It’s often tempting to remove certain sections from your CV, what with the one-page limit that so often acts as the tiresome constraint that it is. According to my prolific and research-oriented forays into the internet’s winding bowels, the skills section on a CV ranks at the top of a jobseeker’s kill list. OK, maybe not, but that’s what my gut tells me
I mean, it kind of makes sense. What’s the point of a skills section when you literally have the rest of the CV right there explicitly stating the things, you’re good at? Granted, while this is a valid question, it is missing the full picture – which we shall be exploring together as, for the remainder of this article, we will delve into the nitty-gritty details of decorating your CV with your skillset.
So… what’s the point?
In short, to save time. True, anyone can easily figure out what you’re good at just by going through your achievements, qualifications, etc. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? No one has the time to engage in mental gymnastics when there’s an alternative that saves more time and takes less effort… which is none other than, you guessed it, listing your skillset. Soft and hard skills included.
The real reason the skills section exists, though, is that CVs don’t often get thorough reviews the first time. 6 seconds is the time hiring managers typically spend on the first “review,” so it makes sense to be repetitive; as a rule of thumb, anyone reviewing your skills section should have a solid, if briefly gleaned, understanding of what you’re capable of.
Also, keep in mind that applicant tracking systems (ATS) are a reality that your CV must face during the screening process. One way an ATS marks a resume as “relevant” is keyword scanning. Adding a skills section can conveniently serve as extra fodder for keyword-hungry ungulates.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, what’s the hiring manager looking for?
Remember how I mentioned in a certain article that our brains often scramble to fill in the gaps when we don’t know something? Yeah, me neither. Point is, we’re always averse to uncertainty, and we’re always looking for answers. For example, if you wondered what’s for breakfast today (and I’m almost certain you did), then you just made my point. See? Always looking for answers.
But I digress. What I’m trying to say is, hiring managers are always trying to assemble a story about your professional history. Just picture it, as their eyes flit to and fro across your CV, trying to figure out what you’re all about. They always do anyway, provided you’ve already captured their attention. So, it’d fall on you to help them do that. How? By listing skills that parallel what they find in the other sections. Redundancy, remember?
“Can I include ‘pan-flipping’ in the skills section?”
Unless you’re applying for a chef position, the answer is no. Tempting, but still no. On a more serious note, your skills section should mainly comprise hard skills, e.g., programming languages, business or design software proficiency, cooking skills, subject-matter skills, etc. Think of anything that can be taught, defined, and/or measured.
Also keep in mind that while keywords are important, including every little skill you have in your toolbelt should be a nuanced process. By way of example, let’s say you have a skill that is relevant but hasn’t particularly been part and parcel of your responsibilities thus far. You wouldn’t include that skill in the experience section, but you should include it in the skills section – the only place they can be featured in your CV.
A word of caution: By definition, any skill that is present in your CV means that you’re confident in your abilities that pertain to that particular skill. If you’re standing on shaky ground with any particular one, you might as well leave it out and spend some time honing it until it earns its rightful place within the skills section.
What if you don’t want to include a skill?
Simple! Don’t. Seriously. If you don’t feel like flaunting your capabilities in a certain area because you’ve grown tired of them (or for any reason whatsoever), then you have my permission not to. Of course, I’d suggest otherwise if said skill were to improve your odds, but if it’s irrelevant to the job in question, then feel free to keep it a secret between you and your past employers. Another thing: If you absolutely must mention you have a particular skill (to describe a previous role, for example), do it, but don’t bring it up again in the skills section. Oh, and anything sorely obvious can be discarded – yes, I’m looking at you, people who put “Microsoft Word” in their CV. (This applies only if the job description happens to not specifically list that skill.)
What about stuff like leadership and teamwork… you know, all the important stuff?
Short answer: Put them in stories. And I don’t mean writing out a literal narrative with a beginning, middle and end – just rewrite all those bullet points and replace them with one-liner stories. So, yes, they’re still bullet points, but they’re interesting bullet points. See that?
Here’s an example to showcase a candidate’s research skills:
Stay tuned for part two!
Alas, I’m afraid I must adjourn this piece until the publishing of our next blog post. You know, duty calls, and I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you with a mega-article on how to write the skills section in your CV. I think I’ve got you covered for the next few days… so with that, I’d reread this article and start applying what I’ve learned right away!
Want more tips on how to structure your CV? Check out our blog posts right here!
