Problem-solving skills is one of the top resume skills that employers are looking for and believe will grow in importance. They’ve become a very sought after interpersonal skill.
“Research in the past few years points to problem-solving skills as being crucial to business success. Many employers now put these ahead of technical skills,” says John Kleeman, founder of the online assessment platform Questionmark.
What does this mean for you, the job seeker?
It means that it’s more important than ever to show employers that you can identify and solve problems quickly and efficiently, whether you’re applying to an entry-level job or a senior executive position.
10 problem-solving skills to put on your resume
Employees who have good problem-solving skills are vital for the successful functioning of any business.
But what specific in-demand skills are employers looking for?
Here are ten of the most important problem-solving skills that businesses want their employees to have.
1) Creativity
Creativity lets us view a problem from many angles. It encourages us to think outside the box and find new solutions.
Creativity opens us to new possibilities. It makes us better at solving problems.
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I created and used a new process. It cut workflow time by 15%, reducing costs.
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Brainstormed and designed a new product feature that led to a 20% increase in customer engagement.
- Created a unique marketing strategy that improved customer retention by 30%.
- Leveraged innovative technology tools to automate manual processes, increasing team productivity by 25%.
2) Research
Research skills are essential when resolving complex problems.
We must gather and analyze data from multiple sources. Only then can we assess the problem and find the best solutions.
Jobscan looked at over 10 million job listings to determine the skills most commonly requested on job descriptions. 19% of these job listings required research as a skill, whether it’s as a manager, analyst, director, or otherwise.
- Conducted market research to identify new customer segments, resulting in a 15% increase in sales.
- Analyzed competitor trends and developed strategies that improved competitive positioning by 10%.
- Evaluated potential partners and vendors, leading to cost-saving decisions and improved service delivery.
- Gathered data from industry reports to provide actionable insights for future business development.
3) Communication
Once you’ve identified a potential solution to a problem, you need to be able to explain it clearly to others.
This involves both verbal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to listen carefully and understand the perspective of others.
Communication is one of the most in-demand skills recruiters look for, with 44% of job listings looking for it as a keyword.
- Led a project team by clearly defining goals and maintaining open communication, resulting in on-time project delivery.
- Mediated and resolved inter-departmental conflicts, improving overall team productivity by 20%.
- Facilitated regular team meetings and feedback sessions, leading to collaboration and trust among team members.
- Developed and delivered presentations to upper management, effectively communicating project progress and outcomes.
4) Teamwork
Being able to work on a team is an important skill that contributes to effective problem-solving.
Teamwork on complex issues often yields the best solutions. Each member’s unique skills and perspectives help solve the problem.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to successfully launch a product, contributing to a 15% revenue increase.
- Created a culture of open communication and feedback, resulting in improved team performance and job satisfaction.
- Utilized the diverse skill sets of team members to deliver a complex project ahead of schedule.
- Led team-building exercises that promoted trust and improved collaboration, boosting team efficiency by 10%.
5) Decision making
It’s important to be able to identify problems and analyze possible solutions. Still, at some point, you need to make a decision.
Good decision-makers focus on solving the problem. They save time by analyzing all the data. They avoid long debates about the best option.
- Evaluated and selected cost-effective suppliers, saving the company 12% on annual expenses.
- Led a project decision to shift strategy, resulting in a 25% reduction in delivery time and improved client satisfaction.
- Analyzed sales data and implemented a new pricing strategy, increasing profit margins by 8%.
- Demonstrated decisiveness in high-pressure situations, leading to the successful resolution of critical issues.
6) Analysis
Analysis means examining data and facts. It involves relevant info too. The goal is to find solutions by drawing conclusions. Analytical thinking helps you break complex problems into simpler parts. It also aids in making informed decisions.
Strong analytical skills are key to solving problems. They help you find patterns, assess risks, and predict outcomes.
- Analyzed customer feedback and implemented changes that resulted in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction.
- Conducted a thorough analysis of financial data, leading to a 15% reduction in operational costs.
- Evaluated and optimized sales strategies based on data trends, increasing revenue by 10%.
