In modern business, it’s widely accepted that accessing the right technical skills is paramount for driving a competitive advantage in the job market, but this is not the only factor that employers consider when recruiting new talent. Interpersonal skills on your resume, or soft skills, are just as important—if not more—in distinguishing yourself as a candidate and equipping you to lead conversations, collaborate with others, and succeed in the social dynamism of the workplace.
By demonstrating your capacity for interpersonal skills on your resume, you can show your future employer that you’re not only capable of performing a role but thriving in their particular work environment. In this blog, we’ll be examining ten interpersonal skills for your resume that can help boost your chances of securing your next position.
What Interpersonal Skills On Your Resume Do You Need?
Communication Skills
Why They Matter
Good communication is essential in virtually all jobs. You’ll need to be able to speak and write clearly to deal with colleagues, customers, and managers. When scouring for interpersonal skills on your resume, employers will be looking for applicants who can communicate well.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Mention instances where you successfully delivered presentations, led meetings, or wrote reports.
Bullet points listing your experience in client communications, teamwork, or cross-departmental coordination.
Teamwork and Collaboration
Why They Matter
Whether it’s in a factory, on a production line, or an office, working well with others is crucial for interpersonal skills on your resume. Good teamwork is about more than simply doing your job while others do theirs and then coming together to achieve a shared goal. It’s about valuing and respecting the contributions of others. It’s about using the strengths of those around you to produce the best possible outcome.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Choose terms such as ‘worked with’, ‘collaborated with’, ‘worked alongside’ or ‘worked with a team’ when describing your jobs.
Provide examples of successful projects that required teamwork or cross-functional collaboration.
Emotional Intelligence
Why They Matter
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to identify, understand, and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others. People with high EI tend to be better leaders, cooperate more effectively in groups, and resolve conflict more successfully. Among interpersonal skills on your resume, this is so valuable in the workplace that some companies give a hefty bonus to any of my consultants who score in the top 10 percent on a standard EI test.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Mention your experience in managing teams, resolving conflicts, or leading with empathy.
Include any training or certifications related to emotional intelligence or soft skills development.
Problem-Solving Skills
Why They Matter
All jobs come with their own set of challenges, and employers cherish candidates who can think clearly and solve problems. Interpersonal skills on your resume will come down to this one thing, problem-solving. Problem-solving skills show that you can be resourceful and able to reason through a problem by looking at it differently and finding the best solution possible, even under pressure.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Provide specific examples of how you identified and solved problems in your previous roles.
Use action verbs like “resolved,” “improved,” or “streamlined” to describe your contributions.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Why They Matter
The ability to adapt and be flexible and open to change is very relevant given the dynamics of contemporary work environments where employers want to know that you can adapt to changing priorities, learn new skills fast, and deal with unexpected changes in your workload. Flexibility and adaptability are among the top interpersonal skills on your resume.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Note that you overcame change; you learned a new piece of software, took on a new role, or worked in a dynamic environment.
Use terms like “adaptable,” “flexible,” or “quick learner” in your skills section.
Leadership Skills
Why They Matter
Leadership isn’t about getting followers to do what you want; it’s about getting them to want to do what you want. So, whether you’re an HR manager or a junior clerk, showcasing your leadership skills can demonstrate to potential employers that you have what it takes to lead teams, make things happen, and direct projects to their successful completion.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Cite instances where you led a project, coached a colleague, or performed a leadership function, even if you weren’t a manager. Leadership is among the best interpersonal skills on your resume to highlight.
Phrases such as ‘led a team’, ‘mentored junior staff’, or ‘oversaw project execution’ will help show you’re a leader.
Conflict Resolution
Why They Matter
Conflict is natural in any workplace, but how you handle conflict will make all the difference. Good conflict-resolution skills will show that you can handle disagreements, mediate disputes, and keep your team happy.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Give me an example of when you had to intervene and deal with a disagreement between team members or had to resolve a dispute with a client.
Use action verbs like “negotiated,” “mediated,” or “resolved” to describe your experience.
Time Management
Why They Matter
Time management skills are also about prioritizing, controlling workloads, and exploiting opportunities for maximum productivity. Employers will be looking for candidates who can handle time effectively in order to meet deadlines and efficiently multitask without compromising on the quality of their work.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Mention specific instances where you effectively managed multiple projects or met tight deadlines.
Conjugate these verbs with phrases such as ‘used time well’, ‘managed time effectively’, ‘worked hard to prioritize tasks’, ‘responsible for managing a team’, or ‘reached all targets’ when composing job descriptions.
Networking Skills
Why They Matter
Networking is about more than just meeting people. It’s about forming and sustaining relationships that can help you with support, advice, and career advancement opportunities. So, having good networking skills is important to building a professional network and creating new business opportunities.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Include experiences where you successfully built relationships with clients, partners, or industry professionals.
For example, say, ‘I cultivated relationships’, ‘I built a network’, or ‘I established connections’ with respect to your networking skills.
Empathy and Compassion
Why They Matter
Empathy and compassion can also enhance the quality of your relationships. They can help you create a positive and supportive work environment. If you’re in a role where you interact with customers, work on a team with colleagues, or you’re a leader, empathy and compassion can help you understand and meet the needs of others.
How to Highlight on Your Resume
Talk about roles where empathy and compassion are needed, such as customer service, healthcare, or mentoring.
Express it through statements such as ‘demonstrated empathy’, ‘provided compassionate support’, or ‘devoted to customer satisfaction’.
Conclusion
Including strong interpersonal skills on your resume sets you apart from other candidates because you demonstrate that you’re not only technically qualified for a job but that you’ll also be a good fit with their work culture. Whether you’re highlighting your communication skills, your leadership abilities, your problem-solving skills, or other people-related skills, they’re necessary to succeed in any job. Employers see your interpersonal skills on your resume to prove that you’ll fit in with the people of an organization and make their workplaces a positive, productive work environment.
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