problem-solving attributes highly regarded by employers. 

Colleagues and employers are naturally drawn to individuals who exude optimism, creating a more collaborative and pleasant working environment. Fostering stronger professional relationships can contribute to a more productive and harmonious workplace. 

If a positive attitude is a skill of yours, highlighting your ability to remain positive on your resume reflects not only your professional aptitude but also your commitment to enhancing both your well-being and your work environment. 

A growth mindset 

While navigating uncertain situations can be a daunting challenge for many, a growth mindset offers a powerful perspective by presenting ambiguity as a gateway to learning and development. For example, when confronted with a task that demands a skillset you’ve yet to master, a growth mindset serves as the driving force, fuelling your enthusiasm to acquire and refine these new abilities. 

What sets a growth mindset apart is its willingness to embrace feedback and unwavering commitment to overcoming obstacles. By consistently learning from criticism and persevering through challenges, you not only signify your dedication to personal and professional growth but is also a quality greatly valued by employers. 

Time management 

Incorporating your time management skills into your resume is important for several reasons. It provides tangible evidence of your ability to excel in a fast-paced workplace with competing deadlines, a quality highly valued by employers.

It also signifies your commitment to productivity and organisation, demonstrating your capacity to plan, prioritise, and execute tasks effectively, resulting in on-time or early project completion. Featuring your time management skills on your resume conveys your readiness to be a reliable and valuable asset in any professional setting, setting you apart from other candidates and highlighting your dedication to contributing to your future employer’s success. 

Communication 

Highlighting your effective communication skills on your resume is essential for several reasons. It demonstrates a fundamental skill highly sought by employers in various industries, enhancing teamwork, client interactions, and overall workplace efficiency. 

Your ability to communicate effectively allows you to stand out from other jobseekers, showcasing your capacity to engage with colleagues, managers, and external stakeholders. This is particularly relevant for roles requiring collaboration, leadership, or client-facing responsibilities. Mentioning these skills on your resume also conveys professionalism and attention to detail, qualities that employers highly value. 

Leadership  

Adding any leadership skills to your resume is another great way to stand out. It showcases your ability to take charge, manage tasks effectively, and handle delegation with consideration. It also highlights your conflict resolution and team management skills, which are valuable for maintaining a harmonious work environment. Featuring leadership on your resume positions you as a candidate for senior roles and career progression, making you more appealing to employers seeking effective team leaders. 

Teamwork 

The ability to excel in a team setting is essential, particularly in the workplace where large-scale projects are common. Collaborating effectively with colleagues, managers, and clients to achieve shared objectives contributes to both efficiency and a positive team experience. Smooth cooperation is highly valued, as a difficult-to-work-with individual can disrupt progress and collaboration.   

Teamwork also fosters strong interpersonal connections, resulting in enhanced work processes and overall synergy. When working as a team, you can more effectively tackle challenges with the support of your peers. Being comfortable in a group setting enables team members to capitalise on each other’s strengths, enhancing task efficiency and overall productivity. 

With a newfound appreciation for the significance of soft skills in the eyes of employers, it’s an opportune moment to enhance your professional profile. Consider refining your resume and elevating your interview responses to effectively highlight your top soft skills. After all, your future career prospects should not be compromised by underestimating the power of these invaluable attributes. Seize this chance to stand out and secure the role you aspire to, armed with the full spectrum of your skills, both hard and soft. 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our team for a chat on how to best position yourself in your job search application.