Chapter 3- Insight Scoop: How to Develop your Profile

20 Sep 2020
10 minute read

If you’re updating your resumé but don’t know where to start, try mapping your past experience to the transferable skills listed in this blog. What translates, and how can you quantify it?

The goal is to prove every skill you claim to have. Simply stating you’re a leader isn’t as impactful as saying you “managed a team of five employees, who generated a collective $900,000 in sales for the company.”

Show, don’t tell, your results. Whether it’s the number of deals you’ve closed, dollars you’ve raised, or articles you’ve written, describe your experience in numbers employers will understand.

Another option is to create a “Related Skills” section on your resumé, where you list your transferable skills, making them more easily identifiable to hiring managers. Reiterate those competencies throughout your resumé to further prove why you’re the right fit for the role.

The more you break down your past experience into these transferable skills, the easier it will be to envision future roles.

Content:

• Leadership
• Get involved in projects
• Developing Problem Solving Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Developing Industry Specific Skills

LEADERSHIP

When developing leadership skills, it is essential that you know why you’re putting time and efforts into your chosen goal. Identify: What drives you? Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. Strong leaders are essential for growth and success, and taking strides to facilitate the necessary skills is an important step toward improved culture and productivity.

HOW TO PRESENT IT ON YOUR RESUME:

• List any projects you spearheaded from conception to completion. Also, be sure to feature your commitment through a career history that reflects steady, long-term employment
• You also may be able to show some leadership skills through any unique community involvement and volunteer work you’ve done.
• Show your creativity through examples of problem-solving.
• Never lie about your work experience on your resume.
• Be sure to showcase how you collaborate with others both as a leader and a team member.

HOW TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Take up internships and volunteering opportunities. Through these experiences try to create a difference and bring about innovations.
• Take part in student-run clubs. Holding a position of responsibility can help you create an impact not only on people around you but also help in your self-development.
• Get involved in sports and cultural activity.
• Start something new and innovative, like a new student club or a venture.

GET INVOLVED IN PROJECTS

Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. Ability to demonstrate integrity and ethical behaviour, act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and ability to learn from mistakes.

HOW TO PRESENT IT ON YOUR RESUME

• Highlight your skills with quantifiable examples in your summary. E.g.- Increased the traffic on my college blog by 20% through SEO.
• When listing experience, provide examples of your skills
• Include work samples or your project portfolio to showcase your skills
• Don’t forget to mention your leadership, teamwork and analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Lastly, be as specific as possible and use a real-life example

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN PROJECTS:

• Write a research paper and get it published. Reach out to your seniors or faculty for guidance.
• Start a new initiative at college level through your societies.
• Take up live projects at companies offering such programs.
• Develop your portfolio by learning the basics of trading.

DEVELOPING PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

This is one of the most sought-after skills that recruiters identify in a potential candidate. Exercise sound reasoning to analyse issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. Ability to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and demonstrate originality and inventiveness are few of the key areas you can develop.

HOW TO PUT THEM ON YOUR RESUME

• Highlight your problem-solving skills in several locations: The “skills” section, the “achievements” section, and by giving specific examples of problem-solving in your “experience” section.
• List key problem-solving skills that you possess, instead of simply writing down the more generic term “problem-solving.”
• Remember, stories are powerful. Keep specific examples in mind of times you solved a problem. This is useful on your resume but will also help you answer interview questions like, “Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle.”

HOW TO DEVELOP PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

• Start solving cases and guesstimates. Try to engage in these activities with a partner at frequent intervals as this will also improve your communication skills.
• Acquire more technical knowledge in your field as well as on common subjects.
• Brainstorm. Create a myriad of new solutions quickly. Participate in group brainstorming sessions.

DEVELOPING INDUSTRY SPECIFIC SKILLS

Once you Identify your career path, it is important to articulate one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. Ability to navigate and explore job options, understand and take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understand how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace is an important skill to develop before entering the workforce.

HOW TO PRESENT THEM ON YOUR RESUME

• Your resume should include a skills section that highlights your most valuable field-specific skills relevant to the position. E.g. If you are interested in data analytics, take up courses that align to your goal like MySql, Tableau, Python etc.
• Focus on the industry-specific skills that the employer is looking for that make you a competitive candidate.
• Avoid listing the most common skills that the potential employer would assume every applicant already has.
• Keep your resume updated as you gain new skills or enhance the ones you currently possess.

HOW TO DEVELOP INDUSTRY SPECIFIC SKILLS

• Review job descriptions for positions you want and pursue relevant courses accordingly.
• Enrol in courses for different skills.
• Use a self-study training program.
• Learn from a professional.
• Seek feedback about strengths and weaknesses.
• Take continuing education courses in career-related fields.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

All companies highly stress on the importance of Interpersonal skills in a candidate. Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. Public speaking skills; ability to express ideas to others; and write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.

HOW TO PRESENT THEM ON YOUR RESUME

• On your resume, include a few key interpersonal skills under the ‘skills’ section.
• Provide examples of your interpersonal skills in the ‘experience’ section of your resume.
• Include concrete examples of how you worked with others and the results you achieved.
• Make references to your communication skills on your resume.
• Use anecdotes, figures and results.

HOW TO DEVELOP INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Listen actively
• Engage with your peers in group discussions and take chances to interview each other. This helps boost one’s confidence and improve in general.
• Record yourself when practising your speech to identify key improvement areas.
• Seek opportunities to build relationships with people.