Time is money, and every employer has a bottom line to watch — which is why they want to hire people with great time management skills (especially high income skills). These skills are always in high demand because they’re essential for keeping workflows moving smoothly and efficiently. Recruiters want people with specific areas of expertise.
In this article, we’ll talk about seven time management skills you should add to your resume to help you stand out to potential employers.
What are time management skills?
Time management skills help you make the most efficient use of your time. These are usually considered to be soft skills, which are the personal attributes and social skills that we need to interact with other people. Soft skills include things like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Hard skills include things like data analysis.
According to a LinkedIn study, 89 percent of employers say that when a hire does not work out, it’s often due to a lack of soft skills. This is why more and more recruiters are prioritizing soft skills over hard skills when hiring.
Soft skills like time management are high demand skills right now especially because they are transferable. This means they can be applied to any job, across all industries and positions.
What are the top time management skills to add to your resume?
When you’re adding skills to your resume, remember that you should always try to show, not tell. In other words, don’t just list your skills, but try to back them up with real-life time management skills examples showing when you applied them. You also want to showcase what’s required, not overload the reader with information or keyword stuff the resume.
Here are the seven time management skills that employers love to see the most.
1. Prioritization
Setting priorities is perhaps the most essential time management skill of all. If you don’t know which task has the highest priority, it’s very difficult to make effective use of your time.
When you show potential employers that you know how to prioritize tasks, it tells them that you can think about the big picture and understand what is most important for the company’s success. It shows you have critical-thinking skills as well.
Remember, when writing your resume, don’t tell readers that you’re “good at prioritizing.” Instead, show them. You could say, for example:
“As a supervisor, I was responsible for managing a team of customer service representatives. We were constantly bombarded with requests from customers, and it was my job to prioritize those requests to keep our team on track. I learned how to quickly assess what was most important and delegate accordingly.”
- “Led a team of 10 customer service representatives by prioritizing high-impact client inquiries, improving response time by 30% and customer satisfaction ratings by 15%.”
- “Streamlined project workflows by prioritizing deliverables based on urgency and business impact, reducing project completion times by 20%. “
- “Effectively prioritized daily tasks to balance multiple deadlines, ensuring all projects were completed ahead of schedule with consistent quality.”
2. Setting goals
Setting clear goals makes it easier to determine how to best use your time so you can achieve those goals. They also help you stay on track and avoid getting overwhelmed.
If you are a social media manager, for example, you set goals by creating a schedule for posting content. This helps you plan your time so you can focus on the most important tasks.
If you are a project manager, you set goals by choosing a target completion date for a project. Then you can work backwards and create a schedule or plan that will ensure the project finishes on time.
Setting goals makes it easier to track your progress and see how far you’ve come. It also allows you to make adjustments if necessary.
- “Set quarterly sales goals to increase team revenue by 10%, achieving a 12% growth through strategic planning and execution.”
- “Established individual and team learning objectives for software training, resulting in a 95% certification success rate within three months.”
- “Developed and tracked SMART goals for a cross-functional marketing campaign, surpassing key performance indicators (KPIs) by 15%.”
3. Planning
Yes, prioritizing and setting goals are important skills. But you also need to be able to put those ideas into motion – this is where planning comes in.
Examples of planning include creating a timeline, developing a strategy, or allocating resources.
Putting this skill on your resume is fairly easy if you were in a leadership or project management position. All you have to do is think about a time when you helped put a new process in place. We analyzed over 10 million real job listing and found that out of the skills most commonly requested on job descriptions, 14% had planning as a required skill.
But even if you didn’t lead such efforts, you can still try to think of times where you had to plan events, meetings, or anything else where you had to take charge and make sure everything ran smoothly.
Planning is a valuable skill in any job, so don’t be afraid to showcase it even if you don’t have the word “manager” in your title.
- “Planned and coordinated a company-wide onboarding program for 50 employees, reducing the time-to-productivity by 25%.”
- “Created a comprehensive event timeline for a product launch, ensuring all deliverables were met on time and within budget.”
