When I was fresh out of university, I made the same mistake most people do with resumes—I listed every technical skill, every certificate, every software program I had touched in the last five years. I thought the more “hard skills” I could cram onto the page, the more impressive I would look. But when I finally sat across from a hiring manager, she asked me something that left me stunned: “Tell me about a time when you handled conflict on a team.”
All those bullet points about Excel formulas and project management tools suddenly felt paper-thin. What she really wanted to know was whether I could work with people, adapt under stress, and communicate clearly. That’s when it clicked: a resume that only showcases technical abilities can look cold and one-dimensional. Employers are often searching for something harder to quantify—soft skills.
But here’s the problem: how do you actually show soft skills on a piece of paper that’s usually just a list of jobs and responsibilities? That’s the tricky part, and it’s where most people either undersell themselves or lean on generic buzzwords like “team player” that don’t carry much weight.
So let’s break this down: how do you craft a resume that doesn’t just say you have soft skills, but actually proves it in a way that stands out in a crowded job market?
Why Soft Skills Are the Secret Sauce
There’s a quiet truth about resumes that rarely gets said out loud: almost everyone applying for a job probably has the required technical qualifications. If the posting asks for knowledge of SQL, Photoshop, or bookkeeping, most candidates will check those boxes. That levels the playing field.
Where the difference often shows is in how you work rather than what you work on. A candidate who can defuse tension during a project crisis, motivate a sluggish team, or talk a frustrated client back from the edge is worth their weight in gold. Employers know this, even if they don’t always spell it out in the job description.
Soft skills—communication, adaptability, problem-solving, leadership, empathy—don’t look flashy on a line item. But in practice, they’re what make or break a workplace. A marketing coordinator who can explain a complex campaign idea to non-technical executives has a huge advantage over one who just quietly builds PowerPoints.
The challenge is that hiring managers can’t simply take your word for it. Everyone claims to be “adaptable” and “good with people.” Your task is to write a resume that makes those qualities jump off the page in ways that feel credible and specific.
The Wrong Way: Empty Buzzwords
Let’s start with what not to do. If your resume has a section that says something like this:
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Strong communication skills
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Excellent problem solver
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Team player
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Hard worker
…you’re basically saying nothing. These phrases are so overused they’ve become wallpaper. It’s not that employers dislike these qualities, it’s that they want evidence, not vague self-advertising.
Think of it this way: if you were trying to convince someone you’re funny, would you say, “I’m funny”? Or would you tell a joke and let them decide? Soft skills work the same way. You need to show them rather than just declare them.
The Right Way: Embedding Soft Skills Into Experience
The key is to weave soft skills into the way you describe your accomplishments. Instead of separating them into a bland list, anchor them in the context of what you actually achieved.
For example, instead of writing:
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“Strong communication skills”
You might say:
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“Presented weekly project updates to a team of 12 engineers and executives, translating technical details into clear business impact, which improved decision-making speed.”
That line does two things: it shows communication in action, and it ties it to a measurable outcome (better decision-making).
Or instead of:
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“Team player”
You could write:
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“Collaborated with cross-functional teams across marketing, design, and product to launch a new app feature on time, despite shifting deadlines.”
See the difference? One is a claim. The other is a story.
Storytelling With Bullet Points
Yes, I know “storytelling” and “resume” don’t usually appear in the same sentence. But the most effective resumes are full of mini-stories. Each bullet point should hint at a small narrative: a challenge, your action, and a result.
A quick framework you can borrow is CAR: Challenge, Action, Result.
For example, imagine you worked at a retail store:
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Challenge: Staff turnover was high and morale was low.
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Action: You started informal peer-training sessions to help new hires get comfortable faster.
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Result: Employee retention improved by 20% over six months.
Now, here’s how that might appear on a resume:
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“Initiated peer-training program for new staff, which improved retention rates by 20% and boosted team morale.”
You’re not just listing duties—you’re telling a tiny success story that highlights leadership, initiative, and empathy without ever saying the words outright.
Choosing Which Soft Skills to Emphasize
Not every job values the same soft skills. A customer service role may emphasize patience and communication, while a project management job might prioritize leadership and adaptability.
