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Skills Section

Summary:

This résumé workshop provides detailed explanations, as well step-by-step processes, for creating an effective résumé. The Purdue OWL also maintains résumé quick tips resources and a résumé PowerPoint slide presentation. Please visit those resources for shorter discussions of the résumé.

While not all résumés contain a skills section, a skills section may be helpful when you want to emphasize the skills you have acquired from your various jobs or activities, rather than the duties, or the job title. If you do not have enough previous experience for a specific job you are seeking for, it is important to emphasize your skills pertaining to that job.

Skills can be just as important as work experience to employers. To prepare your skills section, you should:

  • List jobs, activities, projects and special offices.
  • Think of skills you have gained through those experiences.
  • Group these skills into three to five job-related skills categories and use these as headings.
  • List your skills with significant details under the headings.
  • Arrange headings in order of importance as they relate to your career objective.
  • Arrange skills under headings in order of importance according to your goal.

Here is an example of what your skills section on your résumé may look like.

Leadership
  • Conducted monthly club and board meetings for Lafayette Junior Woman's Club.
  • Headed club's $8,000 philanthropic project sponsored by Tippecanoe County Historical Association.
  • Coordinated responsibilities of committees to sell and serve food to 1500 people at fundraiser.
Business Communication
  • Completed a formal report for Business Writing course.
  • Wrote annual state and district reports of all club's community service projects, volunteered hours and monetary donations.
  • Compiled, type, photocopied and distributed club books to each member.
Financial Management
  • Supervised the collection and dispersion of $4,000 in funds to various agencies and projects.
  • Wrote and analyzed periodic business statements regarding funds to specific projects/agencies.

For more information, please see the Interactive Résumé.