10 Skills that Look Great on Any Resume

10 Skills that Look Great on Any Resume10 Skills that Look Great on Any ResumeShowcase ansicht onyour resume andincreaseyour chances of gettingthe interview.Depending on the specific position youre applying for, your resume is going to vary when it comes to skills. For example, if youre applying for a teaching position, it wont be helpful that you can drive a forklift. However, there are some skills that are considered universal. And while youdont want to load up your resume with filler, or buzzword skills that every applicant has, these skills will actually help you stand out from the crowd.Industry Awareness. It doesnt matter what industry you work in, there are always going to be changes. Your strength is to know what changes are happening at the time, and being able to adapt. Bonus points if youre able to predict changes that might occur. A great way to start doing this is to track your industry in the news, through groups on LinkedIn, and at networking events.Negotiation and Per suasion.Again, these are skills that can help you in alfruchtwein any industry. In addition to coming in handy in sales situations, you can also use themto help calm down a rowdy client,motivate a team or bring about positive changes in the office. There are so many different possibilities that these traits are really invaluable. Leadership. Just because you will have someone managing you doesnt mean you dont need leadership skills. Leadership means being able to take direction, and working through any problems that may arise on your own. It also means being able to take charge in a group setting with co-workers. While most of the time you may only be leading yourself, youll be able to prove yourself as a valuable employee with a skill like this.Research Skills.You arent going to know the answer to every problem that comes your way, nor are you expected to. However, the less you go to your manager with problems, the more they will see you as a competent employee. Being able to do yo ur own research, whether it be on software, clients, or simple troubleshooting tasks can be invaluable in the workplace.Adaptability.Piggy-backing off the idea that you need to be aware of changes, you also need to be able to take those changes and run with them. Change can be hard, but in most industries its necessary. Adaptability can mean something as simple as moving where your desk is to switching over to a new software system in the office. Managers dont want to hold employees hands through each change that occurs.Interpersonal Skills. In most industries, being able to be outgoing, friendly, and talkative can be very beneficial. Even when it comes to employees who work in solitary positions, having these skills can increase earning potential and help land better positions. In the case that you find you are more introverted, it is helpful to think of yourself as having two modes work mode, where you are outgoing and helpful, and off mode where you can stick to yourself.Communic ation Skills. Some of the top problems in any office stem from poor communication skills. Whether you are a leader or a low-level employee, you need to be able to communicate your wants, needs, and desires. In the case that you are in management, communication skills are absolutely crucial. You cant run a functional team if they do not know exactly what you want from them. Work Ethic. You will often hear many employers lamenting about how difficult it is to find employees who actually want to work. This is a skill that is invaluable to any employer. You can demonstrate your work ethic by showing up to work everyday and on time. Put in your hours getting your projects done and on deadline. Many employers will often choose the reliable, mediocre employee over the unreliable employee who does better work.Professionalism.Being able to show that you are serious about a job can be one of the best steps towards securing an offer. You should be able to be responsible and fair in all of your business-related decisions. To both employers and co-workers you will be seen as mature and self-confident when you can behave this way. Willingness to Learn.Again, this stems from the idea that all industries are constantly changing, and employees need to be able to adapt if they want to stay in the game. This doesnt mean that you need to learn about everything overnight and show a profound knowledge in the new subject area. You simply need to show that you are willing to learn and will put in a genuine effort. Recommended Reading7 Little Changes Thatll Make A Big Difference With Your ResumeOut Of Work, Not Out Of The Running8 Things On Your Resume That Annoy Hiring Managers

A fond farewell

A fond farewellA fond farewellToday I am announcing my retirement from Vault. Over the past five years, Ive really enjoyed writing for you all and receiving your feedback, and getting so involved in the consulting community. Have no fear, Consult THIS will continue to live on and provide you with the inside scoop on the top consulting firms, industry trends and hiring news. And there is some big news on the horizon Stay tuned as Vault releases its annual consulting rankings on August 24If I have one parting bit of advice for the consulting job seekers out there, its that you shouldnt be wooed solely by the marquee names. Sure, having McKinsey appear on your resume will raise some eyebrows and create a nice little alumni network for you. But when it comes down to it, there are so many other firms out there, and so many other factors that make a company a great place to workbe it practice area strength, quality of life or a diverse atmosphere, a firm should not be overlooked simply bec ause its not widely recognized by middle America. As the economy continues to improve, more specialized, niche firms will continue their upward trajectory and continue to make an impact, not to mention the fact that they often give consultants more weekends to themselves Happy job hunting, and best of luck in all of your consulting pursuits

