How to include interpersonal skills in your resume [resume examples + tips]

As a part of soft skills, interpersonal skills are those required for individuals to communicate effectively, interact, and work in an organization. They are related to the skills one uses to interact with others. 

During recruitment, hiring managers do not only look for technical skills but also interpersonal skills on a resume to choose one applicant over another. Including the right interpersonal skills in your resume is important to help you stand out among other applicants. This is because most job seekers list similar hard skills relevant to the position; interpersonal skills are what make an applicant unique and help you win the competition.

Let’s learn how to highlight the best interpersonal skills and 50+ resume examples of interpersonal skills for your resume, no matter what field you work in.

Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to communicate, interact, and collaborate effectively with others. They are often considered a specific type of social skill essential for your career and personal life. In organizational contexts, such as the workplace, interpersonal skills are crucial to your professional success as they directly impact your work efficiency and how your colleagues and managers view you.

While technical skills can be learned in many ways, soft skills, especially interpersonal skills, are difficult to teach and measure. Not all of us are naturally exceptional communicators or speakers, making it all the more important to develop and list these skills on your CV or resume. Employers often seek out professionals who possess these strengths and base their hiring decisions on a candidate's interpersonal skills.

Developing interpersonal skills is essential for both personal and professional growth, and highlighting them on your resume can give you a competitive edge in the job market. Let’s look at these resume examples to know how to list your interpersonal skills on your resume!

When writing a resume for a job application, it is also essential to consider the right way and place to include interpersonal skills on the resume. When done correctly, these decisions can help boost your application strength and increase your chances of getting hired. Generally, you can list interpersonal skills on a resume’s work experience, summary/objective, or skills section.

Keep reading to understand better where you can include interpersonal skills on a resume/CV.

1. In the work experience description

The work experience section is the best place to describe interpersonal skills on resumes. You can best demonstrate your interpersonal skills through specific stories, quantifiable results, and examples, such as responsibilities, accomplishments, and awards. This way, you can also link those skills required or relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

The descriptions above showed presentation, telephone communication, and collaboration skills, all great examples of interpersonal skills on a resume.

2. In the resume summary/objective

The summary or objective sections are also great for presenting interpersonal skills on a CV. Think of it as a way to grab the employer's attention and show him you can be a good fit for the company.

3. In the resume skills section

As a key component of a resume, the skills section is where you can list all your personality traits. However, make sure to select only the outstanding interpersonal skills to put on your resume. It's best to highlight five hard and five soft skills in this section.

Here's an example list of interpersonal skills for a resume skills section:

Still unsure of what interpersonal skills to include in your resume or CV? Check out the list of interpersonal skills below.

Ten interpersonal skills to consider including in your resume/CV:

Including interpersonal skills in your resume or CV is essential for achieving more job opportunities and being competitive in the job market. Here are some examples of interpersonal skills to help you highlight them on your resume:

1. Communication

This refers to an individual’s ability to provide and receive information effectively. Examples of communication skills include clear and concise messaging, summarizing information, choosing the right communication medium, delivering clear visuals during presentations, and providing and accepting feedback.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork skills can go under different names such as collaboration, team player, or working well in group settings. This skill set is required for every industry, ranging from finance to technology to education. Even when you're working independently, your workflows can't run smoothly without other people's cooperation. Workplaces highly value this particular skill, so it is essential to highlight this interpersonal skill in your resume.

3. Empathy

“ We are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines who think. ”

Richard Restak, a Professor at George Washington University

“Empathy,” defined as feeling with someone, is an emotional intelligence skill that falls in the social awareness skill set. Expressing empathy means you show others that you believe them and understand their thoughts or feelings.

5 empathy skills you should develop at workplace:

4. Leadership

When organizing your team members to reach a shared goal, you must possess leadership skills to use them to organize others to reach shared goals. These skills incorporate different personality traits and communication abilities and are crucial qualifications, whether in a management position or seeking team-led jobs.

5. Decision-Making

Decision-making skills are the ability to think objectively and relate concepts to the organization’s goals. Upon making a decision, you also demonstrate other skills such as leadership, analysis, information gathering, and objectivity. Therefore, employers want to hire candidates with whom they can make intelligent decisions for their business to thrive. Make sure to highlight this interpersonal skill in your resume if you possess it.

6. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving skills are the traits that help you identify and figure out problems effectively and efficiently. Since businesses face daily challenges, employers would expect you to be a good problem solver. If you showcase this interpersonal skill on your resume, you will surely stand out among other applicants as an active and initiative individual.

7. Conflict Management

Conflict can be considered a common workplace issue. Conflict management skills contribute to a positive work environment, allowing you to manage the effects of the conflict on yourself, what you're doing, and who you're working with.

8. Negotiation

Negotiation skills are the qualities that allow you to reach a compromise in case there exist different sides to an issue. These skills range from communication and persuasion to stratification and cooperation.

9. Listening skills

People see you as a good listener when you can understand and support the speaker in different manners. Listing listening skills on your resume lets the employer know that you know the importance of listening techniques and how they can benefit the company.

10. Public Speaking

Public speaking skills refer to addressing a matter with clarity and confidence. You may not commonly see public speaking skill requirements in many job postings, but candidates with these qualifications may find themselves on a fast track to leadership positions.

💡 Use descriptive resume keywords for describing interpersonal skills.

What interpersonal skills you put on your CV may be the same as what’s written on other candidates. Thus, you may want to adopt descriptive resume keywords to stand out from the crowd, for example:

• Insightful
• Reliable
• Dynamic
• Thoughtful
• Devoted
• Attentive
• Dedicated
• Determined
• Sincere
• Disciplined

💡 Include the skills mentioned in the job description.

You can find many words or phrases that describe specific job requirements, including expertise, technical skills, and other relevant qualifications. Adopting the right interpersonal skills on your resume allows employers to quickly identify you as a potential candidate, whether they’re skimming with their eyes or using Applicant Tracking Software.

💡 Provide at least 3 characteristics. 

Say you’re supposed to list five hard and five soft skills on your CV; three should go to interpersonal skills. It also depends on how you present them, but employers generally expect to see at least three interpersonal skills on resumes.

📝 Cultivate a positive attitude.

Staying cheerful can help boost your interpersonal skills by setting a naturally pleasant tone for your interactions. A positive outlook can also be an excellent way to support a growth mindset when you are willing to learn and develop interpersonal skills.

📝 Learn from other people.

Try to observe your managers and coworkers who possess outstanding interpersonal skills. Then, figure out and learn from what makes those interactions so successful. That can be their tone, body language, or word choice in a particular situation.

📝 Ask for feedback or suggestions.

Don’t be shy to ask for feedback on your interpersonal skills, whether working with a mentor or in a group setting. Asking specific questions about scenarios and interactions can help you realize and overcome your weaknesses.

Interpersonal skills are an essential part of any job, and highlighting them on a resume can make a significant difference in getting hired. These skills refer to the ability to communicate effectively with others, build relationships, collaborate, and work well in a team. Some common examples of interpersonal skills include active listening, empathy, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and leadership.

To showcase your interpersonal skills on your resume, consider using action-oriented language and specific examples to demonstrate your abilities. For instance, you might describe a time when you successfully mediated a disagreement between coworkers or how you led a team to accomplish a challenging project.

In addition to including interpersonal skills in your resume, it's also important to develop these skills further through ongoing training and practice. Doing so can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to excel in any workplace.

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