What do you do if your work experience doesn’t necessarily speak to the skills you have as a job candidate? Perhaps putting together a skills-based resume is right for you.
You may have had a lot of different experiences that seem random when put together on a piece of paper. Or perhaps you just graduated and didn’t have the time for a relevant internship. Whatever the case may be, sometimes it’s better to highlight the skills you have to offer, as opposed to the positions you’ve held.
Forbes recently featured an article from the Daily Muse on the skills-based resume. Here are some tips on how to make yours effective.
1. Pick key skills you want to highlight. Because your skills are the meat of your resume, you have to choose them wisely. You want to highlight skills from all parts of your life that are applicable to the job you are applying to. Just like the typical resume (reverse chronological order style) you should tailor your resume to the position you want. Some good skills to include: communication, management and leadership skills.
2. Include a brief work history. Yes, a skills-based resume focuses on your skills, but you should always include a brief work history. How brief depends on how much experience you’ve had. Be sure to include company information and remember that experience can include unpaid or volunteer positions.
3. Add some extras. It’s never a bad idea to have your education on your resume, regardless of when you went to school. Alumni connections can sometimes get you far- or at least give you something to talk about. You could also add testimonials from professional references, add links to articles published or list any professional development programs you participated in.
The skills-based resume is not for everyone but it could be perfect for you. Always keep in mind basic resume rules: be concise, keep it to one page and maintain a professional tone throughout. Check out some sample skills-based resumes here and here.
Have you used a skills-based resume before?
