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How To Say You Manage Employees on a Resume

If you’re applying for jobs that involve managing others, hiring managers will be looking for examples of leadership experience on your resume. Here’s how to impress.

3 years ago   •   4 min read

Whether you’re applying for high-level roles , are looking to move into a management position, or just want to take the next step up in your career, experience managing others is often vital.

On top of showing that you have the experience recruiters are looking for, managing a team is also a great way to showcase soft skills like leadership, communication , teamwork, and organization .

Here’s how to get the most out of listing management experience on your resume:

• Use action verbs emphasizing that you managed employees, like Managed , Directed, Supervised , Assigned or Mentored.
• Highlight accomplishments that focus on your managerial experience through your bullet points.
• Call out specific numbers in your resume which give context to your accomplishments and emphasize your seniority.
• Highlight your managerial experience throughout other parts of your resume, like your resume summary .

Let's dive into these, with detailed examples of bullet points you can use.

Emphasize managerial responsibilities in your resume bullet points

If you want to call attention to something specific on your resume, you need to make sure a hiring manager isn’t just going to skim past it. That means prioritizing your most relevant achievements and highlighting accomplishments in easy-to-read bullet points.

Your bullet points should always follow the structure of action verb + what you did + what the result was. Here's an example:

• Managed mixed teams of independent contractors and full-time employees dedicated to SEO marketing, data management, and content strategy; improved employee retention by 87%.

Use action verbs which highlight that you have been a manager

Your top bullet points should focus on resume accomplishments like managing staff, supervising employees, mentoring new hires , or designing and leading training programs.

How To: The action verb you choose matters. Try leading with strong action verbs like Managed, Led , Directed, Supervised, Assigned, Evaluated, Delegated, Coached, Mentored, Motivated , and Coordinated.

Focus on numbers

If you want your management to really impress, you need to get specific. The more explicit you are about exactly what you did and what it achieved, the better — and that means using hard numbers and metrics.

“ Led a team ” is okay; “Led a team of 8 people” is better .

Being specific about exactly how many people you’ve managed and what those teams have achieved allows your accomplishments to speak for themselves. Let's look at an example from a real resume which shows how to emphasize management accomplishments.

How To: Not sure how your bullet points measure up? Resume Worded Pro lets you buy sample bullet points that show other core skill sets that recruiters want, including management skills, communication, leadership, and teamwork.

Find out if your resume shows enough management skills

Managing a team is a good way to showcase your soft skills to recruiters. A quick way to find out if your resume does that is to upload it to the tool below — it’ll let you know if you’ve used action verbs and metrics that highlight your management accomplishments and skills.

Examples of saying you managed employees on a resume

Ready to put those tips into action? Let's take a look at several examples of listing experience managing employees on your resume.

Examples of saying you managed a team on a resume

• Managed a team of 15 outbound sales specialists .
• Managed cross-functional team of 10 in 3 locations, ranging from entry-level analysts to vice presidents, and collaborated with business development, data analysis, operations, and marketing.
• Launched new office and recruited and managed team of 10 employees; grew office revenue by 200% in first nine months.
• Managed and handled 120+ staff, reduced employee complaints and compliance calls by 65%.

Examples of saying you managed staff on a resume

• Grew creative staff from 5 to 15.
• Managed staff of nearly 100 direct and indirect reports, $20M budget, and outside counsel.
• Managed 30 employees involved in receiving, packing, picking, and shipping of customer orders.
• Supervised and directed 30+ field service representatives in the completion of field activities and customer service tasks .
• Conducted yearly performance reviews and established goals, increasing efficiency by 10%.

Examples of saying you managed others as part of a project

• Led team members and vendors to manage the social media advertising strategy for more than 50 social media accounts. Increased conversions by 145%, CTR 50%, and social web referrals 40% in the first six months.
• Served as the product sale fundraising campaign manager and directed 100 volunteer chairpersons. Increased fundraising donations by 40%.
• Overhauled existing employee onboarding processes resulting in an increase in performance of 30% in the average employee’s first three months.

Examples of training and managing others

• Provided help desk training to 6 new employees on hardware, connectivity, and software applications.
• Trained and mentored new and existing account executives and interns on solutions selling strategies, customer relationship management, and advanced product knowledge.
• Coached 30 summer interns and launched a mentorship program for new joiners in the Berlin office.
• Recruited and screened over 35 qualified potential employees over the span of four years, across 4 different departments.

Here are more examples on how to say you trained someone on a resume .

Highlight management throughout your resume

Want to really emphasize your leadership skills and management experience?  Make every part of your resume reinforce that experience. List job titles that accurately reflect management positions and highlight your key skills and experience using a resume summary .

Speaking of key skills, use the tool below to find a list of hard skills relevant to the management or senior level position you’re applying for. For example, search for Human Resources Manager to get a list of skills and keywords recruiters look out for.

How To: Score My Resume is a free tool that will give you personalized feedback on your resume and suggest areas for improvement, including detailed scores on your bullet points, job titles, and skills.

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15+ Key Management Skills to List on Your Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

Pursuing a career in management gives you many opportunities for professional advancement. To land a management job, it is crucial to include the right skills on your resume. In this guide, we will discuss the best management skills and how to use them on your resume.

Why Should I Include Management Skills on My Resume?  

Any time you are applying for a job, it is essential to tailor your resume for that job.

Thus, it makes sense to include management skills on a resume being submitted for a management position.

Including management-specific skills helps you to relate them to the job you are applying for.

Plus, it is a good opportunity to emphasize key skills found within the job description.

The inclusion of the right management skills on your resume can drastically increase your chances of impressing employers.

If you want to know how to optimize your entire resume, read our career advice article on how to Tailor Your Resume to Any Job in 4 Easy Steps !

What Are the Best Management Skills I Should Add to My Resume?

Before choosing which skills to add to your resume, you should divide them into two main categories:

Interpersonal (Soft) Skills:

‍ Soft skills are those that deal with social interactions and emotional intelligence.

They include skills such as communication, collaboration, and teamwork.

Technical (Hard) Skills:

‍ Hard skills have to do with technical abilities.

Being trained in specific methodologies or knowing how to use specific software or equipment are examples of hard skills.

Let’s look at two skills involved in management: empathy and scheduling.

Empathy is an entirely emotionally-based skill.

It allows a manager to view a situation from either an employee's or a customer’s perspective.

This skill falls into the interpersonal category.

Comparatively, the ability to create a schedule is a more well-defined skill.

Scheduling involves interpersonal skills, such as communicating with your team.

Yet, it ultimately falls into the hard skills category because it is a technical ability that must be learned.

When adding management skills to your resume, you should aim to include both interpersonal and technical skills.

Adding both gives employers a more well-rounded view of you as a professional.