- Performed competitor analysis and provided recommendations that improved market share by 8%.
7) Adaptability
Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new situations without becoming overwhelmed. It lets you change strategies quickly and stay flexible when unexpected problems arise.
In a fast-paced, changing work environment, being adaptable is key. It helps you handle uncertainty and stay productive despite shifting circumstances.
- Successfully adapted to new project goals and realigned resources, ensuring the project was delivered ahead of schedule.
- Quickly learned and implemented new software tools, resulting in a 20% increase in team efficiency.
- Embraced changes in company processes and mentored colleagues through the transition, maintaining team morale.
- Adjusted marketing tactics in response to customer behavior changes, leading to a 10% increase in engagement.
8) Critical thinking
Critical thinking skills lets you assess problems, evaluate evidence, and consider solutions. It involves a disciplined, systematic approach to problem-solving that avoids jumping to conclusions. Employers value critical thinkers.
They can analyze issues, reduce mistakes, and find the best solutions in complex situations.
- Evaluated multiple business strategies and implemented a new approach that increased profits by 15%.
- Assessed risks and opportunities for a product launch, resulting in a successful introduction with minimal issues.
- Developed a contingency plan by analyzing potential roadblocks, ensuring the seamless continuation of a key project.
- Challenged existing operational procedures, resulting in streamlined processes that improved efficiency by 10%.
9) Time management
Time management skills are basically the planning your time. It helps you be more productive and meet deadlines. By mastering time management, you can solve problems more efficiently without sacrificing quality.
Time management is key. It ensures that important tasks are done on time, whether you work alone or with a team. This helps to avoid stress and delays.
- Managed a multi-phase project by breaking tasks into manageable steps, resulting in on-time delivery with a 5% budget surplus.
- Implemented time-tracking tools across the team, improving productivity by 15%.
- Assigned tasks to team members based on their strengths, ensuring the project was completed two weeks ahead of schedule.
- Set clear goals and deadlines for problem-solving tasks, reducing response times by 20%.
10) Simplification
Simplification is breaking complex problems into simpler, manageable parts. This approach helps you find solutions faster. It does so by focusing on key issues and removing unnecessary details.
Simplifying problems reduces the risk of missing key factors. It also boosts the chances of finding a good solution, even under pressure.
- Simplified a complex workflow by breaking it down into key steps, reducing errors and increasing productivity by 18%.
- Created user-friendly documentation for a new process, reducing training time by 25%.
- Streamlined communication within the team, ensuring critical information was shared efficiently and effectively.
- Developed a checklist system for repetitive tasks, reducing time spent on routine processes by 15%.
How to highlight problem-solving skills on a resume
It’s essential to highlight your problem-solving skills when writing your resume. But which skills you should put on your resume can be hard to figure out. Remember, employers are specifically looking for them! But what are the best ways to list the areas of expertise on your resume? And to do it without keyword stuffing?
The Jobscan resume builder actually has a feature that immediately shows you the required skills for specific jobs you’re looking to apply to. Then, you can add them in seconds using the Bullet Point Generator. This allows you to create the perfect resume in minutes that highlight your achievements and skills.
Here are a few other things you can do to make your problem-solving skills stand out more:
1. Use action verbs
When describing your skills on a resume, try to use catchy, memorable language that packs a punch.
In particular, try to use action verbs. These are words that describe “doing” – like “riding” a bike or “walking” to school.
The best action words to use on your resume are those that are descriptive and specific. These will paint a more vivid picture of your skills and experience.
For example, instead of writing “helped solve problems,” you could write “identified and solved critical issues.”
- Developed creative solutions to complex problems.
- Researched and implemented best practices for problem prevention.
- Streamlined processes to reduce errors and increase efficiency.
2. Quantify your accomplishments
It’s one thing to say you have strong problem-solving skills, but it’s even better to back up your accomplishments with hard numbers.
Whenever possible on your resume, include metrics that show just how effective you are at solving problems. For example, “reduced customer complaints by 30%.” It’s this levels of skills on your resume that will separate you from other applicants.
