How To Add People Skills To Your Resume | Examples

People skills, also known as interpersonal skills, are those that enable individuals to effectively communicate and connect with others. People skills include active listening, the capacity to settle conflicts, and tolerance for diversity in a casual or corporate situation.

And, because professions that do not require at least some people skills are few and few between, you can expect that employers will go over your resume and question you in interviews to determine if you have them.

What Are People Skills?

What do you need to get the job you want, the promotion you’ve been working for, or the employee of the month award? Of course, you’ll need the essential job skills and education to complete all of your obligations and responsibilities. However, practically every business requires other talents that may be unrelated to the job at hand. Enter people skills.

People skills have a wide range of definitions, but they often pertain to the ability to communicate successfully in a variety of settings or situations. Because productivity is difficult to maximize without effective communication, people skills can be a game changer for businesses and organizations.

People Skills Examples

• Effective communication
• Active listening
• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Conflict resolution
• Persuasion and influencing skills
• Reliability
• Respectfulness
• Tolerance
• Diplomacy
• Leadership
• Relationship building
• Mediation
• Self-motivation

Having said that, interpersonal skills are often overlooked. Most university and job training courses focus on technical skills. This gives rise to the belief that if you study hard enough, you will almost certainly succeed in your job.

But the contrary is true. Neglecting soft skills, such as interpersonal skills, can lead to career suicide. According to one study, 75% of long-term employment success is dependent on interpersonal abilities, whereas just 25% is dependent on technical knowledge.

That is not all. According to other data, soft and people skills account for 85% of work success and only 15% of hard skills.

Developing people skills isn’t just useful in the office. According to Dr. Ralph Nichols. “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.” Fortunately, people skills, like all other skills, can be worked on and improved.

People Skills—Synonyms

There’s lots of ways people refer to people skills. Here’s a list of people skill synonyms if you need to use another word for people skills:

• Social skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Charasmaticness
• Active listening skills
• Interpersonal relations
• Social competence
• Soft skills

People Skills on a Resume Example

Frances Byron

frances.j.byron@gmail.com

(830) 579-3531

Campbellton, TX

Resume Summary

Energetic receptionist with over 3 years of experience in both small and corporate offices. Task-oriented with a knack for multitasking. Eager to apply my interpersonal skills and organizational strategy at Fly Media. Trained on CRM for logging client interactions to drive sales and marketing growth targets.

Work Experience

Receptionist

Hays Systems Inc, Dallas, TX

March 2019–November 2020

• Answered 10+ inbound calls in a professional manner to redirect callers or field questions.
• Maintained office calendar, organizational tools, and CRM database.
• Used office equipment to copy, scan, file, and send important documents.
• Scheduled appointments and company meetings to accommodate itineraries and adjust to changes with grace.
• Received 20 hours of CRM training on a new software platform.
• Front Desk Receptionist

Cordial Care, San Antonio, TX

August 2017–February 2019

• Greeted, assisted, and provided information to visitors in the waiting area.
• Answered phone calls, relayed messages, and called customers as needed.
• Coordinated access to the rest of the office by serving as a liaison between staff and customers.
• Ensured a positive experience for clients by maintaining a well-organized waiting area.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in English

Central New Community College, Albuquerque, NM

Graduation: June 2017

Treasurer for the Methodist Church Campus Organization

Skills

• Time management
• Detail-oriented
• Communication
• VOIP phone systems
• Data entry
• Typing >80 WPM

Hobbies and Interests

• Volunteer at the Best Friends Humane Society (2018-Present)
• Lifestyle blogging at simplyinfashion.com

How to Add People Skills to a Resume

The skills section of your resume isn’t the only place to highlight your people abilities. Spread them throughout your employment application. See the following examples:

People Skills in the Resume Profile

Energetic receptionist with over 3 years of experience in both small and corporate offices. Task-oriented with a knack for multitasking. Eager to apply my interpersonal skills and organizational strategy at Fly Media. Trained on CRM for logging client interactions to drive sales and marketing growth targets.

People Skills in the Work Experience Section

Receptionist

Hays Systems Inc, Dallas, TX

March 2019–November 2020

• Answered 10+ inbound calls in a professional manner to redirect callers or field questions.
• Maintained office calendar, organizational tools, and CRM database.
• Used office equipment to copy, scan, file, and send important documents.
• Scheduled appointments and company meetings to accommodate itineraries and adjust to changes with grace.
• Received 20 hours of CRM training on a new software platform.

People Skills in the Education Section

Bachelor of Arts in English

Central New Community College, Albuquerque, NM

Graduation: June 2017

• Leader for the Methodist Church Campus Organization

People Skills in the Skills Section

• Time management
• Detail-oriented
• Communication
• Active listening
• VOIP phone systems
• Data entry
• Typing >80 WPM

People Skills in Additional Sections

• Volunteer at the Best Friends Humane Society (2018-Present)
• Lifestyle blogging at simplyinfashion.com

Remember to include a fantastic cover letter with your CV. For additional information, visit our article on how to write a cover letter.