Ask Amanda: How Do I Showcase My Soft Skills on a Resume?

Each week, TopResume's career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions on Quora like the one below. We'll be republishing those answers here. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for over 10 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here.

Q: What are some professional-sounding ways to say I am a fast learner on a resume?

The truth is, recruiters don't want to read you're a “fast learner” any more than they want to read that you're a “great leader” or a “proactive self-starter.”

The key to expressing these soft skills on your resume is to “show," not "tell.”

Let me explain. Instead of saying that you're a fast learner, look for opportunities to provide proof of your soft skills in your professional summary and the work experience sections of your resume.

Related: Why Soft and Hard Skills Are So Important for Your Resume

Take a step back and think about occasions in the past where you had to quickly learn or master a skill that helped you provide value to a client or your organization. These are perfect examples to incorporate into your work history.

For example, did you have to learn a new technology for work in a short amount of time? Perhaps you had to teach yourself how to do something for a new job in the past and were able to master the skill or were selected to train others in your department because you picked up on the skill quickly. Or maybe you switched industries at some point in your career and were able to crush your sales numbers during your first quarter at your new company, even though you'd never sold that type of product or service before. These examples are certainly worth mentioning on your professional resume.

In conclusion, you might throw the term “fast learner” or something similar into your resume's professional summary, but this will only benefit you if you're able to back up this claim with proof points in your work history section. Always aim to “show," not "tell” employers what you've been able to accomplish or how you've contributed to the team as a result of these skills you possess.

Click on the following link for more resume advice.

Read Amanda Augustine's answer to "What are some professional-sounding ways to say I am a fast learner on a resume?" on Quora.

Are you showing or telling? Submit for a free resume critique and TopResume will tell you how you're showcasing your soft skills.

Recommended Reading:

• Top Transferable Skills Hiring Managers Look for in Candidates

• How to Brag on Your Resume Without Sounding Like a Jerk

• This is the Right Way to Customize Your Resume for Each Job Application

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