Top 10 organizational skills you’ll need to land your dream job

When you’re applying for jobs, you need every edge you can get. Your resume needs to show more than just your education and work history; it needs an extra “oomph” that will help you stand out from the crowd. 

What’s the secret ingredient? Organizational skills! 

What are the best organizational skills you can have? In this guide, we’ll explore the following:

• Time management

• Goal setting

• Communication

• Physical organization

• Prioritization

• Delegation

• Attention to detail

• Multitasking

• Decision making

• Planning

We’ll give you organizational skills examples, as well as expert tips on how you can develop these skills, so that you can put your best foot forward in any job interview.

What are organizational skills?

Organizational skills are a category of soft skills (or intangible skills) that allow you to manage your workload, resources, projects, and other people to deliver high-quality results on time. 

Strong organizational skills allow you to break down large, complex assignments into smaller, manageable tasks and delegate effectively. Essentially, organizational skills are the basis for efficient and well-planned work, leading to reduced stress and higher productivity.

Why are organizational skills important?

Having strong organizational skills makes you more efficient because they allow you to focus on relevant tasks, instead of getting bogged down with less important things. In the workplace, time is money. So the more organizational skills you have, the more value you’ll bring to the table.

Solid organizational skills make it easier to manage your workload, communicate effectively with your colleagues, and become an indispensable member of your team.

If you’re looking to move up the career ladder, organizational skills are crucial. They demonstrate the ability to plan, delegate, execute tasks effectively, and meet deadlines, all of which are highly valued in senior management roles.

What are the 10 best organizational skills to have?

While there are plenty of organizational skills examples out there, here’s a look at some of the most crucial ones that will help you take your career to the next level.

1. Time management

Time management is the ability to effectively manage your time spent at work to deliver the best possible output per day. Employees with good time management skills can effectively focus on important tasks first, delegate tasks as needed, stick to deadlines, and minimize distractions.

In a workplace, time management skills come in handy when planning your day before your shift begins, breaking down large tasks into a series of smaller tasks, and/or creating systems to improve efficiency across the board.

How to improve this skill:

• Create an outline of daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals and deadlines.

• Decide which of your tasks are most urgent, and prioritize those.

• Delegate tasks to others when it makes sense.

• Identify “time wasters,” such as social media, personal calls, unnecessary meetings, and other interruptions, and eliminate them from your work schedule as much as possible.

• Minimize your distractions. Find a quiet place to work, put your personal phone on silent, and avoid mindless internet browsing.

2. Goal setting

Without a clear vision or goal of what you want to accomplish at work, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus. 

Some examples of work goals you could set include achieving a certain sales target during a specific time period, improving customer satisfaction ratings, launching a new product or service, or designing a new system to improve productivity and efficiency.

How to improve this skill:

• Set SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

• When larger goals feel overwhelming, break them down into smaller steps. Establish a timeline for each step to track your progress and stay on schedule.

• Remember that your goals aren’t set in stone. Keep tabs on your progress and adjust as necessary.

• Celebrate your successes, which builds your confidence and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.

• Don’t keep your goals in your head—write them down! Start with the phrase, “I will…” and use actionable language. This will make you 33-42% more likely to achieve them.

3. Communication

Communication skills include listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Your ability to communicate properly with your team members at work says a lot about your overall organizational skills. 

Ultimately, good communication skills will help you share ideas with your team members, obtain relevant feedback, collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals, resolve any conflicts, and generally get along well with everyone.

How to improve this skill:

• Make sure that all of your phone calls, emails, presentations, and reports use the “7 Cs” of communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

• Practice active listening. This includes giving the speaker your full attention, maintaining good eye contact, being aware of non-verbal cues, asking open-ended questions, and withholding judgement.

• Be aware of your non-verbal communication, such as posture, tone of voice, and facial expressions.

• Consider recording yourself when communicating with others, such as during a presentation. This will help you identify any area that needs improvement.

4. Physical organization

Whether you’re working in-office or remotely, it’s important to keep your files, documents, and workstation neat and organized. 

Having an organized workspace can also free up some mental space to engage in problem solving, creative tasks, and work planning.

