Skills Not to Put on Your Resume

Skills Not to Put on Your ResumeSkills Not to Put on Your ResumeWhat skills should you - and shouldnt you - include on your resume? When yourewriting or updatingyour resume, include the skills you have that show why youre qualified for the jobs youre seeking. You can include your top skills in a separateSkills section and work them into thejob descriptionsyou write for the positions youve held. You can also incorporate them into your resumes summary statement, if you have one. Including relevant skills helps to strengthen your resume. However, some skills dont belong on your resume, and including them could actually hurt your chances of getting chosen for an interview. When adding skills to your resume, be selective and specific. Hiring managers want to know why youre a strong candidate for the job, not everything youve been qualified to do for your whole working life. They also dont want to know about all the things you can do which have nothing to do with the job for which youre ap plying. The person who screens your resume cares about the value you can offer the company, and that means being agood fit for the job requirementsthe company lists in its help-wanted ad. Skills to Keep Off Your Resume Skills You Dont HaveThis may seem obvious, but many people fluff up their skills or put skills on their resume that they dont have. ACareerBuilder survey reports that mora than three-quarters of Human Resources managers (75 percent) have caught alie on a resume. Some of those lies include exaggerating or embellishing the qualifications the applicant has for a job. If you dont have any of the skills the employer is seeking,reconsider applyingfor the job. Dont fabricate skills or experience just to get hired. It will come back to haunt you in the long run. Imagine the awkwardness and embarrassment of getting grilled about yourqualifications during a job interview, and not being able to respond because you dont actually know enough to give a solid answer to the quest ion. Even if youre a quick learner, you may not have a good grasp of what you need to know if, by some chance, you do get the job. If an employer hires you and finds out you cant do the work, you could get fired. Obsolete SkillsIf you are, or were, a pro at working with outdated software or technology such as MS-DOS, Lotus 1-2-3, or Vista, for example, dont put it on your resume. If you know how to backup files onto a floppy disk, keep that skill to yourself. Manytechnologies have become obsolete, and knowing how to use them isnt an asset other than in rare circumstances.In fact, it might make your knowledge seem very outdated, and the employer might think youre a tech dinosaur. If you have been out of the workforce for a while, take the time to ensure you have current skills listed on your resume that employers demand and value. Skills That Arent Relevant to the JobA CareerBuilder survey reported on some of the most cringe-worthy resume gaffes. One of them was listing the skill tak ing long walks. While long walks help you stay in shape and unclutter your mind, unless youre applying for a job that involves hiking or outdoor fitness, this does not belong on your resume. Leave off any skills you have that are not related in any way to the job. If you are applying to a number of very different jobs, consider creating a unique resume for each job type. This will help you avoid including skills that are not relevant to a position. General and Overused Skill WordsLinkedIn publishes an annuallist of buzzwords that people overuse in their profiles. Some of these words dont belong on your resume either. Before you use them, consider if theres another, more specific term that would better describe your abilities. Heres a sample of some words on LinkedIns list of overutilized words SpecializeExperiencedSkilledLeadershipPassionateExpertMotivatedCreativeStrategicFocused Be careful not only with the skills you list but also with how you word those skills and weave them into your listed experience. This list of30 words that will make or break your resumecan spark some ideas. Skills That Everyone Should Have AlreadySome of the overused buzzwords listed above are skills or traits that employers alreadyexpect job applicants to haveas a minimum requirement. Employers expect that youll be focused, have some experience (unless youre applying for an entry-level position), and will do an excellent job if they hire you. You dont need to spell out these basic assumptions on your resume for the employer. On a similar note, dont list things like Microsoft Word, email, or web searching. Employers have an expectation that everyone knows the basics required for almost every office job in todays workplace. Revise Your Resume to Highlight Your Skills While there are skills you should avoid putting on your resume, there are a number of skills you should include. Before you submit your resume to apply for a job, take the time to review and refresh your resume so that its going to give you the best opportunity to get the interview. In particular, tailor the skill words you include to match the requirements of the job. Take the Time to Decode the Job AdHow can you tell what the employer wants in a perfect applicant for the job? You can pick up a lot from the job posting, and it would help to also invest some time researching the job and the company itself to learn more details. Hereswhat to look for when youre reviewing the job ad, including how to evaluate the job title, qualifications, requirements, responsibilities, and required experience. Make a MatchNow that youve learned what the employer wants,match your qualifications to the job. Make a list of the skills in the job posting in one column. List the skills and experience you have that make you a contender for the job in the second column. In your resume, include the skills that are the closest match to what the employer is seeking. The skill words you include will act as keywords to help y our resume get selected by theATS (applicant tracking system) the employer uses to screen applications. If youre a match for the position, your qualifications andskill setshow the hiring manager that youre a viable candidate for the role. Be SpecificDont list general skills,especially if youre applying for a tech role. For example, avoid saying you have computer skills, and instead include the programming languages, hardware, software, apps, and other skills you possess that qualify you for the job. If you have certifications, be specific when you list those. For example, list QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, AWS Certification, SQL, iOS, or Java. You can also categorize your skills into subcategories to be more specific. For example, if you might have a subsection that lists the languages you speak, and another subsection that lists your specific computer skills. Of course, only include subsections of skills that are relevant to the job. Tailor Your Resume to the JobJob postings may seem similar, but every employer has a different set of requirements. Even when the job looks the same, each employer may be seeking something different. Its important to tailor your resume to showcase your qualifications for specific jobs. Take a few minutes totweak your resume, so it matches the position youre after.