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How can you Show Critical...

How can you Show Critical Thinking Skills on your Resume?

15 min read · Updated on April 18, 2023

With critical thinking skills in high demand, you can get ahead with a resume that showcases those abilities

Soft skills like critical thinking continue to be vitally important for companies around the country and across the world. Unfortunately, many of those companies have long complained about their struggles to find candidates who demonstrate the crucial critical thinking skills that their enterprises need to succeed. The question job seekers need to ask themselves is simple: what critical thinking skills are companies looking for, and how can they be highlighted in a resume to ensure that they capture an employer's attention?

In this post, we'll define these important abilities, consider some examples of critical thinking skills, and examine why they are so important to today's companies. We'll also offer some helpful tips that you can use to develop your own critical thinking and provide guidance to help you to highlight those abilities on your resume.

What are critical thinking skills?

Before you can include critical thinking skills on your resume , you first need to understand what they are. The simplest definition is that they are a range of abilities that enable you to think and problem-solve using facts, deduction, and logic. This rational approach to thinking can enable you to connect seemingly unrelated facts, analyze information in an unbiased way, and resolve complex problems.

Critical thinkers do more than just gather facts and make decisions, of course. They use their cognitive abilities to infer missing information, connect ideas, and consider the outcome of any decision they make. These types of thinkers have the ability to act with independence and produce competent results with a minimum of ongoing supervision. For people who possess these skills, life and work choices tend to revolve around reason and logic. That rational approach to thinking is something that every employer prizes.

Examples of critical thinking skills

It's also helpful to explore some examples of different critical thinking skills, to better understand the types of abilities that employers will want to see in your resume. As you read through the following examples, you should be able to identify how each of these abilities is an essential part of the broader critical thought process. If you find yourself lacking in any of these areas, you will likely benefit from focusing on developing those skills.

Observation

The ability to conduct effective observations is an essential critical thinking skill. Problems can never be resolved until they are identified and properly understood. Your ability to observe can enable you to enjoy a deeper understanding of the facts surrounding a situation or potential problem. Just as important, those observational talents can assist you as you attempt to understand other stakeholders' different points of view and attempt to find areas of common ground to inform your decision-making.

Open-mindedness

It's crucial to keep an open mind whenever you engage in critical thinking. Being receptive to other points of view and all the available facts can help you to mitigate any personal bias that might otherwise cloud your analysis and judgment. True critical thought requires you to set aside your preconceptions and personal preferences to ensure that you examine the facts and evidence in an objective manner.

Of course, every human being has their own biases and no one expects you to erase those preconceptions completely. The key is to recognize them and have the self-awareness needed to set them aside whenever you need to look at things critically. For many people, this challenge is one of the biggest impediments to developing effective critical thought processes.

Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking is the process of evaluating data to identify patterns, prioritize facts, and eliminate irrelevant information. These skills are key in the workplace and as part of the critical thinking process, since they enable you to make reason-based judgments about the value of the information you gather and organize. This ensures that your decision-making process focuses only on the facts and details that matter, instead of focusing on information that might distract you from identifying the best possible solution.

Sound analysis skills necessarily include the ability to know which questions to ask to inform any decision. For example:

Can I trust the source of this information?

Do alternative facts exist, and how reliable are they?

Are there other points of view that I need to consider?

Do my data sources have their own biases and, if so, how might those biases impact my decision?

Do I have enough facts at hand to even begin to form an opinion or solution?

In many instances, the information that you have ready access to may be insufficient to help you to form a reasoned conclusion. That's where your research skills will come into play. Being able to conduct your own research can be a key factor in ensuring that you have the data you need to render a decision or resolve a problem. Fortunately, research is now easier than it has ever been, provided you know how to use the internet to seek out reliable data.

Proper research should always begin with an effort to define the questions that you want to answer. One effective strategy is to create a list of those questions and note why the answers will be relevant to your analysis. Then consult reliable online sources to learn more about the subject at hand. As you do so, try to avoid sites that offer opinion or fringe theories and instead rely on university websites, nonprofits, and trusted news sites. You should also consult multiple sources, to ensure that your gathered information is as trustworthy as possible.

Creative thinking

The ability to think creatively will also be a vital component of your critical thinking process. Even after you've gathered and analyzed all of the available data, and made inferences to fill in any knowledge gaps, you will still have to use some measure of creativity to devise a solution to your problem. Now, if your first reaction to that idea is to suggest that you are not a creative person, think again. Everyone has some degree of creativity and that creative streak can be developed if you put in the effort.

Note also that this type of creativity has nothing to do with the ability to write a novel, paint a picture, or create the next great musical masterpiece. Instead, this creativity focuses on the ability to identify patterns and infer connections to create a variety of possible solutions to any given problem. With practice and focus, you should be able to learn to engage in this type of thinking to help you with your decision-making.

Inference is simply the ability to “fill in the gaps” between various pieces of data and evidence. For example, if you're at work and see a coworker grimace as they bite into a sandwich in the cafeteria, you may not know exactly why they made that face. However, you can use your own experience and judgment to infer some possible reasons. Perhaps the sandwich tasted bad. Or the person experienced pain, possibly due to a bad tooth or a hard object in the sandwich. You get the picture.

The ability to infer certain truths is essential in most decision-making and problem-solving exercises, since you may not always have all of the information you need to properly understand a decision. What you will have, however, is your own experience and knowledge, as well as the ability to make reasonable assumptions that fit within the fact pattern at hand. Well-honed inference abilities will empower you to fill in those missing gaps in the evidence to make the most rational assumptions possible.

Self-awareness and self-management

Self-awareness is a prerequisite to self-management , which is a vital component in the critical thinking process. You must be able to regulate your thoughts and emotions, which means that you need to possess enough self-awareness to recognize how you're thinking and feeling. This awareness and ability to regulate yourself will ensure that you have the objectivity needed to maintain an open and unbiased mind as you examine evidence, draw conclusions, and make decisions.

Communication

Communication skills always end up being discussed in conversations like this - and for good reason. In both business and life, the ability to effectively communicate your ideas is essential for success. This is true in critical thinking as well, since you will almost certainly need to share your conclusions and solutions with other people at some point in the process.

When your available solutions or decisions are limited, that communication may be as easy as explaining your conclusion and choice. On the other hand, there will also be times when you'll need to go into great detail to share your results. For example, let's say that your critical analysis and thought process led you to several viable solutions and an equal number of potentially beneficial decisions. Communicating those complex results will require you to compare the options and the various pros and cons of each.

Why are critical thinking skills so important?

One of the biggest reasons that these abilities are so prized these days is that employers find soft skills like critical thinking in short supply. Of course, that's not a new problem. Nearly a decade ago, an American Management Association survey found that 72% of employers cited critical thinking as a vital component of their business success. However, only about half of those employers believed that their own employees possessed those vital skills.

Today, many employers continue to complain about a lack of critical thinking abilities in their prospective talent pools. A survey in 2022 found that many managers still cited critical thinking as a top-ranked skill they look for in job candidates. Those same managers, however, said that it was common for newer employees to lack those critical abilities - raising doubts about whether any real progress has been made in recent years to ensure that new workers have the thinking skills employees need to succeed.

The fact is that there are many reasons why critical thinking abilities are so vitally important for employers and employees alike:

Many occupations require critical thinking

Professional endeavors typically require more than just technical skills. Whether you're seeking a career in healthcare, scientific research, law, finance, or education, the ability to think critically can be essential to success. Every job that involves analyzing information, deducing facts, and solving problems creatively requires some measure of critical thinking.

Critical thinkers are more adaptable to new information

People who can think critically tend to be more amenable to changing their opinions and minds as new facts challenge their preconceptions. Critical thought requires constant self-reflection, to mitigate potential personal bias, and the ability to view facts and problems from many different perspectives.

Critical thinkers are adept at researching

Because critical thinking relies on information, these thinkers are forced to become talented researchers to get the data they need for their analysis. A great critical thinker not only knows how to gather new information, but also knows how to prioritize the data they encounter.

Improved decision-making

The best decisions tend to be the ones that are most reliant on facts and reason. Critical thinking processes enable you to recognize your biases, choose logic over emotional responses, and make reason-based decisions that provide superior solutions for any problem. Critical thinkers are able to enjoy these decision-making benefits in both their personal and professional lives.

How to develop critical thinking skills

Even if you're already talented in this area, it's important to know how to improve your critical thinking skills. Yes, that's correct: critical thinking abilities are not something that you're born with; they are skills that you learn and develop over the course of your life. Fortunately, there are easy ways that you can improve your own thinking skills to become a better critical thinker. For example:

1. Learn to ask basic questions

One of the best ways to develop critical thinking skills is to train yourself to ask more questions, even about basic things. By focusing on the who, what, when, where, and why of a situation or problem, you can often cut through complex possibilities and get to the heart of the issue. Questions can include things like:

Who was the last person to try to tackle this issue?

What are we trying to achieve here?

When does this need to be resolved?

Where can I find other data that might help us to solve this issue?

Why have we been using this process up until now?

2. Always question your own biases

Biases can cause you to make assumptions that may not be supported by the facts or evidence. By constantly questioning your own biases, you can improve your self-awareness and ensure that you take a more objective approach to your analysis and research during any critical thought process.

3. Take stock of your thoughts

Just as you must be conscious of your biases, you must also be conscious of your own thought processes. Humans think at such a fast pace that most of us end up taking mental shortcuts. This can cause you to miss crucial facts or even draw illogical inferences. Take your time and be aware of how your thoughts might be inhibiting your critical processes.

4. Get in the habit of examining evidence

Learn to examine facts and situations as they occur around you. This simple exercise in paying attention to the details can help you to hone your analysis skills.

5. Look for gaps in the information at hand

Practice your inference skills. When you see someone standing on a sidewalk impatiently, think about why they might be waiting in that area. Simple examples like that can get you in the habit of trying to fill in missing gaps in any pattern of evidence.

6. Always think for yourself

If you're someone who tends to follow others' opinions and conclusions, focus on learning to think more for yourself. Learn to trust your own judgment and instincts as you develop your analysis and observation skills. This will help you to prepare for more advanced critical thinking and problem-solving in the future.

7. Focus on developing leadership traits

Learn to be a leader by developing the skills and traits that can empower you in a leadership role. Practice being more decisive, adaptable , and resilient. Focus on empathy to develop your ability to understand other points of view. For more information about leadership, check out our post, These 14 Leadership Traits Can Fuel Your Career Success.

Tips to help you show critical thinking skills on your resume

To properly highlight your critical thinking skills on a resume, you should focus on using language that emphasizes your ability to solve problems. You should include this language within your resume summary, your job experience section, and your listed skills. Do not, however, simply list “critical thinking” within your skills. Instead, you'll want to include those skills that demonstrate your critical thinking abilities.

Highlighting critical thinking skills within your resume summary

It's important to draw attention to your critical thinking abilities within your resume summary, since that's the first thing that hiring managers see when they review your resume. Again, you don't need to include a direct reference to critical thinking, unless that term is included within the job description. Instead, you can simply make references to those abilities as you describe yourself and your achievements in that summary paragraph. For example:

Data-driven analyst and creative problem-solver with 10 years of experience in the technology industry. Managed multiple large projects and implemented complex technology solutions for companies with a combined market capitalization of more than $100 billion.

With this summary, the job candidate highlights their ability to rely on data analysis and creative thinking to solve problems - which is just another way of saying that they just might be the critical thinker that this prospective employer is looking for!

Showing examples of critical thinking in your work experience section

To properly showcase your critical thinking ability in your work experience section, you should include an example of a time when those skills helped you to accomplish a goal or resolve a problem for your employer. Do this by citing the example within your bulleted list of achievements for each company. For example:

Identified and resolved deficiencies within the company's vendor logistics network by devising and implementing a new process that reduced supply delays by 30%
Managed the team responsible for analyzing network security weaknesses, identifying new solutions to enhance protection and implementing strategies that reduced serious threats by 89%
Initiated and led a project that crafted new client retention solutions, reducing client loss by 60% after implementing new client management protocols and revised service personnel training and oversight processes

Listing critical thinking skills in your skills section

As we noted earlier, you should not generally include the words “critical thinking skills” in your resume's skill section. Still, you'll want to emphasize the skills that enable you to think critically by including terms like:

Data analysis

Problem solving

Active listening

Self-management

Organization

Risk management

Data-driven decision-making

Ask for resume help

With employers continuing to focus on their need for critical thinkers, it's more vital than ever to ensure that your resume properly conveys your critical thinking skills. By understanding which skills are essential for critical thinking, and working to develop your own abilities in this area, you can better position yourself and your resume to stand out from other job candidates in your field.

Need to ensure that your resume effectively highlights your important critical thinking skills? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!

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The 6 Best Critical Thinking Skills To Add to Your Resume

3 key takeaways

Why critical thinking is key for all career levels and industries
How to incorporate the six critical thinking skills hiring managers look for into your resume, with real-life examples
How Teal’s AI Resume Builder helps you incorporate critical thinking skills throughout multiple sections of your resume—quickly and easily

Hiring managers value professionals with both hard and soft skills. Strong contributors can assess a situation and make calculated decisions while considering different points of view. That’s where critical thinking comes in.

Having strong critical thinking skills on your resume is a strength and helps you stand out as a candidate capable of making informed decisions, solving complex problems, and contributing to team objectives.

But which skills do employers prioritize?

Below, you’ll learn about the six most important critical thinking skills to highlight, including practical ways to include them on your resume.

What is critical thinking, and why is it important?

The critical thinking process is the ability to think clearly and rationally, connect ideas, and apply logic to situations.

People who develop critical thinking skills and demonstrate them are adept at analyzing facts, identifying biases, and developing rational judgment when dealing with a situation or problem.

For example, a team working on a go-to-market strategy needs to think about the business goal, brainstorm various options, and analyze which has the highest rate of success.

Critical thinking is important for every career stage and every industry. You can analyze different perspectives, develop multiple solutions independently and with colleagues, and practice lifelong learning. Strong critical thinkers can identify biases, be curious, and understand how relevant something is to the situation.

Top 6 critical thinking skills

Here are six common critical thinking skills that hiring managers often look for:

1. Questioning

A questioning mindset is the starting point for critical thinking.

People with a questioning mindset have strong observation skills and can quickly identify new problems and opportunities. Typically, those with a questioning mindset are curious and dive into research as they analyze a situation.

By regularly asking questions like, "How can we do this better?" or, "What can we learn from this?" you contribute to an environment focused on growth and development.

Showcasing your questioning skills on a resume involves more than just listing "Questioning" under the “Skills” section. You'll want to weave it into various parts of your resume alongside qualifications, impact, and hard skills to demonstrate how you've applied it in real-world situations.

For example you can demonstrate critical thinking skills like this:

Work Experience

Questioned existing project management methodologies and initiated a review, leading to a 25% increase in project delivery efficiency
Conducted 12 stakeholder interviews per quarter to understand project requirements, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
Regularly engaged 10+ team members during meetings to foster open communication, resulting in improved collaboration

Add critical thinking skills to your work experience with Teal

Your resume soft skills , like critical thinking, should be highlighted alongside hard skills, qualifications, and impact to show how you used them for success.

With the Teal AI Resume Builder , you can showcase these key skills in your "Work Experience" section, as part of your awards, in a dedicated "Projects" section, and more. Teal provides customizable sections with built-in guidance so you can create a comprehensive overview of your career—without forgetting any important sections or details.

Where to showcase critical thinking skills on a resume

2. Creativity

Creativity and critical thinking are usually considered two opposite ends of the skills spectrum—but in reality, the two are deeply interconnected.

Creativity critical thinking can help you break free from established thought processes, patterns, and biases, which is crucial for evaluating information objectively and making rational decisions.

A creative mindset encourages challenging existing norms and assumptions. This helps foster a growth mindset that aligns with the cultural values of many startups. By introducing novelty, flexibility, and depth to the decision-making process, creativity helps you deliver better results for the business.

Integrating creativity as a critical thinking skill into your resume involves showcasing instances where you've taken non-generic approaches to solve problems, make decisions, or innovate.

