If you've identified your best skills, then it's time to add them to your resume. Instead of listing your skills in a box on the right margin, make sure to work them in, according to the context of your experience.
Here are a few ways to add your skills to your resume—without having to add a lifeless list of skills that just hangs out in some free real estate on the side of your resume.
1. Always Start at the Job Description
You might not want to hear it, but it's true. It's always best to tailor your resume to the job you're applying to. This doesn't mean rewriting your resume every time you apply for a new job.
Lucky for you, most job ads provide a look into the talents and top skills you should be prioritizing in your resume.
Refer to the job description for a cheat sheet of the types of skills they're looking for in job applicants. Highlight those keywords and infuse them into your resume.
Pro Tip: Apply for the job. Don't let a laundry list of skills and qualifications deter you from applying to a job that could be the right fit. According to this article from ZipRecruiter, apply to the job when you meet 40 percent of the qualifications.
Aside from impressing the human who reads your resume, this will also get some robot attention. That's correct, by echoing some of the keywords listed in the job description, you are also allowing your resume to be positively flagged by applicant tracking systems.
This is especially advantageous when applying to a position at a larger company—and thus, competing with many applicants!
Pro Tip: When a keyword is mentioned several times in the job ad, make sure you're prioritizing it within your resume—and include examples of real-life experience.
2. Insert Key Skills Within Your Experience Section
When listing previous experience, consider adding your relevant skills within your work experience section. This is a great way to lend life to your skills—without having to add a resume skills section.
For example, if you were a Customer Success Agent at a software company, you might list it like this:
Customer Service Agent, [COMPANY] July 2018 - August 2021
Communication: Provided valuable insights to our B2B customers from initial onboarding and onward. Created multiple check-in points to guide customers through the first year.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Created a customer onboarding document that pre-navigated common problems, pro tips, and step-by-step instructions on how to use the software for best results.
3. Make a "Living List" of Skills
Unlike a bulleted skills section of your resume that is detached from everything else, try a living list of skills.
A living list of skills provides a line of context that relates to your work experience, tech skills, or achievements.
If you have the room in your resume, list your best skills with an accompanying line that describes the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Here's an example of how they differ.
Basic List:
Design
Teamwork
Critical Thinking
Living List:
Design: Led re-design of the company website, from wireframing to live launch.
Teamwork + Critical Thinking: Created an interdepartmental task team between Marketing and Design to share skills and create dynamic content.
This expansion of the skills list shows a recruiter or a hiring manager the why or the how in addition to the what. Whenever you can use real-life examples to fill in the blanks on a resume, do it.
It shows how resourceful you are (which, incidentally, is one of our favorite soft skills).
4. Introduce Your Skills in a Resume Summary or Resume Headline
There are fierce debates on what to include and what to leave out of a resume. Here at Career Contessa, we love anything that can serve as a shortcut while providing context—especially regarding your resume.
Here's the deal. You have one page (or one and a half pages) to communicate your qualifications, experience, and proficiency. At best, this is going to take a little editing to pull off without leaving huge gaps about who you are as an employee.
That is exactly why we love a resume headline, a resume objective, or a resume summary. It's like a sneak preview of what's to come. Consider including some of your key skills in the headline or summary, which often appears at the top of your resume, just underneath your name and contact information.
Pro Tip:
Choose anywhere from one skill to three skills to highlight. According to best practices, a resume headline should be 15 words or less, so don't shove every keyword in there. Be thoughtful.
Show your value, clarity, and your unique selling point.
Value: What’s in it for them?
Clarity: What are they getting?
Intrigue and unique selling point: What makes you different, or what makes you stand out?
Here are a few examples of resume headlines that show and tell what skills a recruiter can expect from you:
Digital Marketer Who Prioritizes Listening to Solve Impossible Problems
Empathy-Driven, Multi-Lingual Concierge With Experience in 5* Resorts
Dedicated Teacher Who Prioritizes a Communication-First Outlook on Learning
Seasoned Project Manager With Signature Organization Techniques to Increase ROI
Looking for some resume templates to get started? Get started on your resume right now.
