Highlighting key strengths on your resume

Key differences between strengths and skills

Many job seekers don’t understand the subtle differences between strengths and skills on a resume. Skills, especially technical skills, are abilities or competencies that you acquire through training and experience. Skills are typically grouped into two categories — hard skills and soft skills.

For instance, coding or using project management software are some examples of technical or hard skills. They are learned or acquired through training. 

Strengths should be listed separately. They are mostly inherent abilities, although you can sharpen them. Adaptability, resilience, and leadership are some great examples. These qualities often remain consistent throughout a person’s life and contribute to long-term career success. 

While both are essential to include in your resume and cover letter, strengths provide insight into your inherent qualities. A well-structured resume will distinguish between strengths and skills and give hiring managers a glimpse of what you bring to the table. 

Understanding strengths for a resume

In the context of a resume, strengths are qualities that set your job application apart. Your ability to work with people and your valuable personal traits are important strengths to put on a resume. Strengths matter to hiring managers because they represent your unique combination of:

• Experiences
• Personal qualities
• Skills
• Values

Unlike skills, strengths are transferable across industries and positions. Employers seek candidates who exhibit strengths such as dependability and initiative. These traits contribute to long-term organizational success.

An effective resume highlights your strengths in a way that complements your skills and experience. You want to tie all of your attributes together in a cohesive way to present yourself as a well-rounded professional. 

Not sure how to make your job application documents cohesive? Check out some resume and cover letter examples for inspiration. 

Top strengths to highlight on your resume

There’s no denying the benefits of putting strengths on your resume. But what attributes should you showcase? Employers want candidates who have the right skills. However, they also want applicants who possess personal qualities that fit the role.

Think about the position you are applying for. What are your greatest strengths, and how can they position you as a top candidate for the role you are seeking? Here are some common strengths that add value to a resume:

For instance, adaptability demonstrates your capacity to adjust to a new environment. If you say that you are adaptable and provide some real-world examples to back up your statements, the hiring manager will see that you can integrate into the existing team. Similarly, creativity signals problem-solving abilities and a knack for thinking outside the box. A strong presentation of your strengths can improve your hiring prospects. 

A well-structured resume will distinguish between strengths and skills and give hiring managers a glimpse of what you bring to the table. 

Demonstrating strengths in a resume 

Effectively demonstrating your strengths on a resume means choosing the right place to list them. You should consider your professional experience and educational background when choosing where to list your strengths. 

If you have limited work experience but a stellar educational history, showcase your strengths there. On the other hand, if you have been in the workforce for many years and have accumulated significant achievements, mention your strengths alongside some of the projects and roles you are most proud of. Here is a closer look at where and how to demonstrate strengths on a resume. 

Crafting a strong resume objective

A resume objective is a great place to provide a glimpse into your strengths. When writing your objective, you should:

1. Communicate who you are
2. Share what you aim to achieve
3. Discuss the value you bring to the position

Subtly incorporate one or two of your greatest strengths in the resume objective. Make sure to bring them up again in one of the sections outlined below. 

Demonstrating strengths in work experience

Incorporating strengths in the work experience section gives you a chance to back up your claims. Provide specific examples of how you have used a particular strength in past roles. When possible, quantify your achievements with hard data. 

For example, don’t just say you have “strong problem-solving skills.” Instead, you could say something like, “Developed a new workflow that increased efficiency by 20%.” The second example doesn’t even use the word “problem-solving.” It discusses a time that you encountered and solved a problem while also providing hard data to back up your claim. That’s what hiring managers want to see. 

Anyone can say that they are a problem-solver or creative thinker. However, the best candidates have a proven track record of success. Look back on your work history and identify times that you have used your strengths to achieve big wins. 

Showcasing strengths in the education section

The education section is another great place to highlight your strengths. Here, you will want to focus on innate qualities that contributed to your academic success and professional development. 

Suppose that you enrolled in a rigorous accelerated degree program and graduated near the top of your class. This example showcases your resilience and perseverance, both of which are desirable qualities. 

No matter how good you are at the new position, you are bound to encounter a few challenges along the way. Using your educational background to showcase your resilient demeanor can give hiring managers confidence that you can rise to the occasion when challenges come your way. 

You can also use the education section to discuss your leadership and teamwork-related strengths. To do this, you should focus on clubs or teams you led or group projects that you were a part of. 

Listing strengths in the skills section

Your resume should categorize your abilities into hard and soft skills. This way, hiring managers can differentiate between your technical talents and your more versatile skills. You can also add a strengths subsection to this part of your resume. 

When adding strengths to the skills section of your resume, make sure to match the format of the soft and hard skills lists. A bulleted list is one of the best options because it keeps your content skimmable. 

Choose a resume format that prioritizes the skills section of your resume. This way, you’ll have plenty of room to list all three categories of your talents. Resist the urge to fluff up the lists. Focus on what you are truly good at and the strengths you can elaborate on during an interview. 

Identifying your unique strengths 

Identifying your personal strengths requires self-reflection and some feedback from your peers or supervisors. Recognize what tasks feel natural and enjoyable. For example, if you thrive in problem-solving situations, you likely possess analytical thinking as one of your strengths. 

Seek feedback from colleagues and mentors. These individuals have worked closely with you and have a good understanding of what you bring to the table.   

Once you’ve identified your strengths, it’s time to add them to your resume and cover letter. Look at some resume examples to explore different ways to highlight your strengths in engaging ways. 

Choose the ideal strengths to put on a resume 

A well-balanced resume strategically presents strengths to enhance your position as a candidate. Emphasize your strengths while maintaining a focus on relevant skills and experiences so that hiring managers get a complete picture of who you are.

Not sure where to begin? Choose a resume template and complementary job letter template that provides space to showcase your strengths. A strong resume and cover letter demonstrate the qualities that make you an asset to an organization.