There’s so much competition in the job market; how do you stand out? Including specialized skills on your resume can increase your chances of landing an interview. However, with so many skills in your arsenal, it can be challenging to determine which skills should go under the specialized skills section of your resume.
Let’s discuss specialized skills and why they are so important on a resume. I’ll also explore these specialized skills examples in more detail.
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What Are Specialized Skills?
Specialized skills are unique skills that differentiate you from other applicants. They are rare skills that are harder to obtain and usually require training, like coding and accounting.
They aren’t general skills that every job seeker includes on their resume, for example, communication.
Why Are Specialized Skills Important on a Resume?
Specialized skills are important on a resume because they show employers you are well qualified for the role. They differentiate you from the competition, who only have general skills listed on their resumes, and they prove to a company that you have rare abilities to help them succeed.
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14 Specialized Skills to Include on Your Resume
In this section, we list skills that will actually improve your chances of landing a specialist job. These skills will definitely help you differentiate from other candidates.
1. Design
Design skills have become more valuable after the evolution of the digital world, and encompass:
- Graphic design
- Website design
- Product design
It is a specialized skill because it requires a deep knowledge of design software such as Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. And it involves critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and a host of technical abilities.
Companies are attracted to applicants with specialist design skills as they have discovered the power of branding to attract consumers, either from their digital presence or physical advertisem*nts.
Therefore, if you are applying for a creative position and have a design qualification or are self-taught, it should be included in your resume.
2. Bilingual or Multilingual Skills
According to a report by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the demand for multilingual employees is increasing.
Here are the top reasons why employers seek bilingual or multilingual workers:
- Better client and investor relationships: If a company deals with foreign clients and investors, having staff who speak their language will form greater trust and quality relationships.
- Increased diversity and creativity: A workforce that speaks the same language may feel stagnant and limited in creativity. However, having staff that speaks different languages can increase the diversity within a company and bring forth new ideas and perspectives.
- Faster international expansion: It’s easier for a company to expand its operations into a foreign market when its workforce understands the language.
Therefore, if you’re bilingual or multilingual, you should state this on your resume under specialized skills to give you a leg up in the job market.
3. Writing and Editing
It’s a misconception that cv writing and editing skills are only valuable when applying for writing jobs. However, most business communications take place through the written word via emails, reports, presentations, and other written text. And it’s a skill that’s often overlooked because it seems like something everyone ought to know. However, not everyone does it well.
Here are the top reasons why employers seek workers with writing and editing skills:
- High level of accuracy: Writing business content free from spelling and grammatical errors highlights you as a worker with good attention to detail and accuracy.
- Clear and concise communication: Good writing and editing skills mean you can communicate complex information clearly and write information that all staff will understand.
- Clients have a better opinion of you: If the business’s clients receive emails or reports that are hard to understand, have poor formatting, and are full of misspellings, it looks unprofessional, and clients will have a negative view of you.
Therefore, it’s crucial to include writing and editing skills under specialized skills on your resume.
4. Coding
Coding is a highly technical and specialized skill used by various companies to make computer programs, software, websites, apps, and other technical programs. And the demand for coding skills will only grow by leaps and bounds in the future.
Having coding skills also demonstrates that you are highly analytical and have innovative thinking, which further increases your worth to a prospective employer. Therefore, if you are proficient in coding, you should include this in your specialized skills.
It will also be helpful to describe the coding languages (SQL, Python, Java) you are skilled in.
5. Data Skills
Every industry works with data, from engineering to human resources to marketing, to name a few. Data helps a company make informed decisions, so it can grow and run smoothly. Data skills range from data analytics, modeling, data mining, use of Microsoft Excel, data visualization, and so on.
Employers find these skills attractive in employees because they save time from inexperienced workers interpreting data, create more value from the insights you provide as a data analyst and help them make better decisions.
And if you possess these in-demand data skills, you shouldn’t hesitate to include them under specialized skills in your resume.
6. Accounting
Money is the core of any business, and accountants are vital in helping companies manage their funds. It is a highly specialized skill because not everyone naturally understands it. You have to attend school and get a significant amount of experience under your belt.
Accounting skills demonstrate that you have analytical skills, high accuracy, attention to detail, and knowledge of regulatory standards.
Therefore, if you are applying for an accounting, administrative, or any finance-related position, adding accounting skills to your repertoire of specialized skills is bound to impress recruiters.
