Effectively Showcasing Basic Knowledge on Your Resume

Your resume is how you initially present yourself to an employer you would like to start working for.

That’s the perfect place to showcase all your experience and relevant strong skills.

This might make you think that presenting some basic skills and knowledge would be pointless, and you would not be wrong.

However, in recent years, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have become widely used by companies of all sizes.

And they are a bit of a game-changer, as they are looking for specific keywords in your resume when deciding if you should reach the eyes of the hiring manager.

And that’s the reason you should no longer omit basic knowledge and skills on your resume, but list them once again.

But how to do that the right way?

We’ve got you covered, in this article, we are going to explore the following questions:

• How to effectively showcase basic knowledge on your resume?
• What are the best skills to add to your resume?
• What are the best tricks you need to know to showcase basic knowledge on your resume?

So, if you are ready to learn how to present your basic knowledge on your resume just right, stick around.

How to effectively showcase basic knowledge on your resume?

Since the ATS would be looking for even the basic knowledge and skills you would prefer to omit on your resume, you need to know how to add them in right.

You can do so in just a few simple steps.

Specify your years of experience

The first thing you need to do with a skill on your resume, even if it is basic, is to mention the years of experience you have with it.

By doing so, even a basic skill might come across as more than that once your resume reaches the eyes of the hiring manager.

However, don’t accent on it too much, as you would not want them to think you are better in it than you actually are, as you might be asked some follow-up questions.

Use subheadings to show your proficiency levels

On another hand, if you don’t wish to share an exact number of years you have had a particular skill for, you can always use some pronouns.

The most common ones out there are:

• Advanced
• Proficient
• Familiar with

This is the best way for you to keep your skills section organized, but not lose any transparency.

Include language fluency

Similar rules apply to language fluency you would like to add to your resume.

To do that right, you just need to add your proficiency next to each language you want to add.

However, only list languages that you are comfortable with, as you might be required to use any of them in the workplace.

What are the best skills to add to your resume?

Picking which basic skills to add to your resume might be more tricky than you expected.

That’s why we have gathered the best ones you should consider for your resume:

• Active listening skills – they usually consist of both verbal and nonverbal techniques, and they can show your colleagues that you have a real interest in a project or task at hand
• Communication skills – they consist of listening, talking, observing, and emphasizing, and they are important in every industry and at every career level
• Computer skills – they can consist of hardware and/or software skills, and depending on the position you are applying for, you might be preferred over other candidates for them
• Interpersonal skills – they consist of the personality traits you rely on when interacting and communicating with others, and are essential for working efficiently with others, solving problems, and leading projects or teams
• Problem-solving skills – these skills help you determine the root of a problem and quickly finding a solution, and they are highly valued for any position
• Time-management skills – these allow you to complete tasks and projects on time while also maintaining your work-life balance, and are also skills that are valued by employers no matter the position you are applying for

Tips for effectively showcasing basic knowledge on your resume

Now you know the basics to effectively showcase basic knowledge on your resume.

However, a few tips can really help you out to make your basic skills stand out.

Show willingness to learn

When applying for a new job, it is important to show the employer that you are willing to improve and take on new skills.

However, you would not want to present it in the straightforward way, so don’t just write “willing to learn” on your resume.

Instead, give the employer some idea about your motivation to master essential skills, and how that can benefit their company.

Don’t miss out on using some examples about past learning experiences to show them that you take steps to improve yourself professionally.

Use clear language

When presenting your basic knowledge, don’t make it too complicated.

You would want to use clear language and be upfront about your skill set, even when it consists only of basic skills.

Consider using phrases like “familiar with” and “working knowledge” to make your resume stronger.

Use bullet points

To get the best out of your skills on your resume, you should consider using bullet points to show how you have used your skills before.

When your skill bullet points, you should add accomplishments related to each skill whenever that is applicable.

That will clearly show recruiters if you have the level of skills they are looking for in the role.

Takeaways

We are all done, now you know how to effectively showcase basic knowledge on your resume.

Let’s go through all the important steps you need to take to get the best result one more time:

• Specify your years of experience – this way your basic knowledge might come across as more impressive for the hiring manager
• Use subheadings to show your proficiency levels – if you don’t want to use the number of years, you can always use subheadings to show your proficiency level
• Include language fluency – you should always add in any languages you know to your resume, along with the proficiency level you have for each
• Show willingness to learn – you should always show recruiters that you are willing to improve and take on new skills
• Use clear language – you would want to present your basic knowledge in a clear and straightforward manner
• Use bullet points – by listing your skill related accomplishments in a bullet list, you can only help yourself in the hiring process

Now that you know all that, you are ready to effectively showcase your basic knowledge in your resume