What Are Employability Skills? [Definition + Top 10 Examples]

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Table of contents

What Are Employability Skills?
Top 10 Employability Skills
How To List Employability Skills on Your Resume
More Skills Resources
Key Takeaways

Building a resume means deciding between a nearly endless list of potential skills to feature. Choosing the right ones will help make your resume stand out to employers and show that you understand their needs and expectations. To make your resume stronger, try showcasing your employability skills.

But what are employability skills, and how do they fit on your resume? Check out our guide, which includes employability skills examples that you can add to your resume today, to learn about these vital skills and their role on your resume.

This guide covers:

A working definition of employability skills
The top 10 employability skills in today's job market
Advice for listing these skills on your resume
Extra resources for other skill sets

Ready to create a resume to showcase your employability skills? Try our AI Resume Builder. This tool takes the guesswork out of resume writing by using your experience to create a unique and strategic resume full of in-demand skills that are relevant to your career.

What Are Employability Skills?

The definition of employability skills is in the name—employability skills are skills that show employers that you're dependable and capable.

Employability skills are a mix of soft skills and practical abilities that help you thrive in any work environment. These include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Possessing these skills can greatly enhance your versatility as a professional, making you suitable for a variety of roles across different sectors. They also make you hireable—employers are interested in workers with a broad set of soft skills that allow them to work well with others and tackle challenges on the go.

Whether you want to be employed in information technology, nursing, or teaching, employability skills are the key to advancing your career. They're especially important for students, who need these foundational skills to successfully transition from academic environments to professional settings.

Now let's walk through the most valuable employability skills to highlight on your resume.

Top 10 Employability Skills

Below, we've listed the top 10 employability skills for the job market right now. You may notice that these are all transferable skills, applicable in a wide range of industries and jobs. No matter where you take your career, they'll come in handy.

1. Adaptability

From pandemics to the growth of artificial intelligence, the last few years have shown that being adaptable or flexible may be the most important employability skill in today's job market. This skill allows professionals to thrive in a constantly changing environment and to pivot quickly in response to new challenges.

Here are five examples of adaptability skills:

Quickly adjusting to remote work setups
Learning new software or tools as company technologies evolve
Shifting project priorities or scopes in response to feedback
Adapting communication styles to different audiences
Responding constructively to industry innovations

2. Data literacy

Good with numbers? Now more than ever, data is essential in the workplace, and not just basic math skills—overall data literacy is where it's at. Using data to tell a story, create a meaningful chart, or make predictive analyses are all skills that significantly enhance decision-making and strategic planning.

Here are five examples of data literacy skills:

Interpreting data sets
Using analytics tools
Creating visualizations like graphs and heat maps
Conducting A/B testing
Employing statistical methods

3. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, interpret, and regulate emotional responses—both your own and those of others. It plays a critical role in interpersonal skills, leadership, and personal resilience.

Here are five examples of emotional intelligence skills you might see on a resume:

Recognizing one's emotional responses in high-stress situations
Demonstrating empathy by acknowledging the emotions of others
Building and maintaining strong relationships
Managing impulses and emotional reactions
Motivating oneself and others to meet goals

4. Communication

As the modes of communication change, one thing remains the same: communication skills are vital both in the workplace and in everyday life. Clear communication improves efficiency, builds relationships, empowers teamwork, and establishes healthy boundaries. Mastering both verbal and nonverbal communication is essential.

Here are five examples of communication skills you might see on a resume:

Actively listening to colleagues and clients
Delivering clear, concise and compelling presentations
Writing precise, action-oriented emails
Interpreting and utilizing body language
Negotiating effectively

5. Sales

From generating revenue to building relationships, sales skills give you a powerful advantage in the job market. You don't have to work in sales for sales skills to be a big part of your job. Instead, they can enhance any role that requires negotiation or client interaction.

Here are five examples of sales skills you might see on a resume:

Identifying customer needs
Developing persuasive pitches
Building long-term client relationships
Fielding objections
Analyzing customer feedback

6. Collaboration

Teamwork makes the dream work! Corny phrase aside, it really is true that working well with others is only becoming more important in our interconnected world. Successful outcomes often depend on collaborative efforts.

