Whether you’re a newcomer to the workplace or an old hand, organization skills are an essential. We’ve written this guide to show you how to build an effective resume that highlights them to the fullest. We’ve also included links to organizational skills training resources for your convenience.
1. Organizational Skills Definition
First, let’s answer the question, “what are organizational skills?”
In short, they’re the skills you need to make sure you don’t fall behind on your work. They’re the many abilities needed to prioritize tasks, manage your time, and deliver results. If it’s clear you have them, your boss will trust you to complete tasks without looking over your shoulder.
2. Organizational Skills Examples (+ Bulleted Lists)
“Organizational skills” is a large category that includes several other types of skills. For example, project planning, mental organization, teamwork, and physical organization. It’s vital to hone these areas if you want to list “strong organizational skills” on your resume.
Project Planning
To complete a project, you need to organize it well. Time management and organizational skills are vital to project planning, since you need to block out time for each project.
You also need to give yourself flexibility in case the unexpected happens.
Without good organizational skills, you might—
- end up working overtime
- experience stress
- miss deadlines
- annoy coworkers waiting for your completed work
- struggle to give good answers to organizational skills interview questions
Project Planning Skills to List on Your Resume
- Decision-making
- Time management
- Dedication
- Self-management
- Initiative
- Trustworthiness
- Coordination
- Integrity
- Self-motivation
- Dependability
- Stress management
- Scheduling
How to improve your project planning skills
To beat the competition, you need to improve your project management skills.
The following project planning–related hard skills will help you become more organized in your daily work. Plus, you can list them on your resume after you become comfortable using them:
Trello/Basecamp: These tools are perfect for setting and meeting goals. Trello provides a visual overview of your tasks, which you can set deadlines for. Basecamp helps teams keep organized with team to-do lists and message boards.
Become project-management certified: Project managers could consider getting a project-management certification like the Certified Project Management or ScrumMaster certifications. Certifications help prove your organizational skills and can be shown on your resume.
Mental Organization
To succeed at your job, you need to be able to focus on the task at hand. Focusing requires strong mental organization skills. These vital skills allow you to prioritize your tasks and concentrate effectively on your goal.
Mental Organization Skills to List on Your Resume
- Analysis
- Memory
- Perceptiveness
- Summarizing
- Prioritizing
- Attention to detail
- Introspection
- Quick thinking
- Time management
- Lateral thinking
- Logical reasoning
- Goal setting
- Focus
- Planning
How to improve your mental organization skills
Organize your thoughts: Services like Evernote can help you keep track of your ideas and organize your responsibilities. You can also create to-do lists and add images to your notes. It’s also available as both Android and iOS apps.
Meditate: Meditation is proved to enhance your mental organization. Learn how to meditate. By meditating in the morning after waking up, you’ll be able to keep yourself on the ball at work.
Listing meditation on your resume won’t hurt your chances at all, since many hiring managers are aware of its positive effects.
Teamwork
Organized teams that work well together are simply more productive in the workplace. Proving your team-player attitude on your resume will be a big plus in the eyes of hiring managers.
Teamwork-Related Organizational Skills Examples to Put on Your Resume
- Active listening
- Confidence
- Conflict management
- Persuasion
- Patience
- Mediation
- Listening
- Diplomacy
- Communication
- Empathy
- Respect
- Negotiation
- Friendliness
- Empathy
- Idea exchange
- Facilitation
How to improve your teamwork-related organizational skills
Not sure how to improve your teamwork-related organizational skills so you can put them on your resume? Try these methods.
Start a blog: You need strong communication skills to interact with other members of your team. They help make sure you and your coworkers are as organized as possible. To improve your communication skills at work, you could start a blog. You can set one up using platforms like WordPress and Blogger.
Take online tests: The Conover Company has online tests that let you find out how effective your teamwork skills are. It also gives you tips on how to improve them — with the goal of creating an organized team.
Enroll for an online course: Many online providers offer organization skills training. Udemy offers online courses on teamwork, for instance, conflict management, which can derail projects.
Other useful online course providers for improving your organizational skills at work include:
Physical Organization
Physical organization is all about creating and maintaining a positive work environment. For an individual person, this means keeping your personal space tidy.
Keeping your workspace tidy will help you focus and boost your organizational skills at work.
Extra Physical Organization Skills for Your Resume
- Responsibility
- Coordination
- Professionalism
- Dependability
- Business etiquette
- Team mindedness
- Reliability
- Productivity
- Cleaning
- Sensitivity
How to improve your physical organization skills
Embrace digital tools: Find out how to use Google Docs for note-taking, and keep your notes organized tidily in folders. This tip is great for workers, job seekers, and students. Taking detailed but concise notes is an organizational skill for students that will help them when they apply for their first job.
Keep your space free of clutter: Learn how to tidy your desk properly and keep it organized.
3. Four Examples of Organizational Skills on a Resume
Some roles have particular need of candidates with strong organizational skills. Check out these resume samples created for positions seeking organized applicants:
Executive Assistant Resume Example
Project Manager Resume Example
Housekeeper
Resume Example
Library Page
Resume Example
Need more help showcasing your organizational skills on your resume? We can do the heavy lifting for you. Create a resume in mere minutes using our free-to-use resume builder.