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

15 Key Management Skills for Your Resume Soft Skills for Management

• ‍ Planning: Planning involves a manager’s ability to set goals, develop strategies, and delegate tasks. To have a strong planning ability, you must be able to look at the big picture while also paying attention to minor details.
• ‍ Communication: A manager’s ability to communicate effectively can greatly affect overall productivity. To be a good manager, you need to be able to communicate clearly with both your team and customers.
• ‍ Organizing: Organizational skills are a fundamental component of management. Without being able to organize people and resources effectively, creating a strong business plan is near impossible.
• ‍ Delegation: Delegation is the name of the game when it comes to management. This is a manager’s ability to divide up tasks and distributing them to the appropriate team members or departments.
• ‍ Empathetic: Being a manager requires you to work with many different personalities and perspectives. The ability to be empathetic and see things from others’ viewpoints is essential for getting things done and solving conflicts.
• ‍ Public Speaking: As a manager, you will likely need to engage in public speaking often. From training new employees to sharing information with stakeholders, there are many times when having a knack for public speaking comes in handy.
• ‍ Presenting: Along with public speaking is the ability to create and share presentations. Presentation skills help to keep all members of a team on the same page. Plus, they can be a great way to share changes about business changes.
• ‍ Leadership: Leadership is more than just being in charge. It deals with your ability to inspire and empower your team members. A good manager will have a well-defined leadership style that is adaptable to many situations.
• ‍ Mentoring: Many employees come under your wing as a manager. The ability to mentor your team and help them grow is crucial for strengthening the business. Emphasizing mentoring on a resume shows employers your skills in growing a team.
• ‍ Conflict Resolution: Conflicts are imminent in any business situation. As a manager, you must be able to swiftly and calmly resolve conflicts. This can occur with both employees and customers.
• ‍ Team Motivation: A good manager will understand the motivation and work ethic of their team rests on their shoulders. The ability to motivate and encourage a team is a crucial skill for anyone looking for a career in management.
• ‍ Negotiation: Managers will often be responsible for some business deals or contracts. Negotiation is a critical skill to have in this scenario. The ability to negotiate will help ensure the business benefits from the deal or contract.
• ‍ Scheduling: Creating a staff schedule is no small matter – especially with large teams! Scheduling is a skill that requires both technical and interpersonal abilities to ensure both staff and business needs are met.
• ‍ Hiring/Onboarding: Knowing how to find and onboard new talent to a business is crucial. Having previous experience in hiring and onboarding is a valuable skill. Highlighting it on your resume will greatly increase your chances of landing the job!
• ‍ Budgeting and Accounting: Like all higher-level jobs, management involves a fair amount of bookkeeping, budgeting, and accounting. Earning certifications in each of these is a great way to add some extra hard skills to your resume.

For even more skill ideas for your resume, read our guide on 100+ Key Skills for a Resume (with Examples for Any Job) .

How Do I List My Management Skills on a Resume?

There are two main formatting options for listing your management skills on a resume:

• Including management skills in your work experience section
• Creating a separate section for management skills

While you can certainly choose just one or the other, including skills in both these places can be highly beneficial.

The key to using both methods is to highlight different skills in each.

For instance, if you mainly talk about your interpersonal skills in your work experience section, you should use the skills section to highlight more technical skills.

Here is a breakdown of how to use these two formatting options:

1) Include Management Skills in Your Work Experience Section

Work Experience  ‍ Assistant Office Manager, Bay Area Rentals November 2018 – June 2021 • Interpersonal Skills: Leadership, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution • Technical Skills: Schedule Creation, QuickBooks, and Business Logistics

Why It’s Wrong:

‍ In this example, the applicant has used the descriptive bullet points to list skills.

You don’t want to transform your work experience section into a pseudo-skills section.

Each bullet point should give a clear example of a responsibility or accomplishment from your previous position.

Adding the skills should simply provide extra detail. 

Work Experience Assistant Office Manager, Bay Area Rentals November 2018 – June 2021 • Lead an office staff of over 30 employees • Optimized the staff schedule to reduce operational costs by 10 percent • Managed company logistics including inventory, storage, and transportation

In this corrected example, the bullet points imply the applicant’s skill level by providing real-life examples of how the skill was used.

Plus, these bullet points are much more descriptive and offer quantifiable evidence.

2) Create a Separate Management Skills Section

Interpersonal Skills • Communication • Delegation • Leadership Technical Skills • Negotiation • Hiring • Budgeting

Why It’s Wrong: Separating your skills into interpersonal and technical categories is inherently bad.

Managers often have distinct soft and hard skills that employers look for.

However, the skills listed are too vague and lack context.

Without a small amount of extra detail, the skills can seem pointless and end up being overlooked.

Interpersonal Skills • Empathetic Communication with Staff • Delegation of Daily Tasks • Leading a Staff of 50+ Technical Skills • Employment Contract Negotiations • Interviewing and Hiring • Creating Operational Budgets

In this corrected example, the bullet points are still short and sweet but provide significantly more context.

Pro Tip: When writing your resume, it is highly beneficial to use active language.

Take a look at our list of 350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective for more help brainstorming!

What Are Some Things I Can Do to Improve My Management Skills

Being a good manager requires many skills.

Learning and improving these skills can have significant impacts on how you perform in the role and your chances of being hired.

If you are looking for ways to improve your management skills, try these 3 tips:

• ‍ Learn About Different Leadership Styles: Learning about the many styles of leadership is key. Each style involves different interpersonal skills. Over time, you can combine your favorite elements and skills to create a leadership style that is unique to you. ‍
• Earn Certifications: You can earn all sorts of certifications that can boost your management skills through additional training. This is especially important if you are lacking in hard skills and need to enhance your technical abilities. ‍
• Find a Mentor: Learning from others in your field is majorly important. Finding a manager you admire that is willing to mentor you can be a great chance for professional growth.

Final Takeaways

Becoming a manager is all about honing and highlighting your best skills.

Here are our top 5 takeaways for including management skills on a resume:

• Include both interpersonal and technical skills on your resume.
• In your work experience section, use management skills to add extra detail and context to your job descriptions.
• In your skills section, provide enough specificity to make your skills highly relevant to the job you are applying for.
• Earn certifications to learn more technical skills.
• Learn from a mentor in the field of management.

Writing your resume doesn’t have to be a headache.

At Easy Resume, we strive to provide you with all the resume resources and tools you need!

While you’re here, make sure to check out our large collection of free resume guides and career advice articles.

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed is a co-founder of Easy Resume. His background in scaling teams at tech startups over the last decade has given him extensive experience and knowledge around how to hire top talent and build successful teams. He enjoys mentoring, coaching, and helping others reach their career goals. When he's not writing about career-related advice, he's playing with his dog, Lilo, or going on long hikes in upstate New York.

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Management Skills for Your Resume: List & Examples

Applying for a job vacancy is always competitive. This is especially true when you want to shift  the focus of your resume to your management skills . The only way to get ahead is by having the best skills, education, and professional experience.

That’s why it’s important to make sure your resume reflects everything you’ve accomplished in your career so far—that includes highlighting some of your management skills.

However, nowadays, many hiring managers are used to reading the same skills over and over again. While it is essential that you add these skills,  you’ll need to do something that excites a potential employer .

That means you’ll need to make your experience and education count when you are listing your management skills.

In this post, we’ll cover what makes a good management skills resume section and how to make sure yours stands out from the crowd.

You’ll learn about the typical types of  management skills to put on a resume , and how to use certain words and examples to make those skills impress a hiring employer.

With our advice and tips below, along with the use of a  resume builder , you should not have much trouble  impressing a hiring manager with your abilities and experience . Keep reading to know what to include and how to showcase your management skills on your resume.

What Are Management Skills?

Management skills are the abilities you use to manage projects and people. They can apply to  both leadership roles and non-leadership roles , although some management skills are only relevant in certain situations.

For example, if your job involves managing a team of engineers or artists,  your ability to manage them will be critical .

On the other hand, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant or marketing manager, knowing how to lead a team might not be important—although it might still come up in an interview!

