Resume Skill Set Interview Preparation Guide

A skills-based resume is a document that lists a person's job qualifications in skill categories, rather than the standard approach of using reverse chronological work experience categories. You should consider using a skills based resume if it would help you present yourself to potential employers in a more powerful way than a chronological resume would.

A resume is a short, concise document that states relevant information regarding your education, skills, experiences, accomplishments and job-related interests.

Reasons that applicants typically choose this route include:
☛ It is required/preferred by their industry
☛ They have insufficient work experience
☛ They have large or frequent employment changes/gaps
☛ They want to change careers
☛ Their educational/training background is atypical for this position
☛ They have been terminated from one or more positions

To determine the best way to format your skills-based resume, consider what your audience is looking for and also your specific situation. The bottom line is to arrange your resume in a way that will help your reader assess what you have to offer them in the quickest, easiest and most powerful way possible. The example above illustrates what is typically called a functional skills-based approach. It includes multiple skills sections with bulleted content that proves competencies or proficiency with the respective skills.
Notice that the employment details such as the job title, company name, location and dates of employment are not included in these sections. Instead, this information is often included in a separate section toward the latter part of the document.

Define Your Skills/Abilities
1. Make a list of all your "work-like" experiences & activities related to your target job.
☛ Related employment, including part-time or summer
☛ Volunteer positions
☛ Internships (cooperative education)
☛ Relevant school activities (clubs, student government, special projects)
2. List all training - college courses, conferences & workshops, labs, projects.
3. List skills, tools, techniques you learned & used in each of the above.

☛ Examine the job posting of your targeted job & make a list of all required skills, abilities, & tools.
☛ Supplement scanty job postings by:
Contacting employer for more information and referring to other job descriptions, such as those in the dictionary of occupational titles.

☛ Choose the most relevant skills & abilities from your list that match the ones required by your target job. If you do not have a perfect match, think about transferable skills that demonstrate similar skills, abilities and tools.
☛ List accomplishments, tasks & projects that demonstrate how you used these skills. Use short skill statements that begin with action verbs (tracked, organized, assembled, installed etc.)
☛ Group similar skills & accomplishments & give each group a skill heading title (payroll preparation and taxes, programming and development, staff supervision/training, project management).

A skills-based resume does just that:
☛ Self-assessment
☛ Research your target job to identify required skills
☛ Describe, group & title relevant skills
☛ Write your resume

☛ Put Objective first - use specific job title of the position
☛ Follow with your skill statements & skill headings. This will be the main section of your resume.
☛ Then briefly list your Education & Work History. Put most relevant section first.
☛ Do not list your references. Use a separate sheet or write references on request.

These are critical skills that employers demand of job-seekers:
☛ Communication skills (listening, verbal, written)
☛ Analytical/research skills
☛ Planning/Organizing
☛ Problem-solving/Reasoning/Creativity
☛ Teamwork
☛ Computer/technical literacy
☛ Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing multiple priorities
☛ Interpersonal abilities
☛ Leadership/Management skills
☛ Multicultural sensitivity/awareness