What are some good skills I can list on a resume?

A foreign language.

ah, don’t have one.

OK – start learning one and then mention you are learning it in your spare time.

haha, on it.

“Microsoft Office Proficient” means nothing. I bet you can’t create Access databases then create reports from it.

Can you create spreadsheets with Excel or just enter data in a spreadsheet someone else created?

The worse thing you can do is get hired under the assumption that you can do certain things with software applications, when, in fact, you cannot.

Actually I have taken classes on access database management, and I am proficient in excel. It means I’m competent

Not necessarily a skill, but you can always list any applicable trade associations/membership you belong to. For example, a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

Good Luck
R

thanks Rob

@Random, no. It means you’ve taken classes on Access database management. How long ago? Have you ever actually been paid to use Access? I’m talking from experience. When it comes to Office Applications, Human Resource departments don’t even understand them enough to ask the applicant the right questions. I am sent SO MANY applicants that can only enter data in Excel while HR tells me “the applicant knows Excel”.

and what makes you think I won’t be able to use access and excel proficiently in the workplace? It all seems rather easy to me. I’m still in school.

If you’re looking for generalizations, you could use these types of terms: self-motivated, organized, able to prioritize, leadership qualities, communications skills, team building skills, able to work independently, drive, enthusiasm.

If they’re not you and just fill an employer will see right through it. Better to ask people who really know you and work with you what they think your most admirable traits are. I to do a photo shoot once when I was dreaming of being an actress. The photographer asked me to have several people describe me in 5 words or less. I was to ask friends, family, co workers and total strangers. From that he was able to determine the best roles for me. My avtar is the “Sweet housewife next door” pic. Wait until Haloween when I replace it with the sereal killer pic he did!
The point is, asking people who can see you, how you are percieved, will be the best way to get believable words that best describe your atributes.

I was really just looking for generalizations that I can easily apply to myself. I’m not just putting up random stuff that doesn’t apply to me.

Do you have examples of you applying these skills anywhere? Anyone can say they have teamwork skills, but then only a select amount can back that up with things like how it is shown through playing in the local football team or something. As for leadership, where from? On the school council (or whatever you have over there) or running a small group or whatever. There’s no point in having these points if you can’t back it up, and for goodness sake don’t lie in the first place, it’ll just complicate things in the future. I’ve had to write a personal statement recently to get into university, it’s different on a number of levels but it does have it’s similarities. I’ve told the truth, I’ve backed it up, I’ve explained why I want to do what I want to do, I’ve got a history behind it all. Sure this may only be a first job or the like (you said you were still in school, just a presumption), but don’t flunk it all by lying, it’s just not worth it.

Oh, generalisations are no good, they’re general, anyone can apply them to themselves. Find something individual and different, but don’t go out there finding it just for the sake of this resume, there’s not much point changing a lifestyle just to get somewhere, even at this level. I had thought about it when applying to uni, changing things I did just to have a somewhat truthful, yet falsified front to my life for my personal statement. I decided against it and decided there’s no point living a lie when I enjoy what I do now.

haha of course I have examples, I wouldn’t put them on there if I didn’t. I’ve had management positions where I led teams, built teams, helped develope strategies for selling techniques and things like that.

I’m not lying on this resume. I’m just trying to get a good list of skills I have and am capable of. I was just trying to brainstorm a bit to maybe catch a few that I can include that I didn’t already have listed.

Bottom line, I wouldn’t ever lie on a resume and give an employer false ideas for what I’m capable of.

I’m not going to try and find skills that are individual to myself…that would be just dumb…sure I have rock climbing skills, or I’m good at playing video games in my free time. I have all sorts of skills, but I’m trying to tailor it to a sales job. So giving a short list of general skills needed for a position like this can be helpful to give them, if in fact I do have those skills.

Okay fair enough, I was just giving you what I thought, but you do need to include individual tidbits of information. It shows that you are an individual person, different, not just a lemon. Anyone could pull the general tricks out of the hat. Sure the general, more suited skills are worth mentioning, indeed do so, but don’t limit yourself. But I’m sure you know this already ;)

on my resume I have listed 4 categories…

Profile: what I want to get from this resume
Experience: where I’ve worked and what my duties were in each job
Education: where I have studied, and so on
and Other Skills: Skills I put to use that I may not have mentioned in any of the duties in the jobs I’ve worked in the past…

I have a strict rule to not exceed one page for a resume…and I feel that all 4 of the previous employers I’ve listed give me a good edge for the job I’m applying.

Any suggestions as to what I should put in there for “tidbits” ? that maybe I could squeeze into the Other Skills section? What other info should I list?

Nunchuck skills…
Bow hunting skills…
Computer hacking skills….
Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.

Anyway—I imagine saying that you’re organized, motivated, ambitious, and that you’ve been known to inspire confidence and organization in others would help you with a sales job.

The duties during your work experience will probably be of more value than the skills you list, though. In every job interview I’ve ever had, I’ve spent the entire time running down my experiences, without ever touching on the skills themselves. They’ll ask me about the skills once I have the job, but it hasn’t ever come into the equation for me.

Remember that the job of your resume is to get you an interview, not the job itself. Keep things simple, clean, and concise. The focus of your resume should be in the places that you think are strongest. If your experiences look most impressive, then spend more time on those. If you don’t have a ton of experience, then focus more on the education and skills. If all goes accordingly, you’ll have an opportunity to expand on everything you wrote face to face.

It depends on the job you’re applying for.
I listed wood shop skills.
I’m guessing that’s not always relevant.

Sense of urgency, ability to motivate others, self-motivated, self-starter, follow projects from concept to end (or see things through to completion)

I’ll help more when I’ve had my morning coffee. after sleeping, that is

Select at least 3 or 4 skills that are most applicable to you:
* communication – ability to communicate orally, in writing, or via electronic means, in a manner appropriate to the audience;
* teamwork – being a constructive team member, contributing practically to the success of the team;
* leadership – being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the lead;
* initiative – ability to see opportunities and to set and achieve goals;
* problem solving – thinking things through in a logical way in order to determine key issues, often also including creative thinking;
* flexibility/adaptability – ability to handle change and adapt to new situations;
* self-awareness – knowing your strengths and skills and having the confidence to put these across;
* commitment/motivation – having energy and enthusiasm in pursuing projects;
* interpersonal skills – ability to relate well to others and to establish good working relationships;
* numeracy – competence and understanding of numerical data, statistics and graphs.

List those that you mentioned as skills.

Lead teams
Build teams
Develop strategies

Then in you interview you will have no problem describing them in more detail