Deciding what exactly to put on your resume can be a daunting experience, and the format doesn’t always allow you to give your potential employer the full spectrum of your qualifications. But if you are able get the job, remember that you’re expected to bring a lot more to the table than just the skills you listed on your finely curated resume. With that said, here are some of the less-talked-about but absolutely differentiating skills you can learn in order to make yourself stand out from your co-workers.
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Be a Professional Googler
You don’t have to actually work at Google to be good at Googling. When your team is faced with a problem that you don’t immediately know how to solve, do not underestimate the teaching powers of the internet, and your own ability to learn. The business world that we operate in is a knowledge economy, and it’s helpful to be good at leveraging existing knowledge that is already available to you, instead of starting from square one each time your team has a problem. If you aren’t as comfortable in the Googlesphere, there are some tips and helpful search operators out there you can utilize to help you speed up this process.
Be a Serious Guild Leader on WoW
We don’t usually connect workplace success with computer games, but being a leader of a guild in World of Warcraft can give you some serious management training. If you can run a successful raiding guild, you have enough management skills to succeed. Skills involved in running a raid, like scheduling charts, skillset optimization, process flow optimization, coordination, remote team management, and choreography are all valuable – and even marketable skills. Leeroy Jenkins would be proud of you.
Be a Subject-Matter Expert
This skill is particularly relevant to people who work in positions like web development and tech in general. All over the internet, there are forums available for specific technologies. Examples of these forums include sites like Stack Overflow or Experts Exchange. If you have a special knowledge base of a specific technology, coding language, or experience solving specific issues, utilize these platforms to make yourself a subject matter expert. Not only will you be a help to others who are stuck on a problem, but you can also grow your knowledge base, which you can bring into your own work.
Be Calm About the Technical Stuff
This concept is relatively simple: if you don’t know the answer to a question or the way to do something, don’t freak out. Know how to stay calm, and find the appropriate solution. And if you don’t know how to find that, be smart enough to ask someone who does. When your hands are up in the air because you truly can’t find a solution, it’s always best to consult with someone instead of making statements or decisions you might regret later.
Tell Us What You Think!
Is there a skill we missed that you think should be listed? We want to hear from you! Comment below or join the discussion on Twitter!
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