Why you should avoid intangible skills on your Hollywood resume

Self-starter. Strong communication skills. Detail-oriented. Team player. Effective multi-tasker. These are common soft skills listed in job postings, and you may be tempted to include them on your resume as keywords. After all, we always say to use the verbiage from the posting in your resume!

But these words are also meaningless on their own. Anyone can list “self-starter” in a skills section. But how does a hiring manager know it’s true? They can’t, unless you prove it. Luckily, proving skills is easy.

For example, if you want to convey that you’re a self-starter, you can write a bullet point that demonstrates a time you took initiative successfully – “Initiated new competitive tracking database; conducted daily trend research and generated concepts for growing development slate.” That shows you’re a self-starter, while also providing the hiring manager with much-needed context to see what kinds of ideas and projects you bring to the table. Plus, you get some bonus keywords and skills in there without taking up too much space! This is much more effective than listing a random skill with no evidence, because it allows the hiring manager to picture you in your last role and in the open role, as well.

You’ll also be given the opportunity to elaborate on soft skills in an interview. In fact, one of the purposes of an interview is to gut check whether you have the soft skills they’re looking for. You may say you’re an effective communicator, but were your emails to the hiring manager polite and timely? Keep in mind that your resume is only one piece of your job application, and its purpose is to get you in the door, so you and the hiring team can continue to assess whether you’re a fit. Focus on including relevant, tangible skills with achievements and context, and the soft skills will follow.

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-- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan