Writing a Powerful Research Skills Resume: Professional Tips to Help You Stand Out
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Strong research skills are in demand across a variety of professions. From research associates and university professors to marketers, data analysts and journalists, listing research abilities on a resume can fast-forward your way to the dream job.
| Topics | Details |
|---|---|
| Data analysis | details... |
| Academic writing | details... |
| Attention to detail | details... |
| Research methodologies | details... |
| Software skills | details... |
| Critical thinking | details... |
| Time management | details... |
| Communication skills | details... |
In this guide, you'll find:
- what makes research skills important in today's workplace,
- top research skills for every profession, and
- how to list research skills and research-related accomplishments on your resume today.
Want a powerful research resume that sells you to employers? Our experts are here to help. At ResumePerk, you can order a professional resume for academic research, graduate school, and any other job. We will spotlight your research skills and experience, emphasize achievements, and use a recruiter-friendly format that gets you noticed.
What are research skills?
Research skills are the ability to find, analyze, and evaluate information, and also communicate it to others effectively. Whether you work on research projects in the laboratory, write a dissertation, conduct competitor analysis, or write a report for management, you utilize various research skills.
A variety of jobs in academia, healthcare, technology, marketing, journalism, and more requires research skills. These skills help companies stay on top of current trends, analyze information effectively, and move ahead. Even if you don't work in academia or as a researcher, advanced research skills help you stay competitive in the job market and develop in your profession.
The term "research skills" is closely connected to such skills as critical thinking, attention to detail, willingness to learn, and many more.
Top 7 research skills for your resume
Here are the specific soft and technical skills that are nice to have on your resume to prove that you're a great researcher:
Data analysis
Advanced analytical skills help you collect information, study and interpret it, and draw logical conclusions. Whether you analyze competitors, consumer behavior, costs, financial trends, or project viability, you can confidently state in your resume that you possess data analysis skills.
For research positions, this skill is foundational. It also includes such methods as testing of hypotheses, regression analysis, and proficiency in R and Python. If you have any data visualization skills, mention them as well.
Academic writing
Required for most research positions, academic writing skill is essential to present research findings. It means that you can generate reports, visualize data using graphs and charts, and prepare research publications for scientific journals. It also shows that you have the needed technical expertise and can use professional jargon appropriately and convincingly.
To showcase academic writing skills, it helps to attach examples of your academic publications, such as articles, thesis, reports, and more.
Attention to detail
Attention to detail is a valuable soft skill. It shows that you can gather and interpret data, draw meaningful connections, and deliver high-quality work. In research, attention to detail also helps you minimize errors and ensure accurate critical analysis.
Hiring managers seek candidates who not only possess the right technical skills and degree, but are also detail-driven and meticulous in their work, as it affects the organization's efficiency in the long run. Plus, keen attention to detail helps you develop your research skills better.
Research methodologies
Research methodology is the technique and procedure you use to analyze data. Popular methodologies include literature review, qualitative and quantitative analysis, focus groups, applied research, and case studies. They reflect the overall strategy of your research and influence the efficiency of your research.
To give the hiring managers an insight into how you work, show how you analyzed data for your previous projects. Explain the methodologies and software you used and the result you achieved.
Software skills
List the software skills you used in each research project. Many job descriptions require proficiency with certain software to collect and interpret data. Without these skills, you won't be considered for the position.
Here are some popular software skills for researchers:
- Python
- R
- C#
- SQL
- Microsoft Excel
- spreadsheets
- database management
- statistical programming
- machine learning
Critical thinking
Critical thinking skills stand for the ability to think outside the box, solve problems, question assumptions, and make well-informed decisions. This skill helps you make judgments without bias and come up with innovative decisions, which is essential for a researcher in any industry.
Time management
Time management is a valuable skill for any job involving research. It means that you can manage time effectively, break large projects into easy-to-manage tasks, and prioritize your workload. Strong time management skills help you set measurable and achievable goals, and therefore get more things done on time.
Plus, proper time management helps you stay focused and effective in your work, which helps you achieve tangible outcomes. To showcase this skill, explain how you used time-management strategies when writing a dissertation, conducting experiments, or performing statistical analysis.
Communication skills
The ability to communicate your findings to others, including the non-technical audience, is crucial for every researcher. Also, strong research skills help you communicate with coworkers on your projects, explain research procedures to study participants, and communicate the importance of your research to a broad audience.
How to list research skills on a resume?
Now that you know what exact skills to feature on your resume, let's look at how to display them:
Add them to your Summary section
The resume summary section is the first thing the recruiter sees. Thus, feature relevant skills in research if they are essential for your target job. Mention the type of research you worked on, type of data analyzed, and tangible outcomes to illustrate your skills.
Keep this resume section to 3-4 sentences. Focus on the most important competencies that are sure to grasp the reader's attention and inspire them to read more.
