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What are analytical skills? Examples and how to level up

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What are analytical skills?

Why are analytical skills important, 9 analytical skills examples, how to improve analytical skills, how to show analytical skills in a job application, the benefits of an analytical mind.

With market forecasts, performance metrics, and KPIs, work throws a lot of information at you. 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, not only do you have to make sense of the data that comes your way — you need to put it to good use. And that requires analytical skills.

You likely use analytical thinking skills every day without realizing it, like when you solve complex problems or prioritize tasks . But understanding the meaning of analysis skills in a job description, why you should include them in your professional development plan, and what makes them vital to every position can help advance your career.

Analytical skills, or analysis skills, are the ones you use to research and interpret information. Although you might associate them with data analysis, they help you think critically about an issue, make decisions , and solve problems in any context. That means anytime you’re brainstorming for a solution or reviewing a project that didn’t go smoothly, you’re analyzing information to find a conclusion. With so many applications, they’re relevant for nearly every job, making them a must-have on your resume.

Analytical skills help you think objectively about information and come to informed conclusions. Positions that consider these skills the most essential qualification grew by 92% between 1980 and 2018 , which shows just how in-demand they are. And according to Statista, global data creation will grow to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025 — a number with 21 zeros. That data informs every industry, from tech to marketing.

Even if you don’t interact with statistics and data on the job, you still need analytical skills to be successful. They’re incredibly valuable because:

• They’re transferable: You can use analysis skills in a variety of professional contexts and in different areas of your life, like making major decisions as a family or setting better long-term personal goals.
• They build agility: Whether you’re starting a new position or experiencing a workplace shift, analysis helps you understand and adapt quickly to changing conditions. 
• They foster innovation: Analytical skills can help you troubleshoot processes or operational improvements that increase productivity and profitability.
• They make you an attractive candidate: Companies are always looking for future leaders who can build company value. Developing a strong analytical skill set shows potential employers that you’re an intelligent, growth-oriented candidate.

If the thought of evaluating data feels unintuitive, or if math and statistics aren’t your strong suits, don’t stress. Many examples of analytical thinking skills don’t involve numbers. You can build your logic and analysis abilities through a variety of capacities, such as:

1. Brainstorming

Using the information in front of you to generate new ideas is a valuable transferable skill that helps you innovate at work . Developing your brainstorming techniques leads to better collaboration and organizational growth, whether you’re thinking of team bonding activities or troubleshooting a project roadblock. Related skills include benchmarking, diagnosis, and judgment to adequately assess situations and find solutions.

2. Communication

Becoming proficient at analysis is one thing, but you should also know how to communicate your findings to your audience — especially if they don’t have the same context or experience as you. Strong communication skills like public speaking , active listening , and storytelling can help you strategize the best ways to get the message out and collaborate with your team . And thinking critically about how to approach difficult conversations or persuade someone to see your point relies on these skills. 

3. Creativity

You might not associate analysis with your creativity skills, but if you want to find an innovative approach to an age-old problem, you’ll need to combine data with creative thinking . This can help you establish effective metrics, spot trends others miss, and see why the most obvious answer to a problem isn’t always the best. Skills that can help you to think outside the box include strategic planning, collaboration, and integration.

4. Critical thinking

Processing information and determining what’s valuable requires critical thinking skills . They help you avoid the cognitive biases that prevent innovation and growth, allowing you to see things as they really are and understand their relevance. Essential skills to turn yourself into a critical thinker are comparative analysis, business intelligence, and inference.

5. Data analytics

When it comes to large volumes of information, a skilled analytical thinker can sort the beneficial from the irrelevant. Data skills give you the tools to identify trends and patterns and visualize outcomes before they impact an organization or project’s performance. Some of the most common skills you can develop are prescriptive analysis and return on investment (ROI) analysis.

6. Forecasting

Predicting future business, market, and cultural trends better positions your organization to take advantage of new opportunities or prepare for downturns. Business forecasting requires a mix of research skills and predictive abilities, like statistical analysis and data visualization, and the ability to present your findings clearly.

7. Logical reasoning

Becoming a logical thinker means learning to observe and analyze situations to draw rational and objective conclusions. With logic, you can evaluate available facts, identify patterns or correlations, and use them to improve decision-making outcomes. If you’re looking to improve in this area, consider developing inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

8. Problem-solving

Problem-solving appears in all facets of your life — not just work. Effectively finding solutions to any issue takes analysis and logic, and you also need to take initiative with clear action plans . To improve your problem-solving skills , invest in developing visualization , collaboration, and goal-setting skills.

9. Research

Knowing how to locate information is just as valuable as understanding what to do with it. With research skills, you’ll recognize and collect data relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve or the initiative you’re trying to start. You can improve these skills by learning about data collection techniques, accuracy evaluation, and metrics.

You don’t need to earn a degree in data science to develop these skills. All it takes is time, practice, and commitment. Everything from work experience to hobbies can help you learn new things and make progress. Try a few of these ideas and stick with the ones you enjoy:

1. Document your skill set

The next time you encounter a problem and need to find solutions, take time to assess your process. Ask yourself:

• What facts are you considering?
• Do you ask for help or research on your own? What are your sources of advice?
• What does your brainstorming process look like?
• How do you make and execute a final decision?
• Do you reflect on the outcomes of your choices to identify lessons and opportunities for improvement?
• Are there any mistakes you find yourself making repeatedly?
• What problems do you constantly solve easily? 

These questions can give insight into your analytical strengths and weaknesses and point you toward opportunities for growth.

2. Take courses

Many online and in-person courses can expand your logical thinking and analysis skills. They don’t necessarily have to involve information sciences. Just choose something that trains your brain and fills in your skills gaps . 

Consider studying philosophy to learn how to develop your arguments or public speaking to better communicate the results of your research. You could also work on your hard skills with tools like Microsoft Excel and learn how to crunch numbers effectively. Whatever you choose, you can explore different online courses or certification programs to upskill. 

3. Analyze everything

Spend time consciously and critically evaluating everything — your surroundings, work processes, and even the way you interact with others. Integrating analysis into your day-to-day helps you practice. The analytical part of your brain is like a muscle, and the more you use it, the stronger it’ll become. 

After reading a book, listening to a podcast, or watching a movie, take some time to analyze what you watched. What were the messages? What did you learn? How was it delivered? Taking this approach to media will help you apply it to other scenarios in your life. 

If you’re giving a presentation at work or helping your team upskill , use the opportunity to flex the analytical side of your brain. For effective teaching, you’ll need to process and analyze the topic thoroughly, which requires skills like logic and communication. You also have to analyze others’ learning styles and adjust your teachings to match them. 

