Post Academic

Welcome to the Post Academic Resume Series. We’ve covered the Resume Objective, Work Experience, and Education. We’re winding down with the Skills section, which is like a basket for everything else that didn’t fit on your resume.

The Skills section of the resume almost seems like a throwaway. You might be tempted to skip it if it your resume is looking a little long. Don’t count it out, though. I’ve said before that you can ignore the one-page resume rule. The skills section is a golden opportunity to surprise and delight a hiring manager if you follow these tips:

Share your editorial knowledge. Experience editing with the Chicago Manual of Style, MLA style, or AP style can go a long way.

Be sure to list computer skills. Yes, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel count. Anyone who wants a job now needs basic computer literacy. You will be even more impressive if you study extra programs or languages, including HTML and CSS.

More after the jump! Typewriter repair falls under the category of interesting skills. Image from the German Federal Archive on Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons license.

Speaking of languages. You’re a grad student, so you can probably at least read in one other language. Anyone who is eyeing a business job will have an automatic advantage if they can read or speak a second language.

Throw in a few surprise skills. Resumes should never be an outlet for personality quirks, but the skills section offers a little more wiggle room, as long as the skills aren’t too out there. For example, if you’re trained in CPR or self-defense, those talents might come in handy in a high-school classroom or a high-stress workplace.

If you have any further questions about your resume, feel free to ask them by e-mailing postacademic.blog at gmail dot com, and we can post the question, answer it, and get responses from other.