- “Designed and implemented a detailed project plan that reduced bottlenecks and delivered a $1.5M construction project three weeks early.”
4. Delegating
Delegating is the process of assigning responsibility for a task or project to another person or group. When delegating, it is vital to ensure that the people you delegate to have the necessary skills and expertise to complete the task. Delegation is also a great example of interpersonal skills.
Delegating is an important time management skill for two reasons:
- It shows you are capable of managing others effectively.
- It allows you to free up your own time so that you can focus on other tasks.
Add delegating to your resume by highlighting the successes you achieved by assigning tasks to others. Also explain how this benefited your company or organization.
- “Managed a team of 12 technicians by delegating tasks based on expertise, resulting in a 40% increase in operational efficiency.”
- “Delegated marketing responsibilities to junior team members, providing mentorship and improving campaign output by 25%.”
- “Distributed daily tasks among support staff to optimize workflow, enabling a 20% reduction in response time for client requests.”
5. Technical skills
In today’s world, any discussion of time management skills must include using technology. Technology can save time by improving communication, streamlining processes, and freeing up employees for other tasks.
This means that it’s critical to show prospective employers that you are comfortable with using technology, and other analytical skills, to save time and increase productivity.
Your resume should always include your experiences with specific time management software or tools.
Examples of this technology include project management software, marketing automation platforms, data analytics software, e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, CRM software, and more.
- “Automated project timelines using Asana, reducing administrative workload by 15% and improving team collaboration.”
- “Implemented and trained staff on new CRM software, resulting in a 20% increase in lead conversion rates.”
- “Utilized Microsoft Power BI to analyze operational data, identifying process inefficiencies and reducing costs by 10%.”
6. Documentation and training
It’s vitally important for businesses to document, or create a written record of, their processes. These documents can then guide current employees or train new ones. Documenting can save a lot of time and frustration down the road.
Out of those 10 million real job listings we analyzed, we found that 14% had documentation as a required skill.
Examples of documents include manuals, video tutorials, online courses, flowcharts, training webinars, and more.
- “Authored comprehensive training manuals for new hires, cutting onboarding time by 30%.”
- “Developed step-by-step video tutorials for software usage, increasing team proficiency scores by 20%.”
- “Documented workflow processes and best practices, standardizing operations across three departments and enhancing efficiency by 25%.”
Report: Top 10 In-Demand Resume Skills (2024)
7. Decision making
You might be asking, “How is decision-making a time management skill?” The answer is that quick and efficient decisions save time that would otherwise be wasted on deliberating over options. Making effective decisions also shows hiring managers that you have effective problem solving skills as well.
On your resume, try to highlight specific decisions you made that resulted in a positive outcome and explain why they were successful.
In addition, good decisions always involve problem solving, or the ability to quickly see what needs fixing. So, as a bonus, feel free to add problem solving skills to your resume as well!
- “Optimized inventory levels by analyzing sales trends and deciding on stock adjustments, reducing overstock costs by 15%.”
- “Chose a new vendor after evaluating cost and performance metrics, saving the company 20% on supply chain expenditures.”
- “Implemented a decision to pivot marketing strategies based on campaign analytics, resulting in a 25% increase in customer engagement.”
Why are time management skills important?
Time management skills are invaluable. They help in job searches and in excelling at work. Here’s why.
Time management skills boost productivity
Time management helps you organize your tasks, focus on what truly matters, and get things done efficiently. When you know how to prioritize and allocate time wisely, you can complete more work in less time without feeling overwhelmed.
Employers value candidates who can improve workflows and deliver results. This boosts productivity and team success.
Time management helps reduce stress
Good time management prevents chaos from last-minute deadlines. It also helps balance work and life. By planning ahead and staying organized, you can approach tasks with a clear mind and avoid unnecessary stress.
Employers want candidates who can stay calm and perform well under pressure in fast-paced environments.