Here are five examples of collaboration skills you might see on a resume:

Coordinating with team members
Resolving conflicts among team members
Participating in brainstorming sessions
Sharing resources and information freely
Supporting team decisions

7. Critical thinking

Ideally, you want every member of your team to be a critical thinker. The ability to think through problems gives you a certain level of independence. No one has to watch over your shoulder, allowing for more dynamic and efficient teamwork.

Here are five examples of critical thinking skills you might see on a resume:

Analyzing complex data
Evaluating the pros and cons of different strategies
Applying logical reasoning
Challenging existing processes and suggesting improvements
Conducting in-depth research

8. Time management

We live in the age of distraction. With the entire power of the internet in our pockets 24 hours a day, it's a wonder anything gets done at all! All of this makes time management skills incredibly important. Mastering these skills ensures that you can complete tasks more efficiently while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Here are five examples of time management skills you might see on a resume:

Prioritizing daily tasks to ensure critical projects are completed first
Setting clear goals and deadlines to guide day-to-day activities
Using tools and apps to organize tasks and reminders
Delegating responsibilities to others when appropriate
Monitoring time spent on tasks

9. Cross-cultural competency

Yet another skill that's related to a globalizing economy. Understanding and appreciating cultural differences is important in wider swathes of the job market than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Being proficient in this area enhances teamwork and customer interactions in a diverse global marketplace.

Here are five examples of cross-cultural skills you might see on a resume:

Communicating with team members from various cultural backgrounds
Adapting business practices and communications to accommodate cultural norms
Showing sensitivity and respect for cultural differences
Navigating language barriers and using translation tools
Demonstrating knowledge of international markets

10. Leadership

Leadership is always a significant skill. Your ability to inspire a team can determine the success of projects and the growth of your organization. Strong leadership fosters a positive work environment and drives business success.

Here are five examples of leadership skills you might see on a resume:

Motivating and inspiring team members
Making strategic decisions
Managing team dynamics
Developing the skills and careers of team members
Setting professional standards for ethics and integrity

How To List Employability Skills on Your Resume

Are you learning about employability skills because you're looking for a job? If so, you should make sure these skills are well-represented on your resume. Adding them to your resume is simple. You can do it in just three steps. Here we go.

Step 1

Identify skills in the job listing

The key to impressing an employer is creating a strategic, targeted resume that's customized for each role you apply to.

Employers get so many cookie-cutter resumes, where the job seeker uses the same document for every application. They're impressed when they get resumes that are clearly tailored to the job description.

Additionally, a customized resume should be rich with relevant keywords from the job description. This will help show how well you fit the role while also signaling to applicant tracking systems (ATS) that your resume has the employability skills they've been programmed to screen for.

If you're wondering whether your resume is specific enough to pass through ATS screening, try using an ATS Resume Checker to scan your resume and get a score based on its performance within ATS software.

The key to impressing an employer is creating a strategic, targeted resume that's customized for each role you apply to.

Step 2

Put those skills in your skills section

Return to your resume with those skills in hand.

Add a skills section. Use bullet points to make it easier to read when your resume finally does make it to a human. If you're trying to emphasize a specific skill set, you might also want to create a section for core competencies. Here, you can dig into the three or four skill areas most valuable to the employer.

Pro tip

If you're changing careers or you're new to the field, you might find a functional resume a better match for your goals. Also known as a skills-based resume, this format emphasizes your abilities and accomplishments rather than a chronological work history.

Step 3

Weave skills throughout your resume

Your resume is full of opportunities to highlight your skills.

When detailing your work history, don't just list your job duties. Instead, describe how you applied specific skills to achieve results. For instance, mention projects where you utilized leadership and teamwork to exceed goals.

In your professional summary or resume objective, tailor your statement to reflect the skills most relevant to the job you're applying for. Similarly, in your education section, include any relevant coursework, certifications, or experiences that demonstrate essential skills, even if they're not directly related to your field.

More Skills Resources

Haven't found what you're looking for? Maybe one of our other skills guides can help:

Key Takeaways

Employability skills will help you land a job
Employability skills improve your job prospects by showing your ability to thrive in a professional setting.
Most employability skills are soft skills
These include critical thinking, communication, and teamwork, which are vital across all jobs and industries.
This skill set is largely transferable between industries
Skills like adaptability and leadership are valued in virtually every field, making career transitions smoother.
Add relevant skills to your resume
Highlighting these skills on your resume directly connects your capabilities to the needs of potential employers.

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Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years' experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers.