Intangible skills: everything you should know + examples

Regardless of the career you have or the one you want, you probably have a long list of skills you’re excited to put on your resume. Most of those skills likely revolve around the type of work you do. For example, if you’re an accountant, you may be focused on your financial management skills or your budgeting skills. But, did you know that there are a whole host of intangible skills and character traits that you also need to weave into your resume?

In this article, we’ll cover:

• 15 intangible skills examples

• Difference between tangible and intangible skills

• Measuring and developing your intangible skills

• Top tips for including intangible skills on your resume

15 intangible skills examples

Intangible skills, which are also known as soft skills, are the range of personal attributes and abilities you have as a person and employee. They aren’t easily measured or quantifiable, but they are invaluable in both the workplace and in life. Before you can learn how to include these important skills in your resume, first learn about some of the top intangible skills. 

Below, we’ll examine 15 of those skills that  employees should have:

1. Communication skills

Communication is crucial in the workplace. Employees need to have both verbal and written communication skills that allow them to convey their ideas, collaborate with their coworkers, and interact with customers.

2. Teamwork and collaboration

With any role, responsibilities, goals, and job duties are often shared. To show you have teamwork and collaboration skills, highlight group projects and how you contributed to a team’s success.

3. Adaptability and flexibility

You’ll always be facing new challenges and situations. Being flexible allows you to adapt to those changes, take on new responsibilities, and navigate challenges with ease. These skills can make you a more effective and productive employee.

4. Problem-solving skills

Since you’ll encounter many challenges throughout your career, you’ll need skills that allow you to analyze problems, develop solutions, and prepare for the future. Showing how you approach problems and the outcomes you’ve had can help you show off these skills.

5. Time management

Not all tasks are as important as one another, and some take longer to complete. Having time management skills means you can prioritize the tasks in front of you, meet deadlines, and remain productive throughout the day.

6. Leadership

Even if you aren’t an official manager, leadership is still important in the workplace. You need to be an employee who can take initiative, make decisions, and motivate those around you. Including projects you led on your resume can help illustrate this skill.

7. Attention to detail

Many roles require accuracy to ensure tasks are completed efficiently and correctly. You can show you have attention to detail by providing examples of projects where this skill led to a successful outcome or prevented issues.

8. Networking skills

To be an effective employee, you will need to be able to work with others and build professional relationships with them. Not only could this lead to new opportunities for you, but it could also help benefit the company you work for.

9. Emotional intelligence

To be a good communicator, you need to understand, express, and regulate your emotions. You also need to understand how those emotions affect the behaviors of others. When you master this skill, you can improve your conversations and relationships.

10. Creativity

Sometimes, you need to think outside the box or come up with a fresh idea. This is where creativity comes into the picture. You want to show a potential employer that you can create innovative solutions to their problems.

11. Conflict resolution

You can’t escape conflict, and the chances are high that you’ll face your fair share of conflict in the workplace. Being able to effectively resolve those conflicts will make you a valuable employee.

12. Dependability

Employers want their employees to correctly and efficiently complete their tasks. You should show yourself as someone trustworthy, reliable, and consistent when completing your work.

13. Interpersonal skills

Having interpersonal skills means you can interact and communicate with others. These skills can involve both verbal and non-verbal cues that help people to understand one another better. You can emphasize these skills on your resume by including notable projects and achievements that utilized these skills.

14. Critical thinking

Critical thinking involves gathering data, analyzing problems, evaluating information, and making decisions based on your research. When you show your ability to make strategic decisions, potential employers will pay attention.

15. Negotiation skills

When resolving conflicts or reaching agreements with clients and coworkers, negotiation skills are crucial. To effectively negotiate, you may need to learn how to adjust your communication style while practicing honesty and respect.

What is the difference between tangible and intangible qualities?

The main difference you’ll probably notice between tangible and intangible skills is that the latter aren’t necessarily quantifiable. It’s also harder to define intangible skills and tie them to a specific job, duty, or tool.

Tangible skills, on the other hand, are easier to demonstrate. You often learn these skills through training or a formal education. They are also linked to specific industries or roles. Sometimes, you may even need certain certifications for your tangible skills.

While it may seem that tangible skills are more important than intangible, they both are crucial aspects for a resume. Tangible skills may help you to directly relate to a specific job requirement, but intangible skills show a lot about you as a person. Including both on your resume is worthwhile.

Measuring and developing your intangible skills

How do you know what your intangible skills are? There are limitless examples of them, so it can be hard to narrow down which are your strongest and which are the most important for your resume. 

Here are five tips that can help you measure your intangible skills:

• Self-reflect. Think about what areas you excel at and what could use a little work. You can also seek feedback from others or try professional assessments to determine what your intangible skills are.

• Set goals. You may not always have all the intangible skills needed to be effective in the desired role. To improve the skills you have, determine which ones you are working on and set goals to reach them. Don’t forget to develop actionable steps you can take to reach these goals.

• Apply. To become attuned to your intangible skills, practice using them. Look for daily opportunities to put your skills to work for you, whether in professional settings or personal ones.

• Seek feedback. Talk to a close friend, coworker, or mentor about what they feel your top intangible skills are. It’s easy to be blinded to the truth unless you get an outside perspective.

• Adjust. Once you determine your intangible skills, you may find some gaps. Modify how you approach your skill development process and learn how to address challenges and opportunities in new ways.

3 Examples for including intangible skills on your resume

Once you know what your intangible skills are and which are most important for the role, weave them into your cover letter and resume. There are numerous ways you can do that, but the best option is to strategically place them throughout your resume and related documents. 

Here are some examples that you can customize for your situation:

Cover letter

The following example applies to a cover letter:

Resume summary

The next example would work in the summary section at the top of a resume: 

Work history

The third example is useful for the resume’s work history section:

If you’re ready to take a full assessment of your career, Career.io’s career assessment tool can be helpful.

Key takeaways

1. Intangible skills are assets for any profession because they encompass the personal abilities you have that are crucial for workplace success.

2. Professional growth often revolves around understanding and developing key intangible skills, such as teamwork, critical thinking, and communication.

3. Strategically including intangible skills in your resume and various related documents can make you a high-value candidate to a potential employer.