Resume Skills From Outside the Job
When resume writing, you need to think ‘outside the job.’ We all obtain skills and abilities from job experience and education. We get skills from outside the work environment and those can be as valuable to employers. Many of these were not learned from work experience and are just as valuable.
For instance:
* Strong negotiating skills obtained from experience of bringing rival gangs together to work side by side for completion of a city beautification project
That is a testament to negotiating skills. Can you imagine any business negotiating that would be tougher than that?
How about this resume writing example:
* Resourceful and quick ability to prioritize tasks proven by choosing targets based on level of threat while under fire as a soldier in the Iraq war.
This one sentence makes me want to hire this person.
Here is another:
* Perform well under pressure and have responsive decision making skills demonstrated by administering CPR to unconscious swimmer pulled from the ocean. (She was revived.)
This would be another great person to have around.
OK so maybe you haven’t been to war or saved anyone’s life. Skills and abilities can be developed or demonstrated in everyday situations also.
Examples:
* Management and leadership required to supervise church group of twenty seven middle school students on two five hour bus rides and entire weekend retreat including six hour raft trip. (Everyone survived.)
* Patience and empathy established during volunteer work with developmentally disabled children.
* Proven management and organizational talent developed by running a family household of five for a pilot husband for eleven years.
* Motivational skills expanded as the Captain of college soccer team with a 36-6 record.
When resume writing you can include relevant statements from unconventional situations to show additional skills you possess to shore up areas where you are weak in job experience. Employers appreciate employees with strong skills and look for those in candidates. The fact that you obtained and exhibit desirable and relevant employee attributes in circumstances outside the job shows you are a learner and responsible.
See the resume skills checklist.
Copyright 2009 Phil Baker
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