7 Non-Traditional Skills That Stand Out in Your Resume

7 Non-Traditional Skills That Stand Out in Your Resume “Should I include [X experience] on my resume?” is a phrase I hear often when interviewing job seekers and career changers during the resume building process. The truth is, related experience will always be the key determinator hiring managers are looking for. But don’t overlook the non-traditional skill sets and attributes that â€" while not directly related to the position you’re seeking â€" can still add value. These might be things that suggest underlying skills and qualities that can benefit any job â€" things like leadership, work ethic, creativity, and ability to focus under pressure. While these might seem like the sort of broadly applicable terms everyone includes on their resume, the strategy lies in illustrating these attributes with a specific context. In other words, what activities are you participating in that have helped you build these qualities? And those activities can range from personal hobbies to leadership positions, athletic activities, or other professional/non-professional achievements. Here are a few examples and how you can spin them to speak directly to the value they bring to an employer: Competitive Athletics Adding competitive athletics or athletic training to your resume suggests that you possess valuable attributes like leadership, work ethic, and commitment. It takes extreme commitment, time management, and focus to train as a varsity or collegiate athlete, a marathon runner, or participate in competitive fitness competitions (i.e. Spartan Race, Iron Man, Tough Mudder).  An employer might look favorably upon someone with that skill set, with the assumption that such work ethic would be reflected in professional performance. Athletic Leadership For similar reasons as above, it can be useful to include athletic activities in which you held a leadership role such as a team captain or trainer role. Again, these activities emphasize leadership potential and work ethic.  Leading an athletic team requires many of the qualities it takes to direct a team in a professional setting and may give a candidate the extra boost they need to stand out. Scouting Experience / Military Training Much like athletics, earning an Eagle Scout or similar designation required extensive time, commitment, and training, and can speak to qualities like leadership, resourcefulness, work ethic, and time management skills. The same holds true for military experience. Diversity Training While this in itself is an area where more jobs are opening up with a specific focus on advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, this and other types of HR training can be valuable for managers of all different background and industries.  Diversity and inclusion have become a key topic of discussion, and it can only benefit candidates to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to managerial and cultural trends. Sommelier Training / Certification This is something I’ve seen more than once on a resume, and often with job seekers who have no affiliation whatsoever with the food, beverage, or hospitality spaces. Why? Because training for a certification (and especially master designation) as a sommelier is notoriously difficult. It requires extensive and tedious study, followed by a rigorous examination. Someone with these types of credentials definitely exhibits commitment, dedication, ability to retain a high volume of detailed information, and grace under pressure. Political / Humanitarian / Environmental Canvassing Ever been stopped by one of those folks on the street asking if you “have a moment to talk about the environment”? Canvassing for donations may seem like an entry-level job, but those who succeed do so because they are incredibly personable, articulate, and convincing in their presentation. In other words, they have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Crisis Management For some, this may be a component of their job particularly in communications. But even if youve volunteered with an organization dedicated to crisis or disaster relief, chances are youve demonstrated that you can lead under pressure, take direction, respond quickly and effectively to unexpected circumstances, and work well in unstructured or stressful environments. Additionally, you may have had to do all these while dealing with highly emotional individuals, which speaks to the qualities of a strong and diplomatic leader. Job seekers I speak to often have difficulty looking objectively at their own experience and skill set and extracting the points they feel are worthwhile. My suggestion? Enlist the assistance of a friend or colleague to help you narrow in on what things to highlight and where your outside activities may actually be helping you build skills that strengthen the quality of work you do in the office. Ready to make a change? Our 360-approach to personal brand building will give you the expert tools you need to stand out in  todays ultra-competitive and digitally-driven job market. Learn more. Related Links: AN EXERCISE FOR DEFINING YOUR UNIQUE VALUE