- Managed a budget of $200,000 and reduced expenses by 10%.
- Achieved a 95% success rate in meeting objectives.
- Resolved an average of 100 customer complaints per month.
3. Describe your research skills
Research skills play a key role in solving problems. If you’re good at conducting research and finding relevant information, make sure to include that on your resume.
For example, an office manager could say they “utilized extensive research skills to investigate new methods for streamlining inventory management.”
- Compiled statistical data for reports and analysis.
- Analyzed research findings to develop creative solutions.
- Routinely updated databases with new information.
4. Highlight your creativity
There are many problems that cannot be solved with conventional methods.
If you’re the type of person who is good at thinking outside the box and coming up with creative solutions, make sure to mention that on your resume.
For example, you might say, “suggested new approaches to customer service that increased customer satisfaction.”
- Resolved a long-standing issue with our website’s design by implementing a new coding solution.
- Generated fresh ideas for product development and marketing campaigns.
- Turned a failing project around by coming up with a solution that no one else had thought of.
5. Emphasize your collaboration skills
In many cases, problems can’t be solved by one person working alone.
If you’re good at collaborating with others and working as part of a team, that’s something you should try to highlight on your resume. Having leadership skills is another way to showcase your collaboration experience.
For example, a you could highlight your financial analyst skills by saying you “worked cross-functionally to launch an annual industry report.”
- Brought together stakeholders with different objectives and helped them find common ground.
- Helped resolved misunderstandings between departments, resulting in a 30% increase in sales.
- Facilitated weekly team meetings to ensure consistent communication and successful completion of tasks.
What are problem-solving skills?
Problem-solving is a complex skill. It involves critical thinking, decision-making, creativity, and information processing. Many of them, like time management or adaptability, are also transferable skills.
Effective problem-solvers use a methodical approach. It helps them break tough problems into smaller, manageable parts.
In its simplest form, problem-solving involves three basic steps:
Step 1 – Identify the problem
This may seem obvious, but it is important to take the time to really understand what the problem is before trying to solve it.
This can involve talking to people who are affected by the problem, doing research, or consulting experts in the field.
Step 2 – Generate a list of possible solutions
Consider how effective each solution would be and whether or not it is feasible to implement.
Once you have narrowed down the list of possible solutions, you can then start testing out the most promising ones.
Step 3 – Implement the solution
This step also includes finding the resources to implement the solution. They include money, personnel, and technology.
The goal is to find the best, practical solution. It must fix the immediate issue and any underlying causes. By following these three steps, you should quickly find and fix problems!
How to improve your problem-solving skills
Improving your problem-solving skills can open up a variety of different career opportunities.
Here are some things you can do to strengthen your problem-solving abilities:
1. Be proactive
The first step to solving any problem is to recognize that it exists!
This might seem obvious, but many people choose to ignore problems instead of facing them head-on.
Pay attention to the things that are going wrong in your life and work, and don’t sweep them under the rug.
2. Break down big problems into smaller ones
When you’re faced with a big problem, it can be overwhelming. But if you break the problem down into smaller pieces, it will be much easier to solve.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to lose weight. This is a big goal, but it can be broken down into smaller goals, like eating healthy meals and exercising regularly.
Once you have a plan for each of these smaller goals, you’ll be one step closer to solving the bigger problem.
3. Be open-minded
Being open-minded means that you’re willing to consider all possible solutions, even if they’re not what you were originally thinking.
If you’re closed-minded, you might miss out on the best solution to the problem. So don’t be afraid to try something new.
4. Be persistent
Persistence is another important quality for problem-solvers. If you give up at the first sign of trouble, you’ll never find a solution.
When you’re facing a difficult problem, it’s important to keep trying different things until you find a solution that works.
Don’t give up, and eventually, you’ll find the answer you’re looking for!
5. Ask for help
If you’re having trouble solving a problem, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s no shame in admitting that you need assistance.
There are many people who are happy to help others solve their problems. So reach out to your friends, family, or even a professional if you need some guidance.