Here's one way you can incorporate creativity into your resume:

Innovation Challenge Winner (2022): Led a team of 15 people to win an industry innovation challenge by creatively solving a long-standing issue in supply chain management

An award on a resume featuring critical thinking skills

3. Analysis

Analytical skills on a resume add significant value in virtually any professional setting and are crucial for personal development as well. Demonstrating these skills can help show that you’re adaptable in the workplace and able to draw correct conclusions from information.

Here's how you can showcase analytical skills in the "Projects" section of your resume:

Customer Behavior Prediction: Utilized machine learning algorithms to analyze customer behavior, leading to more targeted marketing and a 25% increase in sales
Website Optimization: Conducted A/B tests on website elements, leading to an improved user experience and a 15% increase in engagement
Resource Allocation: Analyzed departmental needs and reallocated resources, resulting in a 10% decrease in operational costs

4. Decision-making

In fast-paced work environments, employers value job seekers who can identify and analyze problems and make effective decisions to solve them.

Hiring managers often look for candidates with strong decision-making skills within teams, which may require technical or industry-specific expertise. Strong decision-making among a team can contribute to better cohesion and collective problem-solving.

In addition to incorporating decision-making skills in your professional summary, work experience, projects, and more, a resume "Skills" section can be a compelling way to showcase decision-making—highlighting the tools you used to analyze situations, weigh options, and execute effective solutions—making your resume more persuasive.

A resume skills section featuring critical thinking skills

5. Communication

Once you’ve identified an issue and discussed possible solutions, good communication comes in handy. Good communication skills mean you can present conclusions in a persuasive manner—written or verbal.

However, good communication isn’t just about speaking; it's also about listening. Active listening and open-mindedness help you understand other perspectives and shift your own when necessary. It also involves understanding your and others’ emotions.

There are plenty of ways to integrate communication skills into your resume, whether that's under work experience, projects, or your “Education” section. Sharing quantifiable metrics can also go a long way toward showing how your communication skills have saved the day in your past roles.

Here's a quick example:

Facilitated team meetings to ensure clear communication and effective collaboration, resulting in a 20% increase in project completion rates
Presented quarterly reports with team performance and future strategies to senior management

6. Leadership

Good leaders need to be able to evaluate the potential risks and benefits of a course of action (or many) and guide their teams toward the best possible outcomes. By showcasing how your leadership skills have benefited your past companies, you demonstrate your effectiveness as a critical thinker.

One of the most effective ways to highlight your leadership skills on your resume is to show the impact you made at various organizations, with key metrics to show your decisions under pressure.

Here's an example:

Work Experience

Spearheaded team expansion from 10 to 30 members in 12 months, leading to a 40% increase in project delivery efficiency and overall team productivity
Established and led a cross-functional task force, resulting in a 25% reduction in project timelines and a subsequent 15% improvement in client satisfaction
Directed a team through a critical organizational restructuring, boosting employee morale and engagement, and contributing to a 20% reduction in staff turnover

How to add critical thinking skills to your resume or cover letter

In a competitive job market, employers aren’t just looking for technical expertise or hard skills—they also want candidates who can think critically, solve complex problems, resolve conflict, and adapt to the ever-changing professional landscape.

Exceptional critical thinking and conceptual skills can be the difference between you and another candidate. They demonstrate your ability to analyze situations, make sound decisions, and lead teams—all of which are invaluable in almost any role and industry.

Here are a few ways you can include critical thinking skills on your resume or cover letter to make sure your job application stands out:

1. Use action verbs that highlight critical thinking

Action verbs can bring your critical thinking skills to life and make your resume more engaging. Instead of using generic verbs like "did" or "made," opt for more dynamic verbs such as "analyzed," "formulated," "assessed," or "strategized."

2. Integrate critical thinking into your brand

Your resume summary is often the first thing recruiters read. By embedding critical thinking skills there, you set the tone for the rest of your resume.

For example, a statement like "Results-driven professional, skilled in analytical problem-solving and strategic decision-making" immediately signals to the employer that you have valuable critical thinking skills.

3. Use real-world scenarios and projects

Real-world examples offer concrete evidence of your critical thinking abilities. You can create a separate “Projects” section where you detail specific instances of how you applied critical thinking to solve real-world problems. This provides context that makes your skills more relatable and impactful.

Add critical-thinking skills to your resume with Teal

The job search can seem daunting at first. No matter your industry or career level, editing your resume is easier with Teal.

Teal’s AI Resume Builder helps you quickly generate personalized resumes tailored for each job application. Incorporate your critical thinking ability by customizing every section and following expert guidance to ensure you don't miss a beat every time you hit apply.

Want to learn more about how Teal can help create a standout resume? Sign up for a free account today to get started!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i demonstrate my critical thinking skills in a job interview after including them on my resume, can i include critical thinking skills in my resume if my previous job roles didn't explicitly require them, should i list critical thinking skills separately on my resume or integrate them into my experience and qualifications.

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6 Critical Thinking Skills to Supercharge Your Resume

Customers Interviewed by:

When employers are asked which resume skills are the most important, the majority answer “critical thinking skills”.

This is according to the Job Outlook 2022 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

But what exactly are critical thinking skills? And how can you highlight them on your resume? Let’s find out…

What are critical thinking skills and why are they important?

6 essential critical thinking skills

6 ways to add critical thinking skills to your resume.

How can you develop your critical thinking skills?

What are critical thinking skills and why are they important?

Humans employ critical thinking skills without even realizing it. From the time we get up to the time we go to sleep, our minds are always working to analyze and make sense of the world around us.

Critical thinking skills allow us to see beyond the surface level of many issues and problems, and to think deeply and creatively about potential solutions.

Critical thinking skills are key for many modern job roles. If you’re thinking about data engineer skills , critical thinking is needed to design and manage complex data systems. In terms of data scientist skills , critical thinking plays a big part in interpreting data to gain useful insights. When it comes to project manager skills , the ability to think critically helps to manage tasks and solve project issues effectively. Finally, when considering business analyst skills , critical thinking is essential to understand business needs and suggest improvements.

Here are six critical thinking skills that can strengthen your resume. Try to use them whenever you can.

1. Questioning

To think critically, you need to be able to question the information you’re given. This means looking at all sides of an issue and not taking anything at face value.

Questioning at work might involve asking your boss for more information about a new project that’s been assigned to you. Or for clarification on an email that was sent out to the team.

Questioning information is a key part of being a successful employee. It shows that you’re engaged and interested in what’s going on around you.

How to add “questioning” to your resume:

Consistently posed relevant questions during meetings and discussions, contributing to a deeper analysis of topics.
Questioned and critically evaluated the information presented in team communications, resulting in improved comprehension and minimized misunderstandings.

2. Creativity

Critical thinking isn’t just about logic and reasoning – it also requires creativity.

Sometimes the most unexpected solution can be the most effective. This kind of problem solving requires creative, outside the box type of thinking.

An example of using creativity at work is to brainstorm with colleagues in an attempt to come up with new ideas or solutions to a problem. Or you can use creativity to look at a problem from a different perspective or angle.

For example, if you’re struggling to come up with new ideas, try talking to people outside your field for inspiration.

How to add “creativity” to your resume:

Applied creative problem-solving techniques to develop innovative solutions, contributing to a 30% increase in efficiency and cost savings within the department.
Spearheaded a creative brainstorming initiative, fostering a collaborative environment where diverse ideas were encouraged.

3. Analysis

When you’re presented with an argument, it’s important to be able to analyze it rationally to determine its strengths and weaknesses.

For example, a vendor might try to persuade you to buy a product or service to help your business grow. In order to make a decision, you need to analyze the vendor’s argument.

What are the potential rewards of buying? What are the risks? Does the vendor’s argument make sense? Is there anything they’re leaving out?

By analyzing the vendor’s argument in this way, you can make informed decisions that align with the growth and success of your business.

How to add “analysis” to your resume:

Applied critical analysis to competitor data, providing valuable insights that guided product development decisions.
Analyzed complex financial reports, enabling accurate forecasting and budgeting.

4. Decision-Making

Critical thinking skills allow you to sift through information and make well-informed decisions.

For example, if your job is a customer service representative, you need to make decisions when people call to complain about a product. Should you refund the customer’s money, send them a replacement product, or offer some other type of compensation?

After considering all the options, you would then make the decision that you believe is in the best interest of the customer and the company.

How to add “decision-making” to your resume:

Demonstrated strong decision-making skills by assessing risks and evaluating alternatives, resulting in a 20% increase in project completion rates.
Led cross-functional teams in critical decision-making processes by gathering relevant information, analyzing potential outcomes, and implementing solutions.

5. Communication

Critical thinkers know how to express themselves clearly and persuasively. They can communicate their ideas in a way that is logical and easy for others to understand.

In the work environment, good communication helps prevent misunderstandings and conflict at work. It also gets everyone on the same page, which creates a more efficient workflow.

Overall, good communication skills result in a more positive, professional, and productive work environment.

How to add “communication” to your resume:

Delivered compelling presentations to diverse stakeholders, conveying complex ideas in a concise and accessible manner.
Orchestrated communication strategies across multiple departments, facilitating collaboration and ensuring clear dissemination of information.

6. Leadership

If you want to be a successful leader , developing your critical thinking skills is essential.

Leadership requires the ability to ask questions, make sound decisions, solve problems, and communicate clearly. Good leaders also continually challenge their own assumptions.

Many businesses do not reach their potential because the leaders lack the ability to do these kinds of things effectively. Are you beginning to see why employers place such a high value on critical thinking skills?

How to add “leadership” to your resume:

Led a high-performing team of 15 members, employing strategic decision-making and effective delegation to drive project success.
Fostered a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, inspiring team members to think critically, take calculated risks, and implement creative solutions.

Employers are always looking for candidates who can think critically and solve problems. That’s why it’s so important to showcase critical thinking skills on your resume.

If you’re not sure how to add critical thinking skills examples to your resume in a way that will have the biggest impact, here are some tips and strategies:

1. Use keywords

When searching for jobs, be sure to include keywords like “critical thinking” or “problem solving.”

Some employers may even specifically state in the job description that they are looking for candidates with strong critical thinking skills . If so, it’s absolutely vital that you include that keyword.

To make sure you’re using the right keywords on your resume, use a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner . It uses AI technology to analyze your resume and score it based on how well it matches the job description.

2. Highlight examples

On your resume , be sure to highlight any projects or tasks that required you to use strong critical thinking skills. You can mention how you solved a difficult problem at work, or discuss a time when you had to make a quick decision using logic and reasoning.

For example, you could say, “Increased social media engagement by 82% after analyzing what our top competitors were doing.”

Remember, employers are also looking for creative thinking, so share any successful results you got from thinking outside-the-box.

3. Describe your process

It’s always a good idea to show exactly how you solved problems using critical thinking skills. In other words, present any research, analysis, or brainstorming that went into your decision-making process.

You can also mention any tools or technology that you used. For example, you could say, “I improved department efficiency by 50 percent using Six Sigma management tools.”

4. Use action words

When writing your resume, use powerful action verbs that demonstrate critical thinking skills, such as:

Investigated
Transformed
Spear-headed

For a comprehensive list of action verbs to use on your resume, check out 500 Resume Action Words .

5. Focus on transferability

Critical thinking is a soft skill , which means it’s transferabl e . This means you can apply it to any job, across all industries and positions.

Even if you don’t have expertise in the role you’re applying for, you can still highlight critical thinking skills that are relevant to the position.

For example, if you’re applying for a job in customer service , mention any experience you have with managing difficult people, even if they weren’t your customers.

6. Use numbers and data

Whenever possible, use metrics to showcase your critical thinking skills.

Rather than saying “I increased sales by coming up with an innovative marketing strategy,” say “I increased sales by 30 percent with an innovative marketing strategy.”

Following these six tips for adding critical thinking skills to your resume will make you a stronger job candidate for any position you apply for.

To make sure your resume is as strong as possible, use a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner . It analyzes your resume and tells you how to improve it to give you the best possible chance of getting an interview.

How can you develop your critical thinking skills?

Developing strong critical thinking skills will benefit your professional life and help you get jobs. They’ll also make you a more well-rounded and successful person in general.

You won’t develop these skills overnight – it can take time and practice – but it’s well worth the effort.

Here are 8 things you can do to increase your critical thinking powers.

1. Read, read, read

Reading is great “brain-food” and you should try to do as much of it as possible.

The more you read, the better your understanding of the world will be, and the easier it will be to see both sides of an argument.

Try to read a variety of materials, from news articles to novels to non-fiction books.

2. Challenge your own beliefs and assumptions

Assuming that you are always correct can lead to close-mindedness. It can also prevent you from learning new information or considering new ideas.

To become more open-minded, you need to be willing to challenge your own beliefs and assumptions.

Try to seek out other points of view as much as possible and always question the source of your information. Is it objective and reliable?

Also, when you’re confronted with a new idea, take the time to really think about it before you form an opinion.

3. Weigh the pros and cons

Before making a decision, always consider carefully the potential positives and negatives of each option. This will allow you to see both sides of the issue and make a more informed decision.

Of course, this is not always easy, and there are times when the best course of action may not be immediately obvious.

However, taking the time to weigh the potential options is always worth the effort. It increases the chances of making a decision that leads to a positive outcome.

4. Consider different interpretations

How many times has your initial reaction to a situation colored your judgment and prevented you from seeing all the possibilities?

When you’re trying to understand a situation, it’s important to consider all the different ways you could interpret it.

For example, if you receive a low grade on a test, it is easy to feel discouraged and think that you are not smart enough. But if you take a step back and look at the situation objectively, you may realize that the test was unfair or that you simply didn’t have enough time to prepare.

By considering the different interpretations of a situation, you can make better decisions and avoid potential pitfalls.

5. Practice active listening

In our fast-paced, often hectic lives, it can be easy to let our minds wander when someone else is speaking. That’s why it’s so important to make a conscious effort to actively listen to what others are saying.

The next time you find yourself in a discussion, really try to listen and understand the other person’s perspective. It could help you see the situation in a new light.

6. Be willing to change your mind

If you find that a new argument or piece of evidence has convinced you, don’t be afraid to change your mind. This shows that you are flexible and adaptable. These are highly valued qualities in most workplaces.

Additionally, being willing to change your mind can help you avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.

7. Ask questions

It’s important to remember that nobody knows everything. So don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Asking questions can deepen your understanding about a topic. It also shows that you’re interested and want to learn more.

The next time you’re in a meeting or listening to a presentation, don’t be nervous about raising your hand and asking a question. Chances are, you’re not the only one who wants to know the answer!

8. Practice, practice, practice

Like anything else, critical thinking is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. The more you do it, the better you’ll become at it.

So challenge yourself to think critically about everything from the news to your daily conversations. Over time, you’ll start to develop good critical thinking skills that will last a lifetime. And, of course, these skills also look great on your resume.

To fully optimize your resume for each job you apply to, use a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner . It uses AI technology to analyze your resume and score it based on how well it matches the job description.

What Are Critical Thinking Skills?

The skills that help us to analyze information, arguments, and situations are known as critical thinking skills. Critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from plenty of information and discriminate between information.

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

A critical thinker evaluates sources of information- data, facts, and research findings. For instance, you can research the pros and cons of having a balanced diet. A quick Google search will give you plenty of information on why it is good for your health or is not.

You can find data to back up either side of the claim. Then, using critical thinking skills, you decide for yourself if having a balanced diet will be more or less beneficial for you.

So, critical thinking is important both personally and professionally. It is a skill that is highly valued by employers as well.

Why is Critical Thinking Important In a Workplace?

Critical thinking guides good decision-making, helping you spot possible obstacles and discover solutions to them. It assists you and your coworkers in coming up with new ideas to achieve objectives.

Critical thinking helps in identifying, and addressing workflow inefficiencies, improving management practices, guiding financial decisions, and cultivating a strategic attitude.

Employers want critical thinkers to evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution. Hiring a critical thinker implies micro-managing is not required.

How Would You Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills in Your Job Search?

Critical thinking and critical thinker are the go-to words for employers, so much so that they mention them in the job listing. So, it fetches you brownie points when you mention critical thinking on your resume.

But is that all? Not really!

So, how do you demonstrate critical thinking skills in your job search?

Use Critical Thinking While Looking for Jobs

Read the job listing carefully and decide whether it would be worth your time. In your job search, it might happen that the role is suitable but the working hours are not, or the remuneration is not competitive. Would it then be worth going through the hiring process only to reject the offer in the end?