Management skills include:

• Planning –  Using strategies for achieving objectives
• Organizing –  Arranging resources so that work can get done efficiently (e.g., planning meetings with multiple stakeholders)
• Delegating –  Assigning tasks based on individual strengths/weaknesses; ensuring that everyone has enough work/time
• Monitoring  – Controlling progress and taking corrective action when necessary
• Motivating  – Encouraging others to perform at their best; giving feedback on performance

Some other managerial abilities that you might consider adding, include:

• Problem-solving
• Conflict resolution

It is essential to remember that  management skills can be learned and developed . Some people have a natural talent for managing others or organizing events, while others need to work hard on developing their skill set.

Either way, there are plenty of  ways to hone your management skills  before applying for jobs.

Why Are Management Skills Important for a Resume?

Management skills are crucial to showing you can  lead, manage projects, and manage budgets . Management skills are important on your resume because they demonstrate that you can:

• Communicate effectively
• Handle conflict well
• Solve problems on your own or with others
• Build relationships

By having these skills, managers can make sure their teams are successful at work. That is why  companies really focus on this section of a resume  when they are searching for the perfect candidate for the position.

A well-made resume can highlight all of these skills. If you do not know how to outline the information correctly, it would be best to use a  resume template . Using  a template does the job of making your resume look attractive  for you.

5 Important Management Skills

It’s not about what you list, but  how you list them . There are some management skills you would benefit from having on your resume.

Many other applicants will have some, if not all, of these skills on their document, so you’ll need to  use the correct words and phrases  as a way to stand out from the rest.

That is why every applicant should ask themselves, “what are some management skills to put on a resume  that will really make me stand out? ”

To answer this all-important question, we have created a list of some of the most important management skills you could have on your resume.

By reviewing this list, you can understand exactly what words to include when you are describing how you use those abilities and make these  common management skills look unique to a hiring manager .

Time Management

Time management skills are essential for a lot of different job vacancies. Being  able to organize time is an extremely valuable ability  that any hiring manager looks for in a candidate. While you should put this skill, you must do so with the correct examples.

By adding an example of how you have used your time management abilities in the past, you’ll stand out from the other candidates.

For example,  what could you include  when talking about managing a project or orders in a previous job?

Once, when we received multiple, orders, I stayed after hours and finished my work.

Having to stay after is an example of NOT managing your time well.

We had to fulfill multiple requests at once. I delegated the request that was easiest to the lead assistant and handled the other two. By doing this, we finished all the requests on time and before the deadline.

This gives a clear example of time management.

It also helps to use words such as

If you aren’t able to prioritize properly and stay on top of all your projects, then it can cause stress for both yourself and your employees. That is why time management is essential.

Project Management

This skill allows you to effectively plan out projects from start to finish, ensuring that everything goes smoothly without any hiccups along the way.

It also  helps streamline communication between team members  who may be working on different aspects of said project, so everyone stays on track with their tasks, which will ultimately result in a better product being delivered at the end!

Having project management skills mean  you can take a goal and make smaller goals  and set deadlines. This ultimately improves efficiency when completing a large project.

Apart from using the term project management, you can include phrases such as

• Goal Setting
• Strategic Thinking

You can demonstrate project management with an example from outside a professional setting, such as managing a college project.

Organization

Organizational skills  are arguably the most important set of abilities  for someone who needs to manage themselves or others. One example would be to create a chain of command.

These types of skills also help managers see and understand  where and how improvements could be made to projects .

By being an organized manager/employee, you will be able to see problems and then fix them, this means  the administration of your project will go much smoother over time , and you will get much better results.

Some words you can use to show off your organizational skills include:

Knowing how to  write a resume  with these skills will help you impress hiring managers and increase your chances of being hired.

Collaboration

Managers need collaboration skills so that they  can work with other people effectively .

Managers must also be able to  handle conflict professionally  and know how best to resolve issues between team members.

However, collaboration is not only about getting along with your workmates or the people that work for you. It’s also about  getting everyone involved  and making sure that everyone is being productive.

Do not only call attention to your collaboration skills in a physical workplace setting. You should also mention how you have used your managerial talent online.

Nowadays, collaboration skills are not only indispensable when you are in an office together,  video calls and online meetings  are incredibly important to all companies.

Analytical Thinking

This skill usually pops up on resumes no matter what the job position is. It is a bit of an ambiguous trait to list.

However, there are  numerous ways you can back up the claim  that you are an effective analytical thinker.

Using  words like “developed” and “identified”  when mentioning your previous work experience will help you a lot.

This is especially true if you can  mention how you took data from reports or statistics  and used them to assist you to increase productivity or sales.

The ability to analyze information and use it effectively is a vital skill for any manager. Managers require these skills, so they can  make decisions quickly, efficiently, and with little to no mistakes  made along the way.

How to List Management Skills on Your Resume

There are many ways to list management skills on your resume. The most effective way is by prioritizing the most relevant ones and  listing them in order of importance .

To know the best way to list your skills for a vacancy, you should  always carefully review the job posting .

If the company is searching for someone that knows how to finish a project on time and knows how to communicate with other team leads,  you should list your skills in the following way :

• Project management (highest)
• Time management (second highest)
• Collaboration (lowest)

The ability to manage people is critical when  overseeing projects and trying to achieve goals . In some positions, it’s also important for managing budgets or other resources.

Potential employers will want to know that  you have the skills necessary to be successful in the position . That’s why it’s critical not to list too many skills on your resume or include ones that are irrelevant to the job at hand.

If you list too many skills or experiences that have little to no relevance to the job posting, hiring managers are more likely to go right to the next job application.

Hard and Soft Management Skills

Tangible, measurable, and transferable skills are also known as hard skills. These types of abilities can be used in many jobs.

These abilities are more valued by employers than soft skills in many cases because they  are applicable and measurable in the workplace .

Soft management skills are intangible and specific to the job you’re applying for. While these may be desirable, they aren’t necessarily transferable from one job to another.

Here’s a list of examples of hard and soft management skills:

Hard Management Skills:

• Customer service

If you don’t have these  hard management skills , there are more that you can use. In time, you can also  learn and improve on these skills  and eventually add them to your document.

Soft Management Skills:

While an employer may not appreciate your soft management skills as much as your hard management skills, that does not mean you shouldn’t put any effort into the soft skill section of your resume.

Below, you can find some soft skill words you can include in your resume:

• Communication
• interpersonal ​skills​
• ​Persuasion​
• Decision-making​

When mentioning either soft or hard skills as part of your work experience, make sure to show how there was  quantifiable change . For example, you can write:

• Lead a team of three python programmers to ensure the project went ahead and finished the project 15% faster than previously scheduled.
• Communicated and gave feedback to team members, helping us increase work efficiency by 20%, creating easier communication between the group.

Management Skills are an essential part of any job, but they can be tricky to list on your resume. There are fantastic  resume examples  for different job sectors that  show great ways to include your soft managerial talents .

By looking over professional examples and templates, you will have an even better idea of how to create your own document.