Here’s a trick I use: pull up the job posting and highlight any words or phrases that point toward soft skills. For example:
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“Ability to work in a fast-paced environment” → adaptability
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“Collaborate across departments” → teamwork and communication
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“Self-starter with leadership potential” → initiative and leadership
Once you have a shortlist, think about where you’ve actually demonstrated those skills in your past roles. The more specific the example, the more persuasive it will be.
Little Ways to Signal Soft Skills Beyond Bullet Points
Your resume is more than just a list of jobs. There are subtle ways to showcase personality and soft skills in other sections too:
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Summary Statement
Instead of a generic “Objective,” use two or three sentences at the top that frame your soft skills with context. For example:
“Marketing coordinator with a knack for simplifying complex ideas and rallying cross-functional teams. Known for staying calm under pressure and bringing structure to fast-moving projects.” -
Volunteer Work
Volunteer experience can be a goldmine for soft skills. Coaching a youth soccer team shows leadership. Organizing a charity fundraiser demonstrates event planning and communication. -
Projects
Freelance gigs, side hustles, or school projects can highlight creativity, collaboration, or adaptability. Employers don’t care as much where you demonstrated the skill, as long as it feels genuine. -
Formatting Choices
Believe it or not, even how you organize your resume can signal soft skills like clarity and attention to detail. A cluttered, inconsistent layout might unconsciously suggest disorganization. A clean, easy-to-read resume says you value communication and precision.
A Personal Lesson in Framing Soft Skills
When I applied for a communications role a few years ago, I worried I didn’t have enough “hard” credentials compared to other candidates. My technical experience was fine, but nothing jaw-dropping. Instead of padding my resume with software I had “basic familiarity” with, I leaned into soft skills.
For one bullet point under a customer support job, I wrote:
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“De-escalated customer complaints by listening with empathy and offering practical solutions, resulting in a 40% decrease in repeat calls.”
That line landed me an interview, and during the interview, the hiring manager specifically asked about it. She said she was tired of seeing resumes with “problem-solving” written as a buzzword and appreciated a concrete example. I didn’t have the most technical background of the candidates she saw, but she told me she valued the way I showed communication and empathy through actual results. I got the job.
Common Mistakes People Make
If you’re trying to highlight soft skills on a resume, beware of these pitfalls:
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Overloading on adjectives. Words like “excellent,” “outstanding,” and “dynamic” can feel hollow unless you back them up with results.
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Forgetting measurable outcomes. Saying you “improved communication” is vague. Saying you “cut meeting time by 30% by introducing structured agendas” is sharp and memorable.
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Cramming in too many skills. Trying to highlight ten soft skills at once waters everything down. Pick the three or four most relevant ones for the job you’re targeting.
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Ignoring tone. While your resume should be professional, it doesn’t need to sound like a corporate press release. Clarity and sincerity often come across stronger than stiff, jargon-heavy phrasing.
The Resume as a First Impression
Think of your resume less like a transcript of everything you’ve done, and more like the opening move in a conversation. You’re not just saying, “Here are my jobs.” You’re saying, “Here’s how I’ve grown, how I interact with others, and how I might fit into your team.”
Soft skills are tricky to measure, but when framed with real stories and results, they can be the difference between blending into the pile and sparking genuine curiosity from a hiring manager.
And here’s the real kicker: once you start practicing this way of framing your experiences, it doesn’t just help your resume. It gives you ready-made stories for interviews too. Instead of scrambling to answer, “Tell me about a time you showed leadership,” you’ll already have that bullet point about launching a peer-training program fresh in your mind.
Final Thoughts
If I could go back and rewrite my early resumes, I wouldn’t erase the technical skills, but I would balance them with the stories that reveal who I am as a worker and a teammate. The truth is, hard skills may get you through the door, but soft skills often decide whether you’re invited to stay.
So when you sit down to write your resume, ask yourself: what small stories can I tell that show how I communicate, adapt, lead, or solve problems? Those little details may not look dramatic on the page, but they paint a picture that’s far more persuasive than a bland list of software programs ever could.
Because at the end of the day, employers aren’t just hiring a set of skills. They’re hiring a person. And showing your soft skills in action helps them imagine what it’s like to work with you.