6 Skills employers want to see on your Resume

There’s never been a better time to find a new career opportunity! As the supply of open jobs continues to far outpace demand, companies are making it loud and clear that they’re eager to onboard new talent in 2022. This means that along with more options, job seekers may also have more leverage at the negotiation table. 

Even with these advantages, it’s important that you don’t take a laid-back approach during your job search! Many job seekers in today’s market are known for their talent and skill level, so how do you make yourself stand out? 

To get your resume noticed, ace an interview, and land a job, you’ll want to ensure you’re showing that you possess the top skills employers look for. To prove you’re the right candidate for the role, you’ll want to demonstrate the following skills: 

Problem-solving + critical thinking

Since challenges can arise at any time, an employer will want to gain an understanding of your problem-solving and critical thinking skills. To do this on your resume, go beyond simply listing these skills. Instead, go into more detail with your experiences by documenting problems you’ve solved, things you’ve learned, and the results you’ve produced. In an interview, be ready for open-ended questions about how you’ve solved problems or handled conflicts in the workplace.  

Understanding of common tech 

It’s hard to find a position that doesn’t require some degree of digital literacy in today’s tech-driven age. While this will depend on your industry, here are a few of the top skills employers look for in new hires: 

• Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint, Excel 
• Social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter 

• Web and coding: HTML, JavaScript, CMS 

Remote work skills

Job requirements are shifting to support remote work. As a result, proficiency in various collaboration tools is among the top skills employers are looking for today. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Communication + collaboration tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Google Drive 
• Video meeting software: Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting 

• Project management tools: Asana, Trello, Monday 

Adaptability

Adaptability is a critical skill. It means you are flexible, open to change, and able to adjust to changing factors or environments. Adaptable employees are highly valued by employers for a variety of reasons: 

• They keep them competitive 
• They’re fast learners 

• They’re strong decision-makers 
• They’re resourceful 

While adaptable employees have always been in high demand, the pandemic has only heightened their importance. Bringing about unpredictable challenges to every business, a company’s ability to adapt became critical to its survival. As a result, employers will look out for close signs you are adaptable throughout the hiring process. 

Communication skills

In today’s work environment, communication is crucial for any job. This is especially true when in-person interactions are limited, or you are working at different times or from different locations than your colleagues. As a result, employers closely assess the communication skills of new hires. Do you communicate clearly via email? Are you an active listener? Do you practice positive body language? These are all questions they’ll be asking themselves throughout the interview process. 

Technical skills from the job description

When applying for a job, it’s also important to show you possess many of the technical skills relevant to the job. To do this, your first step would be to ensure your resume is optimized appropriately with keywords from the job description and that you are able to explain how you used these skills in past roles. This can help your resume show up in searches via various applicant tracking systems and job boards. Once you make it to the interview stages, you’ll want to expand on why your skills and experience make you the right fit for the role. 

Larry Dolinko is the CEO of Tandym Group, a leading recruitment, contract staffing, and workforce solutions firm. Larry leverages his experience in client management, relationship building, negotiation, and sales to oversee strategic growth for the firm, including business development and employee engagement.