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• • Developed and executed category strategy for medical supplies, reducing annual costs by 15% through strategic supplier consolidation.
• • Led cross-functional teams in the successful negotiation of complex service contracts, yielding a 20% improvement in service level agreements.
• • Implemented a supplier performance management system, enhancing supplier quality and compliance, and resulting in a 10% increase in supplier scorecard performance.
• • Managed a portfolio of $500M in indirect spend, driving the adoption of cost-saving measures across multiple departments.
• • Pioneered a supplier diversity program that expanded the supplier base by 30% and supported organizational inclusivity goals.
• • Orchestrated a major procurement transformation project, integrating advanced analytics into sourcing processes, which improved decision-making timeframes by 40%.
• • Executed multi-year growth plans for the electronics category, delivering a sustained 10% year-over-year cost reduction.
• • Conducted extensive market trends analysis leading to the early identification of cost-saving opportunities.
• • Improved supplier on-time delivery rates by 25% through effective supplier relationship management.
• • Created financial models and business cases for senior leadership, supporting data-driven strategic sourcing decisions.
• • Generated $200 million in savings by restructuring the vendor selection and contracting process.
• • Led sourcing events for healthcare products, achieving a 12% cost reduction without compromising on quality.
• • Managed regulatory compliance efforts, ensuring adherence to healthcare industry mandates.
• • Negotiated contracts and purchasing agreements resulting in a 15% improvement in payment terms.
• • Participated in initiatives to improve procurement processes, increasing efficiency by 20%.

5 Team Manager Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

On your team manager resume, it's vital to highlight your leadership experience. Demonstrate your ability to guide, motivate, and develop a team towards success. In addition, your resume should reflect strong communication skills, both verbal and written. They are essential for orchestrating team efforts and connecting with stakeholders at all levels.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

As a team manager, articulating your diverse leadership experiences and collaborative achievements on a concise resume can be challenging. Our guide offers clear strategies and examples to help you effectively consolidate and highlight your managerial skills, ensuring your resume stands out to potential employers.

• Find different team manager resume examples to serve as inspiration to your professional presentation.
• How to use the summary or objective to highlight your career achievements.
• How to create the experience section to tell your story.
• Must have certificates and what to include in the education section of your resume.

If the team manager resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:

• Functional Manager Resume Example
• Assistant Director Resume Example
• Assistant General Manager Resume Example
• Regional Director Resume Example
• Deputy Director Resume Example
• Director of Finance Resume Example
• Department Manager Resume Example
• Department Head Resume Example
• Executive Manager Resume Example
• Senior Director Resume Example

Optimize your team manager resume format to pass the recruiters' assessment

What recruiters are looking for is systematised content that is clear and coherent. Thus, your team manager resume needs to answer requirements and why you're the best candidate for the role from the get-go.

• Sorting your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your most recent and relevant roles. This is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals;
• Writing your contact information (e.g. personal phone number and email address ) and your portfolio or LinkedIn link in your team manager resume header. If you're wondering to include a photo or not, always make sure that it's appropriate for the country you're applying in;
• Use the basic, most important team manager resume sections - your experience, education, summary, etc. Use your resume's real estate wisely to tell a compelling, professional story and match job description's keywords;
• Don't go overboard with the length of your resume. One page is absolutely fine if you happen to have under a decade of relevant experience.

Are you still wondering if you should submit your team manager resume in PDF or Word format ? The PDF has a few more advantages, as it doesn't change the format and the text can't be altered upon application.

Format matters most when your team manager resume is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS).

The ATS parses resumes, looking for specific keywords, skills or experience that match the job description.

P.S. We recently did a study on how the ATS works and were able to demystify three of the biggest misconceptions about how it assesses candidate resumes.

To pass the ATS evaluation, select any of the serif or sans-serif fonts. Popular choices that would help your team manager resume stand out include Raleway, Exo 2, Montserrat, etc.

Most traditionalists go for Arial or Times New Roman, but it's often the case that many candidates choose these fonts, and you'd thus lose points on the uniqueness front.

Upload & Check Your Resume

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.

Recruiters' preferred team manager resume sections:

• A header with relevant contact information and headline, listing your current job title
• A resume summary or objective pinpointing what is most impressive about your expertise (that aligns with the role)
• An experience section highlighting the specifics of your responsibilities and achievements
• A skills sidebar to intertwine job advert keywords with your unique talents
• An education and certifications sections to serve as further accreditation to your professional experience

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Proven leadership and team management skills with a track record of successfully managing projects and motivating team members.
• Strong communication and interpersonal abilities to facilitate team discussions and present reports to stakeholders.
• Experience with performance management, including setting goals, providing feedback, and conducting evaluations.
• Capability to handle conflict resolution and make decisive management decisions that benefit team dynamics and project outcomes.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning and resource management to ensure team efficiency and project success.

Experts' advice on writing your team manager resume experience

While the excitement and motivation for writing your team manager resume was present in the first hour (or so), you now find yourself staring at the blank page.

The resume experience section is the one that allows you to make a memorable impression by matching job requirement with your past jobs and accomplishments.

To help you write this resume section, here are four mistakes you need to avoid:

• Listing every job you have had so far, including the irrelevant ones. Before that, consider each of your past roles based on relevancy to the role. It may be the case that the job you had 15 years ago may have taught you invaluable skills that are appropriate for the role;
• Including irrelevant work experience items . Those are past jobs that aren't linked with the role you're applying for (or so they seem). Consider how your past jobs will serve your professional presentation: will they be filling in a gap in your work history, or just taking up space?
• Focusing on responsibilities instead of accomplishments. Your team manager resume shouldn't just be telling recruiters what you did in the past - as it's most often the case that candidates have had similar responsibilities. But, rather, the experience section should showcase the success you've attained in each past role, thanks to your unique skill set;
• Consider listing just your professional experience. Any role you've had in the past - e.g. volunteering, internships, etc. - can make it into your team manager resume experience section. Make sure to include it alongside numbers and results.

Two more things you need to remember about your resume experience section.

The first are keywords. Or those specific job requirements that are crucial for the role . Ensure you've integrated them across your experience section to get sorted closer to the ideal candidate profile by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS).

The second are action verbs. Each of your experience bullets should start with a strong action verb , followed by your specific skill and your on the job achievements. Follow this formula to hint to recruiters what your unique value as a professional is.

Still with us? In the next section, we will show you how industry-leading professionals have avoided the four most common mistakes, while integrating keywords and action verbs in their experience section.

• Led a cross-functional team of 25 to deliver a flagship software product, meeting all milestones and contributing to a 20% increase in annual revenue.
• Implemented Agile methodologies to streamline project delivery, reducing time to market by 30% for new product features.
• Cultivated a culture of continuous learning that improved team productivity by 40%, directly impacting customer satisfaction ratings.
• Drove a team of 10 sales specialists to exceed quarterly sales targets by 15%, through strategic planning and hands-on coaching.
• Developed a comprehensive training program that decreased onboarding time by 25% while increasing salesforce effectiveness.
• Orchestrated the launch of a new CRM system, enhancing team efficiency and improving lead conversion rates by 10%.
• Guided a technical support team of 30 to consistently achieve first-contact resolution rates above 90%, ranking highest in the company's support centers.
• Established key performance indicators that reduced average call handling time by 35%, significantly improving customer service levels.
• Led the adoption of a new knowledge base system that resulted in 50% fewer escalations and enhanced team autonomy in problem-solving.
• Managed project timelines and budgets for a construction team of 50, ensuring that all initiatives were completed 10% under budget and within the allocated schedules.
• Negotiated with suppliers to procure materials at a 20% cost reduction, significantly increasing project profitability margins.
• Instituted quality control procedures that reduced rework by 30%, thereby increasing client satisfaction and repeat business opportunities.
• Oversaw and motivated a customer service team of 40, achieving a 95% positive customer feedback score due to exceptional service standards.
• Implemented an employee recognition program that reduced annual turnover by 15% and improved team morale.
• Collaborated with product development teams to communicate customer insights, aiding in the design of customer-focused product improvements.
• Directed a marketing team of 15 in executing a multi-channel campaign that grew market share by 7% in a highly competitive industry.
• Conducted data-driven analysis to identify market trends, adjusting campaigns to maximize ROI and resulting in a 25% improvement in conversion rates.
• Spearheaded a rebranding initiative that heightened brand visibility and was instrumental in securing key partnerships with notable influencers.
• Fostered a high-performance culture within an IT team of 50, which played a pivotal role in executing enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives.
• Launched a mentorship program to nurture talent internally leading to 5 team members being promoted to senior roles within 2 years.
• Masterminded the deployment of a cloud infrastructure that enhanced system reliability by 99.9%, drastically reducing downtime.
• Lead a diverse team of engineers in developing innovative solutions for renewable energy projects, culminating in a 15% increase in energy efficiency.
• Pioneered research initiatives that transformed product development cycles, shortening them from 18 months to 12 months.
• Established and maintained successful partnerships with key industry players, bolstering our market position and expanding our technology portfolio.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Include the number of team members you have successfully led and managed to showcase your leadership scale.
• List the percentage increase in team productivity or efficiency under your management to demonstrate improvement capabilities.
• State specific revenue or sales targets achieved by your team to highlight your contribution to business growth.
• Mention the amount of budget you have managed to illustrate financial responsibility and trust.
• Quantify the reduction in employee turnover or absenteeism rates achieved to show your positive impact on team morale.
• Detail the number of projects delivered on time and budget to emphasize your project management skills.
• Present the number of training sessions or workshops conducted to reflect your commitment to team development.
• Report measurable improvements in customer satisfaction scores due to your management strategies to underline customer focus.