You might not want to hear it, but it's true. It's always best to tailor your resume to the job you're applying to. This doesn't mean rewriting your resume every time you apply for a new job.
Lucky for you, most job ads provide a look into the talents and top skills you should be prioritizing in your resume.
Refer to the job description for a cheat sheet of the types of skills they're looking for in job applicants. Highlight those keywords and infuse them into your resume.
Pro Tip: Apply for the job. Don't let a laundry list of skills and qualifications deter you from applying to a job that could be the right fit. According to this article from ZipRecruiter, apply to the job when you meet 40 percent of the qualifications.
Aside from impressing the human who reads your resume, this will also get some robot attention. That's correct, by echoing some of the keywords listed in the job description, you are also allowing your resume to be positively flagged by applicant tracking systems.
This is especially advantageous when applying to a position at a larger company—and thus, competing with many applicants!
Pro Tip: When a keyword is mentioned several times in the job ad, make sure you're prioritizing it within your resume—and include examples of real-life experience.
2. Insert Key Skills Within Your Experience Section
When listing previous experience, consider adding your relevant skills within your work experience section. This is a great way to lend life to your skills—without having to add a resume skills section.
For example, if you were a Customer Success Agent at a software company, you might list it like this:
Customer Service Agent, [COMPANY] July 2018 - August 2021
Communication: Provided valuable insights to our B2B customers from initial onboarding and onward. Created multiple check-in points to guide customers through the first year.
Proactive Problem-Solving: Created a customer onboarding document that pre-navigated common problems, pro tips, and step-by-step instructions on how to use the software for best results.
3. Make a "Living List" of Skills
Unlike a bulleted skills section of your resume that is detached from everything else, try a living list of skills.
A living list of skills provides a line of context that relates to your work experience, tech skills, or achievements.
If you have the room in your resume, list your best skills with an accompanying line that describes the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Here's an example of how they differ.
Basic List:
Design
Teamwork
Critical Thinking
Living List:
Design: Led re-design of the company website, from wireframing to live launch.
Teamwork + Critical Thinking: Created an interdepartmental task team between Marketing and Design to share skills and create dynamic content.
This expansion of the skills list shows a recruiter or a hiring manager the why or the how in addition to the what. Whenever you can use real-life examples to fill in the blanks on a resume, do it.
It shows how resourceful you are (which, incidentally, is one of our favorite soft skills).
4. Introduce Your Skills in a Resume Summary or Resume Headline
There are fierce debates on what to include and what to leave out of a resume. Here at Career Contessa, we love anything that can serve as a shortcut while providing context—especially regarding your resume.
Here's the deal. You have one page (or one and a half pages) to communicate your qualifications, experience, and proficiency. At best, this is going to take a little editing to pull off without leaving huge gaps about who you are as an employee.
That is exactly why we love a resume headline, a resume objective, or a resume summary. It's like a sneak preview of what's to come. Consider including some of your key skills in the headline or summary, which often appears at the top of your resume, just underneath your name and contact information.
Pro Tip:
Choose anywhere from one skill to three skills to highlight. According to best practices, a resume headline should be 15 words or less, so don't shove every keyword in there. Be thoughtful.
Show your value, clarity, and your unique selling point.
Value: What’s in it for them?
Clarity: What are they getting?
Intrigue and unique selling point: What makes you different, or what makes you stand out?
Here are a few examples of resume headlines that show and tell what skills a recruiter can expect from you:
Digital Marketer Who Prioritizes Listening to Solve Impossible Problems
Empathy-Driven, Multi-Lingual Concierge With Experience in 5* Resorts
Dedicated Teacher Who Prioritizes a Communication-First Outlook on Learning
Seasoned Project Manager With Signature Organization Techniques to Increase ROI
Looking for some resume templates to get started? Get started on your resume right now.