How to Transition From Solo Expert to Effective Manager

How to Transition From Solo Expert to Effective ManagerHow to Transition From Solo Expert to Effective ManagerSomething interesting happens on the road to developing as a manager. Your technical expertise- the knowledge and skills that enabled you to excel as an individual contributor- is decidedly less valuable at this new level. Unfortunately, many managers miss this point and burn a large amount of energy striving to remain the smartest person in the room. Smart managers learn quickly to draw upon the expertise of gruppe members to build team and group performance and support individual development. In other words, smart managers learn to let go of being the expert on every topic and develop new experts on their teams. What Got You Here Wont Cut It Moving Forward For many first-time managers accustomed to serving as the expert in their roles as individual contributors, letting go of this part of their workplace persona is difficult. People who are highly competent at their job s naturally associate their technical or specialized acumen with their success- it becomes part of their professional and personal identity. What they fail to recognize is that the rules of survival and success have changed- with less emphasis placed on their specialized knowledge and mora placed on their ability to deliver business results through others. The failure to understand and adapt to this new reality creates a wide variety of problems for the manager and team members. When the Manager Acts as the Expert, Stress Fractures Appear The manager who insists on retaining the role of expert adds stress to her team in a number of ways. Some of the most common include Team members perceive their technical expertise is devalued by the managers insistence on supplying all of the answers or always having the final answer.Instead of building a team-like atmosphere, the manager as expert reinforces a hierarchical environment.Individuals grow resentful over time as they recognize the ir ideas and opinions dont count. This resentment manifests either as aggressive behavior or, what the manager interprets as poor attitudes.Personal initiative fades as team members become accustomed to the manager supplying all of the answers. Overall performance suffersas the as the groups working environment turns sour and as the manager increasingly becomes a bottleneck, with team members waiting for him to opine on every issue. When New Managers Must Sink or Swim The transition from individual contributor to manager is challenging. The burnout or churn rate of first-time managers is unacceptably high across many firms in large part because there is little advance training offered, and even less post-promotion coaching. Many managers are left to sink or swim with their new duties. When faced with a high degree of ambiguity about their new role, they naturally revert to what has worked for them historically their ability to navigate tough problems by drawing upon their specia lized knowledge. If you find yourself living through a similar scenario, here are sixideas to help smooth the transition from expert to manager without introducing the stress fractures described above. Six Ideas to Help You Transition From Solo Expert to Effective Manager Rethink Your Mission As a manager, your new mission is to create a working environment with your team that encourages them to do their best work. Your technical expertise is never the focal point. Enabling your team members to develop and then showcase their expertise goes to the heart of your mission.Focus on Cultivating Trust Continually asserting your technical expertise fights the trust building process. Instead, ask questions and encourage individuals to offer and pursue their ideas. Your willingness to let them experiment and even stumble showcases your trust and support. Teach Theres a difference between co-opting the work of your team members supplying the answers or countermanding ideas and teaching th em what you know. Managers that teach, particularly at the front-line levels, are supporting the development of their team members in a compelling manner.Resist Your Instinct to Answer and Instead, Ask One Simple Question The most important question a manager can deploy on a daily basis when team members reach out for guidance is Im leid sure. What do you think you should do? Your instinct is of course to answer the initial inquiry based on your technical expertise. In many instances, the answer might be painfully obvious to you. Nonetheless, your best course of action is to suppress the urge to offer an answer and ask for their ideas. By doing this, you stimulate critical thinking, and you show that you trust people to think and act for themselves. Promote Team and Individual Learning A key part of succeeding in your mission to create a working environment that encourages growth and performance is to model the behaviors essential for learning. Invest in your team members where poss ible. Send them to technical or subject matter training. Give them time to attend educational seminars or webinars. Build a team resource library. Encourage them to teach-back to the group what they learn from their endeavors.Promote Team and Individual Learning In addition to the above actions, it is essential for you to offer positive feedback to individuals or groups who exhibit initiative and tackle the tough problems in the workplace. Make your feedback valuable by specifying the positive behaviors and the impact they had on results. Rinse and repeat on a daily basis. The Bottom-Line Success as a manager is less about your technical acumen and more about your ability to draw out the best in others. The expertise that served you so well in the past must now take a back seat to new skills focused on supporting and developing others. Start by reframing your professional mission and then concentrate on cultivating a new layer of skills that will support your growth as a manage r and leader.