Should You Include These Five Skills on Your Resume?

Wondering if your resume is sending the right message to employers? Take a long, hard look at your skills section — chances are you're including skills that employers just don't find necessary to mention. The last thing you want is for a potential employer to question your ability to do a great job, so consider removing the following five skills from your resume.

Knowledge of Microsoft Office

In this day and age, Microsoft Office Suite is considered basic technical knowledge that every job candidate should already possess. No matter the industry, you need to be able to create a Word document, put together a spreadsheet or chart in Excel, and use Outlook for email and calendar functions, so listing MS Office as one of your skills is a major waste of space that doesn't give you an advantage. Instead, mention your knowledge of more industry-specific software programs, such as SalesForce, PhotoShop or Quickbooks, as these types of programs are often listed in job descriptions.

Clerical Work

Don't bother mentioning administrative work on your resume. Filing documents, operating a printer and answering phones are skills that employers assume everyone has, even if you're fresh out of school. If these skills make up the bulk of your resume, the employer might assume you don't have much else to offer. Unless you are especially well-versed in specific, highly technical functions, leave them off your resume.

Document Preparation

Document preparation is a vague and overused term on resumes. Putting together a cohesive document is a skill that most people learn in junior high school. By the time you're in the job market, you should be able to collect information and present it in a professional manner, so there's no need to include this as a separate skill on your resume.

Online Research

Most hiring managers expect every job candidate to be adept at using the internet to find information. If you have experience with a research firm where you played a specific and meaningful role, this is the type of research experience that is relevant to potential employers. However, if your idea of online research includes using Google, Bing or Yahoo as a first step, refrain from listing it on your resume.

Typing

For some professions, employers desire candidates who can type a minimum number of words per minute. However, unless the job description specifically mentions typing speed as a prerequisite, it's best to leave it off your resume. Nearly everything is done on a computer, tablet or smartphone these days, so being able to type with some speed and accuracy is a skill that employers assume you already possess.

Remember, hiring managers only devote a few moments to looking over your resume and deciding whether you are a fit. Don't waste precious space on mundane skills that don't impress. Only include the most relevant and compelling content that demonstrates your proficiency and potential.

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