Add Keywords to Your Resume

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listing, then emphasize critical thinking skills throughout your job search. Use critical thinking keywords such as analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc. Include the top critical thinking skills that best describe you in your work experience and resume summary.

Demonstrate Critical Thinking in the Experience Section

Mention prior experiences where you had to make a decision in a challenging situation. It could be an instance where you supervised a project when no instructions were given or where you had to prioritize between many tasks.

What impact did your decision have? Quantify the results you achieved due to the decisions you took and mention them as bullet points in the experience section.

Demonstrate Critical Thinking in the Resume Summary

Craft a resume summary that encapsulates your experiences and sprinkle keywords such as implemented, result-oriented, problem solver, and driven. Keep the resume summary short and mention the most valuable experiences that you have had.

For instance, a driven individual with 5+ years of experience in app development who has led a team of 10 and implemented complex changes in software for IT companies.

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include critical thinking skills in the body of your letter. Pick relevant situations and experiences that you highly value and challenge you the most. Give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated critical thinking at work.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use instances when you demonstrated critical thinking at work when answering behavioral questions. Use the STAR method or situation, task, action, and result method.

Discuss times when you were faced with challenges at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve them. Explain your thought process clearly to the interviewer.

Also read : Should I include my soft skills on a resume?

What Are the Examples of Using Critical Thinking on a Job?

Aside from hard skills that decide how skilled you will be at your job, soft skills decide how tactful you will be with your tasks. Having rich soft skills will ensure that you perform your tasks correctly with very little mistakes or setbacks.

Deciding the precedence order of tasks : A critical thinker decides the order by which the tasks should be completed on the basis of urgency and importance.
Deciding the best course of action : A critical thinker reviews the evidence and devises a strategy to reach the desired outcome.
Deciding favorable inputs : A critical thinker decides which information, data, or materials (in case a project requires using raw material) that would be required to complete the task.

The Top 5 Critical Thinking Skills

The in-demand critical thinking skills must be added to your resume and cover letter. They should be emphasized throughout the application process, such as during interviews.

The most important critical thinking skills are:

It means carefully examining something- a set of data or a text. Critical thinkers examine information, understand it, and convey its implications.

Communication

You have to communicate with colleagues and superiors to share your ideas effectively. Often, you will have to share your conclusions with them one-on-one or in a group.

So, you would use critical thinking and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

Also read : How to leverage communication skills in a workplace?

Critical thinking involves creativity and innovation. You would spot patterns in the information or provide a solution that no one else has thought of before. It requires a creative bent of mind.

Open-mindedness

To think critically, one needs to put aside assumptions or judgments. You have to analyze the information you receive and be objective in evaluating ideas without bias.

Problem-Solving

It is another critical thinking skill that involves- analyzing a problem, generating its solution, and then implementing it. It also involves assessing the success of the plan.

Hiring managers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They need employees to come up with practical solutions.

How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills?

If you catch yourself making rushed decisions with no real thought, don't worry because it is a skill that you can build. Use the seven-step rule to develop critical thinking skills:

Step 1: Identify the Problem

Choose to be precise while identifying the issue. The narrower the scope, the easier it is to find answers. You do not have to do it all on your own either, if there are coworkers with the same skill set as you, consult them so that you cover all bases.

Step 2: Gather Data

Find several sources of information that contain different ideas and points of view. Doing so will help you avoid hasty decisions and understand how to ensure integrity of choices by looking at it from all points of view.

Step 3: Analyze and Evaluate the Data

To analyze and evaluate data, you need to check the reliability of the sources from where the data is derived. Check if the conclusions are backed by data.

Step 4: Identify Assumptions

Ensure that you identify any underlying assumptions before you come to a conclusion. Consider others' assumptions from every angle along with yours to eradicate any biased decisions and to come up with the best solutions.

Step 5: Establish Significance

Include information that is useful and relevant. While conducting surveys, use a suitable sample size to determine if the outcomes affect many people.

Step 6: Make a Decision/Reach a Conclusion

Identify various conclusions that are possible. Decide which of them are sufficiently supported. Weigh their pros and cons. Making brash decisions can be risky as the lack of thought can lead you to lose resources in many ways.

Step 7: Present or Communicate

Present the conclusion to all stakeholders. Instead of being unprepared, try to structure your thoughts and develop an outline so that you do not miss out on any points. Articulating your thoughts correctly can earn you great respect in a workplace.

Key Takeaways

Critical thinking skills are applicable in both personal and professional lives. More often than not, they are mentioned in the job listings. Keep these points in mind while incorporating such skills into your resumes:

Critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from plenty of information and are highly valued by employers
If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listing, then emphasize critical thinking skills throughout your job search
Critical thinking would help you to decide the precedence order of tasks, the best course of action, and favorable inputs for a task
Develop critical thinking skills by applying the seven-step rule

Use our career platform for a smooth resume-building experience. We provide a 24/7 online chat service for all your job & career-related queries. You can also reach out to us at [email protected] for any professional assistance.

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How to Highlight Critical Thinking Skills on Your Resume

Avoid Listing Critical Thinking as a Skill

Skills related to critical thinking, highlight your ability to perform critical analysis, feature your communication skills, when to mention critical thinking on your resume.

Hiring managers are drawn to candidates with a strong capacity for critical thinking. Organizations want applicants who can identify creative solutions to complex problems quickly and independently. The question is, how do you highlight critical thinking skills on your resume?

Simply listing it as a skill doesn’t carry much weight if you can’t provide tangible examples, so you’ll need to leverage your professional experience to highlight this attribute. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide insights to help you showcase your critical thinking skills using a variety of different strategies:

Although this may seem surprising, you should avoid listing critical thinking as a skill when building your resume. The term itself is broad and won’t help the hiring manager to gain a better understanding of what your qualifications are. Instead, you should provide examples of solving complex problems quickly and efficiently. You can also incorporate key terms and skills that draw attention to your capacity for critical thinking without needing to use the word specifically. The resume’s goal is to highlight why you’re qualified for the role you’re applying for, and you won’t be able to separate yourself as a candidate if your content is generic.

There are many ways to highlight your capacity for critical thinking by featuring more specific types of skills on your resume. For instance, data analysis and data-driven decision-making skills draw attention to your ability to analyze and interpret findings critically. By featuring skill sets that are more grounded in your field, you’ll be able to highlight your critical thinking capabilities and industry expertise simultaneously. Below, you’ll find a list of skills you can use to emphasize critical thinking on your resume:

Business Strategy
Communication
Content Strategy
Continuous Improvement
Change Management
Creative Problem Solving
Creative Thinking
Cross-Functional Leadership
Data Analysis
Data-Driven Decision Making
Forecasting
Marketing Strategy
Process Improvement
Risk Management
Qualitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
Solution Development
Strategic Planning
Strategy Development
Technical Leadership
Technical Solutions
Trend Analysis

To highlight your critical thinking skills, you’ll want to draw attention to complex problems you’ve solved over the course of your career. For instance, if you were a project manager within the software industry, you may want to mention a time when you had to create a solution for a critical issue during the software development lifecycle. This paints a much clearer picture of your qualifications for the hiring manager while also drawing attention to your capacity for critical thinking in high-pressure situations. Below, you’ll find an example of how to showcase this attribute in your work experience:

Managed the development of new software products for an industry-leading education technology company and coordinated with software developers and learning specialists to define product vision and create roadmaps based on customer data
Identified the ideal solution to a critical issue during the development of a new software solution, utilized cloud technology to streamline user authentication while maintaining security standards, and prevented a three-month delay in product launch
Interfaced with enterprise customers and project stakeholders to field concerns, resolve project roadblocks, and ensure alignment with overarching product vision

Notice how the candidate never uses the term critical thinking once in any of these bullet points. Although it isn’t stated directly, these accomplishments emphasize the project manager’s ability to devise practical solutions and analyze data critically, which is extremely valuable to prospective employers. Critical thinking extends far beyond the technology field, as you’ll see in the following example:

Led rebranding initiatives to transform brand messaging based on customer data, collaborated with the marketing to develop new advertising solutions, and successfully re-established the brand as a trusted industry leader in the financial services space
Developed PR strategy and communicated with media outlets to schedule a press release and drafted a response to major controversy related to a data security breach
Successfully retained 80% of existing client base by attending meetings with executive leadership and fielding concerns to regain client trust

Here, the candidate highlights their critical thinking skills by detailing a situation where they needed to develop marketing solutions for an underperforming brand. Only some of the problems you encounter during your career will always be purely technical. In this case, the job seeker showcases critical thinking in the form of strategy development. The important thing to emphasize is your ability to use objective reasoning to assess problems and determine the ideal solution. Providing tangible examples of this from your career will always carry more weight than simply listing “critical thinking” will in your skills section.

The ability to express yourself cogently and effectively is very much an indicator of critical thinking skills. Suppose you’re a sales executive educating a potential client on a service offering. In that case, you’ll need to build a compelling presentation that persuasively outlines the benefits of your product as it relates to the customer’s needs. As a team leader, resolving employee conflicts and collaborating effectively with your direct reports requires strong critical thinking skills. Communication skills are extremely important to hiring managers, and highlighting examples of this on your resume will go a long way in helping you secure your next interview.

While you’ll generally want to avoid simply listing this as a skill on your document, there are situations where you may need to incorporate it as written. If you notice that critical thinking is mentioned multiple times in a job description, this is a strong indicator that the employer is using it as a keyword in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This is a situation where it’s safer to list the term directly to achieve ATS compliance, even if it doesn’t paint a compelling picture of your professional experience.

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Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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Critical Thinking Skills To Advance Your Career: Definitions and Examples

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What are critical thinking skills?

Common critical thinking skills at work, examples of listing critical thinking skills on a resume, tips to improve your critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking is an ability you have to reason logically, rationally and reflectively. Critical thinkers can identify problems by observation and research, question assumptions and analyze to resolve issues. Managers value employees who use critical thinking skills in the workplace to become efficient problem-solvers. In this article, you’ll learn about critical thinking skills and see skill examples to help you get hired.

Critical thinking skills are thought processes you can develop that help you analyze problems and resolve situations in an analytical, unbiased way. Critical thinking skills are often used at work during problem solving, conflict resolution, collaboration, interpretation and in leadership tasks.

Here are common critical thinking skills with definitions used in at work:

To be accurate is to be free of errors or discrepancies. This means you are careful to choose the right word, double-check your numbers and statistics, and be precise about times and places to the best of your ability. Accounting, for example, is a profession in which accuracy is crucial to ensure that the finances of a company are in good order. Accuracy is also important in the scientific research, engineering and pharmacy industries.

Information-seeking

Information seekers actively search for data, through research and observation, for making decisions rather than relying only on personal preference or a desired outcome. Other professions in which information gathering is crucial include journalism and law enforcement. For example, an office administrator planning a holiday party cannot just make a reservation at their favorite restaurant; instead, they must seek out quotes, find open dates from venues and ensure each employee can attend before choosing a day.

Logical reasoning

Logical reasoning is using rational connections between things, events and people to make conclusions. A judge is an example of a career in which logical reasoning is important. A judge has to collect a vast amount of information from a wide variety of sources, decide which information is most reliable, and come up with a verdict accordingly. Other professions in which logical reasoning is important include computer scientist and psychologist.

To evaluate is to judge the quality of something. You might do this every day when you decide whether or not something you want to buy is worth the price. An antiques appraiser has to look at an object, study its history and documentation, and decide its value. Financial advisors and building site inspectors are other professions that requires evaluation.

This skill requires you to use the information you’ve gathered and the conclusions you have made to make a reasonable theory for what might happen next. Predicting is different from guessing because you can use information like a past experience to help make your prediction more likely.

For example, an oncologist uses past data, research and their own experience to decide whether chemotherapy or surgery might have the best results for a particular patient. Other examples of professions in which predicting would be a good critical thinking skill include meteorologists and business analysts.

The best way to demonstrate your critical thinking skills on a resume is by showing how you have practiced them in the past. Here are some examples of how to list critical thinking skills in the work experience section of your resume:

Example of observation, research and problem-solving

‘Researched and implemented a mobile phone app that parents and teachers used to reduce school pickup wait times by an average of 17 minutes.’

Example of communication and creativity

‘Created an ice-breaker evening event for junior analysts that included a scavenger hunt and skits; the event has since become an annual tradition and spread to all four branches.’

Example of research, evaluation and implementation

‘Analyzed customer service feedback surveys to identify three major areas of improvement, and organized trainings and course material accordingly.’

Example of predicting, reasoning and problem-solving

‘Adjusted inventory effectively to prepare for hurricane season, saving the grocery chain $1.2 million in wastage and improving profits by 30 percent.’

Here are popular ways that you can develop your critical thinking skills:

Ask questions

Ask a lot of questions. Sometimes a situation that seems difficult to solve may not be if you ask questions to find out where the problem is coming from. Questioning is a way to continually gather evidence and find out why other people think or act the way they do. For example, if your team members miss a weekly meeting regularly, you can ask what their challenges are in attending the meeting, and find a way to make sure each person can attend.

Think about your thinking

It is important to examine your own thought patterns and assumptions to see if any prejudice or bias affects the way you tackle a problem. For example, if you have always worked in an office, you may feel that a fellow employee who works remotely is less productive than you. If you examine why you are thinking this way, it could be that you have only ever worked from an office, which is why home is synonymous with relaxation. However, if you objectively analyze that employee’s output and compare it to others who work from both home and the office, you will get hard data with which you can prove or disprove your assumption.

This applies to thought, perspectives and people. Always approaching problems with one set of tools, or always relying on one person’s advice, can only lead you to the same result each time. For better results, research alternate methods, talk to others in similar positions and even examine the viewpoints of those who oppose you. For example, if you are tasked with making a bicycle delivery in a new part of town, you might talk to others who live in the area to find out about shortcuts and look up different routes on map apps until you find one that best meets your needs.

Essential Critical Thinking Skills: Demonstrate Critical Thinking in Your Resume

Here are the top ways to show your Critical Thinking skills on your resume. Find out relevant Critical Thinking keywords and phrases and build your resume today.

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In This Guide:

Critical thinking skills: key takeaways for your resume.

Essential Critical Thinking Skills in professional resumes. How to apply Critical Thinking in resume building in 2022. Show that you are a Critical Thinker and get the interview call.

How to demonstrate critical thinking skills on your resume

Describe a challenging situation at work that put your critical thinking and decision-making skills to the test
Mention a situation in which your answer to a problem was crucial for the success of a project
Show that you are capable of prioritizing your task when having a significant workload.
Provide evidence for a situation in which you have to conduct a whole project without any instructions

Remember that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes, which means that you have to pay close attention to describing the most essential and valuable facts about yourself as a professional. Thus, recruiters will be 100% sure that you know how to sort out data and explain it understandably.

Do not hesitate to use action verbs like ''analyze'', ''identify'' and ''solve'', which show that you have analytical skills. Focus on results rather than empty explanations. Now let's put everything said into practice.

Example 1: Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the experience section

Sales Analyst applying for the position of Sales Manager

• Designed a social media strategy by myself that increased the company's share growth rate by 15%
• Achieved a 200% increase in the lifetime value of every client by utilizing an innovative sales strategy
• Created daily reports and contacted customers to determine customers' satisfaction
• Completed a massive sales project 4 months before schedule, saving 35% of the estimated project cost
• Collected, evaluated, and interpreted data from surveys every month and presented the results in front of the whole department
• Resolved gaps between project development and budget costs, which led to better performance and increased brand awareness

The following candidate demonstrated undeniable experience in solving problems. They resolved gaps, created successful strategies and worked with big data.

The applicant proved to be self-directed by designing an entire strategy entirely by themselves. The candidate's critical thinking skills led to astonishing results that impacted the entire performance of the company.

Demonstrate that you are good at prioritizing by selecting the essential experience points in your resume. Use action verbs that indicate critical thinking, like "analyze" and "conclude."

Prove that you solved problems and made critical decisions by providing appropriate examples. Let the results speak for you as a professional. Thus, recruiters are more likely to select you among other candidates because critical thinkers are the most promising employees.

Example 2: resume summary.