5. Play games

Spend your commute or weekends working on your skills in a way you enjoy. Try doing logic games like Sudoku and crossword puzzles during work breaks to foster critical thinking. And you can also integrate analytical skills into your existing hobbies. According to researcher Rakesh Ghildiyal, even team sports like soccer or hockey will stretch your capacity for analysis and strategic thinking . 

6. Ask questions

According to a study in Tr ends in Cognitive Sciences, being curious improves cognitive function , helping you develop problem-solving skills, retention, and memory. Start speaking up in meetings and questioning the why and how of different decisions around you. You’ll think more critically and even help your team find breakthrough solutions they otherwise wouldn’t.

7.Seek advice

If you’re unsure what analytical skills you need to develop, try asking your manager or colleagues for feedback . Their outside perspective offers insight you might not find within, like patterns in. And if you’re looking for more consistent guidance, talking to a coach can help you spot weaknesses and set goals for the long term.

8. Pursue opportunities

Speak to your manager about participating in special projects that could help you develop and flex your skills. If you’d like to learn about SEO or market research, ask to shadow someone in the ecommerce or marketing departments. If you’re interested in business forecasting, talk to the data analysis team. Taking initiative demonstrates a desire to learn and shows leadership that you’re eager to grow. 

Shining a spotlight on your analytical skills can help you at any stage of your job search. But since they take many forms, it’s best to be specific and show potential employers exactly why and how they make you a better candidate. Here are a few ways you can showcase them to the fullest:

1. In your cover letter

Your cover letter crafts a narrative around your skills and work experience. Use it to tell a story about how you put your analytical skills to use to solve a problem or improve workflow. Make sure to include concrete details to explain your thought process and solution — just keep it concise. Relate it back to the job description to show the hiring manager or recruiter you have the qualifications necessary to succeed.

2. On your resume

Depending on the type of resume you’re writing, there are many opportunities to convey your analytical skills to a potential employer. You could include them in sections like: 

• Professional summary: If you decide to include a summary, describe yourself as an analytical person or a problem-solver, whichever relates best to the job posting. 
• Work experience: Describe all the ways your skill for analysis has helped you perform or go above and beyond your responsibilities. Be sure to include specific details about challenges and outcomes related to the role you’re applying for to show how you use those skills. 
• Skills section: If your resume has a skill-specific section, itemize the analytical abilities you’ve developed over your career. These can include hard analytical skills like predictive modeling as well as interpersonal skills like communication.

3. During a job interview

As part of your interview preparation , list your professional accomplishments and the skills that helped along the way, such as problem-solving, data literacy, or strategic thinking. Then, pull them together into confident answers to common interview questions using the STAR method to give the interviewer a holistic picture of your skill set.

Developing analytical skills isn’t only helpful in the workplace. It’s essential to life. You’ll use them daily whenever you read the news, make a major purchase, or interact with others. Learning to critically evaluate information can benefit your relationships and help you feel more confident in your decisions, whether you’re weighing your personal budget or making a big career change .

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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4 Ways to Improve Your Analytical Skills

• 07 Jan 2021

Data is ubiquitous. It’s collected at every purchase made, flight taken, ad clicked, and social media post liked—which means it’s never been more crucial to understand how to analyze it.

“Never before has so much data about so many different things been collected and stored every second of every day,” says Harvard Business School Professor Jan Hammond in the online course Business Analytics .

The volume of data you encounter can be overwhelming and raise several questions: Can I trust the data’s source? Is it structured in a way that makes sense? What story does it tell, and what actions does it prompt?

Data literacy and analytical skills can enable you to answer these questions and not only make sense of raw data, but use it to drive impactful change at your organization.

Here’s a look at what it means to be data literate and four ways to improve your analytical skills.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Data Literacy?

Data literacy is the ability to analyze, interpret, and question data. A dataset is made up of numerous data points that, when viewed together, tell a story.

Before conducting an analysis, it’s important to ensure your data’s quality and structure is in accordance with your organization’s needs.

“In order to transform data into actionable information, you first need to evaluate its quality,” says Professor Dustin Tingley in the Harvard Online course Data Science Principles . “But evaluating the quality of your data is just the first step. You’ll also need to structure your data. Without structure, it’s nearly impossible to extract any information.”

When you’re able to look at quality data, structure it, and analyze it, trends emerge. The next step is to reflect on your analysis and take action.

Tingley shares several questions to ask yourself once you’ve analyzed your dataset: “Did all the steps I took make sense? If so, how should I respond to my analysis? If not, what should I go back and improve?”

For example, you may track users who click a button to download an e-book from your website.

After ensuring your data’s quality and structuring it in a way that makes sense, you begin your analysis and find that a user’s age is positively correlated with their likelihood to click. What story does this trend tell? What does it say about your users, product offering, and business strategy?

To answer these questions, you need strong analytical skills, which you can develop in several ways.

Related: Business Analytics: What It Is & Why It’s Important

How to Improve Your Analytical Skills

Analysis is an important skill to have in any industry because it enables you to support decisions with data, learn more about your customers, and predict future trends.

Key analytical skills for business include:

• Visualizing data
• Determining the relationship between two or more variables
• Forming and testing hypotheses
• Performing regressions using statistical programs, such as Microsoft Excel
• Deriving actionable conclusions from data analysis

If you want to provide meaningful conclusions and data-based recommendations to your team, here are four ways to bolster your analytical skills.

Related: How to Learn Business Analytics Without A Business Background

1. Consider Opposing Viewpoints

While engaging with opposing viewpoints can help you expand your perspective, combat bias, and show your fellow employees their opinions are valued, it can also be a useful way to practice analytical skills.

When analyzing data, it’s crucial to consider all possible interpretations and avoid getting stuck in one way of thinking.

For instance, revisit the example of tracking users who click a button on your site to download an e-book. The data shows that the user’s age is positively correlated with their likelihood to click the button; as age increases, downloads increase, too. At first glance, you may interpret this trend to mean that a user chooses to download the e-book because of their age.

This conclusion, however, doesn’t take into consideration the vast number of variables that change with age. For instance, perhaps the real reason your older users are more likely to download the e-book is their higher level of responsibility at work, higher average income, or higher likelihood of being parents.

This example illustrates the need to consider multiple interpretations of data, and specifically shows the difference between correlation (the trending of two or more variables in the same direction) and causation (when a trend in one variable causes a trend to occur in one or more other variables).

“Data science is built on a foundation of critical thinking,” Tingley says in Data Science Principles . “From the first step of determining the quality of a data source to determining the accuracy of an algorithm, critical thinking is at the heart of every decision data scientists—and those who work with them—make.”

To practice this skill, challenge yourself to question your assumptions and ask others for their opinions. The more you actively engage with different viewpoints, the less likely you are to get stuck in a one-track mindset when analyzing data.

