Résumé Help: Core Competencies

Lydia has not had any response after sending out her résumé.  She had a smart idea to list her core competencies.  This section is effective on a résumé because it give the reader a quick checklist to help assess if the candidate is a match. Unfortunately, Lydia chose to include 37 of her top skills.  The category heading, “Core Competencies,” implies only the core, essential skills would be listed.  Listing 37 core skills is akin to saying your favorite color is purple, blue, aqua, green, yellow, orange, pink, and red.  My advice to Lydia is to cut that list down to nine top skills.  This lengthy list of skills is overwhelming to the reader.  It is unlikely that the reader will take the time to read through the entire block skills.  Not only is it very extensive, it is presented in a very dense format that is not so easy on the eyes.

How can you decide which are your top nine skills?  The skills featured should be based on your strongest skills and the skills most relevant to your career goal.  For example, Lydia mentions network administration and networking.  Those skills are not relevant to her goal, a marketing and sales management position in the real estate industry. Take a look at the “Before” and “After” and you can quickly assess which is easier to read and more compelling. 

If you are not sure which skills are most relevant, review a few job postings to determine the requirements.  Compare those requirements with your professional expertise.  Take that list and narrow it to a chart of nine to twelve core competencies.  Also, as you apply to different positions, take the time to customize the list of competencies to meet the needs of each position. If you want to read more about résumé writing, check out these blog entries. Learn more about buy instagram followers check popular website Cheapigfollowers

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