Data Entry Skills

Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.

“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”

– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach

For example, a data entry professional’s bullet points might look like this:

• Conducted regular audits of the database, identifying and correcting discrepancies, which improved overall data accuracy by 15%.
• Generated detailed charts and graphs to present data trends and insights to management, facilitating better decision-making and increasing data-driven strategy implementation by 20%.
• Enhanced data security by implementing access controls and encryption protocols, reducing data breaches by 50%, and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.

As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific accomplishments wherever you can.

“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”

– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor

For example, if you successfully automated tasks be sure to mention the accomplishment.

Instead of saying,

“Automated repetitive data entry tasks using macros.”

You could say,

“Automated repetitive data entry tasks using macros, saving the team an average of 10 hours per week and enhancing productivity.”

This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.

If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.

“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”

– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter

For example, someone applying for a role as a data entry professional might benefit from segmenting their skill list as follows:

Database Management Skills

• Data validation
• Data cleaning
• Data updates

Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving Skills:

• Error identification
• Database maintenance
• Technical support

Technical Skills:

• Typing software
• Customer Relationship Management systems
• Enterprise Resource Planning systems

Use numbers to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.

“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”

– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter

Instead of saying,

“Designed and maintained comprehensive Access databases.”

You could say,

“Designed and maintained comprehensive Access databases, enabling the team to quickly retrieve and analyze data, which improved report generation efficiency by 20%.”

By using numbers, you give hiring managers a better sense of your value.

Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.

“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”

– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor

In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.

Here’s an example of how to tailor a data entry professional’s resume to a job description:

Job Title: Data Entry Specialist

• 1-3 years of experience in data entry or equivalent training.
• Ability to type a minimum of 40 WPM.
• Knowledge of preparing, compiling, and sorting documents for data entry.
• Experience performing high-volume data entry using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other computer software.

Tailored Resume Description:

• Performed high-volume data entry with a typing speed of 80 WPM, ensuring timely and accurate documentation of patient records and administrative tasks.
• Prepared, compiled, and sorted patient documents for data entry, resulting in a 25% improvement in record-keeping efficiency and data accuracy.
• Utilized advanced Excel functions and database management systems to enter and manage patient data, maintaining a 99% accuracy rate in all records.
• Streamlined data entry processes by implementing data validation rules and automated templates, reducing errors by 20% and improving overall workflow.

“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”

– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing

Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”

Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.

Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.