2. Play Games or Brain Teasers

If you’re looking to sharpen your skills on a daily basis, there are many simple, enjoyable ways to do so.

Games, puzzles, and stories that require visualizing relationships between variables, examining situations from multiple angles, and drawing conclusions from known data points can help you build the skills necessary to analyze data.

Some fun ways to practice analytical thinking include:

• Crossword puzzles
• Mystery novels
• Logic puzzles
• Strategic board games or card games

These options can supplement your analytics coursework and on-the-job experience. Some of them also allow you to spend time with friends or family. Try engaging with one each day to hone your analytical mindset.

Related: 3 Examples of Business Analytics in Action

3. Take an Online Analytics Course

Whether you want to learn the basics, brush up on your skills, or expand your knowledge, taking an analytics course is an effective way to improve. A course can enable you to focus on the content you want to learn, engage with the material presented by a professional in the field, and network and interact with others in the data analytics space.

For a beginner, courses like Harvard Online's Data Science Principles can provide a foundation in the language of data. A more advanced course, like Harvard Online's Data Science for Business , may be a fit if you’re looking to explore specific facets of analytics, such as forecasting and machine learning. If you’re interested in hands-on applications of analytical formulas, a course like HBS Online's Business Analytics could be right for you. The key is to understand what skills you hope to gain, then find a course that best fits your needs.

If you’re balancing a full-time job with your analytics education, an online format may be a good choice . It offers the flexibility to engage with course content whenever and wherever is most convenient for you.

An online course may also present the opportunity to network and build relationships with other professionals devoted to strengthening their analytical skills. A community of like-minded learners can prove to be an invaluable resource as you learn and advance your career.

Related: Is An Online Business Analytics Course Worth It?

4. Engage With Data

Once you have a solid understanding of data science concepts and formulas, the next step is to practice. Like any skill, analytical skills improve the more you use them.

Mock datasets—which you can find online or create yourself—present a low-risk option for putting your skills to the test. Import the data into Microsoft Excel, then explore: make mistakes, try that formula you’re unsure of, and ask big questions of your dataset. By testing out different analyses, you can gain confidence in your knowledge.

Once you’re comfortable, engage with your organization’s data. Because these datasets have inherent meaning to your business's financial health, growth, and strategic direction, analyzing them can produce evidence and insights that support your decisions and drive change at your organization.

Investing in Your Data Literacy

As data continues to be one of businesses’ most valuable resources, taking the time and effort to build and bolster your analytical skill set is vital.

“Much more data are going to be available; we’re only seeing the beginning now,” Hammond says in a previous article . “If you don’t use the data, you’re going to fall behind. People that have those capabilities—as well as an understanding of business contexts—are going to be the ones that will add the most value and have the greatest impact.”

Are you interested in furthering your data literacy? Download our Beginner’s Guide to Data & Analytics to learn how you can leverage the power of data for professional and organizational success.

About the Author

Analytical Thinking, Critical Analysis, and Problem Solving Guide

• Post author: Samir Saif
• Post published: September 5, 2023
• Post category: marketing skills
• Post comments: 4 Comments
• Post last modified: November 10, 2023
• Reading time: 9 mins read

Analytical thinking; is a mental process that entails dissecting an issue or situation into its constituent parts, investigating their relationships, and reaching conclusions based on facts and logic.

It is not about trusting instincts or making assumptions; rather, it is about studying details, recognizing patterns, and developing a full understanding. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a curious mind, improving analytical thinking can help you solve problems more effectively.

Table of Contents

Analytical Thinking’s Importance in Problem Solving

Certainly! Analytical thinking entails the capacity to gather pertinent information, critically assess evidence, and reach logical conclusions. It enables you to:

• Identify Root Causes: Analytical thinking allows you to delve deeper into a problem to find the underlying causes rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.
• Reduce Risks: Analytical thinking can help discover potential risks and obstacles connected with various solutions. This kind of thinking encourages constant progress and the generation of new ideas.
• Improve Communication: Analytical thinking enables you to deliver clear and well-structured explanations while giving answers to others.
• Adaptability : Analytical thinking gives you a flexible attitude.
• Learning and Development: Analytical thinking improves your cognitive skills, allowing you to learn from prior experiences and apply those lessons to new situations.
• Problem Prevention: By examining previous difficulties, you can find trends and patterns.
• Analytical thinking is, in essence, the foundation of effective problem-solving. It enables you to approach problems methodically, make well-informed judgments, and eventually get better results.

Key Components of Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking is a multifaceted process including a beautifully woven tapestry of observation, inquiry, and logic. Engage your curiosity as you approach a complex task and see patterns emerge, similar to stars in the night sky.

These patterns direct your thinking toward greater comprehension. Your understanding grows as you progress, and your analytical thinking becomes a light of clarity, guiding people through the fog of complexity.

Your tapestry is complete as you approach the shores of conclusion, a tribute to the power of analytical thinking. Embrace your curiosity, navigate the waters of observation, and let the stars of logic guide you. Remember that the art of analytical thinking is a magnificent journey that leads to enlightenment.

Using analytical reasoning in real-life situations

Absolutely! Let’s get started with analytical thinking! Consider yourself in a busy city, attempting to discover the shortest route to your goal. Instead than taking the first option that comes to mind, you take a moment to think about your possibilities.

This is the initial stage in analytical thinking: evaluating the situation. As you contemplate, you balance the advantages and disadvantages of each route, taking into account issues such as traffic, distance, and potential bypasses. This information gathering approach assists you in making an informed decision.

Breaking down the problem

Then you go to the second phase, which entails breaking the problem down into smaller portions. You break down the difficult job of navigating the city into manageable components, much like a puzzle.

This technique allows you to identify future difficulties and devise creative solutions. For example, you may observe a construction zone on one route but recall a shortcut that may save you time.

Read Also:  Goal Alignment: Key Strategies for Success

Analyzing the information

You employ critical thinking to assess the material you’ve received as you go. As you consider the significance of each component—time, distance, and traffic—patterns and connections emerge.

You begin to make connections and discover that, while a faster route may appear enticing, heavy traffic at certain times of day might make it a frustrating experience.

Make a decision

Making a decision in the last step necessitates a complete comprehension of the circumstance as well as critical analysis. Analytical thinking entails investigating alternatives, comprehending nuances, and making informed decisions.

This approach can lead to optimal, well-thought-out, and adaptable solutions, whether navigating a city, tackling a complex project, or making life decisions. Analytic thinking allows one to make informed judgments that benefit both the situation and the individual.

Strategies to Enhance Analytical Thinking Skills

Developing strong analytical thinking abilities is a journey that opens up new possibilities for comprehension and issue solving.

Consider yourself on an exciting mental journey where every challenge is an opportunity for improvement. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cultivating and improving your analytical thinking talents.

