On average recruiters only spend 6 seconds looking at your CV. The skills section of your CV is your chance to make a recruiter stop and shout EUREKA this person is perfect!
So what are the best ways to showcase your skills and land the job that you really want?
Let’s start with what skills are most important :
- 67% of recruiters in ALL industries say that communication is the most important skill
- 77% of employees desire leadership and teamwork among new grads. Technical skills are desired by 67%
- 1 in 3 skills listed in the description of a job are basic skills like verbal communication or Microsoft Office.
- 1 in 4 skills are basic skills even in highly technical jobs.
The Top 5 Universally Desired Skills Include :
- Communication ( Verbal & Written)
- Leadership
- Planning & Strategic Thinking
- Analytical Thinking & Research
- Teamwork or Collaborative Work
Now that you know what are the most important and desired skills, let’s show you how to put your skills on your CV
- Make your skills relevant to the job offer – Read the job offer. Underline the skills required by an employer. Match those skills to those you find listed in the job description. Check similar offers also.
- Research people who already have the job you want – Check out skills and accomplishments of professionals who already have the job you want, if you have those skills add them to your job section.
- Add the universal skills that all employers want – just to make sure you have everything, take a look at the list above. Do you have any of them? If so include them in your skills section.
- Numbers will make you stand out from the crowd – Add numbers and details to draw the eye of the recruiter instead of “proficient at sales conversions” write “able to convert 45% of leads into sales”
