resume examples core competencies

Core Competencies on Resume: Examples & Guide

What are resume core competencies

Strengths & achievements: a modern take on core competencies, why resume core competencies are important, how to develop a core competencies section, examples of core competencies for your resume, takeaways: core competencies on resume.

The goal of every resume out there is to give you a better chance of getting the job you want.

But when you are creating a resume, you have two major problems -very limited space and the urge to make the best out of it.

You don’t know what core competencies are, and you have no idea how to use them on your resume?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

In this article, we are going to go through a few very important points:

• What are core competencies?
• Why are core competencies important?
• How to develop a core competencies' section on your resume?
• How to choose core competencies for your resume?

Once we are done, you will have some serious knowledge, as well as some confidence in the matter.

If you are interested not only in this section but the overall impression your resume gives, we can show you How to make your resume stand out .

Don’t worry, we won’t give you just plain theory, we have some examples as well.

So let’s not waste any more time and dive into the topic.

The first step we have to take is understanding what core competencies are.

In simple terms, your core competencies are fundamental skills and abilities that you want to show your potential employer.

They should always be directly related to the position you are applying for, don’t just write anything.

The main goal of this section is to get the attention of the hiring manager.

That’s why it is usually positioned front and center on your resume, right beneath your name and contact information in your Resume Header .

And another thing - make sure you list your core competencies as bullet points, rather than sentences.

While listing relevant skills in a core competency section is perfectly acceptable, employers nowadays look for concrete examples of the impact of your work. A more modern approach would be to have sections on your Strengths & Achievements. Open the editable template below to see an example.

There are two major reasons for including core competencies on your resume, and you shouldn’t ignore any of them.

Each one of them gets you one step closer to getting the job you want.

Winning the battle with ATS

Often when you apply for a job, your resume gets preselected not by a human being, but via software.

The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans, searching for keywords on your resume , set by your potential employer.

If it decides you are a good enough match, depending on the keywords you used, it would forward your application to the hiring manager.

But getting through that software is not an easy task.

A great deal of resumes get rejected before a human being gets their hands on them.

But, knowing this, you can make sure you pass the ATS test without too much effort.

Read the position you are applying for carefully and find the perfect balance between your core competencies and what the employer is looking for.

And step 1 is complete.

Catching the hiring manager’s attention

But just getting through the ATS doesn’t get you the job.

Not even close, the fight is just beginning.

As we said earlier, the main goal of the core competencies' section is to catch the attention of the hiring manager.

And at this point, that is crucial.

Even after the ATS preselection, the hiring manager would still have to go through tons of resumes.

What you would want to achieve here is to quickly tell the hiring manager that you are qualified.

This is your opportunity to make a lasting impression and get your shot to get to the interview.

Furthermore, it shows the hiring manager some thoughtfulness on your part, as you value their time and show them what they need to see right away.

So, if you do this right, you should be one step closer to getting your interview.

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Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

So, let’s get to the main point.

You already know what core competencies are, but how are you supposed to develop that section for your resume?

There are 4 steps that you need to follow to do this right.

Make a list of your strongest skills and abilities

The first step to developing your core competencies' section is to make a list of all your strongest skills and abilities, relative to the position you are applying for.

The list should include anything that you would include in your Resume skills section , but focus only on the strongest ones.

The list should consist of between 10 and 30 skills or abilities and have a variety of hard and soft skills.

They may be skills you obtained while in school, during your past work experience , or learned by mentors.

Ideally, the list should make you the perfect candidate for the position, when the hiring manager opens your resume.

While making your list, read the job description for any keywords that you might be able to use, and try to make each ability unique and different to demonstrate your diverse skill set.

You need to show that you are a multifaceted and adaptable employee.

Everyone has a different list of core competencies, but some common examples include:

• Strategic planning
• Customer service
• Organizational communication
• Team leadership
• Project management
• Creative thinking
• Risk assessment
• Attention to detail

Change it according to the job position

Secondly, you would want to tailor your core competencies section according to the job position.

Doing so shows your interest in the position and helps you pass the ATS and get to the hiring manager.

What you need to do is take the list you created in the previous step and choose between 10 and 12 skills and abilities that are directly related to the job position specifications.

Featuring no more than 12 items helps you maintain the hiring manager’s attention and increases your chances for an interview.