Project Manager applying for the position of Chief Operating Officer

With solid experience, this applicant proves to be a reliable professional who makes important decisions in a vast and successful company. They know how to coordinate massive projects while leading large teams of professionals.

Use this section to mention the most valuable experience in your career that proves your critical thinking and leadership skills. Do not forget the 80/20 principle. It is a clear sign that you are capable of evaluating and prioritizing information.

Example 3: Key Achievements

Research Scientist applying for the position of Medical Writer

Participating in such revolutionary projects is a clear sign that the candidate is highly intelligent. Their diligent work in writing these articles and holding inspiring and valuable presentations prove their critical thinking.

In this section, you should prove you are a trustworthy individual. Your accomplishments will provide evidence that you are a go-getter who always reaches their goals.

Example 4: Courses & Talents

Intern applying for the role of Business Analyst

You could build an impression about yourself by the courses you took in the past. They show that you are a self-directed individual who knows how to set SMART goals in their learning and professional experience. Mention only those courses that directly relate to the position you apply for.

Computer Technician applying for the job of Infrastructure Analyst

This candidate listed the most important skills for a computer technician. They emphasized both soft and hard skills that prove their professionalism.

Do not hesitate to add those critical thinking skills that you find appropriate for the section. Just remember to emphasize results and abilities rather than empty explanations. Action verbs and catchy phrases might help you create a good impression as an extraordinary person and professional.

Show action: use action verbs that indicate critical thinking and experience.
Prioritize & Evaluate: you should provide the recruiter with the most valuable information about yourself. This action proves you to be a critical thinker.
Show problem solving: demonstrate your inner drive to overcome every issue and provide an answer to every problem.
Set SMART goals: show that you always set reasonable goals that enhance your motivation to work.
Demonstrate intelligence in decision-making: let your results speak for you. Provide evidence that you can work under stress and make essential and logical decisions that lead to success.

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The 5 Best Critical Thinking Skills and How to Improve Them

You probably heard the sentence “put on your thinking cap” a lot when you were in elementary school.

While if someone said that to you as an adult, you probably would feel a bit offended, it is important to be able to sit back and analyze a problem and come to a solution.

Critical thinking is a great skill to have in life and the workplace .

Nowadays, we are fully invested in social media and consuming a lot of data on a daily basis, having the ability to process informatio n is essential.

Many jobs are the same, and hiring managers value someone who can take a problem and find a solution or find ways to improve productivity quickly.

By using a resume builder , you can incorporate your critical thinking skills the correct way and impress a hiring manager.

By reading this guide you can understand what critical thinking is, how to include your skills in a job application, and have a look at some critical thinking skills examples.

What Is the Meaning of Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a way of analyzing data that helps you to solve problems and make good decisions.

The meaning of critical thinking has to do with analyzing information by considering the validity of your ideas, opinions, and conclusions.

This type of analytical skill is necessary for you to take your ideas and opinions, and determine if they are valid.

With critical thinking skills, you will be able to make better decisions and improve your problem-solving skills.

Critical thinkers use evidence found through research or experience to support or disprove ideas rather than accepting them at face value.

Critical thinkers do not blindly accept claims as true just because someone says so; instead, they evaluate whether those claims might be true based on the evidence available at hand (or should I say “online”).

They ask themselves questions like, what makes me believe this? Is there another way of looking at this situation?

Does this argument really hold water when examined from multiple viewpoints simultaneously?

Is there any reason why someone would lie about these facts?

Critical thinking helps you to know what is the truth or correct answer because it means that you will be able to ask the right questions and analyze solutions .

Being able to harness these analytical skills can help you as an employee in various job positions and professions.

When discussing critical thinking as a job skill, hiring managers love to see a candidate that can use these skills in the workplace .

Looking at some resume examples can show you exactly how to present those skills to a potential employer.

How to Be a Critical Thinker

It is possible to become a more critical thinker. This type of skill can be learned and improved over time.

It’s not an innate ability you’re either born with or not; rather, it’s a process of evaluation that you can improve over time.

Of course, one important thing you will need is patience! This is a very significant part of learning how to become a better thinker.

You may find yourself having trouble catching on at first; there are no shortcuts here!

You may not be a natural, but stick with it. Many people trying to learn how to think more analytically feel frustrated when they first start learning new skills like these.

Your hard work will pay off over time as once-difficult tasks become easier and easier for you until eventually everything clicks into place and starts making sense. Practice makes perfect

To help you can find steps below you should take to become a developed critical thinker.

Critical Thinking Steps

To think critically takes a process . By going through these steps when you have a problem you will be able to resolve your dilemma correctly.

When at work, this is especially important. When you go through the correct problem-solving steps one by one, you will be able to complete all the tasks your employer gives you.

Here is what you should do when using your critical thinking skills to resolve a problem:

Determine the problem or dilemma : Be as specific as possible, and figure out why the problem exists, that way it will be simpler to find the solution.
Gather details or data : Find stats or information from various sources related to the problem you are trying to solve.
Review the data : Go over the information you have collected, organize it, and make sure it’s from a credible source and that you have enough to make an informed decision.
Rank the data : List the information you have gathered from the most significant and relevant to the least significant.
Create solutions to the problem : Test various solutions then go over the results.
Analyze the solutions you have found: Review the results of your possible solutions to your dilemma.
Improve your work : Find ways to improve your test results.
Choose your answer and communicat e: Once you have found the answer to the problem, you must then present it to your team and manager in detail.

By following these steps you can come to a reasonable answer to almost any task you are given at work, and improve upon a problem your company is facing.

If you can give some examples on a resume that demonstrate using this process, hiring managers will be calling you in no time for an interview.

Just make sure you use a resume template , so you don’t make silly errors when presenting your critical thinking skills on your job application.

Why Must You Have Critical Thinking Skills?

Critical thinking is a skill that is valuable to any professional in just about any field.

It is necessary for developing effective strategies, making wise decisions, and solving problems that an individual might face or the company.

Critical thinking allows you to know how to look for an improved solution when faced with a problem or situation.

It is not only essential in the workplace, but in your daily life as well .

You should analyze information coming from sources such as social media or the news to figure out what is true and what isn’t.

As such, it’s one of the best skills you can develop if you want to improve your overall way of thinking.

Critical thinking allows us to see things from multiple perspectives – which enables us to find solutions that work for everyone involved in an issue instead of just ourselves.

This makes it easier for people who disagree on important issues because they’re able to get past disagreements by focusing on what’s the best overall.

By doing this you and other people you work or live with can go over data and information together to come to the best solution to a problem or issue.

Strictly applying that logic to the workplace, completing tasks with a group or on your own becomes much easier.

How to Include Critical Thinking in a Resume

To validate your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to a hiring manager is to place them correctly on a resume .

However, if you choose the wrong resume format there’s a good chance your job application ends up with a rejection.

To make your critical thinking skills stand out on your resume here are a few things you must do:

List your skills.
Explain how you used your skills in a previous job.
Describe a problem you faced, and then explain what steps you took to solve it.

A good list of critical thinking skills to put on your resume include:

Communication
Observation
Problem-solving

It’s essential not only to list that you have critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, or analytical skills, but you also are going to have to back up your list with real examples .

Below are examples of what you should and shouldn’t put on a resume when providing proof of your critical thinking skills in past job descriptions.

“When working as a nurse, I always selected the best treatment for the patients”

This example shows that a solution had been found, in this case, treatment. However, it does not explain how the answer was found and what was done with these findings.

“After reviewing analysis from present cases, I determined the best treatment option for the patient. I then explained my logic and findings to the rest of the medical staff.”

This example displays that a solution was found based on analysis. Afterward, the findings were communicated to the other staff members.

These are all parts of the critical thinking and problem-solving process, and presenting an example like this on your resume will impress a hiring manager.

“Handled customer complaints effectively”

This example of someone who works in customer service is missing a lot of essential information on their resume.

It does not show how they handled complaints effectively, or if there was an improvement.

This is the example content

This example gives quantifiable data as well as speaks to your abilities. Adding these details could be the difference between a call for an interview or a rejection notice.

This is a fantastic way to explain what you did while working at your previous job. It shows that you used the necessary problem-solving steps and created a solution that improved productivity.

Coming up with a description like this for one of your past jobs will surely grab a hiring manager’s attention .

Critical Thinking Examples During an Interview

If you write your resume and cover letter correctly, you will almost certainly get called in for a job interview.

When that time comes, it will be critical for you to know exactly what you should say when you need to show off your critical thinking skills.

You need to be ready for any question that could come up during the interview.

Here are some common interview questions that will test your critical thinking experience.

Question : Describe a moment you realized there was a problem and work, and then solved it.

Answer: “ Our group had to meet a new deadline to finish the creation of our product. I listed our tasks, then ranked them by priority, and communicated with the group to discuss who would complete a task or tasks. We met the new deadline with our product.”

This example shows both evaluation and problem-solving when presented with a problem.

Question: Describe a situation when you had to convince someone to take your advice.

Answer: “The owner was sure we were making enough money with our bike tours. I analyzed our income and saw we were at a 15% deficit. I then created a presentation showing answers to customer surveys that proved we could increase our revenue by changing the route of our tour.”

By including an answer like this, you demonstrate your analytical skills and show you know how to communicate your findings.

When you can demonstrate these traits in your resume and during your job interview, it will be extremely difficult for a hiring manager to turn you down.

Top 5 Most Important Critical Thinking Skills

The all-important question is, what are the critical thinking skills that you must have in the skill section of your resume?

You probably can think of some critical thinking examples in real life if you try hard enough.

However, it would be ideal to include skills you have used exclusively on the job to solve problems and increase productivity or earnings.

By understanding what these skills are, you’ll understand what a hiring manager values in an employee that is a great critical thinker.

With that understanding, you’ll be able to nail your resume and eventually your job interview.

1. Observation Skills

A hiring manager would love to have someone that has great observation skills. With this type of skill, you can identify a problem , then quickly create a solution.

If your observation skills are good enough, you can probably be able to see an issue before it even begins to negatively affect a business.

2. Inference Skills

This is a skill that has to do with taking data and information you have gathered and then drawing the correct conclusion based on that information.

You can base answers on limited details , and that talent can be used in many professional settings.

3. Analytical Skills

You don’t need to be a scientist or a mathematician to be great at analyzing situations. Being able to evaluate a situation to find solutions to problems at work.

Hiring managers love employees who possess analytical skills, especially when considering who can be a team leader.

4. Communication Skills

Communicating your findings and ideas is essential to any company. Whether you are discussing data and solutions with your boss or coworkers, you need to know how to communicate.

Make sure you always listen as well as speak, part of being a great critical thinker is to listen to the opinions of others.

5. Problem Solving Skills

This is arguably the most important concept of being a critical thinker. It’s not enough to be able to analyze data and information.

It is also essential that you can come up with solutions. An employer wants someone that can improve their company , and being a great problem solver allows you to do just that.

Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills

Not everyone is a natural when it comes to critical thinking and problem-solving. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve on what you already have.

Since elementary school, we have had to learn how to problem-solve.

You may be rusty because you have been out of work for a while, or feel you can do better. There is always a way to improve your skills.

If you want to improve your critical thinking skills, here are some ways for you to start:

Be open-minded – Don’t jump to conclusions. Question assumptions and don’t take things at face value. Stay skeptical and ask, “why?” Be aware of your bias, don’t let it cloud your judgment.
Be creative – Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Practice looking at issues from multiple angles by gathering evidence in support of or against an argument or hypothesis.
Organize thoughts logically – Prioritize and construct your thoughts, then write them down (or speak them aloud).
Stay organized – Avoid getting confused by jumping around while explaining something complex.
Consider multiple angles – Try out different approaches until one works best.
Play games – Buy or borrow games that require critical thinking, such as crosswords and Sudoku.
Read books and articles – Read different material to improve your critical thinking skills because they require you to analyze what’s happening in each chapter of the story or article.

These are all easy ways for you to enhance your critical thinking skills. All of these methods require one thing, patience .

You definitely will not become a problem-solving guru overnight.

It will take time, but after a while, you will notice the fruits of your labor in class, doing a group assignment, at a future job, and in other situations.

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Critical thinking skills: What are they and why do employers care about them?

Observation

Problem-solving, self-awareness, resume and cover letter.

Being able to conceptualize, analyze and evaluate information to generate appropriate outcomes is the primary driver of corporate decisions. Disciplined and critical thinking skills lead to creative approaches, free of irrational biases and self-interest.

Employers understand that decision making is inherently complex, so when it comes to meeting a potential new employee, critical thinking skills are often at the top of the agenda. When left unchecked, lazy workplace thinking can cause damage. If your boss knows that you have turned over every stone in the search for a solution, they will sleep easy.

In this blog, we will consider critical thinking from a job seeker’s perspective:

What are the typical steps of a critical thinking process?
Why does your future employer care about critical thinking?
7 examples of critical thinking skills.
How to improve your critical thinking skills.
How to highlight critical thinking during your job search.

Being able to “think about thinking” is central to self-awareness and career success.

Six steps of a critical thinking process.

Identify the issue and understand why it is important.
Find out as much information as possible to inform your thinking.
Interpret the data from as many angles as possible – build a picture.
Consider your assumptions – are there any biases involved?
Work out what is relevant to help you to reach a useful conclusion.
Weigh each piece of evidence to come to a balanced judgment.

Critical thinking is an essential skill and should be highlighted in your cv and cover letter. If you need any additional inspiration, check out our resume examples, and cover letter examples.

Why your future employer cares about your critical thinking

Employers want people who can consider a problem from multiple angles and take into account the context before they decide on a way forward. If you do not take the time to explore the nuances, the level of uncertainty in terms of the outcome will be high.

If everyone in the team is comfortable with thinking critically, every debate will be well informed, and every decision will be optimized.

Critical thinking skills allow an employee to:

See the links between ideas - suggest synergies and find solutions.
Consider a discussion and be able to weigh the importance of each argument.
Build upon arguments to create a consensus and find a way forward.
Highlight errors in reasoning and challenge inconsistencies in decision-making.
Adopt a systematic and transparent approach to problem-solving.
Reflect on assumptions and be flexible to amend assumptions where required.
Understand the implications of ideas and find the best solutions for implementation.

Critical thinking is a complex topic. As you read through this blog, have a think about how you can frame your decision making to shine a light on how you came to your conclusions. You might be surprised at just how interested your future employer will be about how you got there. Sometimes the process of thinking is as important as the result.

The benefit of foresight in critical thinking . Thinking through the impact of workplace decisions is critical in any dynamic workplace. Show your future employer that you can pause and consider the deeper ramifications of your actions. You will only achieve the best outcomes if you evaluate the potential outcome from multiple angles.

What are interpersonal skills: definition + top examples

Getting on with others is the key to business success, but how are interpersonal skills defined and how might we use these examples in our resume to make it stronger? Which interpersonal skills does the job require?

7 examples of critical thinking skills

The following seven critical thinking skills form a roadmap for making an informed decision:

Being observant at work means sensing the undercurrents of what is going on and how the future might change as a result. Employees who can perceive a problem before it has arisen will be better placed to deal with it. Observational skills often revolve around an understanding of patterns of behavior – if you have seen something happen before (in similar circumstances), there is a fair chance that it will happen again.

Critical thinking skill: Be an observant and perceptive sounding board.

When thinking critically, the ability to compare and contrast various information is key to reaching a balanced conclusion. Where do you source your information? How do you verify its validity? Be open minded about where you inform yourself and do not be satisfied with a narrow range of sources. Industry echo chambers are real – especially on social media. Go out of your way to solicit contrary opinions and be dispassionate in your evaluation.

Critical thinking skill: Thorough research forms the foundation of a sound opinion

When you are faced with a mass of information at your disposal, you need to be able to analyze what will help you to make the best decision. Review the data, examine the sources, and interrogate the findings. The quality of the data set will determine the quality of the conclusion. If you make a decision based on shaky sources, you will be fumbling in the dark. Collecting and categorizing information at the early stage of any critical thinking process might take longer than you hope, but this investment is central to an optimal outcome.

Critical thinking skill: Analyze exactly what you need to include in your thinking.