Action verbs for your team manager resume

No experience, no problem: writing your team manager resume

You're quite set on the team manager role of your dreams and think your application may add further value to your potential employers. Yet, you have no work experience . Here's how you can curate your resume to substitute your lack of experience:

• Don't list every single role you've had so far, but focus on ones that would align with the job you're applying for
• Include any valid experience in the field - whether it's at research or intern level
• Highlight the soft skills you'd bring about - those personality traits that have an added value to your application
• Focus on your education and certifications, if they make sense for the role.

Recommended reads:

• How to List a Major & Minor on Your Resume (with Examples)
• How to Put Cum Laude on Your Resume

List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.

How to showcase hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Reading between the lines of your dream job, you find recruiters are looking for candidates who have specific software or hardware knowledge, and personal skills.

Any technology you're adept at shows your hard skills. This particular skill set answers initial job requirements, hinting at how much time your potential employers would have to invest in training you. Showcase you have the relevant technical background in your skills section , as well as your certificates ones.

Meanwhile, soft skills hint at how well you communicate, solve problems, and adapt to new environments . Basically, your interpersonal communication skills that show recruiters if you'd fit into the team and company culture. You could use the achievements section to tie in your greatest wins with relevant soft skills.

It's also a good idea to add some of your hard and soft skills across different resume sections (e.g. summary/objective, experience, etc.) to match the job requirements and pass the initial screening process. Remember to always check your skill spelling and ensure that you've copy-pasted the name of the desired skills from the job advert as is.

Top skills for your team manager resume:

Project Management

Strategic Planning

Performance Monitoring

Budget Management

Data Analysis

Reporting Skills

Knowledge of Industry Standards

Team Coaching and Training

Resource Allocation

Risk Management

Communication

Problem-Solving

Decision-Making

Emotional Intelligence

Adaptability

Conflict Resolution

Motivational Skills

Time Management

If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.

Certifications and education: in-demand sections for your team manager resume

Your academic background in the form of certifications on your resume and your higher degree education is important to your application.

The certifications and education sections pinpoint a variety of hard and soft skills you possess, as well as your dedication to the industry.

Add relevant certificates to your team manager resume by:

• Add special achievements or recognitions you've received during your education or certification, only if they're really noteworthy and/or applicable to the role
• Be concise - don't list every and any certificate you've obtained through your career, but instead, select the ones that would be most impressive to the role
• Include the name of the certificate or degree, institution, graduation dates, and certificate license numbers (if possible)
• Organize your education in reverse chronological format, starting with the latest degree you have that's most applicable for the role

Think of the education and certification sections as the further credibility your team manager resume needs to pinpoint your success.

Now, if you're stuck on these resume sections, we've curated a list of the most popular technical certificates across the industry.

Have a look, below:

The top 5 certifications for your team manager resume:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Scrum Alliance
• Certified Manager (CM) - Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM)
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) - HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
• How To Include Your Relevant Coursework On A Resume

Team Manager resume summaries or objectives: real-world samples for best industry practices

Grasp recruiters' attention from the get-go of your application with a professional Team Manager resume summary or objective.

It's wise to select the:

• Resume objective , if you don't happen to have much experience alignment and would like to more prominently feature your dreams and personality.
• Resume summary , if you'd like to have a more standard approach to your application and feature up to five career highlights to help you stand out.

Writing your resume summary or objective should be tailored to each role you apply for.

Think about what would impress the recruiters and go from there.

But, if you need further help with this introductory section, check out some real-world samples in the next part of this guide:

Resume summaries for a team manager job

• Seasoned Sales Team Manager with a robust 12-year track record of surpassing sales goals by fostering high-performance cultures within diverse industries. Proficient in CRM software, adept at strategic planning, and has achieved a 40% increase in annual sales revenue for a Fortune 500 company.
• Dynamic Software Development Team Lead with 8 years of experience, specializing in Agile and Scrum methodologies, leading cross-functional teams of up to 30 developers. Notable accomplishment includes successfully delivering a major software rollout that enhanced customer satisfaction by 25%.
• As a former Health Care Administrator now transitioning into a team management role, I bring deep insights from a 10-year tenure managing efficient, patient-centered operations, adept at data analytics tools, and I am driven to enhance team productivity and achieve operational excellence.
• With a strong foundation in marketing strategy from my 7 years as a Digital Marketing Executive, I am excited to leverage my expertise in SEO and social media campaigns to drive successful team outcomes and contribute to the success of a forward-thinking sales department.
• Enthusiastic recent business graduate intent on leveraging academic expertise in leadership and project management to foster a collaborative and efficient team environment. Brimming with fresh ideas, I am eager to apply critical thinking and problem-solving to support organizational goals.
• Organized and proactive individual seeking to embolden a career in team management, building upon a foundation in customer service and a Bachelor's degree in Management. Committed to learning quickly, contributing innovative solutions, and facilitating team success through effective communication and organizational skills.

Miscellaneous team manager resume sections for a more personalized approach

Your team manager resume can reflect even more upon your personality and best qualities - that is if you decide on including a couple of additional resume sections to support your application.

Some of the best-accepted industry-wide choices include the:

• Resume projects - getting into the outcomes of your most important work, so far;
• Languages on your resume - detailing your proficiency level;
• Special recognitions - dedicated to your most prominent industry awards;
• Hobbies and interests - defining how you spend your free time.

Key takeaways

• All aspects of your resume should be selected to support your bid for being the perfect candidate for the role;
• Be intentional about listing your skill set to be balanced with both technical and people capabilities, while aligning with the job;
• Include any experience items that are relevant to the role and ensure you feature the outcomes of your responsibilities;
• Use the summary or objective as a screenshot of your best experience highlights;
• Curate various resume sections to showcase personal, transferable skills.

Looking to build your own Team Manager resume?

• Resume Examples

When is the Best Time to Resign from Your Job?

