Suresh was feeling confident about his interview. He prepared his answers to important interview questions he could think of. He did his research to learn about the organization, its mission and people. What he didn’t do, however, was update his resume to include his technical skills.
So, when he was asked what he brings to the organization apart from his experience, he was at a loss for words.
Technical skills aren’t just what you learn on the job. They include skills and competencies you develop with practice. These are specializations that set you apart in a pool of candidates.
Read on to learn more about examples of technical skills for resume writing and why it’s important to add these.
Technical Skills For Resume Writing
Let’s define technical skills. Technical skills help you do your job well.
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If you’re a programmer, your technical skills include coding, wireframing or machine learning
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If you’re a writer, your technical skills include writing, editing and proofreading
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If you’re a manager, your technical skills include project management
These are specialized sets of skills that assist you in performing job-specific tasks. When you’re applying to an organization, you will find a list of technical skills for resume in their job description. Focus on what you know already, what you can teach yourself and what you can learn on the job. This will give you an idea of what you can add to your resume.
Some of the basic technical skills for resume are:
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Quantitative/Qualitative Research
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Computing
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Programming
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Design & Development
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Coding
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Project Planning
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Organization
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Task Management
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Content Management Systems
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Digital Media
These will vary according to your industry and job role. Some technical skills for resume building like email writing are common for every applicant as these are highly relevant in a professional setting.
Which Technical Skills Should You Put On Your Resume?
Say you’re good at both automation and video creation. You’re passionate about coding but what you really want to do is video and YouTube. So, can you consider both these technical skills for resume writing? The answer is no.
Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding which technical skills to put on resume:
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Which Industry Are You Applying To?
The first thing to consider is your industry. It may be education, agriculture, pharmaceutical, automotive, publishing or advertising. (www.biolighttechnologies.com) Where you want to work will determine your technical skills for resume. For instance, if you want to work in the pharmaceutical industry, you might need a background in science and medicine. You have to mention technical skills that are relevant to this particular industry.
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What Does The Organization Value?
Another factor to consider is what the organization values or expects in a suitable candidate. If they need someone who has excellent knowledge of accounting software, for instance, you can highlight that on your resume. Pick the skills that help you build a strong case for yourself. Write about them, mention where you’ve used them and what you achieved as a result.
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What Is The Scope Of Work?
Of course, the kind of work you can expect will also impact the technical skills to put on resume. This will also figure out just how well you know your stuff. Read the job description thoroughly to pick out keywords around skill requirements.
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Can You Learn On The Job?
There may be some technical skills you’re not completely confident about. You can use this opportunity to express your eagerness to learn on the job. You can add them to your resume with a key to indicate your proficiency level.
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Is There Room For Improvement?
If you’ve identified some skills that need work, you can first learn and build knowledge. The organization may need someone who’s good at creating social media posts. If you’re interested in design, push yourself to learn, practice and create a portfolio.
Basic technical skills for resume writing offer endless possibilities for you to show them what you’ve got. Find where your strengths lie and then present them in a compelling manner on your resume.
Harappa’s Writing Proficiently course will teach you just how to structure your thoughts and express them appropriately. For a resume, the key elements are brevity and clarity. Learn more about these concepts with the GRT (Goal-Recipient-Tone) framework. Write succinctly and get your point across the first time. Not only will it help you land the job of your dreams but also perform like a star employee!
Explore topics such as Key Skills For Resume, Job Application Format, What Are Action Words & the Difference Between CV And Resume from Harappa Diaries and present them in a compelling manner on your resume.