Accept curiosity

Begin by embracing your curiosity. Allow your thoughts to roam, pondering about the hows and whys of the world around you.

Allow yourself to immerse yourself completely in the complexities of a complex topic, such as climate change. “What are the underlying causes of this phenomenon?” Two decent places to start are “How do different variables interact to shape its outcomes?”.

Improve your observing abilities

Then, put your observation abilities to the test. Pay close attention to details that would otherwise go undetected. Instead of just gazing at the colors and shapes, try to figure out the brushstrokes, the play of light and shadow, and the feelings they create, as if you were studying a painting.

When analyzing data, look underneath the surface figures for trends, anomalies, and patterns that can reveal hidden insights.

Accept critical thinking

Learn to think critically as you progress. Examine your assumptions and look for alternative points of view. Assume you’re looking into a business problem, such as declining sales.

Instead than jumping to conclusions, investigate the matter from all angles. Consider changes in the sector, client preferences, and even internal corporate processes. This broader viewpoint can lead to creative solutions.

Read Also:  Business Development: Strategies and Tips for Success

Experiment with logical reasoning

Also, practice logical reasoning. Improve your ability to connect the dots and build logical chains of reasoning. As if you were assembling a jigsaw puzzle, each piece must fit snugly into the whole.

Consider how numerous variables such as population growth, infrastructure, and transportation systems logically interconnect when dealing with a complex issue such as urban congestion.

Improve your problem-solving skills

Develop your problem-solving abilities as well. For example, if you’re struggling with a personal issue, such as time management, break it down into smaller components. Analyze your daily routine to discover bottlenecks and develop a strategy to overcome them.

Foster continuous learning

Finally, encourage ongoing learning by broadening your knowledge base and investigating new domains. Imagine yourself as a discerning thinker analyzing the world’s intricacies and unraveling secrets.

Remember that progress, not perfection, is the goal. Every task, question, and conundrum you solve puts you one step closer to being an analytical juggernaut. Continue to explore and study to see your critical thinking skills soar to new heights.

Applying analytical reasoning to work

Assume you are a business owner who wants to boost client happiness. An analytical thinker would collect and analyze client input to uncover frequent pain issues.

You can adopt targeted adjustments that address the fundamental causes of unhappiness by detecting patterns in feedback data.

How can you demonstrate analytical skills on a resume?

Analytical skills on your CV can set you apart and leave a lasting impression on potential employers. Make your CV into a canvas, describing specific instances where your analytical skills were put to use.

Share how you methodically dissected a challenging topic or situation, revealing insights that aided your decision-making.

If you were tasked with optimizing a company’s supply chain, for example, dig further into data on inventory levels, production rates, and distribution deadlines.

Explain how your study found a bottleneck in the distribution network, leading to a realignment suggestion that saved the organization time and money.

Storytelling is key. Create a fascinating story about how your analytical abilities helped solve a tough problem, demonstrating your abilities and attracting the reader.

Your CV should read like a motivational trip through your analytical abilities, inspiring companies with your future contributions to their organization.

What is a case study of analytical thinking?

Absolutely! Let me give you an excellent example of analytical thinking that perfectly expresses its essence. Maya, a young scientist in this example, is dedicated to discovering a long-term solution for safe drinking water in rural areas.

She performs extensive research on water supplies, toxins, and local circumstances, looking for patterns and anomalies. She develops the concept that heavy rains increase runoff, resulting in higher levels of water contamination.

Maya designs controlled experiments in a lab setting to test her idea, acquiring quantifiable information through manipulation and observation.

Maya’s investigation continues, and she explores the big picture, imagining a multi-faceted solution that involves rainwater gathering, enhanced filtration systems, and community education.

She anticipates problems and works with engineers, social workers, and community leaders to refine her ideas and ensure their viability.

Her journey exemplifies how analytical thinking can lead to transformational solutions, and it motivates us to tackle complex challenges with curiosity, diligence, and the hope that careful analysis may design a better future.

Final Thoughts

Analytical thinking is more than just a cognitive skill; it’s a mindset that empowers you to unravel complexity, make informed choices, and navigate challenges with confidence.

You will be better able to handle the intricacies of the modern world as your analytical thinking skills increase, whether in business, academics, or daily life. Accept the power of analytical thinking, and your decision-making and problem-solving abilities will soar.

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What Are Analytical Skills?

Definition & Examples of Analytical Skills

How Analytical Skills Work

Types of analytical skills, highlighting analytical skills.

Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect and analyze information,  problem-solve , and make decisions. Employees who possess these skills can help solve a company’s problems and improve its overall productivity and success.

Learn more about analytical skills and how they work.

Employers look for employees with the ability to investigate a problem and find the ideal solution in a timely, efficient manner. The skills required to solve problems are known as analytical skills.

You use analytical skills when detecting patterns, brainstorming, observing, interpreting data, integrating new information, theorizing, and making decisions based on the multiple factors and options available. 

Solutions can be reached by clear-cut, methodical approaches, or through more creative techniques. Both ways of solving a problem require analytical skills.

Most types of work require analytical skills. You use them to solve problems that may not have obvious solutions or that have several variables.

Let's say you're the manager of a restaurant and have been going over budget on food for the past two weeks. You review the menus and what customers have ordered along with food costs from your suppliers.

You see that the cost of seafood has increased over the past two weeks. When you talk to the supplier, they explain that there's been a disruption in the supply chain due to weather. They've increased costs to compensate. You decide to reduce your seafood order to lower costs and work with your chef to develop new specials that take advantage of other protein options.

In this example, you used analytical skills to review data from different sources, integrated new information, and made a decision based on your observations.

Catherine Song / The Balance

The best analytical skills to highlight on a resume depend on the position you're applying for. Here are five skills to consider.

Communication

Analysis only goes so far if you can't share and implement your findings. You need to be an effective communicator to discuss the patterns you see and your conclusions and recommendations.

Analytical communication skills include:

• Problem sensitivity
• Active listening
• Oral communication
• Written communication
• Conducting presentations 

Analyzing information often requires a creative eye to spot trends in the data that others may not find. Creativity is also important when it comes to problem-solving. The obvious solution is not always the best option. Employees with strong analytical skills will think outside the box to come up with effective solutions to big problems.

Creative skill sets include:

• Brainstorming
• Collaboration
• Optimization
• Predictive modeling
• Restructuring 
• Strategic planning
• Integration

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking refers to evaluating information and then making a decision based on your findings. Critical thinking is what helps an employee make decisions that help solve problems for a company. It may include:

• Process management
• Benchmarking
• Big data analytics
• Business intelligence
• Case analysis
• Causal relationships
• Classifying
• Comparative analysis
• Correlation
• Decision-making
• Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning
• Diagnostics
• Data interpretation
• Prioritization
• Troubleshooting

Data Analysis

No matter what your career field, being good at analysis means being able to examine a large volume of data and identify trends in that data. You have to go beyond just reading and understanding information to make sense of it by highlighting patterns for top decision-makers.

