Powering Up Teamwork Skills for Resume [+ 20 Examples & Tips]

As a result, the teamwork skills on your resume/CV showcase your ability to thrive in a team environment. Whether it is teamwork, team building, or leadership skills in a CV/resume, by highlighting the ability to work in a team in your resume, you increase your chances of getting hired.

Teamwork skills are the ability to cooperate with others to achieve common goals. But what vital role do teamwork skills play in a compelling resume? Teamwork skills in a resume are essential for most job seekers. In the modern workplace, it is simply impossible to carry out each task by oneself. Therefore, hiring managers look for valuable team players who can collaborate effectively with others. 

In job descriptions, there are various teamwork skills, such as communication and team building. Therefore, it becomes even more important to showcase one’s team-building skills in a resume. Companies always look for potential hires who are great team players and can contribute to a more productive team.

To get a better understanding of teamwork skills in a resume, let's begin by examining the difference between soft skills and hard skills.

Hard skills are the technical and practical ability that fits the job. On the other hand, soft skills are abilities to work in a team. They are commonly used in communication, teamwork, and project management, just to name a few.

Communication skill is one example of teamwork soft skills that relates to one's ability to convey ideas and feelings. Communication skills help people work and get along with each other. Possessing great teamwork skills are necessary between team members to achieve harmony, productivity, and efficiency in a workplace.  

Similarly, teamwork skills are essential between a manager and an employer. Having strong communication skills, for example, allows you to express yourself clearly to your potential audience. Workplace scenarios such as pitching and project proposing require strong communication skills. Then, why are teamwork skills on a resume so significant during a job search?

It is highly important to show the manager that you are a good team player in your resume. Teamwork skills on a resume are like any other qualifications, it shows your proficiency in a certain job. Below, we will demonstrate how to show teamwork as a skill on your resume and what teamwork skills resume phrases to use in your resume writing. 

Listed below are 20 key teamwork skills to include in your resume that will distinguish you from other job seekers:

1. Verbal Skills 

It's essential to be able to express yourself to others, whether it's by phone or face-to-face. During job screening, this is one of the key factors employers examine your suitability as a team player from your resume. 

2. Written Skills  

Whether it is writing an email or a text message, being able to clearly convey your message through writing is a fundamental skill in communicating with other team members.

3. Critical Thinking 

Being able to make rational decisions individually is essential in developing a strategic team in pursuit of common objectives. Recruiters highly value hires who can think critically, so it is very important to include this teamwork skill in your resume.

4. Task Management

It is vital to establish task management skills to align with work schedules and goals. This is also one of the highly valued skills by employers. Show that you possess this teamwork skill in your resume by listing various projects that you have managed before.

5. Responsibility 

Responsibility means that you deserve to be trusted to work independently. In other words, team members know they can rely on you for tasks. You are more likely to hold yourself accountable for the outcomes of your actions if you have strong responsibility skills.

6. Reliability 

Reliability comes hand in hand with responsibility. Having reliable team players can increase efficiency while performing individual tasks. References and recommendation letters can help you highlight this particular teamwork skill in your resume.

7. Decision Making 

A team player should contribute to making decisions by being present in group meetings, participating in discussions, and offering opinions. Recruiters will be able to see if you are a good team player from your resume through evidence that you can see the big picture and work towards common goals by making the right decision.

8. Negotiating 

In the context of teamwork, being persuasive is most commonly associated with leaders who motivate others to contribute to team goals and objectives. However, team players should also assess negotiating skills to convince others and reach a consensus. 

9. Flexibility 

A flexible team player can enhance the team's performance by being able to adapt and act in various situations. This not only builds team resilience but also shows how well your team responds and recovers from a crisis.

10. Conflict Management 

Any team effort involves conflict to some degree. What matters most is how you act upon it. It's essential not to allow any conflicts to escalate — so that your team effort can be maximized to reach the desired goal. 

11. Active Listening 

Being an active listener shows that you are a good team player. By being willing to hear others out, you make your team members feel valued and prevent misunderstandings. 

12. Respectfulness  

Showing respect to other team players not only demonstrates how much you consider their opinions but also show your commitment to the team.  

13. Tolerance

Tolerance and respectfulness go hand in hand. When interacting with people from different ethnicities and backgrounds, practice an open mindset even if you do not always agree with them.

14. Organizational Skills 

Organizational skills refer to the ability to effectively plan for the future, solve problems, and accomplish tasks. To achieve a goal, team players need to integrate several factors. 

Organizational skills such as goal setting, scheduling, prioritizing, and establishing strategies are required when solving problems in a team. Be sure to mention any of the skills you have. The neatness of your resume layout can also show that you are an organized person and possess this particular teamwork skill on your resume.

