According to a report by Deloitte Access Economics, by 2030, two-thirds of all jobs will require strong soft skills. This highlights the growing importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace. From effective communication to teamwork and adaptability, these skills play a crucial role in career growth and success. Developing them not only enhances professional relationships but also sets individuals apart in an increasingly competitive job market.
What are interpersonal skills?
In the corporate world, interpersonal skills are a set of skills that define one’s ability to successfully work with others. These include communication skills, ability to listen, positive attitude, dispute resolution, emotional intelligence, etc.
Interpersonal skills are key to effective interaction on the job. Co-workers with well-developed interpersonal skills are core team players. People with good interpersonal skills know how to behave in society, understand what the norms are, and know what is expected of them. They can also read very well social signals or interpret verbal interaction and adjust their behaviour to smoothen communication and improve workflow.
Interpersonal skills are also known as employability skills or people skills. Simply put you might be the best IT engineer in the world but if you lack interpersonal skills chances are that you will not be employed at all.
Why are Interpersonal skills important on your resume?
Interpersonal skills are important on your resume because without them you will not get along with your co-workers making any process in the organization impossible.
Communication is key to everything. If you cannot interact properly with others you become the weakest link in the organization and the overall level of the organization is decreasing. Colleagues would prefer to do more work themselves instead of trying to seek help from you. A bad attitude could affect the morale and the performance of the organization in a very negative way and it spreads quickly.
Interpersonal skills are considered a top priority by HR interviewers. This is because it can be difficult to evaluate one’s long-term performance within the organization. Judging by the interpersonal skills you demonstrate through your resume and during the interview, the hiring manager could project how you fit within the organization.
Why should you invest in interpersonal skills?
Interpersonal skills are critical in the job search process as they enhance your ability to communicate effectively and build relationships. These skills, encompassing interpersonal effectiveness and interpersonal communication skills, play a pivotal role in creating a positive impression on potential employers. Demonstrating strong interpersonal skills, such as active listening, empathy, and clear articulation of ideas, can significantly boost your chances of success. Intrapersonal skills, including self-awareness and self-regulation, complement interpersonal abilities by ensuring you present your best self in interviews and networking situations.
Personal skills, such as adaptability and problem-solving, further contribute to your employability, making you a well-rounded candidate. Interpersonal communication is not just about speaking but also about understanding and responding appropriately, which is essential during interviews and team interactions. By focusing on developing these interpersonal skills, you can navigate the job search process more effectively, showcasing your capabilities and fit for potential roles.
Interpersonal Skills To Include On Your Resume
Your interpersonal skills can either make you or break you during your job application.
Communication
This is your ability to communicate clearly, in both verbal and written form. This includes active listening, being able to give and receive feedback, and being able to understand nonverbal cues. You might use this skill when presenting to a group, leading a meeting, or writing an email.
Active Listening
Active listening is a critical interpersonal skill involving fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and then remembering what is being said. This is a soft skill that can improve your interpersonal skills by fostering deeper engagement in conversations.
Emotional Intelligence
High emotional intelligence is one of the solid interpersonal skills that involves the ability to recognize and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It’s pivotal for team working together where understanding and empathy can lead to more cohesive and productive work environments.
Conflict Management
Conflict is inevitable. A good set of interpersonal skills always includes constructive criticism, counselling, mediating, problem-solving, mentorship, and other abilities that help resolve conflicts. Avoiding and managing conflicts is critical for the workflow. Some estimates show that American companies lose 359 billion per year because of conflicts at the workplace with nearly 35% of the workforce being involved in some sort of conflict.
Decision-Making
Decision-making skills are the ability to think objectively and relate concepts to the organization’s goals. Upon deciding, you also demonstrate other skills such as leadership, analysis, information gathering, and objectivity. Therefore, employers want to hire candidates with whom they can make intelligent decisions for their business to thrive. Make sure to highlight this interpersonal skill in your resume if you possess it.
Team building
Your ability to create and foster a collaborative and productive team environment. It includes encouraging teamwork, recognizing individual contributions, and facilitating group activities. You use this skill when organizing team projects. You also use it when leading team-building exercises. And when motivating your team to achieve common goals.
How to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills on your resume?
- List examples from your job experience to demonstrate interpersonal skills
- Add major achievements and breakthroughs made possible by your interpersonal skills
- If you speak foreign languages emphasize this because people who master a few languages usually have excellent interpersonal skills
- If you were in a multicultural environment add this as well
- Utilize keywords such as “supported”, “resolved”, “improved”, “mentored”, “solved”, “counseled”, “guided”, “encouraged”, “helped”
- List specific courses or certificates related to interpersonal skills
- Make sure to add if you were mentoring or trained someone
- Do not forget to add if you practiced public speaking or debating
- List all technical communication tools that you can work with
- Give examples of problem anticipation and prevention
- List any innovation and improvements that were implemented as a result of your efforts to solve a crisis
Writing “Strong interpersonal skills” on your resume is simply not sufficient. You will need to convince the hiring manager through examples and achievements.
Final Thoughts
Interpersonal skills are an essential part of any job, and highlighting them on a resume can make a significant difference in getting hired. These skills refer to the ability to communicate effectively with others, build relationships, collaborate, and work well in a team. Some common examples of interpersonal skills include active listening, empathy, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and leadership.
To showcase your interpersonal skills on your resume, consider using action-oriented language and specific examples to demonstrate your abilities. For instance, you might describe a time when you successfully mediated a disagreement between coworkers or how you led a team to accomplish a challenging project.