There are many different types of data analysis, but some of the most common ones in today's workplace include:

• Business analysis
• Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis
• Cost analysis
• Credit analysis
• Critical analysis
• Descriptive analysis
• Financial analysis
• Industry research
• Policy analysis
• Predictive analytics 
• Prescriptive analytics
• Process analysis
• Qualitative analysis
• Quantitative analysis
• Return on investment (ROI) analysis

You must learn more about a problem before you can solve it, so an essential analytical skill is being able to collect data and research a topic. This can involve reviewing spreadsheets, researching online, collecting data, and looking at competitor information. 

Analytical research skills include:

• Investigation
• Data collection
• Checking for accuracy

Analytical thinking is a soft skill , but field-specific, technical types of analysis are hard skills. Both should be highlighted on your resume and in interviews.

Analytical skills are sought after employers, so it's best to highlight these skills when you're applying and interviewing for jobs. Consider:

• Adding relevant skills to your resume : Keywords  are an essential component of a resume, as hiring managers use the words and phrases of a resume and cover letter to screen job applicants, often through recruitment management software.
• Highlighting skills in your cover letter : Mention your analytical skills and give a specific example of a time when you demonstrated those skills.
• Provide examples in your job interview : They can be from past work, volunteer, or school experiences.

Key Takeaways

• Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions.
• You use analytical skills when detecting patterns, brainstorming, observing, interpreting data, and making decisions based on the multiple factors and options available to you. 
• Most types of work require analytical skills. You use them to solve problems that may not have obvious solutions or have several variables.
• There are many types of analytical skills, including communication, creativity, critical thinking, data analysis, and research. 
• Highlight and provide examples of your skills in your resume, cover letter, and interviews. 

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Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Analytical Reasoning Skills Sought by Employers

In this section:

Problem Solving

• Critical Thinking

Analytical Reasoning

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Critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills are required to perform well on tasks expected by employers. 1 Having good problem-solving and critical thinking skills can make a major difference in a person’s career. 2

Every day, from an entry-level employee to the Chairman of the Board, problems need to be resolved. Whether solving a problem for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new problems to solve, the challenges faced may be simple/complex or easy/difficult.

A fundamental component of every manager's role is solving problems. So, helping students become a confident problem solver is critical to their success; and confidence comes from possessing an efficient and practiced problem-solving process.

Employers want employees with well-founded skills in these areas, so they ask four questions when assessing a job candidate 3 :

• Evaluation of information: How well does the applicant assess the quality and relevance of information?
• Analysis and Synthesis of information: How well does the applicant analyze and synthesize data and information?
• Drawing conclusions: How well does the applicant form a conclusion from their analysis?
• Acknowledging alternative explanations/viewpoints: How well does the applicant consider other options and acknowledge that their answer is not the only perspective?

When an employer says they want employees who are good at solving complex problems, they are saying they want employees possessing the following skills:

• Analytical Thinking — A person who can use logic and critical thinking to analyze a situation.
• Critical Thinking – A person who makes reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out.
• Initiative — A person who will step up and take action without being asked. A person who looks for opportunities to make a difference.
• Creativity — A person who is an original thinker and have the ability to go beyond traditional approaches.
• Resourcefulness — A person who will adapt to new/difficult situations and devise ways to overcome obstacles.
• Determination — A person who is persistent and does not give up easily.
• Results-Oriented — A person whose focus is on getting the problem solved.

Two of the major components of problem-solving skills are critical thinking and analytical reasoning.  These two skills are at the top of skills required of applicants by employers.

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Critical Thinking 4

“Mentions of critical thinking in job postings have doubled since 2009, according to an analysis by career-search site Indeed.com.” 5 Making logical and reasoned judgments that are well thought out is at the core of critical thinking. Using critical thinking an individual will not automatically accept information or conclusions drawn from to be factual, valid, true, applicable or correct. “When students are taught how to use critical thinking to tap into their creativity to solve problems, they are more successful than other students when they enter management-training programs in large corporations.” 6

A strong applicant should question and want to make evidence-based decisions. Employers want employees who say things such as: “Is that a fact or just an opinion? Is this conclusion based on data or gut feel?” and “If you had additional data could there be alternative possibilities?” Employers seek employees who possess the skills and abilities to conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information to reach an answer or conclusion.

Employers require critical thinking in employees because it increases the probability of a positive business outcome. Employers want employees whose thinking is intentional, purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed.

Recruiters say they want applicants with problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They “encourage applicants to prepare stories to illustrate their critical-thinking prowess, detailing, for example, the steps a club president took to improve attendance at weekly meetings.” 7

Employers want students to possess analytical reasoning/thinking skills — meaning they want to hire someone who is good at breaking down problems into smaller parts to find solutions. “The adjective, analytical, and the related verb analyze can both be traced back to the Greek verb, analyein — ‘to break up, to loosen.’ If a student is analytical, you are good at taking a problem or task and breaking it down into smaller elements in order to solve the problem or complete the task.” 9

Analytical reasoning connotes a person's general aptitude to arrive at a logical conclusion or solution to given problems. Just as with critical thinking, analytical thinking critically examines the different parts or details of something to fully understand or explain it. Analytical thinking often requires the person to use “cause and effect, similarities and differences, trends, associations between things, inter-relationships between the parts, the sequence of events, ways to solve complex problems, steps within a process, diagraming what is happening.” 10

Analytical reasoning is the ability to look at information and discern patterns within it. “The pattern could be the structure the author of the information uses to structure an argument, or trends in a large data set. By learning methods of recognizing these patterns, individuals can pull more information out of a text or data set than someone who is not using analytical reasoning to identify deeper patterns.” 11

Employers want employees to have the aptitude to apply analytical reasoning to problems faced by the business. For instance, “a quantitative analyst can break down data into patterns to discern information, such as if a decrease in sales is part of a seasonal pattern of ups and downs or part of a greater downward trend that a business should be worried about. By learning to recognize these patterns in both numbers and written arguments, an individual gains insights into the information that someone who simply takes the information at face value will miss.” 12

Managers with excellent analytical reasoning abilities are considered good at, “evaluating problems, analyzing them from more than one angle and finding a solution that works best in the given circumstances”. 13 Businesses want managers who can apply analytical reasoning skills to meet challenges and keep a business functioning smoothly

A person with good analytical reasoning and pattern recognition skills can see trends in a problem much easier than anyone else.

Strong Analytical Thinking Skills: Example Usage on Resume, Skill Set and Top Keywords in 2024

Three ways to show your analytical skills on your resume in 2023!