How to answer the “why were you fired from your previous job” interview question, should i put my military service on my resume, how to create a first year elementary school teacher resume, should i put pronouns on my resume, core competencies on resume: examples & guide.

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30 Examples: How to List Leadership Skills on Your Resume

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 11 minutes to read

Leadership skills on your resume showcase your ability to manage teams, projects, and organizations effectively. These skills indicate that you can assume responsibility, guide others, and make informed decisions.

Here’s a quick breakdown of key leadership skills to include:

• Communication : You need to articulate your ideas clearly and listen effectively.
• Teamwork : Collaborate well with others and build strong team synergy.
• Problem-solving : Find solutions to issues and think critically to overcome challenges.
• Innovation : Show creativity and the willingness to try new approaches.
• Reliability : Demonstrate dependability in completing tasks and maintaining work ethic.
• Mentoring : Guide and support the development of peers or team members.

Highlight the skills that align closely with the roles and responsibilities of the position you’re applying for. This customization will help your resume resonate with potential employers.

Identifying Your Leadership Qualities

To effectively showcase your leadership skills on a resume, start by pinpointing what you bring to the table as a leader. This will help tailor your resume to highlight your unique strengths.

Self-Assessment

• Begin with some honest self-reflection.
• Consider your previous experiences where you took charge—whether formally or informally—and think about the skills that helped you succeed in those roles.
• Were you good at setting clear goals, or perhaps your strength lay in motivating a team? List down these instances and skills.
• Try categorizing them under relevant skill sets like communication, problem-solving, or team motivation.

Feedback from Peers and Mentors

• Next, reach out to colleagues and mentors who’ve seen you in action.
• Ask them to share their perspectives on your leadership abilities. This step not only gives you additional insights but also validation for the skills you’ve identified through self-assessment.
• Compact these insights into clear bullet points, such as “recognized by team for effective conflict resolution” or “commended by manager for strong project vision and execution”.

Showcasing Leadership Skills in Different Resume Sections

Professional summary.

Your professional summary is a teaser of your capabilities and accomplishments. Mention a standout leadership achievement or characteristic here. For example, if you spearheaded a project that exceeded targets, you could start with, “Dynamic team leader who successfully drove project X to completion, exceeding goals by 20%.”

Work Experience

In your work experience section, quantify leadership accomplishments with specific results. Under each relevant job title, describe how you guided teams or projects. Use bullet points like:

• Led a sales team to a record-breaking year, increasing revenue by 30%.
• Managed cross-departmental collaborations to streamline the product development process.

Your skills section should concisely list leadership qualities that match the job description. You can focus on skills such as:

• Critical thinking
• Team building
• Strategic planning
• Effective communication
• Decision making
• Conflict resolution
• Emotional intelligence
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Accountability
• Visionary thinking
• Influencing others
• Cultural intelligence
• Time management
• Performance management
• Change management

Categorize them as ‘Leadership Skills’ to make them easily identifiable.

Education and Certifications

Include any leadership roles you held during your education or mention relevant certifications. If you were a club president or coordinated a major event, it’s worth mentioning. For example:

• President of the Student Council, managing a team of five to organize school events.
• Certified Project Management Professional with expertise in agile leadership practices.

Quantifying Your Leadership Impact

When listing leadership skills on your resume, showcasing the tangible impact you’ve had in past roles can make a significant difference. Employers value candidates who can demonstrate their leadership skills with clear evidence of success.

Example Achievements:

Project management.

• Coordinated a team of 10 to deliver a web development project, resulting in a 30% increase in user engagement within three months.

Team Development

• Mentored five junior staff to advance into mid-level positions, enhancing team productivity by 20%.

Using Specific Metrics:

Revenue growth.

• Spearheaded a new market strategy that led to a revenue boost of $100K in the first quarter.

Cost Reduction

• Implemented operational efficiencies that cut supply costs by $50K annually.

Tailoring Leadership Skills to the Job Description

When crafting your resume, aligning your leadership skills with the specific requirements of the job description can make a significant impact. This customized approach shows employers that you’re not just a great leader, but the right leader for their team.

Researching Job Postings

Start by thoroughly reading job postings in your field, focusing especially on the responsibilities and qualifications sections. Here you’ll find keywords and phrases that companies use to describe their ideal candidate. Make a list of these terms, particularly those related to leadership.

Matching Skills to Employer Needs

Once you have your list, match your own experiences and skills with the needs of the employer. Did you spearhead a successful project? That’s a great opportunity to highlight your strategic planning abilities. Have you overseen a team? Mention your supervisory experience and how you’ve fostered team productivity and morale. Ensure each skill you list is presented in a way that’s directly applicable to the job you’re aiming for. Use bullet points for clarity:

• Strategic Planning : Organized a fundraiser that exceeded goals by 30%, illustrating strong strategic planning and execution abilities.
• Team Leadership : Led a team of 10 sales associates to a record-breaking quarter, demonstrating effective team motivation and leadership skills.
• Conflict Resolution : Resolved interdepartmental conflicts by mediating discussions, resulting in improved communication lines and a 15% increase in project efficiency.

Tailoring your leadership skills to the job description not only positions you as a qualified candidate but also demonstrates your attention to detail and your commitment to the role.

Writing Compelling Bullet Points

Crafting your bullet points with clear action verbs and specific outcomes will make your leadership skills shine on your resume.

Action Verbs

When you start your bullet points, kick off with a strong action verb that showcases your leadership skills. This approach brings energy and clarity to your experience. Check out these verbs to strengthen your resume:

• Coordinated
• Implemented
• Streamlined
• Facilitated
• Revolutionized
• Spearheaded
• Transformed

Concrete Outcomes

Highlight the results of your leadership using concrete numbers and outcomes. These specifics will paint a picture of your effectiveness. Here are examples showing how to do this:

• Boosted sales by 20% through strategic leadership of a cross-functional team
• Cut costs by 15% by streamlining in-house training processes
• Increased team productivity by 30% by implementing a new project management system
• Developed a new employee engagement program that reduced turnover by 25%
• Led a marketing campaign that generated a 40% increase in qualified leads
• Improved customer satisfaction scores by 35% as a result of a team restructuring initiative
• Enhanced operational efficiency by redesigning the workflow, saving the company 1000+ hours annually
• Closed deals with 3 major clients, resulting in a revenue increase of $1.5M
• Drove the company’s expansion into two new international markets within a year
• Oversaw a budget of $500,000 while cutting unforeseen expenses by 10%
• Guided a project team to deliver all projects within deadline, 95% of the time
• Achieved a record low employee turnover rate of 5% through improved morale and leadership engagement
• Raised $200,000 in funding for a community service project by leading fundraising efforts
• Completed a company-wide audit leading to a reduction in operational waste by 20%
• Accelerated the company’s growth by 200% in three years through strategic partnerships
• Revamped the onboarding process, resulting in a 50% decrease in new hire ramp-up time
• Delivered a cloud migration project that improved system uptime by 99.9%
• Successfully coached a team of junior managers to achieve their KPIs six months in advance
• Pioneered a new customer feedback system that improved product development cycles by 30%
• Secured a 98% client retention rate through effective team leadership and problem-solving strategies
• Launched a diversity initiative that increased minority representation in leadership roles by 40%
• Orchestrated a department merger without disruption in services or employee satisfaction
• Built a volunteer program that contributed over 500 hours of community service per year
• Engineered a supply chain logistics plan that saved the company $250,000 annually
• Cultivated a culture of innovation that resulted in filing 10 new patents
• Designed a comprehensive risk management strategy reducing liability exposure by 20%
• Consolidated multiple legacy systems into a singular platform, enhancing productivity by 15%
• Commanded a national conference with over 300 delegates, showcasing organizational leadership
• Initiated a quality control protocol that improved product quality by 22%
• Masterminded a program that positively impacted over 10,000 local residents

Leveraging Extracurricular and Volunteer Experience

When detailing your leadership skills in a resume, don’t overlook extracurricular and volunteer experiences. These activities are fertile ground for showcasing your leadership qualities, especially if your professional experience is limited.