15. Team-building Skills

Do incorporate team-building skills on your resume if you possess them. A team's enduring success is usually determined by the quality of its relationships. Therefore, a team player should also establish an interdependent network and relationships with team members. Whether it is as casual as developing a mutual interest or as formal as assisting with tasks, be proactive in cultivating relationships with your members. 

16. Stress Management 

Being able to cope with stress during times of high workload and crisis plays an important role in teamwork. You can list this teamwork skill in your resume, as it is a trait that employers look for.

17. Maintain Motivation 

Creating common goals is important to keep motivation high during processes and hard times in which the team must work together to overcome. According to studies, motivation is highest when people trust their abilities, are autonomous, have meaningful goals, receive feedback, and have their actions validated. Authentic motivation seems to be internally driven, but external support and encouragement are required to sustain it. 

18. Positivity 

Bring up positive energy by complimenting, encouraging, and acknowledging other team players during tasks. The team atmosphere and productivity will improve as a result. 

19. Leadership 

Leaders who can work well with others - both within and across teams - can share knowledge and ideas, contributing to the success of a company. Those in leadership positions can demonstrate strong teamwork and leadership skills on a resume by promoting previous collaborations or experiences acting as a mentor or coach.

20. Delegating 

Delegation involves assigning tasks and discussing which duties are suitable for each team player. Therefore, a successful delegator is very important to team dynamics and management. 

Once you've identified the skills hiring managers value in a workplace, let's examine 3 different ways of listing teamwork skills on a resume. 

1. Incorporate teamwork skills into the resume summary/objective statement

The first approach is to mention your teamwork skills in your summary or objective statement. In this manner, you attract the hiring manager's attention right away, while introducing yourself. You can optimize your teamwork skills on a resume with effective phrases.

2. Incorporate teamwork and leadership skills into the work experience section

The work experience section is also a perfect place to mention your team player skills in a resume. In this case, you should describe an outstanding achievement that involved high-quality teamwork skills that led to your success while using good words for teamwork on your resume. Be specific and describe what you achieved. 

3. Create an independent teamwork skills category under the skills section

Another effective way to show teamwork skills on your resume is to designate an independent category. It is best to customize it for each job application to demonstrate how the teamwork skills on your resume match the requirements.

To do this, identify keywords from the job description and create a checklist of teamwork skills. Nowadays, employers scan resumes using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan for relevant keywords, so make sure you cite the teamwork words accurately. 

At the same time, you need to go beyond just using keywords. Simply telling people you are a team player on the resume will not impress them. A more effective approach is to give specific examples of your achievements and outcomes working with the team-building skills you mentioned on your resume. 

It's hard to convince employers that you are a good team player just by listing your teamwork skills on your resume. Therefore, it is necessary to further explain what you can offer as a team player, so employers can identify whether the teamwork-related description on your resume is relevant to their needs.  

Tip 1:  Use examples or measurable results to highlight your teamwork skills on your resume

Provide numbers and statistics that will clarify what you can offer in terms of performance and value. Mention recognizable achievements like an award or an acknowledgment will enhance your credibility in terms of teamwork skills on the resume. Provide references or feedback from former employers and team players to enhance your credentials.

Tip 2: Give specific examples of you being a good team player in your resume

Giving general examples of your ability to work in a team on your resume will not persuade potential employers. Therefore, the second takeaway tip is to provide specific examples that are constructive, concrete, and precise. Be specific and describe what you achieved. 

Showing teamwork resume words are also important. Do use a range of teamwork-related powerful words to take your resume to the next level. Try out strong and compelling teamwork words in your resume. Powerful action verbs to replace typical terms are ignited,  anchored, augmented, elevated, and supplemented, just to mention a few. 

Tip 3: Tell the truth

When writing teamwork skills on your resume as a statement, be honest about your experiences. You can demonstrate your capabilities and assertiveness, but don't oversell yourself. 

As a team player, do you have other outstanding skills to contribute to the team? Are you passionate about working in a team? Be sure to incorporate the answers to these questions in your team player resume to help you stand out. 

Considering the importance of teamwork, let us examine how to improve teamwork skills before including them on a resume.

Below are 3 tips for improving your ability to work with others: 

1. Understand your role.

The first and foremost is to clarify your role in a team. Having a clear mindset of your responsibilities, duties, and position will help you get to focus on your goals and avoid stepping over boundaries.

2. Keep your members up to date 

This might sound cliche, but do update your team members so that they understand your progress, your current status, and your expectations. In other words, do take the initiative to inform your members of any information that might affect teamwork.

3. Be empathetic 

Last but not least, show empathy towards others. Your teammates are no different from you, learning how to play a responsible team player. Show that you care for their circumstances, challenges, and problems and are willing to break through together as a team. It will increase their trust in you.