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Drop your resume here or upload a file to find out if the skills in your resume are readable by an ATS.

In This Guide:

What are analytical thinking skills, why are analytical thinking skills important on your resume.

What traits, skills, and abilities help you demonstrate strong analytical skills on your resume?"?

How to demonstrate strong analytical thinking skills on your resume

Analytical thinking skills are a set of soft skills that help you recognize, collect and process data related to a problem that needs to be solved efficiently. They also help you identify improvement possibilities or predict and prevent disaster.

Great analytical thinking skills usually cover a spectrum of abilities such as Communication, Creativity, Critical thinking, Data analysis, and Research.

To demonstrate what we mean, let’s have a quiz. In WW2, the RAF aimed to reinforce their airplanes so that they have a better chance of survival. They knew which parts of the airplane received the most bullet holes. So, what did they do? Keep reading and you will find out.

Because analytical thinking skills are a set, you will need to demonstrate them indirectly in your resume, highlighting the abilities we mentioned a few lines earlier. HR officers will look for them in the skill section, especially if the job title you are applying for contains the word “analyst”.

In simple words, analytical thinking skills ensure survival and progress. In the corporate world, analytical skills are vital for making an enterprise profitable. Those with analytical skills show the way and lead the path. Decisions and actions are based on those skills and without them, any company is doomed. This is why the most sought-after employees and executives are the ones with a proven record of analytical thinking. To see patterns and trends, to draw logical conclusions, and be able to communicate that within the organization is a must in finances, data science, medicine, marketing, law, and many more well-paid and prestigious positions.

What traits, skills, and abilities help you demonstrate strong analytical skills on your resume?"?

• Observation skills and curiosity : sometimes the data you need to solve a problem is not delivered to your desk. You need not only to see what is in front of you, but what is missing. Remember our RAF planes? Some came back, but some did not.
• Research : once you notice a problem, you will have to look for data. Here you need to be patient, study the problem, and collect all the relevant information and data you can. You need to be creative in finding places where to look for it.
• Data analysis : to analyze data, you need to be able to concentrate and systematize the information. This is where the patterns and dependencies will show up. Your job is to make sense of it and come up with a conclusion.
• Creativity and Critical thinking : to be able to think critically and creatively means to be able to avoid the obvious. Often, critical thinking means exploring even impossible angles to find a solution. A good example that comes to mind is Israel’s 10th man approach, depicted in the movie “Z world war”. The rule states that the 10th member of their council is obligated to doubt anything if all nine others agree on a decision. By the way, do you still think about the RAF planes? Back then they found the solution, avoiding the obvious.
• Communication : once you have a solution, you will need to find a way to communicate it to your colleagues. Here you need to know how to present the information when to present it, how to draw attention and how to inspire.
• Give examples with critical situations on your job that demonstrate those skills
• Describe a specific process or method you use
• Think of major achievements and breakthroughs made possible by your analytical skills
• If you practice brain games and read a lot of books, make sure to include this in the “Interests” section, as these improve analytical skills.
• List specific courses or certificates related to analytical skills

Writing “Strong analytical thinking skills” on your resume is simply not enough. You will need to prove your case, convincing the HR officer that you might be able to think analytically. You have to show examples, achievements and be creative. Remember, the HR officer uses analytical skills as well to find a suitable candidate.

Below you will find relevant examples that will help you start:

Example 1: Show your analytical thinking skills in your experience bullet point

• • Developed a market entry strategy in California, targeting 1 million bottles sold in the first year of operations
• • Increased the store turnover by 20%and the main KPIs by 15% by proficient management of stock and orders
• • Successfully managed and motivated a 5-member team, reducing the staff turnover to 0
• • Successfully managed events with more than 50 suppliers involved and up to 500 participants
• • Recruited, trained and managed multicultural team composed of approximately 100 persons
• • First ever digital content into TV integration increased impressions +2%
• • Invented a cross-category solutions, bringing +3% penetration on Telivus portfolio and +5.7% sales increase

Example taken from our Project Manager resume guide

The applicant demonstrates strong analytical skills by meeting his sales forecast. His analysis of stock and orders allowed him to implement a strategy that resulted in savings for the company. This also shows that he can work with data. The experience in managing events with more participants and at a bigger scale repeatedly shows the candidate’s ability to plan and communicate. The word “Invented” speaks of creativity.

Example 2: Demonstrate analytical skills in your resume summary

Example taken from our Software Engineer resume guide

We can see that the candidate has a major achievement. More importantly, the achievement is for an “optimized” network. Any optimization is a result of analytical skills. Especially useful are achievements confirmed by a third-party organization.

Example 3: Use your achievements to make the point

Example taken from our Resumes of Chernobyl article

This is what counts. We can see that Mr. Legasov “Led the investigation” of the Chernobyl disaster, which is to show that he conducted research and collected data. Then he analyzed the data and using creative and critical thinking he came up with conclusions and solutions. “Pointed to the problems” is the most incredible part of his achievements. Although the party and the whole political situation did not allow for honesty and the spread of information, he put his will and communication skills and work and informed the world about the dangers of RBMK-1000 reactors.

Top related skills to strong analytical skills:

• Public Speaking
• Demonstrate, do not claim: Lead the HR officer through your achievements and results.
• Make them believe in you: List any awards and recognition.
• Be wise with words: Sort and clear sentences. Action and power verbs. Only the essence. You will explain the details later at the interview.

And what happened to those pilots and their planes? An analyst at the RAF concluded that they need to reinforce the parts of the plane where there are no bullet holes. The reason for this was that although hit many times, the planes they studied returned after all. The rest hit in other places, did not.

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• Data Skills Assessments

Analytical Skills Interview Questions for Assessment

Interview questions that test analytical skills can be difficult to create. We know – we’ve designed an entire platform around assessing analytical skills for programmers,  data analysts ,  data scientists  and data engineers. Some candidates have the technical skills and experience but might not have the analytical and critical thinking skills to be successful in a role.

Figuring Out Which Candidates Have The Right Technical Skills

That’s where analytical interview questions that assess analytical and problem-solving skills come in.

What are Analytical Skills?

In every data-related job role today, and even non-technical job roles, you will see “strong analytical skills” or something of that nature listed as a requirement. Here’s an  example from a job posting on our website for an Analytics Consultant  role.

The definition of analytical skills may differ according to the job at hand and may touch a wide variety of situations. The type of “analytical skills” we are referring to in this article does not involve the use of data analytics tools, but rather the process of analytical thinking and reasoning.

Analytical skills encompass a candidate’s ability to break down a complex problem and associated data and apply critical thinking to solve the problem or make a decision. Critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving are closely associated with  analytical skills .