Time management improves decision-making
With strong time management skills, you can think critically. You can then allocate your time and resources effectively. This helps you make informed decisions. You can decide which tasks to tackle first. Or, you can find ways to meet competing deadlines.
Employers value candidates who use good judgment. They want people who can confidently navigate complex projects.
Time management makes you more reliable
When you manage your time well, you consistently meet deadlines and honor commitments. This reliability builds trust with employers, clients, and colleagues alike.
Employers value team members who deliver quality work on time. It directly contributes to the organization’s success.
Time management skills make you more marketable
In today’s fast-paced work world, time management is vital. Employers in all industries demand this soft skill. Good time management shows you can juggle many tasks. You can prioritize well and keep high work standards.
How to add time management skills to your resume
Wondering how to highlight skills on your resume? To show your time management skills on your resume, list them in your work experience and skills sections. Only do this if they match the job description. For example, if the job stresses time management and lists it as a keyword.
- Prioritization
- Deadline management
- Task scheduling
- Delegation
This helps your resume align with applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan for specific keywords. In your work experience, quantify your achievements. For example, “Developed a strategy that improved team efficiency by 20%.” Use action verbs, like “coordinated” and “organized.” They show you can manage time in practical situations.
This approach shows employers how you use these skills. It also ensures your resume ranks well with ATS.
You can easily identify these skills with Jobscan’s free Resume Builder tool. You can select which skills to add from the automated suggestions and add them to your resume with just one click using our bullet point generator. It takes just seconds to perfectly optimize your resume this way.
How to improve your time management skills at work
There are a few key things you can do to improve your time management skills while you’re at your job.
- Set priorities and stick to them.
- Make a to-do list and use it as a guide for your daily activities.
- Delegate tasks when possible.
- Stay organized and keep your workspace clean.
- Avoid procrastination at all costs!
- Practice time management techniques regularly.
Following these tips will not only help you become more efficient and productive in the workplace, but they’ll provide you with important soft skills you can add to your resume.
And to create the best resume you possibly can, use Jobscan’s resume builder.
This tool will dramatically increase the searchability of your resume so that recruiters and hiring managers are more likely to find it – resulting in more job interviews and job opportunities.
What are the best tools to improve time management skills?
There are so many apps, tools, sites, and more designed to help you with managing your time management skills. Here are some of the most popular ones to try, categorized for you to know exactly how they can help.
Project management software
Platforms like Trello, Asana, and Monday.com allow you to break down complex tasks into manageable steps, assign deadlines, and monitor progress in real time. These tools are excellent for team collaboration and keeping projects on track.
Time-tracking apps
Apps like Toggl and Clockify help you track how much time you’re spending on different tasks. This insight allows you to adjust your schedule and improve productivity by identifying time-wasting activities.
Calendars and planners
Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and physical planners can help you block time for specific tasks, set reminders, and plan your day, week, or month in advance.
Automation tools
Tools like Zapier can automate repetitive tasks, such as scheduling emails or organizing files, freeing up time for more critical activities.
Focus and distraction blockers
Apps like Focus@Will block distracting websites and apps, allowing you to concentrate on important tasks during work sessions.
FAQ
Time management skills are the abilities to organize, prioritize, and effectively plan tasks to maximize productivity and efficiency while minimizing stress. These skills help manage time effectively in personal and professional settings.
Prioritization: Focusing on urgent and important tasks.
Goal Setting: Creating clear, measurable goals.
Planning: Structuring tasks and scheduling them efficiently.
Delegation: Assigning tasks to others when appropriate.
Focus: Maintaining concentration on tasks without distractions.
The three essential components are:
1. Prioritization: Knowing what tasks to focus on first.
2. Goal Setting: Creating short-term and long-term goals to guide your actions.
3. Planning: Organizing tasks and resources to ensure efficient completion.
Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific tasks to complete them efficiently. It involves setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and scheduling time effectively.
Time management is important because it reduces stress, increases productivity, helps meet deadlines, improves decision-making, and supports a better work-life balance. It also helps achieve personal and professional goals more efficiently.