Organize Your Points Start by listing leadership roles in clubs, sports teams, or community groups. Did you captain your soccer team or head a fundraising event? This shows commitment and the ability to manage a group towards a goal.

• Led practices and strategy sessions.
• Coordinated team logistics for traveling to matches.

Highlight Achievements Quantify your impact where you can. If you raised a notable amount of money for a cause or increased club membership, include these achievements. This demonstrates the tangible outcomes of your leadership.

• Increased club membership by 20% through targeted recruitment campaigns.
• Organized a charity run, raising $5,000 for local food banks.

Showcase Soft Skills Volunteer work often requires collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. Reflect on instances where you used these skills during your extracurricular activities.

• Coordinated with a team of 10 volunteers to optimize the adoption process.
• Fostered communication between the shelter staff and potential pet adopters.

Use Strong Verbs Employ action verbs to convey your role in leading the effort.

• Chaired the annual book fair, managing over 50 volunteers.

Highlighting extracurricular and volunteer work can fill in the gaps and project a well-rounded image of your leadership capabilities. Tailor these experiences to align with the job you’re applying for, reinforcing the relevance of your skills.

Fine-Tuning and Proofreading Your Resume

Before you hit send on your application, take a moment to double-check your resume. Ensuring every detail is accurate and polished reflects your strong attention to detail—a vital leadership trait.

Start with these steps:

• Spell-check : Use tools like spellcheck to catch any typos or misspellings. However, don’t rely solely on this; some mistakes can slip through.
• Grammar check : Programs like Grammarly are a second pair of eyes, but again, they aren’t foolproof. Read through each line to catch errors a computer might miss.
• Consistency : Review for uniformity in font size, type, and heading styles. Consistent formatting is key for a professional look.

Hand your resume to a trusted friend or mentor for feedback. They might spot errors you’ve overlooked and provide suggestions to enhance your leadership descriptions.

Finally, print out your resume: sometimes, physical copies reveal mistakes that aren’t as obvious on-screen. Scan each section carefully, checking for proper alignment and spacing, and be certain that all of your leadership skills shine with precise, clear language.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• Not specific enough: Rather than claiming you have “excellent leadership skills,” illustrate this with concrete examples. Showcase situations where you guided a team towards a goal. For instance, “Led a team of six in developing a new marketing strategy, resulting in a 20% increase in sales.”
• Overloading your resume with clichés: Terms like “outside-the-box thinker” and “team player” are vague and overused. Reveal how you breathe life into these phrases. Instead of “team player,” you might say, “Collaborated with cross-functional departments to streamline project processes, enhancing productivity by 15%.”
• Ambiguity about your role in a team achievement: Clarify your contributions to a team success. Instead of “Contributed to a project that won an industry award,” detail your specific actions: “Designed the key product features for an award-winning mobile app.”
• Avoid listing leadership qualities without context. Your skills should tie back to actual results or improvements made. Also, resist the urge to embellish achievements, as this can lead to a lack of credibility if questioned during an interview.
• Using too much jargon or technical language can make your leadership skills unclear to the reader. Explain your accomplishments in straightforward terms that anyone can understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of leadership skills to put on a resume.

Consider adding skills such as conflict resolution, team building, strategic planning, and effective communication. You might also highlight your ability to delegate, your decision-making prowess, and your knack for inspiring others.

How can I describe my team leadership experience in a resume?

When you describe your team leadership experience, start with a strong action verb followed by the scope of your responsibilities and the impact made. For instance, “Led a team of 12 in completing a cross-departmental project ahead of schedule, increasing efficiency by 15%.”

What kind of leadership achievements should I highlight on my resume?

Showcase achievements where you’ve had a measurable impact. This could be project completions under budget, improvements in team performance metrics, or successful launches of new initiatives. Quantifying these with percentages or dollar figures makes your contribution more tangible.

How would I write a resume headline if I’m applying for a leadership position?

Think of your headline as your professional tagline. If targeting a leadership role, a powerful headline could be “Innovative Team Leader with Proven Record of Elevating Operational Success” or “Visionary Manager with 10+ Years of Experience in Team Growth and Strategic Planning.”

What’s a good way to illustrate leadership skills during an interview?

During an interview, use specific stories that demonstrate your leadership skills. Discuss challenges you’ve faced, how you addressed them, the actions you took, and the results that followed. This method paints a clear picture of your leadership style and effectiveness.

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The 12 Best Skills to Put on Your Resume (Plus Examples)

S kills can make or break your resume. They should match the jobs you're applying for and show recruiters that you can succeed at their companies.

Sometimes companies will use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that automatically scan resumes and forward the best matches to hiring managers. Whether a human or a computer is looking over your resume, it pays to have a robust set of skills.

Below, we'll cover some skills to put on your resume, the difference between soft and hard skills and the best ways to highlight skills when communicating about your work experience:

The 12 Best Skills to Put on a Resume

Putting the right skills on your resume signals your readiness for the jobs you apply for. Almost anyone can develop these, regardless of professional background—they're huge green flags for recruiters.

1. Adaptability

Change is the only constant in business, according to Mark Cuban . The skills you develop when you start a job may not be relevant in five years, even if you're still in the same position.

Companies want employees who can adapt to changing times. Demonstrating that on your resume shows employers that you're a good long-term investment.

2. Attention to Detail

Anyone can do sloppy work. Having attention to detail means spotting the little mistakes before they become big problems.

Calling out your attention to detail on your resume sets you apart as someone who will sweat the small stuff and pursue excellence in every part of your job.

3. Communication

Virtually every job involves some amount of communication . Are you a software engineer who just wants to code? You still have to talk to clients about their needs.

Eyeballing a management role ? You'll need to successfully communicate with direct reports to give feedback and achieve team goals.

Talking about your communication skills on your resume, including listening, presentation and writing skills, shows you know how to work with others. You can also mention your communication style to make sure you're a good fit for a company's culture.

4. Creativity

The best employees are not just cogs in a machine. They stand out by thinking outside the box and offering creative new solutions to their company's problems.

But creativity doesn't necessarily mean you're artistic. If you're an analyst, it could mean drawing novel conclusions from data. If you're a manager, it could mean finding interesting new ways to engage your team.

Including creativity as a skill on your resume shows employers that you can offer value beyond the job description.

5. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is your ability to find solutions beyond the obvious. Good critical thinkers can get to the "why" behind a problem, anticipate future problems and elevate the quality of work their teams produce.

Putting critical thinking on your resume takes your skills to the next level. It also speaks to your independence—you come up with solutions on your own, rather than relying on others.

6. Customer Service

Many jobs require some sort of customer service element. Salespeople or project managers talk to customers, helping them get exactly what they're looking for. Other workers, like copywriters or data engineers, may still meet with customers to speak to their area of expertise and demonstrate the viability of their company's work.

Don't take customer service skills for granted. They're valuable in almost any position.