These 5 critical thinking skills are analytical skills (courtesy of juniorcoders.ca)

Analytical skills involve deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion based on one or more givens. Inductive reasoning involves taking specific data or information and making predictions based on that.

Those with strong analytical skills will consider how key elements within disparate information relate to one another and are more likely to notice crucial patterns and details.

Characteristics of Analytical Questions Interviews

When creating a line of analytical skills questioning for interviews, you’ll want to craft questions that help you find out among other things:

• How and why a candidate would gather data from different sources
• Their approach to evaluating that data and information, especially in light of gaps or challenges
• Their thinking behind how to communicate results of evaluations and key findings
• Their critical thinking process behind making judgments that will help the business

First and foremost, analytical skills assessments should be challenging. They should provoke introspection and thoughtfulness on the part of the candidate. And yes, the questions should make the candidate squirm a little. After all, when on the job they are sure to meet with difficulties and you want to know how they will handle these in advance.

Analytical skills interview questions go beyond pure job skills and experience. They evaluate a candidate’s ability to assess the impact of their actions and decisions.

One popular type of interview question is “behavioral”. These types of questions are geared towards discovering how a candidate handles pressure, stress or conflict. An interviewer will ask the candidate to describe a troubling situation and how they handled the problem. In doing so, they hope to gain insight into the candidate’s thought process and approach to problem-solving, what role they play in results and decisions and their understanding of the impact.

Remember, there is no right or wrong answer to these questions. You are looking for how a candidate responds to a situation or problem.

One thing that analytical skills interview questions are NOT is a series of brain-teasers. Brainteaser questions are all the rage in technical job interviews these days. These kinds of questions simply do not measure a candidate’s ability to problem-solve or think rationally and critically.  Nor or they a measure of success on the job.

While analytical skills are required for many types of jobs, in this article we focus on data-related job roles and the types of  analytics skills  questions you might want to ask of candidates for data science,  data engineering , data analyst and machine learning roles.

Brainteasers such as this one do not assess critical thinking. (Courtesy of Analyticsvidha)

10 Analytical Questions in Interviews for Data Science Roles

Analytics skills are part and parcel of the data science process. Anyone working on a data science or  advanced analytics team  must demonstrate intellectual curiosity, comfort with uncertainty and an ability to apply rational critical thinking to solve problems.

So what types of questions might you ask to assess these traits?

We’ve put together a list of 10 example questions:

1. Tell me about a time when you had multiple important projects to finish and how you prioritized them.

This question provides an overview as to how a candidate weighs different factors and information, their approach to analyzing them to determine priorities and outcomes.

2. Imagine a situation in which a teammate wants to solve a problem in a certain way, but your boss has a very different approach in mind. Your colleague comes to you asking for help in deciding on the right approach. What do you do?

This question examines multi-layered analytical thinking. The candidate must weigh a number of possible factors and outcomes and do a bit of scenario analysis at a technical, professional and business impact level.

3. What do you think are the criteria to say whether a developed data model is good or not?

This question combines a bit of analytical thinking as it would apply to the job at hand allowing you to assess technical skills as well.

4. When do you think you should retrain a model? Is it dependent on the data?

As with the previous question, this open-ended question will give you insights into 0n-the-job critical thinking and associated decision-making skills.

5. How do you identify a barrier to performance?

This simple question reveals how a candidate would approach a real-world problem on the job. It will also give you insight as to how a candidate defines personally what a challenging situation is.

6. How do you clean up and organize large datasets?

The answer to this question will reveal a candidate’s ability to organize and think about an approach to work based on their knowledge and judgment of what it will take to analyze data and information accurately and meaningfully.

7. Why are you interested in analytics?

The answer to this question will likely reveal the building blocks of a candidate’s approach to problem-solving and critical thinking and how far they are willing to go to solve problems.

8. How would you come up with a solution to identify plagiarism?

This kind of question will give you an insight both into technical ability and a candidate’s ability to use those skills to solve an open-ended problem.

9. What are the steps in a typical analytics project?

This question won’t necessarily give you deep insight into a candidate’s thought process, but it will allow you to evaluate if they have a process at all. You can ask further questions with some of the steps they enumerate to gauge analytical skills.

10. Provide a real-world challenge from your company and ask the candidate to solve it.

There’s nothing more revealing about a candidate’s analytical thought process then observing how they apply it to a real-world situation, especially one that impacts your company. For this reason, real-world challenges are core to QuantHub’s platform.

Criteria for Evaluating Answers to Analytical Interview Questions

When interviewing for data-related roles, you will want to look for candidates to provide examples of problem-solving methods, to describe what steps they take to identify barriers to achieving their goal, and use of benchmarks or comparisons to judge their decisions and the impact of their approach and actions.

Candidates should also exhibit good and fair fact-based judgment in their conclusions and processes. They should also be able to envision a solution (s) to any problem and what the fall out from that solution might be.

Generally speaking, candidates who fall into the following traps should be questioned with respect to analytical capabilities:

• Lack of fact-checking
• Too many assumptions
• Not enough creative or lateral thinking/tunnel vision
• Difficulty explaining a specific approach and technical details of their approach
• Don’t dig deep enough into a problem and ask questions for clarity or more information
• Can’t provide examples of analytical skills from previous experience or don’t use the whiteboard when appropriate to demonstrate skills

The Bottom Line on Analytical Interview Questions

As a recruiter or hiring manager, or even as a candidate, it’s critical to recognize that while technical skills are a core component of performance in data science roles, these can be learned. What is more difficult to learn on the job however are the kinds of analytical skills described previously.

So be sure to include analytical interview questions that get to the heart of a candidate’s ability to solve your business problems rationally and responsibly.

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7 Soft Skills to Put on Resume that Employers Want to See

Posted May 15th, 2024

While employers across all industries look for candidates with technical skills and subject-matter expertise, those aren’t the only types of skills they value .

Employers also want to see noteworthy transferable skills — otherwise known as soft skills. 

And the reason is simple. 

Soft skills help employees build resilience and agility. From leadership skills to critical thinking, transferable skills help employees solve problems, resolve conflicts, and strategize new possibilities. This makes them an incredible asset to just about any company.

Let’s take a closer look at some soft skills you should consider adding to your resume to position yourself as a top-talent candidate. 

1. Industry specific soft skills 

Include relevant skills employers in your specific industry value. 

For instance …

Travel nursing: Employers from compact nursing states look for skills such as adaptability, empathy, teamwork, and communication.

Here’s a look at an Indeed travel nurse job posting that highlights empathy as a required soft skill:

Teaching: Educational organizations look for employees with skills such as creativity, flexibility, and the ability to tailor educational experiences. 

Project management industry: Lead project managers look for team members with pristine time management skills, organizational skills, and conflict resolution abilities.

