There are a few key skills that recruiters and hiring managers will likely want to see highlighted on your resume. These can be soft or technical skills and can include everything from organizational abilities to fluency in a foreign language. Including these in your Highlights section can help paint a picture for the employer that you are a strong candidate for the role and can provide them with social proof that you may be the perfect fit.

It’s important to note that the skills you list in your Highlights section should be directly related to the job for which you are applying. Using broad generalizations can cause employers to question your ability to perform the duties of the job.

Having a Highlights section can be particularly helpful for those using a functional format or for candidates who have limited work experience. It can allow you to place your most relevant skills at the beginning of the resume so that hiring managers can see them right away.

Having a Highlights section can also be an excellent way to demonstrate your professional growth and development. If you have a strong career history, try to highlight how your skills have improved over time. For example, if you’ve worked as a human resources manager for six years, you can note that your organization skills have significantly improved over time. You can even go so far as to quantify the impact of these improvements on a company, like “Increased employee efficiency by 10%” or “Reduced turnover by 20%.” Providing measurable data in your Highlights section can greatly increase your chances of landing an interview. Skills to highlight on resume