Given the importance of customer service and the employability skills it builds, emphasize these skills on your resume to catch employers’ attention. Skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork and interpersonal relations are as crucial as technical abilities. Companies value strong employability skills, even if you lack some technical qualifications.
Let’s look at how you can apply employability skills in a resume and interviews.
Accentuating Employability Skills on Your Resume
Tailor your resume by matching keywords from different job postings to improve chances with AI scans and the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), making it more likely to attract hiring managers.
Your “Employability Skills” should be the first part of your resume and is dedicated to your employability and technical skills. These items should be in a listed format, and you should provide examples for these skills in your “Professional Work Experience” section.
Make sure to use specific examples to illustrate how your skills are being used. Quantify achievements, when possible, to demonstrate how you’ve made a positive impact. For example, “Improved team productivity by 20% through effective project management.” Utilize the S.T.A.R method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide clear examples of how you’ve applied the skills in past roles.
Here are examples of resume formats for different careers that you can use.
Accentuating Employability Skills in an Interview
Now, you’ve scheduled an interview. To stand out as the best applicant, highlight employability skills that show you will fit well with the company culture and contribute to its success, alongside your technical skills. Analyze the job description to highlight key skills like ‘collaborative’, ‘innovative’ or ‘leadership.’ Research the company’s culture and values to align your skills with what they prioritize.
For example, can you not only use Microsoft Office expertly but also present your work clearly? And while you’re skilled with Canva, can you effectively communicate with customers to understand their vision?
Prepare specific past experiences where relevant skills are demonstrated—the S.T.A.R method is beneficial for this as well.
Demonstrating Employability Skills During the Interview
During the interview, avoid jargon and keep your answers simple and understandable while speaking clearly and confidently. Remember, most hiring managers will understand you may be nervous–they will not fault you for taking a moment to collect your thoughts and decide what you’re going to say. Use active listening to engage with the interviewer and respond thoughtfully. Reflect their questions in your answers or restate them. For example:
Interviewer: “What would you say is your biggest weakness?”
Possible Response: “I would say my biggest weakness is my ability to delegate tasks. I tend to take on too much myself to ensure quality, but I’m learning to trust my coworkers more. To improve these skills, I try to delegate three tasks per shift.”
What Not to Say: “People skills. I really don’t like people.”
Prepare to discuss challenges you’ve faced and how you resolved them. Focus on your thought process, decision-making and the impact of your solutions while highlighting your critical thinking skills.
Share examples of your teamwork, including your role, contributions and how you handled conflicts. This will highlight your interpersonal skills and ability to build positive relationships. Highlight your versatility and eagerness to learn by discussing how you’ve adapted to new challenges, learned quickly and handled evolving responsibilities. Show openness to feedback and continuous improvement. Show enthusiasm by asking insightful questions about the role and company, like ‘What projects would I be involved in?’ or ‘How is the communication throughout the layers of the company?’
Here are some more examples of good questions to ask during an interview.
Align your questions with the job description and avoid repeating answered queries. If you need clarification, restate their points, like ‘You mentioned working as a shadow to the VP of Sales– can you detail the day-to-day duties?’
Lastly, be sure that the company is a good fit for you too. Evaluate the team dynamics and work environment before accepting an offer. Remember, you don’t have to accept an offer if it doesn’t feel right.
In conclusion to the series, Earn Up emphasizes that employability skills—like communication, problem-solving and teamwork—are as vital as technical skills for career advancement. They show how well you apply technical expertise in real-world situations, handle workplace dynamics, lead projects and drive innovation, making you a more valuable asset.
Earn Up holds the resources that you can utilize to make sure you are completely prepared for the career pathway you decide to take, such as a resume builder, financial aid resource, training programs tool, cover letter and resume writing resource and more.
