A college or university degree is often seen as the holy grail of an impressive CV or resume, but not all of us have the time or resources to complete one. So, if you don’t have a degree, this doesn’t mean you can’t land the job you want.

There are tons of valuable skills you probably already have that could be included on your resume to create a winning first impression. Many of these skills could have been picked up from a previous job, being a parent, volunteering, or any element of every-day life.

If you want to land a good job without getting an expensive education, the following skills are easy to obtain and will look great on your resume. Just make sure you’re confident with them and can demonstrate solid examples of times you have applied them in the workplace.

Communication

Communication skills are something we all use in and out of work, although some of us are better at communicating than others. Do you find yourself great when you’re speaking one to one with a customer, or are you proficient at presentations? Can you provide examples of a time where your communication skills have come in handy?

The ability to work under pressure

The ability to work under pressure is a must in many work environments. Perhaps you will have a strict deadline for a project, or work on a cash register where you can’t see the end of the line. Whatever job you are going for, you need to be prepared to deal with high pressure situations and make sure you explain how you are qualified to do this in your CV.

Teamwork

Some jobs may require you to work alone, while others will want you to be a part of a team. Many jobs will require that you are good at both when needed. Being a team player is key in almost any industry. Being able to work well with others will make the working atmosphere much better and likely allow for a higher quality of work. If you only focus on yourself and what you can gain, this could be viewed negatively by an employer – so examples of any form of teamwork will make an excellent addition to your CV.

Punctuality

Being on time for your job is key; as they say, time is money! If you’re not turning up on time, not only will it look bad but you may have your pay docked. Turning up late regularly makes it look like you don’t care, and that your time keeping skills are poor. Being able to manage a busy schedule and turn up to work on time is a must. Could you prove that you’re a punctual person with attendance figures from a previous job?

Problem solving

Solving issues is something most employees must do daily, whether it’s up to you to rectify an issue a customer is having or coming up with a solution to an issue that is going on in the workplace. How have you solved problems in previous roles, or in your life in general?

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Conflict resolution

Conflict with customers or in the workplace between employees is never a good thing. It’s important to be able to defuse situations before they get out of hand, making sure everybody is happy and able to move on. In an ideal world, you’ll transform unhappy customers into delighted customers and keep them for life. Why are you good at diffusing conflict, and what situations have you used your skills in in the past?

Organizational skills

Being organized with your workload is a must. Many bosses and managers don’t want to have to micromanage each and every employee. Being able to look at the work you have on your plate and knowing when to do it is key. If you’re not getting your work done, it could be a sign that you aren't organizing your day properly. With great organizational skills you should also be able to look at upcoming projects and have things completed on time or early, rather than late.

Multi-tasking

Multi-tasking isn’t ideal at work, but sometimes you may need to juggle multiple task in order to get everything done. For example, they say that you’re not supposed to check your emails multiple times a day because this can be a big productivity killer, however, this may not be feasible if you have clients to reply to. The ability to multitask could be an important requirement of the job that you want.

Self-motivation

As mentioned, not every boss wants to micromanage their team.

For this reason, you must be able to motivate yourself, even when you don’t feel like getting things done. Being able to keep yourself motivated throughout the working day is attractive to employers because they can give their employees free reign to work autonomously and worry less about them procrastinating on social media.

Creativity

How can you demonstrate your creative skills on your CV?

Have you created a campaign in the past that did well, written a blog post, or even created your own website? Anything you’ve done to think outside the box and create results from scratch will demonstrate creative skills.

Relationship building

Finally, being able to build strong relationships at work can be very beneficial. Positive work relationships can create strong teams that work together well and avoid miscommunication. Good relationships with your customers will create happier customers who buy more services and products. How are you proficient at building and maintaining relationships with others?

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There may be more skills you can think of that you have picked up along the way.

Perhaps being a parent has taught you skills such as patience and persistence? Think about how you can demonstrate these skills and include them on your resume in a way that aligns with the job you are applying for. Rather than just listing them alone, make sure you include examples of how you have used each skill and why you think they could come in handy for the role.

Do your research on the company you are applying for too, as this could set you apart from other candidates and help you to craft an eye-catching resume.

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