Resume Skills to Show You are a Team Player
Most candidates possess team skills and know these should be a part of their resume skills. Few people accurately assess themselves or express their skills in the best light on their resumes.
Many employers state they would like a team player in their ads and job descriptions. Most all employers want employees that work well with others. Few positions are solo or have no involvement with other people. Most businesses are teams; good or bad.
So when an employer requires or request a team player, what are they really saying?
At the very least they want an employee who:
• has a good attitude
• feels right or fits in to the employer’s work environment
• contributes to the company
• supports others
• follows instructions
• will see the big picture of the company’s goals and project purposes without becoming a liability – often by not getting along with others, gossiping, spreading negativity, being selfish, or other undesirable activity that causes disruption in the workplace
These are the minimum requirements.
The Employer’s Wish List for Team Skills
The minimum is not good enough when you are fighting for a job. Employers dream of the exceptional employee, so to get an interview, submit an exceptional resume. There are exceptional team skills employers love to see.
These are employees who:
• make personal sacrifices
• are givers – not solely concerned with what they are getting out of everything
• have learned to apply their other skills to make team contributions
• can navigate conflict without negative emotional reactions
• can see the big picture
Your resume must say more than “work well with others” or “great team player.”
Your resume needs to make statements that show you possess exceptional team skills and exhibit accomplishments that prove your statements.
Team Skills Pyramid
To create an exceptional resume you will need to show you have applied your other desirable skills to make team contributions.
The term “team skills’ is broad. Many other skill categories support and demonstrate team skills.
Most other job skills can show you are a team player when stated correctly:
Communication Skills – Teams need members who can state their ideas and questions clearly, listen well, and debate and resolve issues without being confrontational.
Analytical – Knowing how to digest and examine information and situations can be very important to a group.
Problem Solving – If you can solve problems and an employer is requesting a “team player,” make sure you include resume statements that show instances of problem solving.
Creative – The ability to come up with new ideas and suggestions is valuable to a team. When creative skills should be coupled with communication skills whenever possible.
Organizational – Staying organized is vital for interacting with other team members and meeting deadlines. When a team member holds up other team members, they can become remorseful and harbor animosity.
Positive Attitude – This might be the most powerful and important attribute for many people. A positive attitude can be infectious and motivate others.
Clerical- If your position on a team is clerical, your interaction with and support of team members can demonstrate your team skills.
Here are examples of tasks you might show on your resume to demonstrate team play:
- Defined common goals for projects
- Created an outline or list of tasks required
- Assigned tasks to others
- Developed a time line for project
- Followed up with others on the status of their contributions
- Scheduled and informed others of meetings
- Communicated issues
- Created shared file folders or project boards
- Created and maintained archive for communications.
- Sent reminders of approaching deadlines
- Sent confirmation of completed tasks to other team members
- Reported regularly to project leader
For resume statements describe:
- how you participated on a team
- your contribution to a team
- how you met deadlines
- how you resolved a conflict successfully
- an instance of how you supported another team member
- how you helped build a team
- how you made personal sacrifices willingly
Characteristics for good team players:
- hard work
- persistence
- sacrifice
- influence
- persuasiveness
- sharing
- commitment
- initiative
- goal oriented
Resume Example Statements for Team Skills
Created centralized communications through project board and prioritized tasks for team members.
Defined responsibility expectations for each team member.
Listened to the issues of fellow team members and provided lists of possible options to avoid conflicts and expedite work.
Encouraged team members by setting an example of persistence, after several experiments failed to produce results.
Increased team productivity by mediating conflict team members.
Kept projects on track in harmonious environment by validating and addressing all team member concerns.
Volunteer to lend a hand on kitchen team serving at homeless shelters once a week.
Loyal team player demonstrated by seven year disease awareness project for the WHO.
Managed team accommodations and received two promotions by being attuned to the needs of team mates.
Willing to make personal sacrifices to reach project goals proven by volunteering for seven reconnaissance missions.
Also see the Resume Dictionary power words for team skills.
Team Skills List of Resume Words
adapt
add
advise
aid
assist
attune
available
bring
centralize
collaborate
communicate
conduct
confer
contribute
coordinate
dedicated
develop
diverse
eliminate
encourage
expectations
expedite
harmonize
increase
incur
influence
inspire
listen
loyal
motivate
persist
persuade
provide
prioritize
resolve
sacrifice
significant
stimulate
support
thrive
train
validate
Copyright 2009 Resume Dictionary
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