Your core competencies' section should highlight the skills and abilities required for the specific position. Quality word choice is key.

Keep it short, but not too short

Once you have shortened your list according to the job position, you need to modulate it.

In the core competencies section, you would want to use no more than two words to describe each skill or ability.

Use descriptive language and make sure it is directly related to the job position specifications.

Its good practice to organize your core competencies in bullet points.

Another thing you might want to consider is adding them in a row, instead of a column, in order to use as little space as possible.

Choose the right place

Last, but not least, you need to choose the best place for your core competencies' section on your resume.

As we said earlier, the most popular place to add your section is right below your name and contact information - in the Resume Header .

But there are a few other possibilities that are just as good and may be more fitted to your resume design.

• Below the Resume Objective Section
• Above or below the qualifications section
• Adjacent to the Work Experience Section
• Above the References Section

It may still be a little muddy, so we got you covered by a few example core competencies.

You can use any of them, if they are applicable, or develop your own, using the same principles.

Once again, make sure you make the balance between the skills and abilities you possess, and those which are needed for the job you are applying for.

So, here is our list with both the core competencies and why they would be of value to your potential employer.

• Leadership - shows your skills for assembling, leading and strengthening a team
• Organization and time-management - shows you can keep up with timelines and complete your tasks on deadline
• Communication - shows your ability to work with clients, co-workers and managers
• Problem-solving - shows that you can step on your feet in tough situations and find effective solutions
• Teamwork - shows you work well with others to achieve goals and help each other grow professionally
• Detail-oriented - shows that you pay attention to details to complete tasks effectively
• Responsibility - shows that you can be trusted to complete your tasks on time
• Career-focused - shows that you are focused on your professional growth
• Ambition - shows that you are goal-oriented and make sure your work is the best it can be
• Result-oriented - shows that you always strive to provide the best result possible
• Life-long learner - shows you are always looking for new ways to improve yourself

Another option for highlighting your core competencies, especially if your skillset is really large, is to choose a different resume format, like a Functional Resume Format .

Don’t forget your other options for a resume format either:

• Reverse chronological Resume Format
• Hybrid Resume Format

We are all done.

Now you know what core competencies are and how to use them effectively

You are now ready to get through the ATS and the hiring manager and get straight to your big interview.

Don’t forget - keep it short and to the point, you shouldn’t include information that is not relative to the position you are applying for.

Think about the positioning of your core competencies' section, depending on the resume format you have chosen.

Keep our examples in mind and make your section perfect for the job you seek.

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Many successful professionals and companies define their core competencies, which are the qualities that set them apart from their competition. When you’re looking for a job, understanding your core competencies and showing them off is key to getting hired.

In this article, you’ll learn which core competencies you should include on your resume, see examples of how to do this, and learn more about core competencies in general. You’ll also learn how to talk about your core competencies in an interview and how they play out from a business perspective.

Key Takeaways

Core competencies are the skills, traits, and experiences that set you apart as a candidate.

Core competencies such as communication, leadership, and problem-solving are important to include on your resume .

Businesses also use core competencies to show how they stand out from the competition.

Core Competencies to Include on a Resume

How to create a core competencies section for your resume, example core competency resume section, how to answer “what are your core competencies” in an interview, how core competencies work in business.

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While core competencies are traditionally associated with defining a company’s identity, they can also apply to creating a comprehensive applicant profile on a resume .

Core competencies in a resume can impress a hiring manager and lead them to offer an opportunity to interview. They create a summary of the soft skills that make you a notable candidate and paint a picture of who you are.

Consider the following examples of core competencies that could be helpful on your resume:

Communication. Communication is a crucial skill for a company’s employees to have – both between co-workers internally and with customers externally. It’s an essential trait that employers look for in potential hires.

Leadership. Finding candidates with strong leadership skills is very important to employers, whether they’re seeking to fill a management role or not. Even in entry-level applicants , demonstrating leadership skills can show the potential for growth and positive qualities.

Listing leadership as a core competency on your resume lends itself to predicting that you’ll probably be successful in other areas as well. Consider leadership positions you’ve had in the past and examples of leadership skills to see if any of them fit you.