When there is not enough information to make a fully informed decision, you sometimes need to make an educated guess. Inference is the ability to take raw data and fill in the gaps to make the best possible decision. The ability to extrapolate information and infer the correct conclusions is an incredibly valuable skill in the workplace – it requires sound judgment and an ability to solve an incomplete puzzle.

Critical thinking skill: Making an educated guess with incomplete source data.

As the process of critical thinking is rarely straightforward, the ability to tackle problems and resolve conflicts is central to smoothing the path. Adopt a self-critical mindset and constantly ask yourself the question: “is this going to get us to where we need to be?” Problem solvers view setbacks as opportunities for exploring a different path and know that the resultant insights will move them one step closer to a conclusion. There is nothing scarier than admitting that something isn’t working, but such feelings should be embraced.

Critical thinking skill: Problem-solving turns scary setbacks into unexpected opportunities.

You're meeting with someone who is judging you. Judging your character, your work ethic. Here are 7 interview skills that will get you hired in 2024.

It might sound obvious, but your critical thinking abilities are bound by the limitations of your mindset. If you are not self-aware enough to monitor and correct your assumptions, your thinking can be impaired. The ability to be self-aware and adaptable enough to correct your course when you are in a stressful situation is one of the hallmarks of a critical thinker. If your fixed mindset does not allow you to change direction, your potential is limited.

Critical thinking skill: Self-awareness means that you can adapt to change course.

Why? Pondering this simple word has the potential to reveal insights and question assumptions. Having the curiosity to explore the unknowns can tell you much about the problem that you face and throw up multiple other questions. You might not always find a satisfactory answer but allowing these questions to linger at the back of your mind proves an ongoing driving force for your intellect. Critical thinkers are not afraid of questioning everything like a five-year-old.

Critical thinking skill: Curiosity opens up avenues of thought you didn’t know existed.

How do you improve your critical thinking skills?

Put yourself in new and challenging situations where you need to act differently.
Forget about common sense for a minute – practice thinking differently.
Invest in your education to broaden your theoretical knowledge base.
Ask open-ended questions and follow up on what the answers might mean.
Network with a wider range of people and seek their perspectives regularly.
Be clear about your objectives and narrow your focus in accordance.
Be aware of your biases in any new situation – avoid instant judgements.

10 Leadership skills to include on your resume + examples

Sharing your array of leadership skills is essential to securing your dream job, so which ones do you showcase on your resume and how do you talk about them?

How to highlight critical thinking during your job search

Potential employers are interested in exploring how you went about making your decisions as well as their outcomes. When different problems come along, they want to be sure that your critical thinking ability is robust enough to make the right moves.

Showcase your critical thinking both in your job search writing and during an interview.

One effective way of highlighting your critical thinking in your written job search documents is to outline the journey that you took to your decisions. This is easier to do in a long-form cover letter than a resume, but you can still include impactful action verbs in bullet-pointed resume achievements.

You should make it clear that you do not take the big decisions lightly. Touching on aspects of the six critical thinking skills listed above will prompt a hiring manager to explore further during an interview. Analyze your thought processes and crystallize your approach.

There will be many situational questions during an interview where you will be able to share the thinking skills that led to the result. If you choose to tell your career stories using the STAR method , you can weave your critical thinking skills in between the task and action parts. In some ways, it should read STTAR. You can’t take action without critical thought.

When you are outlining your critical thinking during an interview, it is important to consider the culture of your potential employer. Is short-term tactical thinking preferred over longer-term strategy? Are decisions made by collective agreement or are individuals trusted to do the right thing within their remits? How open are senior management to being challenged?

Don’t just talk about your thinking skills in an interview – back up your claims with proof.

An example of critical thinking : Think about something that someone recently told you. Who said it? What did they say? When did they say it? Why did they say it? How did they say it? Considering the wider context of a problem will lead you onto further questions.

There’s really no such thing as an unskilled worker — pretty much everyone is good at something. And whatever field you work in, you need to know how to list hard skills on your resume to let employers know what you’re capable of doing.

Key takeaways

If your future boss can understand the thought processes behind how you make decisions, it will be easier for them to imagine you making the right moves in your new role.
The ability to outline how you think is essential to gaining their trust in your decision-making.
Develop a narrative around critical thinking successes and share an example in the interview. It is only through real-life examples that an employer will gauge the depth of your thinking.
Don't forget to showcase your critical thinking skills in your cover letter and resume by using impactful action verbs that describe your achievements. You can find even more insights on how to highlight your critical thinking skill in our cover letter examples and resume templates.

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What Are Critical Thinking Skills?

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What Are Critical Thinking Skills? was originally published on Forage .

In the workplace, we’re constantly bombarded with new information to sort through and find solutions. Employers want to hire people who are good at analyzing these facts and coming to rational conclusions — otherwise known as critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill that describes how you process information and problem-solve . In this guide, we’ll cover critical thinking examples, how to improve your critical thinking skills, and how to include them in a job application.

Critical Thinking Skills Defined

What are critical thinking skills? Critical thinking skills help you process information and make rational decisions.

“Critical thinking skills allow us to analyze problems from multiple angles, come up with various solutions, and make informed decisions,” says Bayu Prihandito, self-development expert and certified psychology expert. “This not only saves time and resources but also develops innovation and adaptability , skills that employers highly value.”

There’s data to back up Prihandito’s point, too. In top industries like technology and finance, critical thinking skills are even more important than some technical and digital hard skills . According to PwC , 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. Critical thinking is one of the top five skills employers in technology are looking for, too, according to Forage internal data , preceded only by communication skills , data analysis, and Python.

>>MORE: Learn the differences between hard and soft skills .

But why do so many employers want you to have these skills? Critical thinking skills make you a more effective, productive, and efficient employee.

“By questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, and exploring alternative perspectives, individuals with strong critical thinking skills can make well-informed decisions and devise creative solutions to complex issues,” says Matthew Warzel, certified professional resume writer and former Fortune 500 recruiter . “This leads to improved problem-solving and decision-making processes, fostering organizational efficiency and productivity. Critical thinking skills also empower individuals to identify and mitigate potential risks and pitfalls, minimizing errors and enhancing overall quality in the workplace.”

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Build your critical thinking skills and learn how employees approach problems, organize, prioritize, and communicate professionally.

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Critical Thinking Skills Examples

Critical thinking examples include a wide range of skills, from the research you do to understand a problem to the collaboration skills you use to communicate with others about a solution. Other examples include:

Critical Thinking Skills Examples at Work

What does critical thinking in the workplace look like? Here are some critical thinking examples for different roles:

A software engineer anticipating potential challenges with a new feature and making plans to mitigate them before integration
A marketer evaluating historical user data to identify channels to invest in
An investment banker performing due diligence on a potential merger
A product manager making a hypothesis of why a product change will drive more engagement
A sales manager considering the risks and outcomes of modifying the company’s pricing model
A consultant gathering initial data and information on current company processes, costs, and organization to synthesize challenges

BCG Strategy Consulting

Apply your critical thinking skills as a consultant and conduct market research, understand consumer needs, and make a recommendation to a client.

Avg. Time: 5-6 hours

Skills you’ll build: Synthesis, business communication, client communication, stakeholder management

Whether you’re in a technical field, creative one, or somewhere in between, critical thinking skills can help you be a better employee — and therefore are highly valuable to all different types of employers.

“Critical thinking is essential to success in both white and blue collar jobs,” says Dr. Nathan Mondragon, chief industrial and organizational psychologist at HireVue. “Consider the school bus driver who must maintain constant vigilance and practice some critical thinking skills in the moment during an ever changing road or traffic situation. No parent will argue against the importance of a bus driver’s ability to quickly and critically analyze a situation to make an informed, albeit, rapid decision.”

How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

If critical thinking skills are crucial to being an effective (and hireable!) employee, how can you improve yours?

Practice Active Reading

OK, maybe you know what active listening is, but what about active reading? Active reading is when you read challenging material and reflect on what you read. It can help you engage with information and build your critical thinking skills.

Pick an article on a topic you’re interested in. While you’re reading, write down thoughts you have about the author’s arguments and follow-up questions you have. Even better, get someone else to read the same material and start a conversation about what you wrote down!

“By reading diverse and challenging material, such as books, articles, or academic papers, students can expose themselves to different perspectives and complex ideas,” Warzel says. “Following this, students can engage in reflective writing, where they articulate their thoughts and opinions on the material, while incorporating logical reasoning and evidence to support their claims. This process helps develop clarity of thought, logical reasoning, and the ability to analyze and synthesize information effectively.”

The exercise might seem a little like homework at first, but that’s why professors have you answer comprehension questions and participate in discussions for school — they want you to think critically about the material.

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Play With Puzzles …

Building your critical thinking skills doesn’t just have to be reading a bunch of articles. It can be fun, too! Regularly engage with puzzles like logic puzzles, riddles, and word games. These puzzles practice your reasoning skills while keeping you intellectually stimulated.

… and People, Too

Critical thinking isn’t done in a bubble. You’ll need to collaborate with others, especially in the workplace, to understand past projects, roadblocks, what resources they have, and their opinions. Participating in group activities like debates, academic clubs, and academic discussions can help you practice listening to and processing different viewpoints.

Stay Curious

Good critical thinkers are open to a range of answers and ideas. They want to take in all of the evidence to understand why something is (or isn’t) happening.They also know going into a problem with an open mind is the best way to solve it.

You can practice this open-mindedness by staying curious.

“Adopt a curiosity mindset, learn how to ask good questions, and practice unraveling something from end to beginning and vice versa,” says Arissan Nicole, resume and career coach and workplace expert. “Critical thinking is about being reflective, not reactive. Put yourself in situations that are uncomfortable and challenge you, be around people that have different viewpoints and life experiences and just listen.”

How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills in a Job Application

We know employers value critical thinking skills, but you don’t just want to add “critical thinking” in the skills section of your resume. Instead, your goal should be to show employers that you have these skills.

On Your Resume

On your resume , highlight experiences where you used critical thinking skills.

“Include relevant experiences or projects that demonstrate your ability to analyze information, solve problems, or make informed decisions,” Warzel says. “For example, you can highlight academic coursework that involved research, critical analysis, or complex problem-solving. Additionally, you can mention extracurricular activities or volunteer work where you had to think critically or exercise your problem-solving abilities.”

In the Interview

In the interview , elaborate on your experiences using the STAR method to frame your answers. The STAR method helps you clearly and concisely describe the situation, what you did, and what results you found.

Beyond speaking to your experience, you can also show your critical thinking skills in how you answer questions. This is especially true for more technical interviews where the interviewer might ask you to solve problems.

For example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a data analyst position. The interviewer might ask you a hypothetical question about how you’d figure out why company sales dipped last quarter. Even if you don’t have an answer right away (or a full one!), speak your thought process out loud. Consider:

Where do you start?
What resources do you rely on?
Who do you collaborate with?
What steps do you take to uncover an answer?
How do you communicate results?

“Emphasize your ability to think logically, consider multiple perspectives, and draw conclusions based on evidence and reasoning,” Warzel says.

This is the time to get specific about exactly what steps you’d take to solve a problem. While on a resume you might keep it short, the interview is the time to elaborate and show off your thought process — and hopefully show why you’re the best candidate for the role!

Ready to start building your critical thinking skills? Try a free Forage job simulation .

The post What Are Critical Thinking Skills? appeared first on Forage .

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The Most Important Logical Thinking Skills (With Examples)

Logical Skills
Promotional Skills
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Logical thinking skills like critical-thinking, research, and creative thinking are valuable assets in the workplace. These skills are sought after by many employers, who want employees that take into account facts and data before deciding on an important course of action. This is because such solutions will ensure the organization’s processes can continue to operate efficiently.

So, if you’re a job seeker or employee looking to explore and brush up on your logical thinking skills, you’re in luck. This article will cover examples of logical thinking skills in the workplace, as well as what you can do to showcase those skills on your resume and in interviews.

Key Takeaways:

Logical thinking is problem solving based on reasoning that follows a strictly structured progression of analysis.

Critical thinking, research, creativity, mathematics, reading, active listening, and organization are all important logical thinking skills in the workplace.

Logical thinking provides objectivity for decision making that multiple people can accept.

Deduction follows valid premises to reach a logical conclusion.

It can be very helpful to demonstrate logical thinking skills at a job interview.

The Most Important Logical Thinking Skills

What is logical thinking?

10 examples of logical thinking skills, examples of logical thinking in the workplace, what is deductive reasoning, logical thinking in a job interview, logical thinking skills faq, final thoughts.

Logical thinking is the ability to reason out an issue after observing and analyzing it from all angles . You can then form a conclusion that makes the most sense. It also includes the ability to take note of reactions and feedback to aid in the formation of the conclusion.

Logical thinking skills enable you to present your justification for the actions you take, the strategies you use, and the decisions you make. You can easily stand in front of your clients, peers, and supervisors and defend your product, service, and course of action if the necessity arises.

Logical thinking is an excellent way of solving complex problems. You can break the problem into smaller parts; solve them individually in a sequence, then present the complete solution. However, it is not infallible.

So, when a problem in the workplace feels overwhelming, you may want to think about it logically first.

Logical thinking skills are a skill set that enables you to reason logically when solving problems. They enable you to provide well-reasoned answers to any issues that arise. They also empower you to make decisions that most people will consider rational.

Critical-thinking skills. If you are a critical thinker, then you can analyze and evaluate a problem before making judgments. You need to improve your critical thinking process to become a logical thinker.

Your critical thinking skills will improve your ability to solve problems. You will be the go-to employee concerning crises. People can rely on you to be reasonable whenever an issue arises instead of letting biases rule you.

Research skills. If you are a good researcher , then you can search and locate data that can be useful when presenting information on your preferred subject.

The more relevant information you have about a particular subject, the more accurate your conclusions are likely to be. The sources you use must be reputable and relevant.

For this reason, your ability to ferret out information will affect how well you can reason logically.

Creative thinking skills. If you are a creative thinker , then you can find innovative solutions to problems.

You are the kind of person that can think outside the box when brainstorming ideas and potential solutions. Your thinking is not rigid. Instead, you tend to look at issues in ways other people have not thought of before.

While logical thinking is based on data and facts, that doesn’t mean it is rigid. You can creatively find ways of sourcing that data or experimenting so that you can form logical conclusions. Your strategic thinking skills will also help enable you to analyze reactions or collect feedback .

Mathematical skills. If you are skilled in mathematics , then you can work well with numbers and represent mathematical ideas using visual symbols. Your brain must be able to compute information.

Business is a numbers game. That means you must have some knowledge of mathematics. You must be able to perform basic mathematical tasks involving addition, subtractions, divisions, multiplications, etc.

So, to become a logical thinker, you must be comfortable working with numbers. You will encounter them in many business-related complex problems. And your ability to understand them will determine whether you can reach an accurate logical conclusion that helps your organization.

Reading skills. If you are a good reader , then you can make sense of the letters and symbols that you see. Your ability to read will determine your competency concerning your logical thinking and reasoning skills.

And that skill set will come in handy when you are presented with different sets of work-related statements from which you are meant to conclude. Such statements may be part of your company policy, technical manual, etc.

Active listening skills. Active listening is an important communication skill to have. If you are an active listener, then you can hear, understand what is being said, remember it, and respond to it if necessary.

Not all instructions are written. You may need to listen to someone to get the information you need to solve problems before you write it down. In that case, your active listening skills will determine how well you can remember the information so that you can use it to reason things out logically.

Information ordering skills. If you have information ordering skills, then you can arrange things based on a specified order following the set rules or conditions. These things may include mathematical operations, words, pictures, etc.

Different organizations have different business processes. The workflow in one organization will be not similar to that of another organization even if both belong to the same industry.

Your ability to order information will depend on an organization’s culture . And it will have a major impact on how you can think and reason concerning solutions to your company problems.

If you follow the wrong order, then no matter how good your problem-solving techniques are your conclusions may be wrong for your organization.

Persuasion skills. Logical thinking can be useful when persuading others, especially in the workplace.

For example, lets say one of your co-workers wants to take a project in an impulsive direction, which will increase the budget. However, after you do your research, you realize a budget increase would be impossible.

You can then use your logical thinking skills to explain the situation to your co-worker , including details facts and numbers, which will help dissuade them from making an uninformed decision.

