Last updated on Jul 2, 2024

How would you overcome writer's block when highlighting your soft skills on your resume?

Crafting a resume that effectively showcases your soft skills can be a daunting task, especially when writer's block strikes. It's not just about listing your abilities; it's about weaving a narrative that resonates with potential employers. Your soft skills—attributes like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving—are often what set you apart in the job market. However, articulating these intangible qualities in a compelling way can leave you staring at a blank screen, unsure where to start. The key is to approach your resume with strategies that can help unlock your creativity and convey your soft skills in a manner that is both authentic and attention-grabbing.

1 Reflect Deeply

Begin by taking a moment to reflect on your personal and professional experiences. Think about times when your soft skills made a tangible impact. Perhaps you mediated a conflict, led a project team to success, or adapted quickly to change. By recalling specific instances where your soft skills shined, you create a reservoir of anecdotes that can illustrate your strengths. This reflection not only provides content for your resume but also prepares you for potential interviews where storytelling can be a powerful tool.

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Mahmoud Abdelaziz

Banker | Professional Certified Trainer | Resume Writer | Diploma in Business Administration | Train The Trainers and Teaching Online Diploma
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That's a great point! Taking time to reflect on soft skill triumphs is a strategic move. Think about situations where your communication skills calmed a heated debate, your leadership steered a project to victory, or your adaptability helped you navigate a sudden change. By pinpointing these moments, you build a treasure trove of real-life stories that showcase your strengths in action. This reflection isn't just resume fodder; it equips you for interviews where storytelling is king. Weaving anecdotes that illustrate your soft skills through powerful narratives will leave a lasting impression on potential employers.

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2 Brainstorm Broadly

If you're struggling to pinpoint your soft skills, start with a brainstorming session. Write down all the soft skills you feel apply to you without worrying about how they'll fit into your resume. This unfiltered approach can help you recognize abilities you might have overlooked. Once you have a comprehensive list, you can begin to narrow it down, selecting the skills that are most relevant to the job you're applying for and that you can back up with concrete examples.

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Cassie Spencer

Career Coach: Helping You Make Your Next Career Move ➛ ❊ Host of Happenstance the Podcast ❊ Idea Generator ❊ Content Writer ❊ Fan of Lunch Walks ❊
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Another brainstorming activity is to take the information that is already on your resume and the bullet points that you have written or started and to ask yourself: What went into this? Asking other questions like who? what? where? when? why? how? how many? or how often? is also a great starting point to brainstorm other information and other skills that went into a specific task or project. You wont need to or be able to include ALL of this information but it's a great starting point to brainstorm and then to select the most important/relevant information.

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3 Structure Strategically

Organizing your resume can provide a clear pathway out of writer's block. Decide where and how to incorporate your soft skills. They might fit well in a summary statement at the top of your resume or within the descriptions of your past job experiences. By structuring your resume thoughtfully, you ensure that your soft skills are not just mentioned but are integrated in a way that highlights their relevance to the roles you're seeking.

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4 Use Action Verbs

When detailing your soft skills on your resume, choose action verbs that bring your contributions to life. Verbs like "collaborated," "facilitated," and "negotiated" demonstrate your active role in utilizing these skills. This approach paints a dynamic picture of your capabilities and can help break through the inertia of writer's block by focusing on what you've achieved through your soft skills.

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Mahmoud Abdelaziz

Banker | Professional Certified Trainer | Resume Writer | Diploma in Business Administration | Train The Trainers and Teaching Online Diploma
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You're absolutely right! Action verbs are the magic key to breathing life into your soft skills on a resume. Instead of simply listing skills like "communication" or "teamwork," focus on how you've actively used them. Swap those generic terms for verbs like "collaborated," "facilitated," or "negotiated." This paints a far more dynamic picture - you're not just someone with soft skills, you're someone who actively leverages them to achieve results. Action verbs can also be a great weapon against writer's block. By focusing on what you've accomplished through your soft skills, you'll have a wellspring of achievements to draw from, making crafting your resume a breeze.

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5 Quantify Achievements

While soft skills are inherently qualitative, finding ways to quantify their impact can make them more concrete on your resume. Consider instances where your communication skills led to a percentage increase in customer satisfaction or where your leadership contributed to a project being completed ahead of schedule. By attaching numbers to your achievements, you provide measurable evidence of your soft skills in action.

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Cassie Spencer

Career Coach: Helping You Make Your Next Career Move ➛ ❊ Host of Happenstance the Podcast ❊ Idea Generator ❊ Content Writer ❊ Fan of Lunch Walks ❊
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When quantifying think about the specific numbers and percentages and think about providing scope. Especially when it comes to soft skills adding scope can be a great way to quantify. For example if you lead team meetings consider adding scope regarding the number of people on your team and how often the meeting happen

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6 Seek Inspiration

Lastly, if you're still facing writer's block, seek inspiration from other successful resumes or job descriptions in your field. Note how others articulate their soft skills and achievements. This doesn't mean copying what you find but rather letting it guide you in crafting your unique statements. Sometimes, seeing examples can spark ideas for how to present your own soft skills in an effective and engaging way.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Paul Mullan

I create CAREER HAPPINESS, one 😊 at a time | Outplacement Consultant | Career Coach | CV Writer | Interview Coach
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Writers block is a good thing If you're going to ✍ soft skills 😉 ❌ team player ❌ organised ❌ motivated These are "zebra" words Use these and you'll blend in You MUST be a "unicorn" ➡️ standout Best of luck 🍀

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How would you overcome writer's block when highlighting your soft skills on your resume?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Reflect Deeply

2 Brainstorm Broadly

3 Structure Strategically

4 Use Action Verbs

5 Quantify Achievements

6 Seek Inspiration

7 Here’s what else to consider

Resume Writing

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How would you overcome writer's block when highlighting your soft skills on your resume?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Reflect Deeply

2 Brainstorm Broadly

3 Structure Strategically

4 Use Action Verbs

5 Quantify Achievements

6 Seek Inspiration

7 Here’s what else to consider

Resume Writing

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