Are you looking for ways to craft an eye-catching skills-based resume but don’t know where to start? Not too worry, creating a skills-based resume is not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, it only requires a few simple steps that help you organize and highlight your unique abilities and skills. Below, we’ve outlined five steps that help you get started with your skills-based resume.
1. Understand the Difference Between a Skills-Based and Traditional Resume
Before embarking on the journey of writing your skills-based resume, it’s important to understand the distinguishing factors that set it apart from a traditional or chronological resume. A skills-based resume, sometimes referred to as a functional resume, focuses on highlighting one’s skills and experience, rather than their work history. While a traditional resume focuses on showcasing your work history in a reverse-chronological order, a skills-based resume puts the emphasis on your applicable skills and doesn’t necessarily include a chronological listing of your prior experience.
Which Type Of Resume Works Best?
Whether you choose a skills-based or traditional resume to apply for a job will depend on both your experience in the field and what the job position requires. Generally, if you have a specific set of skills or haven’t worked in a relevant field before, a skills-based resume works best. On the other hand, a traditional resume may be more suitable if you have a demonstrated work history that proves you have the experience needed for the job.
Why Write a Skills-Based Resume?
When trying to find your way into a new field or when you don’t have a lot of experience to make the job application process easier, a skills-based resume allows you to create a document that emphasizes your experience, rather than your work history.
2. Identify Your Relevant Skills and Qualifications
Now that you have a better understanding of skills-based resumes, you can start to identify your hard and soft skills that became relevant to the job you’re applying for. Writing down a list of both transferable and technical skills from prior job positions, internships, and similar experiences that are applicable to the job you’re pursuing.
What Are Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills that you’ve developed throughout different job positions or applicable extracurricular activities that could be useful in a variety of job positions or industries. Examples of transferable skills include problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and time management.
What Are Technical Skills?
Technical skills are competencies and specific abilities related to the multitasking of technological platforms and software. Examples of technical skills include coding, software development, website design, graphical design and data analysis.
3. Create an Outline
After identifying your relevant skills and qualifications, create an outline that segregates your skills and qualifications according to their relevance and significance in the job you’re pursuing. This outline will then form the basis for the structure of your resume.
How To Sort Relevant Skills?
You can begin the outline by separating your skills into a few categories, such as technical and transferable skills. Then, within each of these categories, create a couple of subsections that further highlight the different types of skills relevant to the job. For example, under technical skills, you could create subsections such as coding, website design and statistical analysis.
Other Areas to Focus On
When creating the outline of your resume, make sure to also include any awards or recognitions you’ve acquired, additional certifications or educational achievements, and other areas of your professional experience that may be relevant to the job.
4. Write Your Resume
With your outline complete, it’s time to draft your skills-based resume. Start by using catchy headlines and phrases that are eye-catching and uncluttered. Be sure to use words and phrases that are applicable to the job you’re applying to.
How To Include Contact Information
When writing your resume, include all required contact information, such as your name, address, phone and email address, at the top of the document. You can also add your portfolio links, social media profiles and personal website links at the top of the resume.
Optimize Skill Descriptions
When describing your skills, use powerful words and phrases, such as “achieved, created, managed, and organized” to make a lasting impression on the recruiter and showcase the impact of your work.
5. Get Feedback
Once you’ve completed your skills-based resume, ask a family member, friend or a professional to review it and provide feedback. They can help you make sure you haven’t overlooked any important information and can also provide you with an outside perspective about your work.
Where Do I Find Feedback?
You can ask your network of family, friends and colleagues or post online on various professional networks to receive feedback. You can also contact professional resources, such as job coaches and resume writing services, to help you with your resume.
Final Words
Creating a skills-based resume is an invaluable investment in your professional career. It’s an opportunity to highlight your unique abilities and experience in a way that helps you get noticed by potential employers. With the right approach, writing a skills-based resume can help you make your job application stand out from the rest.
People Also Ask:
What’s a skills-based resume?
A skills-based resume is a resume format that puts the emphasis on your applicable skills and experience rather than your work history. It’s sometimes referred to as a functional resume.
What type of resume works best?
Whether you choose a skills-based or traditional resume to apply for a job will depend on both your experience in the field and what the job position requires. Generally, if you have a specific set of skills or haven’t worked in a relevant field before, a skills-based resume works best.
Should I include contact information on my resume?
Yes, it’s important to include all required contact information such as your name, address, phone and email address at the top of the resume. You can also add your portfolio links, social media profiles and personal website links at the top of the document.
How do I get feedback on my resume?
You can ask your network of family, friends and colleagues or post online on various professional networks to receive feedback. You can also contact professional resources, such as job coaches and resume writing services, to help you with your resume.