Decision making skills. Decision making skills go hand and hand with logical thinking, as being able to think logically about solutions and research topics will make it far easier to make informed decisions.

After all, no one likes making a decision that feels like a shot in the dark, so knowing crucial information about the options aviable to you, and thinking about them logically, can improve your confidence around decision making.

Confidence skills. Confidence that stems from an emotional and irrational place will always be fragile, but when you have more knowledge available to you through logical thinking, you can be more confident in your confidence skills.

For instance, if an employee asked you to answer an important question, you will have a lot more confidence in your answer if you can think logically about it, as opposed to having an air of uncertainty.

To improve your logic skills, it would be wise to practice how to solve problems based on facts and data. Below are examples of logical thinking in the workplace that will help you understand this kind of reasoning so that you can improve your thinking:

The human resource department in your organization has determined that leadership skills are important for anyone looking to go into a senior management position. So, it decides that it needs proof of leadership before hiring anyone internally. To find the right person for the senior management position , every candidate must undertake a project that involves a team of five. Whoever leads the winning team will get the senior managerial position.

This example shows a logical conclusion that is reached by your organization’s human resource department. In this case, your HR department has utilized logical thinking to determine the best internal candidate for the senior manager position.

It could be summarized as follows:

Statement 1: People with excellent leadership skills that produce winning teams make great senior managers. Statement 2: Candidate A is an excellent leader that has produced a winning team. Conclusion: Candidate A will make an excellent senior manager .

A marketing company researches working women on behalf of one of their clients – a robotics company. They find out that these women feel overwhelmed with responsibilities at home and in the workplace. As a result, they do not have enough time to clean, take care of their children, and stay productive in the workplace. A robotics company uses this research to create a robot cleaner that can be operated remotely . Then they advertise this cleaner specifically to working women with the tag line, “Working women can do it all with a little bit of help.” As a result of this marketing campaign, their revenues double within a year.

This example shows a logical conclusion reached by a robotics company after receiving the results of marketing research on working women. In this case, logical thinking has enabled the company to come up with a new marketing strategy for their cleaning product.

Statement 1: Working women struggle to keep their homes clean. Statement 2: Robot cleaners can take over cleaning duties for women who struggle to keep their homes clean. Conclusion: Robot cleaner can help working women keep their homes clean.

CalcX. Inc. has created a customer survey concerning its new finance software. The goal of the survey is to determine what customers like best about the software. After reading through over 100 customer reviews and ratings, it emerges that 60% of customers love the new user interface because it’s easy to navigate. CalcX. Inc. then decides to improve its marketing strategy. It decides to train every salesperson to talk about the easy navigation feature and how superior it is to the competition. So, every time a client objects to the price, the sales rep could admit that it is expensive, but the excellent user interface makes up for the price. At the end of the year, it emerges that this strategy has improved sales revenues by 10%.

The above example shows how logical thinking has helped CalcX. Sell more software and improve its bottom line.

Statement 1: If the majority of customers like a particular software feature, then sales reps should use it to overcome objections and increase revenues. Statement 2: 60% of the surveyed customers like the user interface of the new software, and; they think it makes navigation easier. Conclusion: The sales reps should market the new software’s user interface and the fact that it is easy to navigate to improve the company’s bottom line.

A political candidate hires a focus group to discuss hot-button issues they feel strongly about. It emerges that the group is torn on sexual reproductive health issues, but most support the issue of internal security . However, nearly everyone is opposed to the lower wages being paid due to the current economic crisis. Based on the results of this research, the candidate decides to focus on improving the economy and security mechanisms in the country. He also decides to let go of the sexual productive health issues because it would potentially cause him to lose some support.

In this case, the political candidate has made logical conclusions on what topics he should use to campaign for his seat with minimal controversies so that he doesn’t lose many votes.

This situation could be summarized as follows:

Statement 1: Most people find sexual reproductive health issues controversial and cannot agree. Statement 2: Most people feel that the internal security of the country is in jeopardy and something should be done about it. Statement 3: Most people want higher wages and an improved economy. Statement 4: Political candidates who want to win must avoid controversy and speak up on things that matter to people. Conclusion: To win, political candidates must focus on higher wages, an improved economy, and the internal security of the country while avoiding sexual reproductive health matters.

Deductive reasoning is an aspect of logical reasoning. It is a top-down reasoning approach that enables you to form a specific logical conclusion based on generalities. Therefore, you can use one or more statements, usually referred to as premises, to conclude something.

For example:

Statement 1: All mothers are women Statement 2: Daisy is a mother. Conclusion: Daisy is a woman.

Based on the above examples, all mothers are classified as women, and since Daisy is a mother, then it’s logical to deduce that she is a woman too.

It’s worth noting though, that deductive reasoning does not always produce an accurate conclusion based on reality.

Statement 1: All caregivers in this room are nurses. Statement 2: This dog, Tom, is a caregiver . Conclusion: This dog, Tom, is a nurse .

From the above example, we have deduced that Tom, the dog, is a nurse simply because the first statement stated that all caregivers are nurses. And yet, in reality, we know that dogs cannot be nurses. They do not have the mental capacity to become engaged in the profession.

For this reason, you must bear in mind that an argument can be validly based on the conditions but it can also be unsound if some statements are based on a fallacy.

Since logical thinking is so important in the workplace, most job interviewers will want to see you demonstrate this skill at the job interview. It is very important to keep in mind your logical thinking skills when you talk about yourself at the interview.

There are many ways in which an interviewer may ask you to demonstrate your logical thinking skills. For example:

You may have to solve an example problem. If the interviewer provides you a problem similar to one you might find at your job, make sure to critically analyze the problem to deduce a solution.

You may be asked about a previous problem or conflict you had to solve. This classic question provides you the opportunity to show your skills in action, so make sure to highlight the objectivity and logic of your problem solving.

Show your logic when talking about yourself. When given the opportunity to talk about yourself, highlight how logic comes into play in your decision making. This could be in how you picked the job position, why you choose your career or education, or what it is about yourself that makes you a great candidate.

Why is it important to think logically?

It’s important to think logically because it allows you to analyze a situation and come up with a logical solution. It allows for you to reason through the important decisions and solve problems with a better understanding of what needs to be done. This is necessary for developing a strong career.

Why is logic important?

Logic is important because it helps develop critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills are important because they help you analyze and evaluate a problem before you make a decision. It also helps you improve your problem-solving skills to allow you to make better decisions.

How do you improve your logical thinking skills?

When improving your logical thinking skills make sure you spend time on a creative hobby and practice questioning. Creative hobbies can help reduce stress levels, and lower stress leads to having an easier time focusing on tasks and making logical thinking. Creative hobbies can include things like drawing, painting, and writing.

Another way to improve your logical thinking is to start asking questions about things. Asking questions allows for you to discover new things and learn about new topics you may not have thought about before.

What are logical thinking skills you need to succeed at work?

There are many logical thinking skills you need to succeed in the workplace. Our top four picks include:

Observation

Active Listening

Problem-solving

Logical thinking skills are valuable skills to have. You need to develop them so that you can become an asset to any organization that hires you. Be sure to include them in your resume and cover letter .

And if you make it to the interview, also ensure that you highlight these skills. You can do all this by highlighting the career accomplishments that required you to use logical thinking in the workplace.

It’s Your Yale – Consider Critical Thinking Skills to Articulate Your Work Quality

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Roger Raber has been a content writer at Zippia for over a year and has authored several hundred articles. Having retired after 28 years of teaching writing and research at both the high school and college levels, Roger enjoys providing career details that help inform people who are curious about a new job or career. Roger holds a BA in English from Cleveland State University and a MA from Marygrove college.

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150 Top Skills for Your Resume + How to List Skills in 2024

Best General Skills

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

How to Include Skills on Your Resume
Job-Specific Skills
Skills FAQs

When it comes to your resume skills, the more specific you can get, the better. That’s why we broke down the most in-demand job skills by career type .

Still, it can be helpful to start by looking at the skills employers generally might be wanting right now.

We analyzed countless job descriptions across all careers and identified 150 of the most sought-after and widely applicable skills you can put on your resume (like this one) in 2024.

Software Engineer Resume

or download as PDF

20 Good Skills to Put on a Resume

Young man in front of his laptop reading his resume

While we’re going to give you plenty of job-specific resume skills you can add to your AI cover letter and resume, there are some that work across just about any field. These can add value for candidates who either lack work history or are creating an entry-level resume .

Data Analysis
Problem-solving
Collaborative
Detail-oriented
Written Communication
Public Speaking
Critical Thinking
Multi-tasking
Interpersonal Skills
Time Management
Accountable
Results-oriented
Project Management
Compassionate/ Empathetic

A PC monitor and laptop showing well written resumes.

Before we jump into which skills to put on your resume, we need to get some definitions out of the way:

Hard skills are the tools and software you use to get your job done. Excel and QuickBooks are examples of hard skills.
Soft skills are those that are hard to measure or prove expertise in. “Communication” is a textbook example of a soft skill.

Quickly distinguish between hard and soft skills by asking, “Is there a specific tool or software associated with the skill?” If “yes,” you’re likely dealing with a hard skill. If not, you’re talking about a soft skill.

As we explained earlier, companies often use an ATS to filter out job applicants based on whether they include the right skills on their resumes.

The ATS filters are looking primarily for hard skills; they want to be sure the people they end up hiring know the right tools and software needed to succeed.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you should exclude soft skills from your resume. Why? After the ATS approves your resume, it’s passed on to the human hiring manager. They’ll likely want to see soft skills depending on the kind of industry and role you’re applying to.

Try out this quick guide to determine whether to put soft skills on your resume:

Should I include soft skills on my resume?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should likely include soft skills on your resume (we’ll detail how in the next section).

Technical roles are those primarily dominated by hard skills (software engineering, data science, accounting, etc.)
Just listing soft skills on your resume isn’t as impactful as showing how you used them to do your job .
For example, if you’re in sales or customer service, you need the ability to communicate persuasively with customers!

Examples of hard skills according to industry

Predictive Modeling (Finance)
eQUEST (Energy)
Crop Rotation (Agriculture)
eZee Frontdesk (Hospitality)
Google Classroom (Education)
X-ray Diagnostics (Healthcare)
Mailchimp (Marketing)
AutoCAD (Engineering)

Examples of soft skills

Self-starter
Conflict Resolution
Attentive to Details

How to List Skills on Your Resume

Young man sitting behind his computer screen happily typing away.

Now that you know whether you should put hard skills, soft skills, or a combination on your resume, how do you actually include them?

When it comes to your resume skills, the presentation can matter just as much as the content!
Before we get to structure, a word of warning :

Don’t list too many skills in your skills section! While it’s all right to dump all sorts of skills into your resume outline , it’s a big red flag to the hiring manager if they see a resume where an applicant lists 15+ skills.

First, it might mean the applicant is exaggerating their skillset (a big no-no). Second, a hiring manager would rather hire someone who’s a master of a few skills than a novice in many.

Different resume formats may display your skills in various ways, but regardless of the layout you choose, there are three places you should mention your most important skills :

In your resume objective or resume summary (if you include this section)
In a dedicated “skills” section on your resume
In your work experience or projects ( show how you used your skills to do your job)

Your resume objective should only be two to three sentences , so you should include your top one to two skills most relevant to the job you’re applying for here. In addition to our objective sample below, we’ve got plenty more great examples of how to mention your best skills in your resume objective or resume summary .

Organized, considerate administrative assistant with a history of remaining cool under high-pressure situations where multiple priorities are managed. Genoa Telepsychiatry is doing invaluable work for underserved housing populations, and I would be an asset in enabling Ms. Garcia to focus on that mission by alleviating her organizational burden.

How to organize skills on your resume

When it comes to skills for a resume, there are a couple of ways you can structure them:

By skill category (technology type, soft skills vs. hard skills)
Experience level

These kinds of breakdowns aren’t mandatory. You can just list all of your skills in your skills section, provided you keep the number to under 10.

First, you can break up your skills by category . This is most appropriate if you’re applying for a technical role since you can group different technologies you use by type.

For example, as a data analyst, you might want to divide your skills by the different facets of your job (programming, modeling, and data visualization).

This breakdown of your skills can also work well if soft skills are your biggest strength. For example, you can chunk your soft skills into categories like leadership, customer service, communication, etc.

Another way to classify your skills on your resume is by your experience level . Convey your expertise either in terms of years of expertise with that skill or by a rating you choose (beginner, intermediate, expert, for instance).

Here’s an example of this skills breakdown in action:

And again, you can also just list all of your skills without categories like the example below if there are fewer than 10:

Let your work experience vouch for your job skills

Now that you’ve got your top one to two skills in your resume objective and a dedicated skills section, it’s time to talk about how you’ve used your skills in your previous roles and projects.

This is especially important for soft skills. Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager .

Does seeing that someone described themselves as “attentive to detail” in their skills section mean much without seeing that skill in action?

It’s much more valuable if you highlight a time you were attentive to detail in a previous job. So, if you’re an administrative assistant, you might say you “re-organized thousands of customer contacts in HubSpot without losing any customer data.”

Remember, it’s one thing to say you have a skill, but showing your knowledge of that skill in a work or personal project carries far more weight in the eyes of the hiring manager.

Let’s make this practical with an example: This software engineer lists NodeJS and Django in her resume skills list.

This won’t be the last we see of these skills, though. Take a look at this job seeker’s work experience at MarketSmart. For instance, see how she weaves NodeJS into improving CTR? And even her intern experience shows how Django played a role in increasing reporting speed.

Software engineer skills in resume work experience

Pro tip: Try starting with specific work experience and then work backward to determine which skills you used instead of the other way around.

Regarding technical skills, try to be specific about what you did with the tool/ software you’re describing. Microsoft Excel is a program that can be used for many different applications, for example. Discuss specifically which functionality you used to accomplish your task (pivot tables, vlookups, etc.).

Match your resume skills to the job description

How can you identify the most common skills for the industry or role you’re applying for? The best way is to look at job ads for positions that grab your attention.

Try this two-step process to list skills on your resume:

Look across 5-10 different job descriptions for roles you’re interested in and identify the 10-15 most common skills in those job listings.
For each specific role you apply to, choose the 5-7 skills from your list that are most relevant to that job .

Yup, this means you’ll have to customize your resume for each role. Customizing your skills section, however, will vault you into the top five percent of applicants and is the quickest way to increase the number of interviews you get!

Let’s walk through an example of how to customize your skills for a specific job.

Say you’re looking for a position as a digital marketer, and after looking at some job descriptions, you notice the most common skills employers are looking for are the following:

CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive
Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap
General Tools: Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint, Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides
Optimization: A/B testing, customer segmentation, attribution modeling
Paid Ads: Facebook, AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, retargeting
Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
Email Marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Drip
SEO: Content creation, keyword research, backlink building

Now, you’re specifically interested in a digital marketing role at Barnes and Noble with the following job description:

Digital marketing manager

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Develop and execute data-driven marketing strategies and campaigns with a strong focus on driving acquisition, engagement, and retention across multiple channels (e.g., SMS, mobile, email, social media, etc.) on time and on budget.
Aim to generate revenue and deliver on key business objectives, ROI, and KPI targets.
Own, measure, deliver, and optimize key metrics and reporting on marketing activities across channels and platforms.
Identify trends and insights, optimize segments, spend, and performance based on data.
Utilize strong analytical ability to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple channels and customer touchpoints and work cross-functionally to drive qualified traffic, improve conversion, and identify new opportunities to boost user engagement and retention through A/B and multivariate testing.

REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum 5-7 years of digital marketing experience with a minimum of 3 years demonstrated success in mobile, email, social media, PPC, and SEM marketing from concept to completion with a proven track record of success.
Results-driven mentality with exceptional detail orientation and knowledge of metrics, A/B testing, and ROI analysis.
Experience with testing and optimization platforms.
Strong track record of distilling actionable insights from data to improve multi-channel marketing strategies.
In-depth familiarity with email service providers and knowledge of marketing automation platforms.
Solid understanding of website analytics tools (Google Analytics, Amplitude, Appsflyer), email systems (Sailthru, Salesforce Marketing Cloud), and ad-serving tools (Adroll, Facebook.)

