Tailoring your resume but don’t know what soft key skills to add? You’re not the only one who gets indecisive about this.

As Forbes puts it, after COVID-19, listing sharp and competitive soft key skills are now essential to secure most jobs in the workforce, so it’s important to know which ones to include.

Of course, you don’t need to use all the soft skills that we’ve listed below, but add the ones that apply to you and the roles you’re interested in. This will vary for different jobs and industries but will give you an idea of what you can use to strengthen this area on your CV.

So, remember:

Don’t:

❌ Think that your resumes skills section is useless; instead use it to your advantage

Do:

✅ Include competitive key skills in a layout that’s easy to read and skim

Sharp and competitive soft skills:

1. Emotional intelligence 

Emotional intelligence is a highly sought-after key skill that some hiring managers are beginning to look for when reading CVs—in other words this skill could add value to your resume. They might want to see that a potential employee can manage their own emotions as well as other’s emotions in their team, especially if they’re hiring for a management or senior position.

People with this skill are able to handle pressure and stress, stay focused, and, most importantly, build strong working relationships, which has become a valuable skill in the workplace.

2.     Adaptability

If there’s anything we can rely on, it’s change. It’s inevitable, so having adaptability as one of the key skills on your resume might see you at the top of the pile as adapting to change is a skill that people can lack. And in 2023 it’s important, so this skill could make your CV stand out from others.

An employer could think that if you work well with change, you’ll be willing to embrace the new, continuously look to make further improvements to their business, and seamlessly adapt to the future of their company.

3.     Collaboration

Collaboration is another important key skill to highlight to potential employers. In a world where many employees work from home and have different days in the office, collaboration is an absolute must-have skill in 2023.

Employers like to see collaboration skills on your resume, as those who are co-operative can easily communicate in any workplace setting, i.e., remote, or office-based and with all types of people.

4.     Creativity

With AI emerging, this might collectively hinder our creativity. But companies need human creativity—a bot will only get you so far, but a brain will continue to develop creative solutions tailored to specific companies.

Employers may benefit from hiring professionals with creative skills to gain different perspectives and original ideas to better their business.

It also shows an employer that you can solve problems in the office with a creative approach, so it’s worth adding to your CV if you have this ability.

5.     Self-motivation

With so much flexibility allowed in the workplace, there’s a great need for employees to be self-disciplined.

Self-motivation is an important skill to show that you’re an independent worker. This indicates you can 1. get your work done without being repeatedly asked, 2. be trusted to work outside the office, and 3. meet deadlines.

Remember: For the skills you pick, mention a time or moment you successfully displayed these throughout your career.

Have a question for us? If you’re a job seeker on the lookout for your next role, a hiring manager looking to fill a position, or want to know more about this topic, contact us at Humanised Group! We’re here to help you succeed.