How to improve this skill:

• Declutter your desk by removing unnecessary items. (Do you really need your Funko Pop Darth Vader on your desk? Maybe he can live on a shelf.)

• Establish a system for your physical files, such as color-coded labels, for easy retrieval.

• Set up a digital filing system for your computer and back up your data regularly.

• Add your deadlines, meetings, and appointments to a physical or online calendar.

• Hit the office supply store and find some useful desk organizers.

• Designate clear storage areas for your files, materials, and so on.

• Set aside daily or weekly time to keep your workspace neat and organized.

5. Prioritization

Prioritization skills are all about deciding which tasks are most important in order to focus your energy on those with shorter deadlines, and either delegate or minimize other, less important tasks. 

If you don’t prioritize your workload, you’re more likely to feel confused and overwhelmed, and will be more prone to procrastination.

How to improve this skill:

• Consistently determine how long a task will take to complete, and set its deadline accordingly.

• Set up a schedule of tasks and deadlines, breaking down each day or week into sections in which you can complete your work.

• Identify places where you can multitask—can you complete one task while waiting for someone else to complete their portion of it?

• Learn how to use any of the scheduling software applications available to keep yourself on-task.

6. Delegation

Assigning tasks to others, instead of doing them yourself, can give you more time to focus on other assignments as well as the big picture. Effective delegation is one of the key attributes of a successful manager, and can help you move up the corporate ladder. 

However, delegating is more than just assigning tasks to others. It also involves providing clear instructions on how to manage these tasks, along with any helpful resources and important deadlines.

How to improve this skill:

• Use the 80/20 rule (a.k.a. “The Pareto Principle”) to determine which tasks you can effectively delegate.

• Take an inventory of your team’s strengths and weaknesses, and delegate tasks accordingly.

• When delegating, set clear expectations and deadlines.

• Check in regularly with teammates and assess their progress.

• Hold others accountable, but take ownership of the final outcome (a mark of good leaders).

• Practice letting go. It’s hard to stay organized and productive if you try to do everything yourself.

7. Attention to detail

Whenever you apply for a job, you’ll likely notice “attention to detail” as a key prerequisite in the job description. That’s because this organizational skill means the ability to produce work that is largely free from errors. 

Paying attention to details helps ensure that your work is accurate, more efficient, and generally higher-quality. This skill is highly sought after by employers, as it demonstrates conscientiousness, the ability to focus, and a commitment to productivity.

How to improve this skill:

• Review your work carefully before submitting.

• Keep track of all resources utilized for the task.

• Pay close attention to any instructions given by supervisors.

• Minimize distractions in your workplace.

• Use checklists, templates, to do lists, and other organizational tools.

• Establish a daily routine that will help you focus on your work.

• In your free time, play games that challenge your focus or memory.

8. Multitasking

Multitasking is actually a bit of a misnomer, as it doesn't necessarily mean managing two completely different tasks at the same time. Instead, it typically involves grouping together a number of similar tasks or projects with the same resources and managing them simultaneously. 

When done effectively, multitasking can help you stay productive and get more work done. However, your focus will inherently be more divided, causing a greater risk of making mistakes. So you’ll want to be extra careful in reviewing your work before submitting.

How to improve this skill:

• Learn to effectively prioritize your tasks (see #5).

• Group together similar tasks that could be managed at the same time.

• Keep your distractions to a minimum.

• Keep track of your progress, ensuring that you’re meeting goals and deadlines.

• Delegate when necessary (see #6).

• Use automated tech and AI to handle repetitive tasks when possible, such as creating spreadsheets, inputting data, or writing code.

• Use a task management app to increase efficiency.

9. Decision making

Effective decision making is all about evaluating different solutions to a problem, weighing the pros and cons of each option, and selecting the best possible option. 

In order to make sound, practical, and profitable decisions at work, you’ll need to stay organized. Good decision making will allow you to save time and take steps that will benefit your organization.

How to improve this skill:

• Define the reason for a decision and who will benefit from it.

• Use the outcomes of past decisions to inform your current decision.

• Prioritize logic over emotions.