Finally, we cross-reference our list of 10-15 skills with the skills this specific job is looking for (underlined above). This leaves us with the remaining five key skills:

Optimization: A/B Testing, Segmentation
CRM: Salesforce
Web Analytics: Google Analytics
Paid Ads: Facebook
Social Media: Email Marketing

There you have it! These skills are what will make up your skills list for this specific role. Don’t forget to include the seemingly most essential skills in your resume objective (for this position, we’d say those are optimization and A/B testing) and mention relevant work experience where you used some of these skills.

Remember, it’s important to be truthful about which skills you know and which you don’t. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable being interviewed about a skill. If the answer is “yes,” then include it. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it off your resume.

And for the grand finale to this digital marketing example: Check out how this resume integrates key skills into the career objective, skills section, and work experience.

Digital Marketing Manager Resume

Why this resume works

Starting with the most obvious section—the skills section—Giselle lists skills important to Barnes & Noble, grouping them in easy-to-read categories.
Don’t be deterred, even if you lack experience in an area or two! Demonstrating a willingness to learn is highly valuable.
The work experience section is a prime opportunity to showcase skills in action. Like Giselle, start with active verbs to show how you used skills, software, and tools to impact the company positively.

Job-Specific Resume Skills

We promised an extensive list of resume skills, organized by profession, and we’re not ones to break our promises!

Below, you’ll find countless role-related skills you can put on your resume, along with informational tidbits for each profession.

Remember that honesty is critical when you build a resume , so we stand behind a shorter list of genuine skills rather than a slew of half-truths you’ll blush over later in an interview.

Web developer skills for your resume

Web developers build the web apps we interact with in our everyday lives. From banking to transportation to Netflix, it’s hard to find a facet of life that isn’t touched by web development.

We did an extensive analysis of the top web developer skills employers are looking for in 2024, and below are the results in order of those most in demand.

Top web developer skills

JavaScript (React, Angular, Vue)
SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle)
Cloud Storage (GCP, AWS, Azure)

Data analyst skills for resume

Companies are currently swimming in large pools of data. Marketing, product, engineering, and executive teams all rely on data to make the most effective decisions in the face of uncertainty.

That’s where data analysts come in. To be a successful data analyst, you need the right skills to clean, organize, visualize, and make actionable recommendations from data.

We analyzed over 100 job openings and determined the most in-demand data analyst skills needed to get a data analyst position in 2024. Below are the results in order of the most popular skills.

Top data analyst skills

Business Intelligence Tools (Tableau, PowerBI, Qlik, Looker)
Excel/ Google Sheets
Python (Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, Numpy)
R (Dplyr, ggplot2)

Marketing skills for resume

No matter how great a product or website—unless a successful marketing campaign drives customers to that product, it won’t succeed.

Marketers must strike a balance between creativity and science to reach the right people at the right time to make them customers.

To do this successfully, marketers need a wide range of skills.

Top marketing skills

CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive, HubSpot
Web Analytics: Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap, Google Analytics
General Tools: Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides, Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint
Optimization: Customer Segmentation, Attribution Modeling, A/B Testing
Paid Ads: AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, Retargeting, Facebook
Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Email Marketing: ConvertKit, Drip, Mailchimp
SEO: Keyword Research, Backlink Building, Content Creation
Direct Mail

Customer service skills for resume

When a customer has a problem or a question, they need to get a prompt and accurate answer to ensure they remain a customer.

More than that, a strong customer service representative will build relationships with customers to help identify potential new features or directions to take a product.

To do this successfully, you need a potent blend of people skills while also knowing the tools of the trade.

Top customer service skills

Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills
Curious, Empathetic, and Professional
Willing to Learn
Goal-oriented
Enterprise Software
Experience with Business Processes
Microsoft Excel
Zendesk, HubSpot, Helpscout

Management skills for resume

No matter how effective a person is as an individual contributor, management is an entirely different job that requires an altogether different skill set.

To be an effective manager, you must first understand and relate to your employees while ensuring company initiatives are hit on time. To get this done, you need a mix of different skills.

Top management skills

Financial Analysis
Self-motivation
Conflict Resolution & Management
Managing Career Growth
Performance Reviews
Ability to Motivate
Foster Team Environment
Ability to Work Under Pressure
Result-driven

Accounting skills for resume

Accountants are the unsung heroes of any well-oiled company. A company is only as successful as it can demonstrate through its financial reports.

Accountants need to be wizards with reporting and data while maintaining a culture of rigorous organization. Accounting is a field that requires knowledge of particular hard skills.

Top accounting skills

Financial Reporting
General Ledger Accounting
Quarterly Close Processes
Quarterly Financial Statements
Tax Accounting
GAAP Accounting Principles
Expense Reporting
Accounts Payable & Receivable
Account Reconciliation

Project manager skills for resume

Project managers keep the trains on the rails. To be a successful project manager, you must know how to ensure deadlines are met on time and on budget.

In this role, you’ll need the ability to communicate with diverse teams and technical knowledge to help engineers remove roadblocks they encounter that will prevent them from getting their job done.

Top project manager skills

Project Management Software (Jira, Trello)
Microsoft Office/Google Suite (Excel/Google Sheets, PowerPoint/Slides)
Project Management Frameworks and Methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban)
Programming Languages and Frameworks (JavaScript, Node.js, Python, Django)
CRM Experience (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Digital Marketing

Sales skills for resume

An effective salesperson can form meaningful relationships with new sales prospects very quickly.

To be able to sell a new customer on your product or tool, you first need to intimately understand their pain points and what they’re trying to solve.

In addition to solid soft skills, you need to know the technical tools to track and manage prospects through the sales pipeline.

Top sales skills

Strong Communication
Negotiation
CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Presentation Skills
Lead Generation (LinkedIn, Email)
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Administrative assistant skills for resume

When it comes to a career as an administrative assistant, there’s no skill more valuable than organization. How can you help others be at their best without ensuring all ducks are in a row?

Of course, other skills are needed to succeed as an administrative assistant, and we’ve analyzed numerous administrative assistant job openings to determine the most in-demand skills for this career.

Top administrative assistant skills

Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets
Microsoft Word/Google Docs
Microsoft PowerPoint/Google Slides
Scheduling (Microsoft Outlook/Google Calendar)
Words per Minute you Type
Languages you Speak
Database Management
CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Personable and Welcoming

Nursing skills for resume

The value of nurses in our society has never been more apparent than during the COVID-19 crisis.

A good nurse must have a rigorous understanding of the medical procedures and documentation they need to complete while also maintaining the soft skills necessary to build trust and understanding with patients.

It’s a very tricky balance to strike. To help you pursue a new job in nursing, we compiled the most popular skills employers are looking for across a wide range of nursing disciplines.

Top nursing skills

EMR Systems
Ambulatory Care
Emergency Care
CPR Certified
Best Practices
Long-term Patient Care
Compassionate
Organized & Reliable
Infant & Child Care
Medical Documentation

Teacher skills for resume

With the shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the skills required to be an effective teacher from afar are also changing.

Teachers now need to be more in tune with the technologies used for remote learning to reach students.

Still, there are some skills required to be a great teacher that haven’t changed. Based on our analysis, here are the top skills schools want when they hire teachers.

Top teacher skills

Lesson Planning
Blackboard/Moodle
Google Apps (Gmail, Sheets, Slides)
SMART Boards
Remote Teaching (Zoom)
Safe, Supportive Classrooms
Accountability
Communication with Parents and Students
Organization
Focused on Student Performance

Software engineer skills for resume

Software engineer is a broad, all-encompassing term. There are hundreds of specific disciplines within this umbrella that require different skills.

Still, there are fundamental and common skills that all developers must have. First and foremost, you need to be able to program!

We collected the most in-demand skills for software developers to help you make the best resume possible.

Top software engineer skills

Python (Django)
Java (Spring)
Ruby (Ruby on Rails)
PHP (Laravel)
JavaScript (Node, React, Vue, jQuery)
SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, NoSQL)
AWS, GCS, Azure

Business analyst (BA) skills for resume

Business analysts combine skills from many areas to help drive outcomes that materially improve a customer’s core metrics.

A BA is a great communicator, a robust data analyst, and an effective project manager. After a project is complete, the BA then has to be able to communicate the outcomes to the executive team.

Top business analyst skills

SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server)
Excel, Google Sheets
PowerPoint, Google Slides
Tableau, Looker, Chartio
Salesforce, NetSuite, HubSpot, Pipedrive
A/B testing, Linear Regression, Logistic Regression
Project Management (JIRA, Trello)

Student skills for resume

When you’re a student, it can be challenging to know which of your skills you should highlight when applying for your first job or internship.

It varies depending on the position, but at this point in your career, hiring managers don’t expect you to be an expert in all the tools you’ll need for the job.

The key is to mention which skills you have some familiarity with and express an openness to learning on the job.

Top student skills

Microsoft Outlook/Gmail
Hard-working
Social Media
Collaboration

Data scientist skills for resume

Data scientists are hybrid programmers and statisticians. It can be tough to figure out which of your technical skill sets should be the focus of your resume.

Touch on your primary programming language and put context around the modeling techniques you use regularly.

After studying over 100 data scientist job openings, here are the top skills employers are looking for in these roles.

Top data scientist skills

Python (Numpy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, Keras, Flask)
R (Dplyr, Shiny)
SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle)
AWS (Redshift)
Supervised Learning (Linear and Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, Recommendation Engines)
Unsupervised Learning (K-Means Clustering, Principal Component Analysis)
Customer Segmentation, Price Optimization

Human resources (HR) skills for resume

When it comes to the skills you need to get your next job as a human resources manager, it’s important to demonstrate a combination of people skills (it’s in the job title, after all), but you also have to show command of the tools needed to get the job done.

You should demonstrate which phases of HR you have experience in. Whether that’s recruiting, benefits, compensation, or a combination thereof, these should be clear.

Top human resources skills

ATS (Workday, Jobvite, Greenhouse)
Compensation & Benefits
Performance Management
Recruiting (Sourcing & Interviewing)
Employee Onboarding
Benefits Planning & Administration
Employee Coaching
LOA, FMLA, PLOA, Disability
Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
Recruiting Coordination
Compliance (OFFCP, FLSA, Unemployment)
Employee Retention
Organizational Strategy
Labor Relations
Succession Planning
HR Analytics

Product manager skills for resume

Product managers help steer the direction of a company by working to understand new features and products customers are looking for.

A successful PM should have the technical skills to communicate fluently with engineers. They also need strong data analysis skills to determine whether new feature launches are working.

Recruiter skills for resume

Since recruiters are the first people prospective employees interact with in a company, they must have strong people skills.

Outside of that, a recruiter needs to be familiar with using an ATS to keep track of candidates as they go through the application funnel.

In addition, they need to know various tools to effectively source prospective candidates for a job opening.

Top recruiter skills

Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word
HR Information Systems (Workday, Oracle HCM, Zoho, SAP)
ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, Breezy HR, BambooHR)
Sourcing Tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, TalentNest, Connectifier)
Full Cycle Recruiting, Intakes, Sourcing, Screening, Evaluating Talent
CRM (HubSpot, Marketo, Hootsuite)

Scrum Master skills for resume

As a Scrum Master, it’s vital you demonstrate which project management frameworks you have experience in on your resume.

Scrum Masters help ensure project deadlines are hit by establishing and monitoring incremental goals along the way.

Communication and management skills are must-haves, in addition to a few technical tools.

Top Scrum Master skills

Agile Development & Best Practices
Agile Frameworks—Scrum, Kanban, XP
JIRA & JIRA Portfolio
Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio
User Stories, ATDD, TDD, Continuous Integration, Automated Testing
Project Planning & Scoping

Social media manager skills for resume

As the name implies, a social media manager must show prospective employers they can use social media to drive customers toward a business.

It’s not enough, however, to demonstrate experience with various social media platforms. You must also clearly understand data and analytics to prove that your campaigns can and will work for a business.

Top social media manager skills

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok
Sprout Social, Hootsuite
Google Analytics
Google Docs/Microsoft Word
Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel
Paid Social Media Advertising
Data Analytics

IT manager skills for resume

IT managers need to possess razor-sharp technical skills while demonstrating the ability to mentor and guide employees under their leadership.

Since the number of potential technical skills an IT manager can have is vast, you must demonstrate a firm command of at least a few skills.

On your resume, it’s much better to demonstrate expertise in a few skills than a weak command of a large number of tools.

Top IT manager skills

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Agile/Lean Methodologies
Network Infrastructure (DNS, DHCP, SSL)
Linux/ Unix

Design skills for resume

As you might imagine, designers need to convince the hiring manager reviewing their resume of their creative ability. This is usually done via a portfolio.

Outside of your creativity, you also need to quickly and effectively communicate which tools you use to complete your design work. One of the first things a prospective employer will check is whether you have the technical skills they’re looking for in a designer.

Top design skills

Design Principles
Color Theory
Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Storytelling
Canva, Vectr
Print Design
Photography

Your skills should directly correlate with the job you’re applying for so recruiters can tell what makes you special at a glance. Refer to the job description for keywords or mission statements that show what the organization values and what the job role emphasizes. Prioritize skills that relate directly to your profession over those that could enhance your qualifications for other fields.

Try to limit your array of abilities to just 6 to 10 skills per resume. If you have more to choose from, choose to meet the optimal resume skill range with abilities that specifically answer the call of the job description. You don’t want a skills list that looks too “hodgepodge,” so hone your skills to a trade-specific edge that demonstrates your expertise.

Soft skills are the tools you use to socially function with grace and efficiency. They refer to your interpersonal abilities like negotiation, communication, and team delegation (just to name a few!). Keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo your skills list and appear disorganized, so select only the most relevant soft skills to list. You can use them as context for your professional experiences.

Technical skills, or hard skills, can refer to anything from software proficiency to specialized actions or tasks you can perform that relate to your job. Physical technology or machinery, digital meeting programs, and the ability to interpret industry-specific data all count! These important skills show off your specialties and highlight your unique candidacy for the job role.

Every skills list should be technical, but yours especially so: This is your opportunity to demonstrate your expertise instantly. By naming precisely which software programs you use (think: Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Salesforce to name a few) instead of generalizing, you effectively spotlight your skills ahead of time. Recruiters often skim the skills list first since they move fast, so seize the chance to align yourself with the job!

Honestly, that depends on you! Which of your resume sections is the strongest: skills, experience, internships, or stuff like your degree and academic achievements? Resume layouts with a side column can put your skills list in a highly visible space. If your experiences are super strong, you can also list your skills at the bottom of the page. Just make sure your best qualities are the most eye-catching!

What Are Soft Skills at Work?

What are soft skills examples, why are soft skills important, what soft skills do employers look for, how to improve your soft skills, including soft skills on a resume, what careers are right for you, based on your soft skills quiz, what are soft skills definition and examples.

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Forage puts students first. Our blog articles are written independently by our editorial team. They have not been paid for or sponsored by our partners. See our full editorial guidelines .

Soft skills are non-technical skills that describe how you work and interact with others. Unlike hard skills , they’re not necessarily something you’ll learn in a course, like data analytics or programming skills . Instead, they’re something you often build through experience. Soft skills reflect your communication style, work ethic , and work style.

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Soft skills are interpersonal skills that describe how you work and interact with other people. These skills apply to all kinds of jobs and careers. For example, a professor and an investment manager can both be great communicators and have exceptional leadership skills, although how those skills translate into their professions can look quite different. No matter what field you’re interested in, these skills won’t just come in handy — they’ll be integral to your success at a company.

These skills generally fall into a few different categories:

Communication skills
Leadership skills
Teamwork skills
Problem-solving skills
Critical thinking skills
Time management skills

Communication Skills

Communication skills describe how you interact with the people you work with — from your boss to your friendly colleague to an important client. These skills are vital in getting your ideas across in a meeting, sharing status updates on a project, or effectively negotiating with a coworker about how to move forward. Some soft communication skills include:

Public speaking
Negotiation
Conflict resolution
Verbal communication
Friendliness
Empathetic listening

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Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are essential in all types of roles, even if you’re not directly managing someone. Adding these skills to a resume shows your potential employer that you’re confident in taking charge and leading by example. Some soft leadership skills include:

Decision-making
Adaptability
Team-building
Reliability

Teamwork Skills

No one works in a silo, even if they’re on a team of one. Teamwork skills are critical in any job to work harmoniously with stakeholders across projects, teams, and departments. These skills aren’t just about getting along, though. It’s also essential to know when to disagree and push back to get the best result. Some soft teamwork skills include:

Rapport-building
Respectfulness

Problem-Solving Skills

Companies hire people to help them solve problems and find the best solutions. No matter what role you’re taking on, you’ll need to think creatively, analytically, and logically to understand why problems are happening and how to solve the issue.

