As you begin to help your child prepare for their first job, college, or even a job shadowing opportunity, you’re going to want to help them get a resume together. This can be challenging for high school students (or any young adult) because they don’t always have a ton of experience to bring to the table. This is why diving into those soft skills is so important when starting out a resume.
Here are 16 soft skills your high school student can include on their resume.
Soft Skills vs Hard Skills
Before we jump into the list of soft skills, you may be wondering what are the differences between soft skills and hard skills.
Soft Skills: Often referred to as social skills. These are the skills that come naturally to us and show that the candidate would be a valuable team member through their ability to interact with others and adapt to their environment.
Hard Skills: These are the skills that are explicitly learned through school or on-the-job training.
Soft and Hard skills are equally important on a resume. Employers and Universities are looking for intelligent individuals that can adapt and be a team player.
16 Soft Skills to Include on a Resume
- Communication Skills- How well one communicates with others, presentation skills, etc.
- Creative Skills- What are your child’s creative talents? How have they been innovative?
- Time-Management Skills- Are you on time to events? Do you complete work in a timely fashion? Can you multi-task?
- Problem Solving Skills- Is your child able to solve problems quickly and efficiently?
- Decision Making Skills- Is your child quick to make a successful decision? When have they been in charge of making decisions for a team? Include those skills and experiences.
- Teamwork Skills- This doesn’t have to just be school events. This could include clubs, sports, youth groups, or other groups where your child has had to work with their peers.
- Leadership Qualities- Is your child a natural leader? Have them jot down different times they have shown leadership to determine how you can include those on their resume.
- Responsibility- This is important to show that they can take action and get the job done.
- Proactiveness- Will they take initiative to complete the tasks provided to them?
- Adaptability/Flexibility Skills- Ask your child to think of ways they have been adaptable and flexible in their schooling or other activities.
- Determination- Is your child determined? If so, many businesses are looking for this skill.
- Critical Thinking Abilities- Thinking critically is observing, analyzing, and evaluating information. This is a skill that helps promote many of the other skills listed.
- Organizational Skills- Being and staying organized is a great skill to share with prospective companies. Showing specific examples will help your child stand out.
- Detail-Oriented Qualities- Paying attention to detail, analyzing data, correcting grammar mistakes are all great ways to show a detail-oriented person.
- Emotional Intelligence Skills- Emotional Intelligence is when a person is able to regulate and understand their emotions in a positive way.
- Patience- Patience is key! Being able to remain calm and persevere through tough situations is critical to job performance.
Is your child struggling to find the perfect career path? Check out my post on How to Guide Your Child to a Successful and Rewarding Career!