7. Specific Analytical Skills
Analytical skills are valued in almost every profession, and recruiters will scan your resume for them. Some specific analytical skills include:
- Financial analysis
- Strategic analysis
- Forecasting
- Reporting
- Data mining
- Data analytics
Employers look for analytical skills in workers because it means you can think critically, problem-solve, interpret data, and make effective decisions quickly. Therefore, sprinkle your specific analytical skills into the specialized skills section of your resume.
8. Content Marketing
The demand for content marketing skills has grown significantly after most businesses went digital after the pandemic. Content marketing encompasses social media marketing, website content writing, SEO analysis, copywriting, editing, and much more.
There is no end to the number of content marketing skills you can acquire today. And they are in demand from companies in every industry as it increases brand awareness and loyalty and converts lead to customers.
And even if your job doesn’t relate to content marketing, it won’t hurt to include them as specialized skills as they highlight your interest in becoming an active part of the new digital world.
9. Customer Service
Customer service is a skill that directly impacts an organization’s success, which is why businesses are always looking for employees with this skill. It’s a specialized skill that requires good communication, empathy, problem-solving, and a strong knowledge of the employer’s product or service. And very few possess these abilities.
Here are the top reasons why employers seek workers with customer service skills:
- Improves customer retention: Customers are more willing to do business with an organization that can communicate positively with them and solves product-related issues quickly.
- Demonstrates you have interpersonal skills: If you’re an employee with a good rapport with customers, it shows you have patience, understanding, and can easily communicate with all business stakeholders.
- Creates a good reputation: If employees can keep customers happy, this generates a positive reputation for the business.
It helps to include customer service under your specialized skills even if the position isn’t client-facing. You will still use these interpersonal skills in your other relationships as an employee.
10. Software Proficiency
Software skills exhibit that you not only have advanced computer skills, but you are proficient in specific types of software. And with most businesses using different systems and apps to automate their processes, this skill can directly translate into being hired for a position.
For example, if you have experience with Xero software or Microsoft Excel, this can help you get hired as an accountant, or if you can work with a sales CRM software, you can get employed as a sales professional.
Therefore, include the names of the software you have experience with under your specialized skills.
11. Typing
Typing speed used to be one of the skills required for admin positions. However, it is a skill that can benefit most industries as most business communications take place via the written word and require a high degree of accuracy.
So, if you are a fast typist, your words-per-minute average can be noted under the specialized skills section of your resume.
12. Research Skills
Research skills demonstrate your ability to think critically, collect and analyze data, and evaluate different types of information. And irrespective of your role and industry, having robust research skills can make you a competitive candidate.
Employers have a soft spot for research skills, as it helps them:
- Differentiate themselves from their competitors.
- Develop new products.
- Understand customer needs.
- Keep up with new technologies.
- Effectively plan for any future expansions and products.
Research skills on your resume also show companies that you’re innovative, adaptive, and can critically analyze information.
13. Public Speaking
Most people aren’t comfortable with public speaking and would rather shy away from the spotlight. And this is why many employers value public speaking skills, as they’ve often dealt with employees who struggle to communicate ideas.
Therefore, if you’re good at public speaking, adding this to your specialized skills on your resume shows you are confident, charismatic, and can express your opinions clearly. It also proves you are competent at presentations, meetings, and teamwork and can simplify complex ideas.
14. Mentoring
Most workers don’t possess the trifecta of patience, understanding, and deep technical knowledge that it takes to be a mentor. So the main reason employers value mentoring skills is that it directly results in better employee performance, which means reduced employee turnover and higher job satisfaction.
Including mentoring skills on your resume demonstrates you have:
- Empathy
- Deep knowledge of your subject
- The ability to teach effectively
- Management skills
- The ability to support your fellow staff in times of need.
To complement the mentoring skills on your resume, you can also mention the successes of your mentees. And you can list data from your prior experience that proves your mentoring skills, such as reduced employee turnover or a higher level of promotions.
Resources And References
- Lead with Languages: Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers
- Monster: This Is the Skill You Need Today If You Want a Job in One of the Highest Paying Industries
- Monster: The Top Data Skills You Need to Get Hired
- Indeed: Analytical Skills: Definitions and Examples
- Forbes: Why Professionals Should Embrace Public Speaking (And How You Can Get Started)