Whether it’s understanding why there’s not enough traffic to a website or how to raise students’ test scores, problems in the workplace are everywhere, and companies want new hires to bring fresh and innovative ways to solve them. Problem-solving skills include:

Communication
Creative thinking

Critical Thinking Skills

These skills help people identify the root cause of an issue. Critical thinkers analyze, research, identify, and think outside the box to make sense of information. At work, critical thinking helps people solve problems and challenge preconceived notions to help create the best path forward. Some soft critical thinking skills include:

Analytical skills
Questioning

Time Management Skills

Time management skills ensure employees perform their jobs efficiently and productively. While time management is essential to any role, these skills are critical in hybrid and remote work environments. Employers want to know they can trust employees to get things done even if they’re not physically in an office with them. Some time management skills include:

Prioritization
Detail-oriented

“We all have soft skills because they are part of who we are,” Sabrina Cortes, resume writer, says. “Top soft skills are teamwork, attention to detail , time management, organization, verbal and written communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, adaptability/flexibility, problem-solving/conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills. … Unfortunately, all too often, these personality traits are overlooked [by applicants]. But they play a role in each job out there.”

Of course, some skills are more applicable to specific jobs than others. Here are some examples of how soft skills can be applied to specific industries:


Customer service	, to speak with clients clearly and concisely
	, to catch errors in code
	, to help solve a customer’s problem by thinking outside the box
	, to reach mutually beneficial agreements with teammates and clients
	, to parse through data and draw conclusions
Teaching	, to present to a classroom of students confidently
	to better understand your target audience
Sales	to convince potential buyers to invest in what you’re selling
	to brainstorm new product ideas and ensure the product is built efficiently
Law	to manage a variety of responsibilities under tight timelines and pressure

Soft skills are important because they make you a successful employee and a helpful team member — and they’re a crucial part of helping you land a job.

“Employers want to see how well [potential employees] work with people and can think beyond their learning,” Joanne Rosen, Chief Operations Officer at Write Choice Resumes, explains.

Employers look for soft skills because these skills are helpful indicators of how successful a new hire will be. According to a Leadership IQ study, 89% of new hire failures were a result of poor soft skills, not a lack of technical failures. New hires were more likely to fail because they lacked soft skills like coachability, emotional intelligence, and motivation. Only 11% of new hire failures were a result of technical incompetence.

This trend especially rings true for entry-level hires. Because entry-level applicants don’t have advanced technical skills yet, having good soft skills can set you apart from the competition.

>>MORE: Learn what careers are right for you based on your skillset with our career aptitude test .

Not all soft skills are created equal in employers’ eyes. According to a 2023 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the top skills employers look for are problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a team.

“In my experience, it’s valuable [for students] to convey these three key soft skills: time management, communications, and customer service,” 5X Certified Resume Writer Virginia Franco says. “They are most relevant to entry-level success across diverse industries and job functions.”

Now you know — soft skills are a major way to stand out in the job search when you’re just starting out. But how do you start to improve yours?

Go Out of Your Way to Work With Others

If you’re like me, group projects are the bane of your academic career. Yet they’re a valuable way to build soft skills and experience that you can talk about in interviews. Proactively seek out group settings when working on projects, whether you’re in the classroom or for an extracurricular. Even if the project takes a little longer than it would have on your own, you’ll practice skills like problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and feedback. If you’re lucky, you’ll even build conflict resolution skills !

Practice Responsive Soft Skills

Soft skills aren’t just what you bring to the working world, but how you respond to it. Start with how you communicate with others. It’s not just about what you’re saying to another person, but how you listen and process what they’re saying back to you.

Instead of just hearing the words someone is saying, make a conscious effort to truly understand their perspective, emotions, and underlying needs. Give them your full attention, maintain eye contact, and provide verbal and non-verbal cues to show that you are engaged in the conversation. By actively listening , you can develop a deeper understanding of others, build trust, and respond in a more thoughtful and empathetic manner.

Self-Reflect

Finally, the best way to work on your soft skills is to reflect on your progress. Soft skills can be a lot harder to measure than hard skills because they’re often unquantifiable. Instead, you can track your progress by thinking of examples of when you have (or haven’t!) used your soft skills when working on a school project, or in an internship , volunteer opportunity, part-time job, extracurricular, or any other experience you might talk about in an interview. Where are your gaps? Could you have been a more effective communicator? Were you a great negotiator? What can you do differently next time?

Because employers are looking for soft skills in the entry-level hiring process, it’s crucial for you not only to include them, but to know the right ones to include.

What Soft Skills Should I Include on My Resume?

One of the best ways to know what skills to include on your resume is to look at the job description. Just as you’d include hard skills based on a job description’s requirements, reading what a company is looking for can help determine what soft skills to include.

>>Forage find: Unlike hard skills, the exact soft skills an employer is looking for might not be as spelled out. Look for clues on what kinds of workers they’re looking for — Team players? Independent? Self-motivated? — to understand what skills to include.

Is the company looking for someone who can handle communicating big ideas with customers and clients? Demonstrate those communication skills. Does it want someone strategic who can tackle big issues? Show that you’re an excellent problem-solver.

How to Include Soft Skills on a Resume

Resume experts agree that you don’t necessarily need a dedicated skills section to flaunt your soft skills on a resume.

“Soft skills need to be demonstrated, not listed,” Rosen says. “Example: Rescued at-risk account by communicating with the client about needs and creating innovative customer-facing solutions.”

By using the phrases “communicating” and” “creating innovative, customer-facing solutions,” the candidate shows off their communication skills and problem-solving skills.

>>MORE: How to Write a Resume

You can also use a professional summary to flex these skills.

“I like to mix soft skills with hard skills,” Wendi Weiner , attorney and resume expert, says. “You can include a sentence in your professional summary that speaks to some of your soft skills. Example: ‘Record of leading projects from concept to completion through strong problem solving, team building, and solid time management.’ The hard skill in this sentence is project management, and it’s leveraged by the soft skills of problem-solving, team building, and time management.”

If you do include a skills section on your resume, you can use the same section to list both hard and soft skills . It’s a great way to save on space while sharing a well-rounded picture of your abilities.

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Key Critical Thinking Skills: Examples & How to Develop Them
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How can you Show Critical Thinking Skills on your Resume?
1. Learn to ask basic questions. One of the best ways to develop critical thinking skills is to train yourself to ask more questions, even about basic things. By focusing on the who, what, when, where, and why of a situation or problem, you can often cut through complex possibilities and get to the heart of the issue.
Critical Thinking Skills for Your Resume + Examples
How to list critical thinking skills on your resume. Now that you're armed with an arsenal of critical thinking skills, let's explore the best ways to showcase them on your resume so that employers can appreciate your brain power. Step 1 Begin with the job description. Every job application should start with a careful review of the job listing.
Critical Thinking Skills [Examples & Tips]
Some of the top critical thinking skills for work include: Analytical thinking: Analytical thinkers excel at scrutinizing data, assessing relationships and drawing logical conclusions. Analyzing information and breaking complex problems into manageable pieces are essential for making well-informed decisions on the job.
Critical Thinking Skills: Definition and Examples
How to demonstrate critical thinking skills when applying for a job. When it comes to knowing what skills to put on your resume, remember that you need a balance of soft and hard skills.Critical thinking is one of the essential soft skills you need to succeed at work. Compared to hard skills (those learned through education and training), soft skills are harder to demonstrate to employers ...
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Add critical thinking skills to every section of your resume without forgetting important details. 2. Creativity. Creativity and critical thinking are usually considered two opposite ends of the skills spectrum—but in reality, the two are deeply interconnected. Creativity critical thinking can help you break free from established thought ...
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Provide examples and results. 3. Use keywords and phrases. 4. Tailor your resume to the role. Be the first to add your personal experience. 5. Here's what else to consider. Critical thinking is ...
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Critical Thinking Skills in the Resume Summary Good example. Summary. Professional software engineer with 4+ years of experience, skilled in software development using different programming languages. Seeking to provide optimal software solutions at Appls. At Citadel, developed a Market signals system with a 12% annual ROI on average.
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Top 5 critical thinking skills. Here are five common and impactful critical thinking skills you might consider highlighting on your resume or in an interview: 1. Observation. Observational skills are the starting point for critical thinking. People who are observant can quickly sense and identify a new problem.
6 Critical Thinking Skills to Supercharge Your Resume
4. Decision-Making. Critical thinking skills allow you to sift through information and make well-informed decisions. For example, if your job is a customer service representative, you need to make decisions when people call to complain about a product.
9+ Critical Thinking Skills & Examples for the Workplace
Active listening skills. Attentiveness. Empathy. Optimism. Taking initiative. 2. Analysis. An important aspect of critical thinking is carefully examining different types of information before making a choice. For instance, selecting the most relevant facts to use in a research paper shows you're an analytical thinker.
Critical Thinking Skills for a Resume in 2022 with 10+ Examples
The Top 5 Critical Thinking Skills. The in-demand critical thinking skills must be added to your resume and cover letter. They should be emphasized throughout the application process, such as during interviews. The most important critical thinking skills are: Analysis. It means carefully examining something- a set of data or a text.
How to Highlight Critical Thinking Skills on Your Resume
There are many ways to highlight your capacity for critical thinking by featuring more specific types of skills on your resume. For instance, data analysis and data-driven decision-making skills draw attention to your ability to analyze and interpret findings critically. By featuring skill sets that are more grounded in your field, you'll be ...
Key Critical Thinking Skills and Examples
Here are some ways to emphasize your strong critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills for a resume and cover letter. You'll want to demonstrate your critical thinking abilities on a resume by showing how you have implemented these skills and how that has led to your success or benefit for your employer. Indicate how you created ...
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There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions: 1. Analytical thinking. Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also skeptically evaluating data.
Critical Thinking Skills to Include in Your Resume in 2024
The best way to demonstrate your critical thinking skills in your resume is through specific examples of notable achievements and results obtained. Some of the most prominent critical thinking skills include observation, analysis, inference, evaluation, problem-solving, and open-mindedness. There are many ways to improve these skills, including ...
Critical Thinking Skills To Advance Your Career
Critical thinking is an ability you have to reason logically, rationally and reflectively. Critical thinkers can identify problems by observation and research, question assumptions and analyze to resolve issues. Managers value employees who use critical thinking skills in the workplace to become efficient problem-solvers.
Key Critical Thinking Skills: Examples & How to Develop Them
Critical thinking skills in the CV summary. Enterprising final-year Mechanical Engineering student at Falmouth University on the way to achieve a 1st Class degree. The captain of the most successful Engineering Society team, responsible for concept and direction of the projects that won 6 of the last 8 seasonal challenges. Further honed my ...
How to Show Essential Critical Thinking Skills in Your Resume ...
Critical thinking skills: key takeaways for your resume. Show action: use action verbs that indicate critical thinking and experience. Prioritize & Evaluate: you should provide the recruiter with the most valuable information about yourself. This action proves you to be a critical thinker.
The 5 Best Critical Thinking Skills and How to Improve Them
Communicating your findings and ideas is essential to any company. Whether you are discussing data and solutions with your boss or coworkers, you need to know how to communicate. Make sure you always listen as well as speak, part of being a great critical thinker is to listen to the opinions of others. 5.
What Are Critical Thinking Skills + Examples
Critical Thinking Skills on a Resume. Say, you're applying for a job, and the job description requires "critical thinking skills." Adding them to your resume skill list and saying voilà won't do much. You need to prove you can think critically by giving real-life examples of how you used your critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking skills: What are they and why do employers care
Critical thinking skills are highly prized by all employers, so make sure to talk about them during your job search. Being able to conceptualize, analyze and evaluate information to generate appropriate outcomes is the primary driver of corporate decisions. Disciplined and critical thinking skills lead to creative approaches, free of irrational ...
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Phenomenal critical thinking skills and patience. Step 3: Include key skills. For game developer resumes or CV s for game developers, selecti on heavily depends on the skills candidates obtain. Thus, the skills secti on format is similar for game programmer CV and game developer resume. Note: For people writing a game developer resume, this is ...
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Critical thinking skills also empower individuals to identify and mitigate potential risks and pitfalls, minimizing errors and enhancing overall quality in the workplace." Cisco Career Readiness. Build your critical thinking skills and learn how employees approach problems, organize, prioritize, and communicate professionally. Enroll Now
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Key Takeaways: Logical thinking is problem solving based on reasoning that follows a strictly structured progression of analysis. Critical thinking, research, creativity, mathematics, reading, active listening, and organization are all important logical thinking skills in the workplace. Logical thinking provides objectivity for decision making ...
How to Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) for a Job in 2024
Set ½ - 1" margins on each side. Use a font size between 10 and 12 points. Select a professional font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Additionally, here are the sections you need to include on your CV: Header with your name and contact information. Introduction. Work Experience. Education. Skills.
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9. Financial Management. If you've ever been in charge of a budget of any size, you can say that you have financial management skills. For instance, something like "oversaw the financial ...
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While we're going to give you plenty of job-specific resume skills you can add to your AI cover letter and resume, there are some that work across just about any field. These can add value for candidates who either lack work history or are creating an entry-level resume. Data Analysis. Problem-solving. Collaborative.
Skills for Resume: Essential Examples Across Professions
In your resume, include achievements that involve interacting well with others and stress "verbal and written communication" in your resume skills section. 2. Teamwork. Even if you're working remotely, collaborating with and supporting other team members remains an essential soft skill for your resume.
What Are Soft Skills? Definition and Examples
These skills help people identify the root cause of an issue. Critical thinkers analyze, research, identify, and think outside the box to make sense of information. At work, critical thinking helps people solve problems and challenge preconceived notions to help create the best path forward. Some soft critical thinking skills include ...
Transferable Skills: How to Use Them to Land Your Next Job
Here are six common transferable skills, with examples of how they might show up in different roles. Use this list to help identify your own transferrable skills. 1. Critical thinking. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate, synthesize, and analyze information in an objective manner in order to produce an original insight or judgement.

How can you Show Critical Thinking Skills on your Resume?

What are critical thinking skills?

Examples of critical thinking skills

Observation

Open-mindedness

Analytical thinking

Self-awareness and self-management

Why are critical thinking skills so important?

Many occupations require critical thinking

Critical thinkers are more adaptable to new information

Critical thinkers are adept at researching

Improved decision-making

How to develop critical thinking skills

1. Learn to ask basic questions

2. Always question your own biases

3. Take stock of your thoughts

4. Get in the habit of examining evidence

5. Look for gaps in the information at hand

6. Always think for yourself

7. Focus on developing leadership traits

Tips to help you show critical thinking skills on your resume

Highlighting critical thinking skills within your resume summary

Showing examples of critical thinking in your work experience section

Listing critical thinking skills in your skills section

Ask for resume help

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The 6 Best Critical Thinking Skills To Add to Your Resume

3 key takeaways

What is critical thinking, and why is it important?

Top 6 critical thinking skills

1. Questioning

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2. Creativity

3. Analysis

4. Decision-making

5. Communication

6. Leadership

How to add critical thinking skills to your resume or cover letter

1. Use action verbs that highlight critical thinking

2. Integrate critical thinking into your brand

3. Use real-world scenarios and projects

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6 Critical Thinking Skills to Supercharge Your Resume

Table of Contents

6 essential critical thinking skills

What are critical thinking skills and why are they important?

1. Questioning

2. Creativity

3. Analysis

4. Decision-Making

5. Communication

6. Leadership

1. Use keywords

2. Highlight examples

3. Describe your process

4. Use action words

5. Focus on transferability

6. Use numbers and data

How can you develop your critical thinking skills?

1. Read, read, read

2. Challenge your own beliefs and assumptions

3. Weigh the pros and cons

4. Consider different interpretations

5. Practice active listening

6. Be willing to change your mind

7. Ask questions

8. Practice, practice, practice

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