• Consider making a pros and cons list.

• Ask for input and feedback/input before making a decision.

• Remember to be flexible. You may have to make concessions to others.

• Attend courses or professional development opportunities to learn new decision-making skills.

• Use role playing or mock scenarios to practice your decision making.

• Use tools like SWOT analysis to help you identify the best option.

10. Planning

Planning is a vital organizational skill to have because it allows you to effectively manage your workload, finish tasks within their deadlines, delegate effectively, and collaborate with others. Without proper planning skills, you’re likely to miss deadlines—which is never a good thing! 

Planning also involves many of the other organizational skills we’ve covered, including time management, prioritizing tasks, delegating, and multitasking.

How to improve this skill:

• Break down bigger goals into manageable tasks, and set a deadline for each task.

• Learn to anticipate potential obstacles and develop a backup plan.

• Try the Benziger Thinking Styles Assessment (BTSA) to find the scheduling system that works best for your brain, such as using visual elements, numbers, or lists.

• Avoid “all or nothing” mindsets, and understand that if something doesn’t go exactly according to plan, it’s a learning opportunity, not a failure.

• Ask others who are good at planning for their help.

• Focus on developing one planning skill at a time—don’t get overwhelmed!

How do you mention organizational skills in your resume?

Having organizational skills is great, but then you need to let potential employers know about them in your resume! 

Here are some ways you can accomplish this:

• Incorporate keywords from the job description that specifically mention organizational skills, such as attention to detail, communication skills, team player, leadership, etc. Remember, keywords are also important for passing applicant tracking systems (ATS).

• Share your specific achievements. If your resume just says “good at multitasking,” but doesn’t provide a specific example that illustrates your multitasking skills, the hiring manager won’t be motivated to contact you.

• Mention how you’ve leveraged your organizational skills at work to help achieve a measurable impact. Use numbers and statistics to add some credibility to your claims.

How do you talk about your organizational skills in an interview?

The interview is another opportunity to tell potential employers about your organizational skills. If you’re preparing for a job interview, talking about these skills can help you make a solid first impression. 

However, it’s usually best to discuss these skills when the interviewer asks you to do so or presents scenario-based questions where they would be valuable. Let’s break down how you can do this.

Need additional interview preparation help? Check out career.io’s Interview Prep service with expert-generated interview questions and AI feedback to increase your fluency and boost your confidence.

Present a scenario/situation

If the interviewer asks you about a situation where you had to utilize your organizational skills, you can start the answer by describing a specific scenario or situation at your current/previous job. 

Your goal is to demonstrate that you not only have the necessary organizational skills, but are also good at applying and articulating them.

Mention your organizational skills

Always connect your organizational skills to the role for which you’re interviewing. For example, if you’re applying for the role of a sales manager, you can talk about your goal-setting skills and how they helped you set an achievable growth target for your team members each quarter.

Similarly, if you’re applying for the role of content creator, you can mention your multitasking skills by talking about the wide range of clients you’ve worked with and industries you’ve created content for during the same time period.

Discuss the impact on the organization

Just like your resume, your job interview should also involve specific numbers and statistics. After all, what’s the point of talking about your organizational skills if you don’t demonstrate the measurable impact they had in the end?

The goal is to communicate how your organizational skills have helped you succeed in your career and achieve results for both you and past employers. For example, if you’re applying for a customer success position, you can talk about how your communication skills helped you increase customer satisfaction ratings by a certain percentage during a specific time period.

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Key takeaways

1. The 10 most important organizational skills are time management, goal setting, communication, physical organization, prioritization, delegation, attention to detail, multitasking, decision making, and planning.

2. Whether you’re applying for a job or getting ready for an interview, it’s important to assess your organizational skills and see which ones can be leveraged to help you land that job.

3. On your resume, make sure to incorporate keywords from the job description, briefly mention your organizational skills, and use quantifiable data to demonstrate their impact on the organization.

4. Similarly, during a job interview, be sure to talk about your organizational skills and their measurable results when you’re asked relevant questions.

5. Always make sure that the organizational skills you mention in your resume or interview relate to the specific job you’re applying to.