Developing better problem-solving skills can take some time and effort, but it’s worth it!
How to highlight problem-solving skills in a job interview
When interviewers ask about your problem-solving skills, they want examples. They want to see how you identified and solved problems in the past.
These problem-solving examples could be from work, from your studies, or even taken from your personal life!
Here are some tips on how to highlight your problem-solving skills in a job interview:
1. Describe your process
When describing how you solved a problem, be sure to include all the steps you took in your explanation. This will show the interviewer that you are systematic and thorough in your approach.
For example, you can highlight your account manager skills by saying something like:
“I began by analyzing our current sales figures and identifying where we were losing customers. I then looked at our marketing strategy and identified areas where we could improve. Finally, I implemented a new marketing strategy and monitored the results closely. This led to a significant increase in sales within six months.”
2. Use problem-solving skills in the interview itself
Some interviewers will ask you to solve a problem on the spot as part of the interview process. This is usually done to assess your analytical and critical thinking skills.
For example, someone applying for a job as a business analyst may be asked to review a company’s financial reports and identify areas of concern.
When solving problems in an interview, be sure to think out loud so the interviewer can understand your thought process.
If you’re not sure of the answer, don’t be afraid to say so. This shows that you’re willing to admit when you don’t know something and are willing to learn.
3. Make connections to responsibilities included in the new job
Be sure to highlight how your problem-solving skills will be relevant to the responsibilities of the position you’re applying for.
For example, if you’re applying for a job as a restaurant server, you might talk about a time when you had to diffuse a difficult customer situation.
Connecting your past experiences to the new job shows the interviewer you’re qualified and excited to use your skills in a new way.
4. Use specific examples and data
When you describe your past problem-solving skills, use specific examples. Support your claims with data.
This makes your story more convincing and shows that you’re not just making things up.
For example, if you’re claiming that you increased sales, be sure to back it up with sales reports, graphs, or even customer testimonials.
Why are problem-solving skills important?
Problem-solving is considered a soft skill, or “people” skill.
Soft skills are personal attributes that can be transferred from one job to another and help employees interact more effectively with others in the workplace. Hard skills are knowledge or expertise that you learn them through education or on-the-job experience, like statistical analysis or data mining.
For example, in addition to problem-solving, soft skills include time management, empathy, teamwork, flexibility, and having a positive attitude.
In today’s rapidly changing world, soft skills have become more valuable than ever to employers. Many can certainly be considered high income skills as well.
“When we look at today’s workforce,” says Eric Frazer, the author of The Psychology of Top Talent, “there’s definitely been a shift away from just having what I would call ‘tacit knowledge’ and ‘tacit skills’…meaning, you’re just good at what you do.” Instead, “There is a deeper understanding that people have to come first, before performance.”
Problem-solving skills are crucial to the success of any business. Employees face problems every day. How they deal with them can mean the difference between success and failure.
If you can learn to identify and solve problems quickly and effectively, you’ll be an invaluable asset to your team.
FAQ
Focus on being proactive and addressing problems head-on. Break down larger issues into smaller, manageable parts. Develop your creativity by thinking outside the box and consider all possible solutions. Work with others to gain new perspectives. Also, keep practicing your research and decision-making skills.
Problem-solving is a complex skill. It involves three steps. First, identify a problem. Second, generate solutions. Third, implement the best one. Solving problems in personal and work settings often needs critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making.
Creativity, research, communication, teamwork, and decision-making.
A good example of problem-solving is using research and creativity to fix a broken process. A marketing team could analyze customer data. Then, they could develop new strategies to boost engagement and sales by 20%. This showcases research, creativity, and effective decision-making.
Problem-solving skills in the workplace involve identifying challenges, analyzing options, and implementing solutions that benefit the organization. These skills are crucial for tasks like improving processes, enhancing productivity, and resolving conflicts within teams.
Recruiters might test problem-solving skills. They seek to analyze situations, find creative solutions, make decisions, and collaborate. In interviews, they may ask candidates to describe times they found and solved problems. They will test their processes and results.