Examples of leadership skills include:

Time-management

Dependability

Flexibility

Goal-oriented. Being goal-oriented is an in-demand trait for employees to have across multiple industries. It means being able to create plans, set expectations, and follow through with meeting an objective. It correlates to a lot of other positive qualities, as well.

Problem-solving. Companies don’t want employees who will freeze or fall apart as soon something goes wrong. They want workers who are skilled at approaching problems with confidence and coming up with creative solutions to overcome them.

Teamwork. You’re always going to have to work with a team in some capacity, and employers value candidates who can show that they know how to function on a team and will add to the larger unit, not drag it down.

Additional core competencies you could put on your resume include:

Time management

Responsibility

Organization

Adaptability

Self-motivation

Collaboration

Commitment to excellence

You can also include industry-specific core competencies on your resume such as SEO, food safety, or curriculum development.

A core competencies section on a resume is a summary of your unique qualifications and skills that replaces your resume’s skills section. Just as a business uses core competencies to generate and maintain customer interest, your resume’s core competencies should get the hiring manager interested in you.

Make a master list of your core competencies. Start with a judgment-free brainstorming session where you jot down every hard and soft skill you have. Think about what you’re often praised for at work or by friends — these are the things that other people consider to be your core competencies.

Read the job description . Looking over the job requirements and the employer’s version of an ideal candidate is immensely helpful for deciding which core competencies to include on your resume. Pay special attention to soft skills that serve to differentiate candidates, like creativity or problem-solving.

Research the company . Companies aren’t shy about their values and mission — it’s usually right on their website’s About Us page . For example, let’s look at Amazon’s mission statement:

Our mission is to continually raise the bar of the customer experience by using the internet and technology to help consumers find, discover and buy anything, and empower businesses and content creators to maximize their success. We aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company.

Even if you’d somehow never heard of Amazon before reading that, you’d know that valuable core competencies for your resume include customer service, maximizing convenience, the ability to leverage technology, and constant improvement.

Include core competencies that overlap. Finally, cross-reference your original master list with your findings from the job description and company research.

Repeat the process for each job application. Hopefully, steps 2 and 3 made it clear that you’ll need to repeat this process for each job you apply for. And it’s not just for the core competency section — each resume you send out should be optimized and tailored for the specific job .

Customer-focused and creative Account Manager with a 6-year background in software and technology products and services. Successfully leveraged market research skills to position ABC Corp. in 5 new regions, increasing annual revenue by 110% in first year of expansion .

Staff Accountant | 2015-2021 123 Corp. Implemented innovative budgetary program to meet interdepartmental needs Devised purchase and distribution schedule that reduced corporate tax burden by 17% YoY Interviewed, hired, and trained a team of 6 junior bookkeepers and accountants

Core Competencies Data Analysis | Problem-Solving | Project Management | Integrity

Core competencies are the qualities, resources, and skills that provide a company or individual with a strategic advantage over their peers.

The concept of core competencies first arose in a 1990 Harvard Business Review article as a management theory to describe the skills and resources that a business uses to create a unique advantage over its competition.

It isn’t some free-floating idea or opinion put on a company by its observers. Core competencies are skills and resources defined by the organization or person and used to their advantage strategically.

The benefits don’t just come naturally from core competencies. You need to take time to define them, discuss a plan of action, and follow through to stand out from the crowd long-term.

Traditionally, core competencies are used to evaluate a company’s capabilities and advantages in the market.

In recent years, this term has expanded to be utilized by job-seekers to demonstrate their employable competencies. Applicants use their resume to highlight their core competencies through skills , traits, and experience, the combination of which makes them a distinctive candidate.

Once you’ve committed to listing several of the most relevant and impressive core competencies on your resume, you must prepare for an interview . The potential employer has become familiar with your tagline, and in the interview, they will put your skills and knowledge to the test with strategic interview questions .

Consider the following tips for giving a satisfying answer if your interviewer ends up asking you, “what are your core competencies?”

Be honest. While you want to be strategic in an interview, you never want to be dishonest. Make sure you’re sincere when discussing what your core competencies are in an interview. The hiring manager will often be able to tell if you’re being disingenuous or telling them what you think they want to hear.

Provide specific examples. One way of strengthening your interview answers is by providing detailed information about an example of a time you used your core competency skills. Think back to a former job or position and the reasons why you believe you demonstrate these abilities.