7. Digital Skills

Most office jobs require basic computer literacy. Employers expect employees to know how to open computer and phone applications, send emails and sometimes use video call tools like Teams or Zoom . Being digitally literate can mean knowing when to send a quick chat vs. a long email .

These skills are absolutely worth listing on your resume, especially if you have experience with specific software or tools common in your industry.

8. Leadership

Leadership is your ability to get your team to work together toward a shared goal. It's not just important for managers—individual contributors can communicate better if they have strong leadership skills. ICs can also use leadership skills to take charge when their teams are confused and get the job done.

Putting leadership skills on your resume identifies you as someone who can bring order to a complicated workplace. It also sets you up as potential management material —someone worthy of future internal promotions at a company.

9. Organization

Many jobs require you to juggle several tasks. Organization is your ability to keep everything together, even when you have multiple deadlines or you're working for clients with very different expectations.

Highlighting your organizational skills puts you forward as a candidate who can perform the full range of job responsibilities without getting lost.

10. Problem-Solving

Good problem solvers can take projects from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. They can also spot solutions that aren't obvious, making them invaluable to their employers.

Setting yourself up as a problem-solver makes you an excellent candidate for almost any job since this skill is so widely used.

11. Teamwork

Teamwork is your ability to function well with your immediate coworkers, but also with other teams you may encounter. It's more than just good communication; it includes good social skills and compassion for others.

Listing teamwork as a skill on your resume shows that you're ready to work in a bustling company where you're one part of a bigger whole.

12. Time Management

Many employers want things done yesterday. That's not always possible, but good time managers offer the next best thing: work that's done well and finished as soon as possible.

Introducing yourself as a good time manager shows that you'll finish tasks before they're due. That's something hiring managers love to see.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills on Your Resume

Hard skills are what you do. Soft skills are how you get it done. Good resumes include both.

Soft Skills for Your Resume

Soft skills are non-technical aspects of work, like being a good communicator or managing your time wisely. They're relevant everywhere.

According to data from LinkedIn, 92 percent of professionals say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills.

"Soft skills are often what set one candidate apart from another with similar technical qualifications," Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, told Newsweek . "Employers look for candidates who not only have the required hard skills but also possess the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work well with others and fit into the company culture."

The introduction of artificial intelligence in the workplace may only improve the value of soft skills.

"While AI will automate certain tasks and change the nature of work, it will also place a premium on soft skills that are uniquely human," Schawbel said. "Soft skills related to creativity, emotional intelligence, ethics, collaboration, and adaptability will continue to be highly valuable in the AI-augmented workplace, enabling individuals to work alongside AI systems effectively and ethically."

Hard Skills for Your Resume

Hard skills refer to technical knowledge that you can spend months or even years developing. These are the things you learn in specialized degree programs and job training. Connecting a website to a database, operating a complex piece of machinery and balancing a quarterly budget are all hard skills.

Most jobs require certain hard skills. You wouldn't apply to be a video editor without some knowledge of editing software and techniques.

Companies may teach some hard skills on the job. For example, teaching new salespeople how to use their unique customer relationship management (CRM) software. However, most careers require hard skills that you learn elsewhere, either in school, training or an entry-level job .

How to List Skills on Your Resume

There are two sides to listing skills on your resume: the skills you include and how you express them.

Schawbel recommends creating a dedicated "Skills" section on your resume. List hard and soft skills there.

Next, Schawbel says to back up your soft skills with specific examples from your work experience. Did you demonstrate leadership when you took command of a flailing project at your last job? Write that down, using keywords that highlight those skills like "leadership" or "teamwork." Your work experience is evidence of your skills.

Remember that recruiters and hiring managers read hundreds of resumes. You want to present your highlights without going on and on about yourself. Schawbel recommends starting each bullet point in your resume with action verbs to quickly demonstrate your skills to an employer. Use language like:

• "Collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to deliver budget analyses."
• "Wrote marketing emails that increased product engagement by 130 percent over six months."
• "Managed construction projects across multiple sites with 15 direct reports."

Stand out by presenting a different version of your resume for each new job you apply for. Tailor your skill list for each new position by looking at the job's duties and responsibilities.

If you're applying for a management position, include your leadership skills and the times you used them. Otherwise, consider leaving those off the resume and highlighting other skills.

Skills Section Examples by Job Type

Here are some examples of possible skill sections for jobs in multiple industries and experience levels. Use these as starting points to think about skills on your resume. However, you should always look at job descriptions to see exactly what skills to include.

Copywriters write content for videos, emails and other marketing collateral. They try to persuade readers or listeners to buy the product or service they're highlighting.

Hard Skills:

• Copywriting
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing

Soft Skills:

• Attention to detail

Data Scientist

Data scientists explore massive data sets with advanced mathematics and computer models. They work with business managers to produce actionable insights from raw data.

• Data analysis
• Data visualization
• Machine learning
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Organization

Nurses perform a range of tasks in hospitals and other health care settings. The exact skills they need depend on their medical subfield and the type of institution they work for.

• Medical knowledge
• Medical technology
• Nursing ethics
• Patient education
• Workplace safety
• Adaptability
• Time management

Project Manager

Project managers organize work across multiple teams. They often bridge the gap between individual contributors and clients or other stakeholders. They keep projects on time and within budget.

• Negotiation
• Project management
• Technical writing

Retail Sales Associate

Retail sales associates sell items, maintain the sales floor and assist customers. This is an entry-level position, but it can be an excellent opportunity to build skills.

• Basic mathematics
• CRM or point of sale (POS) software
• Inventory management
• Customer service

Frequently Asked Questions

Still not sure what skills to put on your resume? Here we tackle some common questions.

How Many Skills Should I Put on My Resume?

You want enough skills on your resume to impress recruiters without wasting their time.

"Aim for a list of 5 to 10 key skills. This allows you to emphasize your most critical qualifications without overwhelming the reader," Schawbel says.

Should I Format My Resume for an ATS?

Don't try to write your resume for a computer. It's a myth that most applications are rejected by automated systems—HR workers read most resumes and make decisions based on their merits.

Make things easier for recruiters by organizing information well on your resume. Include a dedicated skills section and describe your work experience directly and efficiently, with callouts to the skills you've listed.

Should I Change the Skills Section for Each Job Application?

Yes. It's a good idea to write a resume draft and then modify that draft slightly for each new job application.

Be sure to mention skills that appear in the job description. Cut mentions of skills that aren't relevant to the position, so that you don't waste recruiters' time.

What Skills Should I List if I Have No Work Experience?

Without work experience, you still have life and school. Draw up a list of transferable skills you've developed throughout your life and use those on your resume.

You should have several soft skills. If you had a leadership position in school, for example, list leadership, communication and teamwork skills.

Transferable soft skills aren't always obvious, but if you put some thought into your activities you should come up with a good list. For example, practicing a musical instrument alongside school demonstrates good time management, attention to detail and creativity.

Should I Add Certifications or Trainings?

Yes. Certifications and training are outside proof of your competence in skills. They can set you apart from other candidates who don't have that kind of evidence on their resumes.

Can I List Skills That I'm Still Learning?

Yes. Feel free to list skills where you're a beginner.

Some professionals label skills with their experience level, such as "beginner," "intermediate" or "advanced."

You can also describe your experience level in your work experience. For example:

• "Learned the core functions of our company's CRM system."
• "Wrote advanced web applications with JavaScript for five years."

Once you have your resume in good condition, you can start thinking about cover letters . Then you can learn more about finding your next opportunity with our review of the best job search apps .

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