10 key career skills employers look for

Knowing the skills employers look for when they are reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates is essential to helping you craft a winning job application. No matter what industry you'd like to work in, there are key soft skills that employers value. Why? Because they show your ability to work with other people, adapt to new situations and be an asset to the team.

So, what skills are employers looking for? If you're looking to improve your job prospects or move up the ladder in your current role, keep reading to find out the key skills employers look for.

• Top 10 key career skills to list in your CV
• How to include key skills in your CV
• To Sum Up

Top 10 key career skills to list in your CV

In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to make sure your CV stands out from the rest. One of the best ways to do so is to highlight the key skills employers look for, from communication to organisational skills. Below we list the 10 most important skills:

• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Time management
• Leadership
• Interpersonal skills
• Teamwork
• Organisational skills
• Creativity
• Adaptability
• Perseverance

Let's take a closer look at these skills!

Communication skills

The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most important skills you can list on your CV. Whether you are writing a cover letter, creating a presentation or communicating with customers, strong communication skills will help you to get your point across clearly and convincingly. 

There are many ways to develop strong communication skills, including taking courses, attending workshops and practising active listening. In an interview, be sure to give specific examples of times when you have effectively communicated with others. For instance, you might discuss a time when you had to resolve a conflict or deliver a collaborative project.

Problem-solving skills

Employers often look for candidates with problem-solving skills as they want to know that you can find practical solutions to challenges. When faced with a problem, employers will want to see that you have the ability to assess the situation, identify potential solutions and then take action. 

To improve your problem-solving skills, practise brainstorming and take on challenging projects at work. In an interview, find an example to illustrate how you effectively solved a problem.

Time management

Being able to manage your time effectively is another important skill. Time management involves being able to prioritise tasks, and plan and meet deadlines. Good time management abilities can help you to boost productivity levels and avoid issues. If you want to improve your time management skills, there are many helpful resources available online, including articles, tips and tools. 

To impress your recruiters, be prepared to discuss a time when you had to manage your time effectively, such as delivering a complex project or when you had something urgent to get done.

Leadership

Leadership skills are important for many roles, especially management positions. If you can inspire and motivate others, provide direction and guidance, and delegate tasks effectively, highlight these skills in your CV. 

If you want to develop your leadership skills, consider taking on more responsibility at work or taking on a leadership role in a volunteer organisation. When interviewing for a position, be prepared to discuss times when you have successfully led others.

Interpersonal skills

Strong interpersonal skills enable you to interact effectively with others. This includes being able to communicate clearly, listen attentively and build relationships. If you have strong interpersonal skills, you will be able to build rapport with others, collaborate, resolve conflicts and create a positive work environment. 

There are many ways to develop strong interpersonal skills, including taking courses and attending workshops. When interviewing for a job, be sure to give examples of times when you have used your interpersonal skills to achieve success — for example, you could discuss a time when you had to resolve a conflict or build relationships with new clients.

Teamwork

If you can collaborate with others, provide support and contribute to a team's success, employers will be keen to have you on board. When interviewing for a job, be sure to highlight times when you have effectively worked as part of a team. You might want to discuss a time when you had to lead a team project or contribute to a team's success. If you want to improve your teamwork skills, consider joining a club or taking on a project that requires you to work with others.

Organisational skills

When employers are looking for candidates, they often seek out those with strong organisational skills. This includes the ability to prioritise tasks, stay on track and meet deadlines. If you want to impress your potential employer, be sure to illustrate how you have used this skill in the past. You could discuss a time when you had to manage a complex project or meet a tight deadline. To improve your organisational skills, there are many helpful resources available online, including articles, tips and tools.

Creativity

Employers are increasingly looking for candidates with creativity as they seek out innovative thinkers who can help them to improve their businesses. If you can come up with new ideas, solve problems in unique ways and think outside the box, be sure to highlight this in your CV. To help you develop your creativity, work on brainstorming new product ideas or coming up with creative solutions to customer complaints.

Adaptability

Adaptability is a soft skill that is highly valuable in the workplace. We live in a fast-changing world, and what is valid today might not be tomorrow. Adaptable people can adjust to new circumstances, coworkers and stakeholders, which is essential for a project to run smoothly. 

To improve adaptability, learn how to work with different people/audiences and keep up to date with new trends and technologies.

Perseverance

Perseverance is the ability to continue working towards a goal even when faced with setbacks. This is an important quality for employers as it shows that you are determined, resilient and can handle difficult situations. To highlight your perseverance, reflect on a time when you had to overcome a challenge at work or persevered through a difficult task. To develop this skill, there are many helpful resources available online, including articles and tips. It's also useful to set yourself small goals and work towards them even when you face setbacks.

These are just some of the skills that employers look for in candidates. If you want to stand out from the crowd, be sure to focus on developing these. Of course, there are many other skills that employers value, so it's also important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in your industry. 10 secondary skills that are commonly sought after include:

• Research skills
• Analytical skills
• Customer service
• Flexibility
• Attention to detail
• Critical thinking
• Self-motivation
• Initiative
• Project management skills
• Emotional intelligence

How to include key skills in your CV

Now that we have identified the key skills employers look for, it's important to think about how to include them in your CV. Here are some tips:

• Identify the skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for: Focusing on the skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for will help employers to see how you can add value to their business. You can write a key skills section at the beginning of your CV or include them throughout the content.
• Provide evidence: You can provide evidence of how you've used a skill by discussing specific projects you have worked on, giving examples of times when you achieved success or outlining the training and development you have undertaken. For example, if you are including customer service as a key skill, make sure you highlight any customer service roles or note that a job included customer-facing duties on your CV. Or, highlight the training courses you have completed that have helped you to develop your customer service skills.
• Include a range of skills: It's important to include a range of skills in your CV, including both hard and soft skills. This will help to show employers that you are a well-rounded individual with a range of useful skills. For example, you might explain that you have great leadership skills (soft skill) combined with digital software experience (hard skill).

For more tips on how to include skills employers look for in CVs, take a look at our guide on how to write a CV.

To sum up

In today's competitive job market, it's more important than ever to make sure your CV stands out from the crowd. One way to do this is to focus on developing the key skills that employers value most. Soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving, are essential career skills for most roles.

To help you develop the skills that employers are looking for, there are many resources available online, including articles, tips and courses. Once you have developed these career skills, it's important to include them in your CV so that employers can see how you can add value to their business.

What's next? Learn the best way to prepare for an interview to get your dream job!