Core Competencies on a Resume [+ Examples]

What are core competencies, and why are they important?

Core competencies, also called core qualifications, are the unique capabilities a business or individual has that give them their greatest advantage in the market.

The concept was introduced by C. K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel in their article “The Core Competence of the Corporation,” published in the Harvard Business Review.

In the article, the authors outline three criteria for creating a core competency. The activity must:

• Create superior value or benefits to the consumer.
• Be hard for a competitor to replicate or imitate.
• Be rare.

While the concept originally applied to companies, it sounds a lot like what a job seeker needs to thrive in today’s market, right?

Over time, the concept of core competencies became a common resume section. Job seekers list the qualities, skills and knowledge that set them apart from the pack. As the name suggests, core competencies aren’t “nice-to-haves;” these are essential to the job.

Now, why are core competencies important to put on a resume? There are three main reasons:

Now that you have a solid understanding of the concept, let’s talk about identifying core competencies for your resume.

How to identify core competencies [+ examples]

If core competencies are so important to the operation of a business, then they’re important to job seekers. Your resume should connect to these qualities that give companies an edge in the market.

But how do you identify them? A case study from tech will give us some insight.

Core competencies case study — Google

The question you should always ask yourself when identifying core values is: What sets the company apart?

For example, Google established its commanding position in the tech world through disruption and innovation.

Google played a significant role in setting our expectations for advanced search engines and efficient web services. They’ve created a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services, all designed and executed in the spirit of rapid, continuous innovation.

From their renowned search engine to their Android devices, Google is one of the most universally recognized tech companies because they make great products. When you put it all together, it’s easy to see why they are the envy of others in their industry.

Once you have a comprehensive view of Google, you can sum up its competencies in a few words:

• Innovation
• Product sense
• Agility
• Creativity

How do you do this when you don’t have a case study in front of you? If a company doesn’t outright state its competencies, you can figure them out by taking these steps:

• Read up on the mission.
• Read the job description.
• Observe market performance.
• Understand the competitive landscape.
• Pay attention to public statements.

Sometimes simply doing an online search of the company’s name with “core competencies” will tell you something about its values. For example, this article by a former interviewer at Microsoft lays out the six core competencies you’ll be assessed on in the interview process:

• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Customer focus
• Drive for results
• Influencing for impact
• Judgment

These reflect the qualities that make Microsoft a formidable company in the tech sector — and all of them can be added to your resume.

Additionally, if you’re trying to build expertise in a particular sector, many professional organizations make their core competencies public so you know exactly where they stand.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), for example, has 15 core competencies for entering medical students.

The AAMC core competencies include:

• Service orientation
• Social skills
• Cultural competence
• Teamwork
• Oral communication
• Ethical responsibility to self and others
• Reliability and dependability
• Resilience and adaptability
• Capacity for improvement
• Critical thinking
• Quantitative reasoning
• Scientific inquiry
• Written communication
• Living systems
• Human behavior

Meanwhile, the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a nonprofit organization for coaches, defines their core competencies as action-oriented phrases.

The ICF core competencies include:

• Demonstrates ethical practice
• Embodies a coaching mindset
• Establishes and maintains agreements
• Cultivates trust and safety
• Maintains presence
• Listens actively
• Evokes awareness
• Facilitates client growth

Many other organizations list their competencies. Before you connect with one of them, you should search online to see if they have their own list.

But the question persists — why should job seekers care about this? Ultimately, core competencies influence a company’s hiring decisions. To improve your chances of getting the interview, their core competencies should be reflected in your core competencies.

As a job seeker, what you want to do is simple — understand what your target company values, then translate these values into core competencies for your resume.

Now, let’s see what that looks like in action.

10 core competencies to put on your resume

Deciding which core competencies are right for your resume shouldn’t be done off the top of your head and done. You should always look at the duties and responsibilities portion of the job ad to see the skills and keywords they cite, then tailor your resume to address them.

Nevertheless, some core competencies have a broad utility in the job market, so we’ve put together a list of the most popular. Use the list as a source of inspiration as you write your resume.

Leadership

Few core competencies will help you get further ahead in your career than leadership, an ability valued in every industry and career field.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Communication

Communication is nearly always a core competency worth highlighting. Many people, from high-level executives to customer service representatives, use this talent daily.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Administrative

The ability to execute administrative tasks isn’t only valuable to administrative assistants. Whether you’re planning events or managing your team’s schedule, this core competency will be appreciated.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Problem-solving

Every company benefits from having a few problem-solvers on staff. Managers need to know more than a problem — they want multiple, carefully thought-out solutions presented to them, making this competency highly desirable.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Creativity

When there’s not a clear answer to a question, creativity comes in handy. In a job market with similarly skilled candidates, creative job seekers will stand out for their ability to think outside the box.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Interpersonal skills

Your career will be defined, in part, by how you work with other people. Interpersonal skills are the personality traits that benefit your colleagues and the organization, a core competency your co-workers will thank you for.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Computer skills

Nowadays, computer skills are necessary for moving up in the workplace, and the core competencies section is the perfect place to highlight your abilities.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Collaboration

Working well with others is an important part of most workplaces, and collaborating effectively contributes to business success. As a core competency, it suggests you’d be a valuable co-worker and employee.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Customer service

Whether you work in a call center or on a sales floor, providing top-notch customer service is a core competency that sets you apart from other candidates.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Marketing

Some level of marketing know-how is becoming increasingly required outside marketing departments, so don’t be shy about touting your marketing genius as one of your core competencies.

Skills associated with this core competency:

Now, let’s look at a few examples of a core competencies section in real-world resumes.

Core competencies — resume examples for three jobs

What does the core competencies section look like in action? Here are examples from four different careers.

Teacher core competencies

Sales Representative core competencies

Registered Nurse core competencies

Graphic designer core competencies

Before we start to wind down, let’s address an important issue: which resume format is best for highlighting core competencies?

The most traditional resume format — the chronological resume — tends to put a professional summary in the most prominent position. For highlighting core competencies, we’d recommend using a skills-oriented format like combination or functional instead.

There’s one final question to address — how do key skills differ from competencies?

Core competencies versus key skills: What’s the difference?

You may be wondering how core competencies and key skills differ since, on the surface, they sound pretty similar. While they have a lot in common, here is a simple way to understand the difference:

• Key skills are specific hard and soft skills that a job requires. Skills can get as finely-grained as operating construction equipment or programming in a niche computer code.
• Core competencies are groups of skills. They are umbrella terms that encapsulate a broader skill set. For example, computer programming is a core competency. JavaScript, HTML and Python would count as skills.