The Best Soft Skills to Highlight on Your Resume

Soft skills – interpersonal or people skills – convey your ability to work with others, handle adverse situations, and develop innovative solutions. Refining these skills makes you more valuable to employers. 

Here are the best soft skills to highlight on your resume and tips on how and where to describe them.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are welcome in every industry. Employers value your ability to present information effectively. If you speak, listen carefully, and write eloquently, you’ll likely be a top candidate for most roles. 

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Communication skills should be described in these sections:

• Summary / Objective statement
• Work Experience
• Skills Section

In your summary statement, you can write, “Great communicator with strong verbal and written skills.”

In your work experience, explain situations where you led meetings, crafted reports, recorded important information, or conveyed ideas for your co-workers, managers, or clients. 

Teamwork

Your collaborative attitude will take you a long way. You'll be valuable to most employers if you’re good at working with others towards common goals.   

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Mention your teamwork mentality in these sections:

• Work Experience
• Skills Section

If you were part of a team project, in your job description, write about your contributions to the group and how it helped with the final result.

Problem-Solving Skills 

Your problem-solving skills set you apart from the crowd. If you can think about issues that spring up in the workplace critically, you can develop innovative solutions. This will impress employers and give you an advantage.  

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Problem-solving skills should be highlighted in these sections:

• Work Experience
• Skills Section

In your work experience section, describe times when you handled adverse situations in your role and had to create innovative solutions to remedy them.

Adaptability

Your adaptability measures how productive you’ll be in changing environments in the workplace. Learning new technologies, policies, products, and services will make you valuable to many employers.  

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Explain your adaptability in these sections:

• Summary Statement
• Work Experience

In your summary statement, you can write, “Adaptable (professional role) with proven experience to succeed in dynamic environments. 

In your work experience section, describe how your adaptability has helped you progress in a new role.  

Leadership

Your leadership qualities are invaluable in any workplace setting. Taking initiative and guiding your co-workers to complete projects will benefit the team, even if you’re not managerial. 

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Emphasize your leadership experience in these sections:

• Work Experience
• Skills Section

In your work experience section, describe any time you had to organize and delegate your co-workers.

Time-Management

Employers are looking for workers who can complete tasks in a timely manner. You'll be a great candidate for most roles if you can meet deadlines and effectively manage your work. 

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Describe your time-management skills in these sections:

• Work Experience

In your work experience section, please explain how you’ve managed multiple projects and finished them within a reasonable time frame.

Work Ethic

Your work ethic shows the commitment you have to your role. If you show punctuality, professionalism, and dependability in your daily work, you’ll be seen as a top performer who can be trusted for more responsibility and more lucrative roles. 

How to Put This Skill on Your Resume:

Describe your work ethic in these sections:

• Summary Statement
• Work Experience

In your summary Statement, you can write “Professional (Job Title) with a strong work ethic known to be punctual and reliable.”

In your work experience, emphasize anything that conveys how dependable you were in your role. Highlight your attendance, your ability to thoroughly complete tasks, or your will to go the extra mile to get the best results. 

Tips for Showcasing Soft Skills

Use Examples Specific to the Job Description: Use concrete examples from your experience. For example, describe how you used your soft skills in that environment if you were a marketer. This will validate your claims and give employers a clear picture of your abilities. 

Balance with Technical Skills: Even out your resume with solid descriptions of both your technical (hard) and interpersonal (soft) skills. Employers value well-rounded employees capable of performing on all levels.  

Be Honest: When you write your resume, only explain the soft skills that you genuinely possess. Remember that you still have to go through the interview process and show your abilities in the workplace.