Why should you have a skills section?

Not everyone has one of these sections but I am a huge advocate of key skills and this is why. It is a simple way to showcase your main skills in a readable way, and on the first page of a CV. By putting it under the opening statement (which will be the most important part), you grab their attention with the statement then draw them in with the skills you list.

This area is a place to give a bit more detail about your main skills without clogging up your statement with ALL the keywords. It is also a chance to give a nice overview of the skills you have built up over the years of experience in your various jobs.

It can be hard work reading through a CV without a key skills section, and with long rambling statements in the career history so make it easy! Finding out what you’re good at shouldn’t be a treasure hunt for a recruiter or employer, make it simple and put it in their face.

It is my preference to theme or simplify rather than list them. This is the best option if you are unsure!