Instead of coming up with a fake scenario in which your place of work was unexpectedly thrown into chaos and needed someone with good problem solving skills to save the day, why don’t we just use a real example that we all lived through four years ago.
In March of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic was officially recognized as a true emergency in the US, and business, schools, and all non-essential institutions were told to close their doors for the foreseeable future.
While exact numbers are hard to come by, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who lived through that fateful year that thousands of businesses closed in March 2020 and never reopened. But what about the businesses that were able to weather the storm? What did they do differently?
Well, they came up with creative solutions to the problem at hand. They pivoted, which is defined in the business world as “the process of changing direction when the current strategy is not delivering the desired results.”
But knowing when and how to pivot requires a special set of skills. Skills associated with being able to recognize a problem for what it is, and the skills to actually solve the problem.
Most Sought-After Problem Solving Skills
Not all problem solving skills are equally impressive, and before we go ahead and list off the top five most commonly sought-after skills, we suggest job seekers do their own research. Prior to sending your resume in, workers should read the job description very closely. Job descriptions will often include an array of
helpful information—including desired skills. Those descriptions will tell you more about the specific position you’re applying to than we ever could.
Top Problem Solving Skills in 2024
- Creativity/Innovation
Whether you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, or just a rudimentary hiccup in day-to-day operations, having an out-of-the-box thinker is something every workplace needs. Research even shows that creative problem-solving sessions with individuals who were trained in innovative thinking techniques generate as many as
350% more ideas than those who don’t have the same creativity tools.
- Adaptability
As we mentioned before, the ability and willingness to pivot direction when something isn’t working is a very important aspect of solving workplace related problems. Adaptability is the skill that comes in handy
after a major pivot. Now that things have been shaken up, how are you able to cope with the changes and be an asset going forward? Solving problems is great, but you also have to implement your solutions and adapt to the new working landscape, otherwise, what’s the point of even pivoting?
- Critical/Analytical Thinking
According to the experts, critical thinking is one of the most important skills to have in the current labor market. “Rapid technological advancements, globalization, and economic uncertainties have created complex challenges for most businesses,” says
Forbes contributor Bryce Hoffman. “Critical thinking skills are essential to successfully navigating this complexity and uncertainty.”
- Communication/Teamwork
It is rare for solutions to major workplace problems to end up being a one-person job. Typically, solutions require everyone on the team to work together. Communication and teamwork are both major pillars of any problem solving effort, and without these skills, the chances of the problem actually being fixed is slim to none. In fact, one study found that
86% of employees blame company failures on poor communication.
- Decision Making
Last, but certainly not least, decision making is a very important problem solving skill—especially for those seeking leadership positions. When problems arise and changes need to be made, there is no room for hemming and hawing. Oftentimes in these scenarios, a decision needs to be made confidently and quickly, and only then can solutions begin to be implemented.
Where to Put These Skills On Your Resume
Including your problem solving skills on your resume is thankfully pretty straight-forward. Remember, this is going to be some of the most important information you provide a potential employer with, so in some cases you might even want to highlight one or two skills more than once.
Summary Section
A typical resume includes the following sections: Summary, Experience, Education, Certifications, and Skills. Your summary should always highlight at least a few of your most important skills, and here’s an example for how you might demonstrate your problem solving abilities in this section:
Professional Summary
Eager, hard-working data analyst with five years of experience in the field, multiple certifications, and a masters degree in computer engineering. Known for my attention to detail, creative thinking, and ability to collaborate effectively with my team.
Experience Section
If you choose to highlight other skills in your summary and want to save your problem-solving skills for the experience section of your resume, this is how we suggest you list them:
World of Computers — Data Analyst, 2020 – 2024
- Developed creative solutions to two common software anomalies, improving efficiency of the computer hardware and resulting in a 50% decrease in returns of those devices.
- Worked collaboratively in both small and large groups, oftentimes taking on leadership roles, delegating tasks, and checking in with teammates regularly.
Skills Section
Finally, the third place you can reference your problem-solving skills is simply in your skills section. This section should be a short list with no further explanation, therefore it shouldn’t be the
only place these skills make an appearance on your resume. Otherwise, you run the risk of someone overlooking your most important assets.
Skills
Coding / Data Analysis / Troubleshooting / Teamwork / Adaptability / Bilingual / Customer Service / Decision Making / Delegating
Other Tips…
As we’ve hopefully made clear at this point, the ability to problem solve is a very important skill set in the current business environment and
many agree it will continue to prove significant in the coming years. For some industries, these skills might even be a necessity, meaning if you don’t possess them or properly highlight them on your resume, you’ll be cut from the race.
But if you’re in that boat, don’t worry! Not all is lost, and you may even have more skills/experience than you think you do. Our recruitment experts are not only great problem-solvers themselves, they also have tons of other job-seeking tips to share with you! Let CyberCoders help you uncover your true potential, put your best foot forward, and find your perfect career match. To learn more, click here!