Express how your core competency will help their company. Tying together your skills with the benefit they can bring to the company you’re interviewing with is an excellent way to impress an interviewer when they’re asking about your core competencies. It reminds them that you’ve considered how these abilities will affect your job performance and displays you as a prepared candidate.

While the use of core competencies between job applicants and businesses may differ, they serve a similar purpose: to illustrate a unique set of skills and experiences to catch people’s attention and puts them ahead of their competition.

Core competencies are effective in demonstrating the unique traits that make a company or candidate noteworthy. They work by reflecting on a combination of evidence-based competencies you have and expressing these to the people considering you or your product.

While developing a core competency for your business may seem like a straightforward way to advance growth, there are both advantages and disadvantages of focusing on this framework.

Advantages of Core Competencies in Business

Usable across many industries. Whether you work in technology or children’s fashion, defining your business’s core competencies can positively impact your success. It can also be useful in highlighting the special features of a particular product.

Difficult for competitors to duplicate. One of the most decisive advantages of leaning towards a core competency model is that it’s difficult for your competitors to duplicate your specific skills and resources.

If your organization can develop an effective competency strategy, your competition won’t be able to copy it. It becomes ingrained in your identity, and customers come to associate these concepts with your brand .

You can see examples of this in companies like Apple, which cornered the market in product innovation. Another strong example is how Netflix became synonymous with easily streaming TV and movies from home.

Builds a long-term advantage over competition. Building a brand strategy around a core competency has the potential to drive long-term competitive advantages.

Many organizations and products see success in the short term when it comes to capturing consumer attention. They experience surges in business for years, even, before their numbers drop down from being replaced by a more strategic brand and fading behind the competition.

Disadvantages of Core Competencies in Business

Market demand can change. When an organization establishes a core competency model, those qualities and aspects of its brand or team become their identifier . It’s the permanent face of the company for the lifespan of their business. The core competence you choose to focus on needs to be able to withstand changes in the market.

Things like technology advancements and consumer perspectives can destroy a business’s positive streak. Take a look at what happened to video-rental stores.

You need to organize your company’s actions around core competency. Deciding to emphasize core competency can incur the difficulty of always needing to consider it before taking action. Doing things that go against your company’s core competency will quickly discourage consumers from doing further business with you.

The possibility of relying on an unstable resource. Many businesses that implement a core competency model will do so by utilizing a combination of their resources, skills, and features. However, resources can become limited when you’re outsourcing.

Examples of Core Competencies in Business

High-quality service or product. When consumers invest their hard-earned money in a product or service, they’re expecting to receive quality. They want the best.

Across various industries, there’s often a leading provider that’s known for this consideration of quality.

Having a reputation for being a business that puts for high-quality products and services can be a powerful core competency to build on because it’s something people are always looking for.

Customer service. Structuring a company around providing top-notch customer service can attract more business. It makes people’s purchasing experience more pleasurable and provides them with confidence that you’ll take care of any issues that arise.

While Amazon is one of the most prominently known companies with this core competency model, many other kinds of companies succeed with a similar structure.

Examples of businesses that focus on customer service include:

Trader Joe’s

Embracing and providing innovation. Innovation is a popular core competency to attempt but a difficult one to succeed in. Choosing to construct a company image around producing innovation requires resources and a staff equipped to deliver creative, new ideas consistently.

One of the companies best known for this rapid innovation competency is Apple. Their customers have come to expect a consistent stream of new, revolutionary products coming out on a prompt schedule, and now, that has become part of their identity.

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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How to Include Core Competencies in a Resume

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What are core competencies?

Why should you feature core competencies, how to include core competencies in a resume, core competencies examples.

The primary objective of most resumes is to present you as an appealing candidate for a certain job. Highlighting core competencies in a resume is an excellent method for helping you to stand out as a qualified applicant. If you are interested in improving the effectiveness of your resume, you may benefit from featuring core competencies in your job application process. Read on to learn how to include core competencies in your resume.

Core competencies are fundamental skills and abilities that are directly related to the position you are applying for. They can be either hard or soft skills and will vary significantly depending on your industry. Typically, you include core competencies under their own heading and list them as bullet points instead of full sentences. You should choose which core competencies to include based on the individual job you are interested in. For example, if you are applying to be a dental hygienist, your core competencies list might include medical terminology, patient communication techniques and dental technology. 