Tourism: Tour guide operators look for employees with strong people skills, language skills, and storytelling skills. 

Look how travelers referenced the impact their tour guides’ storytelling skills had on their WWII tours in Normandy :

Consulting industry: Consultancy firms value consultants who display active listening skills, interpersonal skills, and business analysis skills. 

For a comprehensive list of skills, conduct research to uncover the standards in your specific industry. 

You might also consider conducting informational interviews with people who have landed the role you’re aspiring to secure. They can share their firsthand experiences and help you pinpoint the most valuable skills employers in your industry are looking for.

2. Soft skills learned from internships and previous jobs

Be specific about the skills you’ve acquired from relevant internships or previous job experiences. 

The less training you have to go through — and the more applicable your experience is — the more admirable your resume will be. 

In fact, according to NACE’s Job Outlook 2024 report , potential employers cite internship experience as the main deciding factor when choosing between two qualified candidates for a job opening. NACE recommends highlighting both the internship experience you’ve gained with an employer’s organization and within the industry to catch an employer’s eye.

For instance, you may have learned how to pivot during crises while working with a startup company. You might also have learned online sales skills simply by being in the SaaS industry. 

Go into detail about how the skills you’ve acquired helped you solve a major problem or achieve success at work. This helps potential employers envision how you apply the soft skills you’ve learned from previous roles.

3. Problem-solving skills

Highlight your problem-solving abilities to show potential employers how agile you can be during challenging situations at work. 

Nearly 90% of employers value problem-solving as a critical skill when searching for suitable employees.

No matter what industry you’re in, unexpected situations can come up, and knowing how to pivot and find a solution is paramount to your success — and the organization you work for.

Imagine running an automated contextual ad campaign, only to find out your programmatic ads showed up next to harmful content. After conducting research, you learn there’s an AI tool you can use that automatically scans content against stringent brand safety and suitability metrics before placing ads. 

To “solve the problem,” you set up future ads using this tool. You also get to discuss with your public relations team how to correct any potential brand harm that occurred after the ad.

In this example, you didn’t accept defeat. You went above and beyond to prevent ads from showing up in inappropriate contexts. You also quickly worked to protect the company from a negative brand reputation after a mistake occurred.

This way of approaching conflict shows employers they can rely on you to do what’s best for the organization — especially when problems arise.

4. Strong teamwork skills 

Include your ability to work in teams , adapt to team norms, and communicate effectively with co-workers. 

While being able to carry your own weight is vital, working well with others is also a sought-after skill. In most organizations, being able to coexist with other team members and work toward a common goal is necessary for the company’s success. 

Imagine a project management team with employees who miscommunicate, show signs of disrespect, or ghost team members. Getting deliverables complete would be a complete nightmare. 

On the flip side, imagine a project management team without silos that values one another’s expertise and collaborates seamlessly to get work done. There’s no limit to what a team that’s in sync can accomplish.

5. Flexibility/adaptability

Provide concrete examples of how you’ve demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in various contexts. This positions you as a valuable asset to any organization seeking resilient, agile, and forward-thinking professionals.

For instance, you might share how you successfully transitioned to new roles within an organization. This demonstrates your ability to quickly acclimate to different responsibilities and excel in unfamiliar territory.

You could also share examples of times when you embraced learning new technologies or methodologies. This illustrates your openness to growth and your proactive approach to staying current in your field.

Showcasing your capacity to pivot quickly in response to shifting priorities is particularly compelling to potential employers. Whether you’ve faced sudden changes in project scope, tight deadlines, or unexpected challenges, highlighting your ability to remain calm under pressure and adapt your approach accordingly demonstrates your resilience and resourcefulness.

Go the extra mile by emphasizing your willingness to take on new challenges and step outside your comfort zone. 

Whether it’s volunteering for cross-functional projects or spearheading initiatives outside of your usual scope of work, these experiences showcase your readiness to embrace change and contribute to the organization’s success.

6. Written and verbal communication skills

Highlight written and verbal communication skills on your resume to show employers you can convey ideas clearly, foster connections with colleagues and stakeholders, and drive meaningful outcomes.

For instance, illustrate your ability to craft clear, concise, and engaging written content. That might be drafting emails , reports, or proposals. Include a link to a portfolio so they can see how your writing contributes to achieving project milestones, gaining stakeholder buy-in, or advancing organizational initiatives.

Underscore your verbal communication skills by sharing experiences where you’ve excelled in delivering presentations, leading meetings, or participating in collaborative brainstorming sessions. 

Don’t forget to include all of the languages you speak, too. Multilingualism is a valuable asset, particularly in global or multicultural workplaces, where effective communication across language barriers is essential for success.

7. Analytical skills

Share how you gather, analyze, and interpret data to make informed decisions and solve complex problems at work.

Provide examples of projects or tasks where you were required to gather information from various sources, analyze it systematically, and draw meaningful insights. That might’ve included conducting market research, analyzing financial data, or interpreting performance metrics.

Highlight your critical thinking skills, too. Employers look for team members who can evaluate information objectively, identify patterns or trends, and generate innovative solutions to challenges. Discuss instances where you’ve applied critical thinking to solve problems, make recommendations, or improve processes within your organization.

Go the extra mile by sharing concrete examples of how your analytical skills have contributed to tangible outcomes. 

That might’ve been identifying cost-saving opportunities, optimizing processes to improve efficiency, or driving revenue growth through data-driven strategies. Highlighting the impact of your analytical abilities reinforces your value as a strategic thinker and problem solver.

Wrap up 

While technical expertise and qualifications are undoubtedly essential, it’s often soft skills that set exceptional candidates apart in a competitive job market. 

Employers value soft skills because they contribute to an agile work environment, effective collaboration, and overall productivity.

Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving aren’t just desirable — they’re increasingly essential in navigating challenges at work. 

Strong communication skills foster understanding, build relationships, and drive positive outcomes. Effective teamwork supports collaboration, innovation, and shared success. Adaptability helps teams thrive in dynamic environments, embrace change, and seize opportunities for growth. And problem-solving skills help employees identify challenges, develop creative solutions, and drive continuous improvement.

Employers recognize that individuals with strong soft skills aren’t only better equipped to navigate challenges — but are also more likely to contribute positively to organizational culture and success. 

The bottom line? Whether it’s fostering a collaborative team environment, driving innovation, or delivering exceptional customer experiences, soft skills play a fundamental role in achieving organizational goals and driving sustainable growth.

Author Bio:

Jeremy is co-founder & CEO at uSERP , a digital PR and SEO agency working with brands like Monday, ActiveCampaign, Hotjar, and more. He also buys and builds SaaS companies like Wordable.io and writes for publications like Entrepreneur and Search Engine Journal.

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