When deciding what skills to put on a resume, it’s best to add as many from the job description as possible.

Once you’ve done that, add skills that hiring managers want to see from new college grads. For example, leadership and the ability to work on a team still rank as the skills hiring managers want to see the most from you.

A 2016 study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that 80% of employers are looking for recent college graduates who display leadership skills.

So, for a student just starting your college years, it sounds like you should end up in a leadership position as soon as possible.

The truth is that you should emphasize any leadership role on your college resume.  Were you the president of a two person anime club? Great. Put it on your resume.

Here is a list of the top five skills that hiring managers think are important for a student to have on a graduate resume:

1. Leadership
2. Ability to Work on a Team
3. Communication Skills (Written)
4. Problem-solving Skills
5. Communication Skills (Verbal)

Whenever you can prove that you’ve learned these skills, i.e. tie them to an experience, do it.   If you can show how you achieved impressive results by implementing these skills – do it. 

Hiring managers also said that the attributes that influence their decision the most are:

1. your major
2. holding a leadership position
3. extracurricular activities
4. what school you attended
5. volunteer work
6. fluency in a foreign language
7. having studied abroad.

And if it applies to college graduates, logic follows that high school graduates who have the same skills will also do well.

Find out more about how to put skills on your resume and which skills hiring managers value most.

REFERENCES

1. https://uptowork.com/blog/student-resume