A core competencies section accomplishes a number of important goals. 

Capturing the reader’s attention 

Featuring core competencies near the top of your resume provides your reader with an eye-catching summary of your relevant skills. Your core competencies list should inform hiring managers or potential employers that you possess the proficiency and experience they are looking for. Creating a core competencies section also allows your readers to see your relevant skills in one place instead of having to sift through your entire work history to find the information they need. 

Passing ATS screenings

The Applicant Tracking System is a software that automatically scans resumes to find certain keywords. Employers use ATS to narrow down the pool of applications that they receive by rejecting resumes that do not feature keywords relevant to a particular position. Including a core competencies section in your resume helps you to prominently feature the skills you want the ATS to flag. To ensure that your resume successfully passes ATS scans, consult the job listing ahead of time and draw keywords directly from the job description.

Summarizing your qualifications

Including a core competencies list on your resume is an efficient way to provide comprehensive proof that you are qualified for a certain job. Ideally, your list should include items that show both practical expertise and knowledge of the industry. When reading your core competencies section, hiring managers and recruiters should find a variety of skills that work together to portray you as a capable and experienced professional. 

Once you have decided to include core competencies in your resume, you need to know to feature them effectively. Here the steps you can follow:

1. Firstly, make a list of skills

The first step in this process is to make a list of all your professional skills, focusing on the ones that pertain to your chosen industry. The list should include a variety of hard and soft skills that you obtained while in school, gained from working previous jobs or learned from mentors. Ideally, the list consists of skills that would make you an effective and valuable asset to a professional team. Everyone has a different list of core competencies, but some common examples include:

• Strategic planning
• Customer service
• Organizational communication
• Team leadership
• Project management
• Creative thinking
• Risk assessment
• Attention to detail

2. Secondly, tailor the list to suit the job

Once you have created a relatively lengthy list, you then need to tailor it to suit the position you are applying for. This involves choosing 10-12 skills that directly relate to the duties associated with the job. To edit your list effectively, you should consult the specific job listing and read the description to see what kind of skills the employer is searching for. It is important to keep your core competencies section relatively short. Featuring less than a dozen items helps you to maintain your reader’s attention and ensures that you only include the most relevant skills. 

3. Next, choose a layout

Next, you should decide how you want your core competencies to appear within your document. There are several layouts you can use to highlight your skills. You can position your list:

• Below the resume objective 
• Above the qualifications section
• Below the qualifications section
• To the side of the qualifications or experience sections

Regardless of which layout you choose, your goal should be to make your core competencies easy to find and appealing to look at. Always use a bulleted list or table that can be understood by both the ATS and by human readers. 

4. Finally, add your core competencies to your resume

Finally, you can add your core competencies to your resume. At this stage, it is important to pay attention to the format and to make sure that all your skills fit on the page without any overlapping or crowding. Use a consistent font and font color that matches or coordinates with the other text in your document. If the section is too long or takes up too much space on the page, you may need to shorten it by removing items or reducing the font size. The last step is carefully proofread your list and eliminate any typos or errors. 

Here are some examples of what core competencies sections can look like: 

Project manager example

Ellen Andrews [email protected] 123-555-7766

Skilled and experienced project manager searching for a position that appreciates creative thinking and provides opportunities for career development.

Core competencies: 

• Strong leadership  
• Organization and scheduling  
• Written and organizational communication 
• Negotiation 
• Risk assessment and management 
• Decision making 
• Strategic planning 
• Team coordination 
• Critical thinking 
• Microsoft Office

Nursing student example

Jared DeWitt [email protected] 332-445-6677

Enthusiastic and accomplished nursing student looking to intern with a reputable medical facility in the greater St. Louis area. 

• Patient care and communication
• Professionalism and discretion
• Adherence to safety protocols
• Commitment to excellence
• Nursing information systems

Elementary school teacher example

Reagan Garcia [email protected] 339-000-5544

Energetic and competent school teacher with four years of experience looking for a long-term position with a charter or private institution.

Core competencies include:  

• Classroom management 
• Parent discussion 
• Interpersonal communication 
• Lesson design and planning 
• Discipline and guidance 
• Identifying students with special needs or challenges 
• Collaboration and teamwork 
• Commitment to ethics and integrity 
• Teaching a variety of class sizes