Core competencies are usually found in job descriptions and employee specifications. Many companies and organizations use a core competency list to quickly check a candidate’s eligibility. The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) can also be programmed to scan resumes for core competencies as a quick way to sort candidates.

While core competencies may differ for each position, there are general ones that are highly demanded by every employer, such as teamwork. In your annual performance reviews with your employer, the core competencies are used to measure your performance and determine where you want to go. But what are competencies and how do you incorporate them into your resume?

How are core competencies different from skills?

Skills are special abilities that you acquire through study, continuing education, or work. For example, as an administrative assistant, you acquire the ability to type a certain number of words per minute.

On the other hand, core competencies are a much broader concept. While these may include skills, you often need different skills to develop a competency. Core competencies are best described as the combination of skills, knowledge, and personality that enable you to get the job done. For example, in an IT context, the ability to understand a programming language is a skill. But to use this skill effectively, you need to be able to apply logic and reasoning, so critical thinking is a skill.

Why should you list your core competencies on your resume?

The term “core competency” derives from the concept of management theory, which describes the unique set of resources and skills that a company possesses to distinguish itself from other businesses. Employers often list specific key competencies in job descriptions to determine if a candidate is suitable for their organization, no matter what position you are applying for in the company.

By mentioning your core competencies on your resume, you show employers that you identify with their company’s values ​​and understand what it takes to be successful in their company.

Core competencies usually include keywords that ATS has programmed to scan to quickly sort candidates, so including them on your resume can help you move on to the next stage.

Finally, core competencies are an effective way to quickly generalize your knowledge and skills to demonstrate your suitability as a candidate. This is especially useful if you are changing careers and have worked in different industries. Core competencies can help tie these disparate experiences together and convince employers that you have the right skills and knowledge for the position.

How do you define your core competencies?

There are several ways to find out what your core competency is. You can start by taking one of the many competency tests available on the Internet. Or you can ask a colleague or your manager who knows you well in your working capacity.

It is also recommended to review the Core Criteria or Core Competencies section of the job description to determine the core competencies that an employer expects from candidates. This shows that you have carefully read the job description and have taken the time to customize your application.

If you are struggling to define your core competencies, it is helpful to make a list of all the skills you have acquired and developed throughout your career or in education (if you are just starting your career). You can then compare this list to the core competencies mentioned in the job description and remove anything that is irrelevant.

Examples of core competencies

While each employer will look for different core competencies, there are some core competencies that are in demand in every industry. Here are the most common ones and what they demonstrate:

Leadership: your ability to assemble and lead a team

Pursuit of Excellence: Your Pursuit of Always Doing Your Best

Result orientation: you always strive to achieve your goals

Problem Solving: You take a logical and systematic approach to problem solving.

An avid learner: This shows that you are striving to improve your skills

Decision Making: The ability to make informed decisions using logic and reasoning.

Analytical: the ability to draw logical conclusions from data

There are also many core competency frameworks available online, depending on the industry.

How do you mention core competencies on your resume?

You can list your core professional qualities in your personal statement, as quite often it will depend on your personal statement whether recruiters and employers read the rest of your resume. However, rather than listing them with bullets, it is better to use complete sentences when you talk about them in your personal statement.

Alternatively, you can list them using a bulleted list in a separate Core Competencies section after the Work Experience and Education section of your resume.

Another option is to include them in the line below the resume title as follows:

Teacher

Leadership | Time Management | Critical Thinking | Communication

If you take this approach, be sure to include examples of how you developed these competencies in the work experience section of your resume:

customer service manager

If you listed Leadership as a core competency, you could demonstrate that you have this competency by using the following examples:

Managed a customer service project to reduce response times by 5%. Configured and trained customer service agents on the new password reset procedure.

Teacher

The general core competence of teachers is “Organization”. To demonstrate that you possess this competency, you may mention that you:

Planned and developed curriculum for 50 students in 4-year groups. Supervised extra-curricular activities in addition to extra-curricular activities to improve the academic performance of 11th A-Level German students.

As a rule, it is enough to list 3-5 core competencies. A little more and it will look like you are stuffing your resume with keywords.

Start with the ones that are relevant to the job description and add those that you think are important to the completion of your job. However, avoid listing multiple competencies on your resume in an attempt to impress employers – be sure to be asked about them if you are invited for an interview and lying is never a good idea.