Skills section in a CV / Resume - Examples of skills

It is worth knowing that most skills which are key on the job market belong to three categories.

The categories are the following:

1. Universal skills, which are useful in any job regardless of a bussiness type;
2. Specialist skills, i.e. connected strictly with specificity of a given job;
3. Soft skills, i.e. not connected with professional experience, but with personality.

How to translate it into a CV language? Let’s analyze each of the categories above.

1. Universal skills

Below are some of the skills that belong to this category:

1. Computer literacy Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine a job where it is not required.
2. Ability to manage a team It requires talents and knowledge that are industry independent.
3. Communication skills What is meant here is extracting the essence and conveying it in a clear and precise manner, e.g. in the form of presentation or report.
4. Resistance to stress Not every job requires work under pressure but if you can handle it, such ability to manage time and work will be useful anywhere.

„They are often the most difficult for candidates to catalog and list, mainly because they seem obvious to us and we do not think that they may be important to our potential employer. In fact, however, due to their universality they may predispose us to hold many job positions.”
– says Joseph D. Novak, international job vacancies website expert.

2. Specialist skills

If you apply for a job position in the same industry that you are currently working in, these skills need to be highlighted more. It is because specialist skills stand for qualifications that are strictly connected with a given profession, e.g. programming (in IT), keeping accounting records (in accounting) or extending electrical installations (in architecture).

If you apply for a job in a related industry, you need to consider how to present these skills. Some of them, even though they sound specialist, may have a universal value. After all, the ability to do a specific thing may show the overall capacity. Some of these skills, however, may be totally useless to an employer.

3. Soft skills

„These skills should be included both in a cv and in a cover letter. What is meant by soft skills is a list of traits that reflect your personality. Thus, it is worth considering carefully what makes you a good employee.”
– advises an employment expert.

Among the most frequently mentioned are the following:

1. Teamwork skills Obviously, not everyone is a team game fan, but for the employee it is a crucial thing that their team gets along.
2. Loyalty. If you worked for a few years for a company that had its ups and downs, it is worth highlighting it in a CV.
3. Optimism For some people a glass is always half-full. A sought-after trait in employees.
4. Creativity Sought-after regardless of industry.
5. Ability to adjust to new situations Sometimes it is useful to be flexible. People who are able to cope with a change can also help the others do the same.