Example:
- Meticulous Research Analyst with 3+ years of experience in primary research for media companies. Experienced at delivering data-driven insights, drafting comprehensive reports, and visualizing data effectively. Achieved an 8% increase in revenue for clients by analyzing the content strategy efficiency.
Create the Key Skills section
41% of recruiters look at resume skills in the first place. Thus, featuring the right research skills may increase your chances for the job.
To make your skills visible, add this section after the resume summary. Include 10-15 skills that highlight your research abilities. Make sure to feature both hard and soft skills, as well as software competencies.
If you're an experienced researcher with lots of skills under your belt, break them into categories for better readability, for example, programming languages, research methodologies, management skills, etc.
Examples of research skills for a resume:
- Academic writing
- Problem-solving
- Data analysis
- Qualitative research
- Primary research
- Data visualization
- Project management
- Competitive analysis
- MS Excel
- Communication skills
- Multitasking
- Proofreading
Showcase research experience
In addition to listing skills, feature specific research projects you worked. Create a Work Experience section, or Research Experience to list research projects separately.
For each research position, include the clear job title, company or lab name, and dates of employment. Next, highlight research experience using the APR (action-problem-result) method. Describe the actions you took to handle specific problems or challenges, and the result you achieved. If possible, add numbers and percentages to illustrate your impact.
Here is an example for a research graduate position:
More ways to list research skills
In addition to listing research experience and skills, use these ways to showcase your research capabilities:
- List it in your education section. If you're a recent graduate, feature research projects in your university. Describe them as real jobs, listing your responsibilities and research outcomes. It will showcase your experience and knowledge of the particular field you want to work in.
- Add the Publications section. If you're an experienced researcher and want to work in academia or research position, show examples of previous publications. Thus, you'll prove academic writing skills and demonstrate your field expertise.
- List continued education. If you took training in data analysis, visualization, or programming languages, add them to your resume. This will add credibility to your skills and show your commitment to professional development.
Research skills resume example
Here is an example of resume you can use for your inspiration:
Why is this a good resume?
- This resume presents research experience persuasively, showcasing the scope of work done and results achieved.
- The resume is formatted effectively with clearly divided sections and responsibilities listed in bullet points for readability.
- It leads with the Achievements section where the candidate lists their most prominent accomplishments to potential employers.
- The resume features the Skills section, relevant education, and training.
Are you a marketing professional? Learn what skills to include on your resume to increase your chances for a dream job.
How to list skills on your resume?
To make the most of your skills, here are some guidelines to follow when listing them on a resume:
Follow the job listing
Before you add any skill to your resume, analyze the job description for keywords and requirements. Highlight skills and competencies that appear frequently, and then incorporate them into your resume. Mirror the language from the job listing - it will help you pass the ATS (applicant tracking system) that scans resumes for specific keywords.
Use the most important skills early on your resume, in your Summary or Skills section. Thus, you are likely to get a higher ATS score, which means more consideration from the employer.
Make sure to adapt the resume for each job posting to keep it personalized and address the needs of each particular company.
Speak through examples
It is not enough to add "research skills" to your Skills section and call it a day. Make sure to specify where and when you used these skills to add context.
For example, if you added data analysis as a skill, expand on it in the Experience section. Describe what projects you worked on, how you analyzed data, and how it helped research/business outcomes. Quantify results using numbers and percentages for the best impact.
Showing examples is particularly important for soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving. Since they are hard to measure, giving examples will help potential employers evaluate your competencies better.
Use powerful action verbs
When listing your research experience, use powerful verbs to highlight your impact and contribution. Words like Designed, Initiated, Researched, or Scoured show that you took the initiative during the project and impacted its bottom line. Plus, with powerful language, your resume will sound more confident.
Balance soft and hard skills
If the job description mentions soft skills (such as attention to detail, interpersonal skills, or time management), feature them as well. For research positions, it is advisable to use more hard skills than soft ones, but adding 2-4 soft skills can be beneficial.
Arrange skills by priority
Mention the most important skills early on your Skills list. Arrange your skills by priority for each job you apply for so that the key skills don't get overlooked.
Proofread carefully
This applies not to your skills only, but to the entire resume. Proofread it carefully to avoid occasional typos, poor formatting, misspelled company names, and more. Your claims that you are detail-driven and skilled will mean nothing if the recruiter sees multiple errors in your resume and cover letter.
Mistakes in resume skills you'll want to avoid
Mistake #1. Not including the Skills section. A dedicated Skills section captures the attention of the recruiter during the initial review. Plus, it allows you to list crucial skills for the job in one place. You can title the section Key Skills, Core Competencies, or Areas of Expertise.
Mistake #2. Adding obvious and cliche skills. To keep your resume focused and easy to read, include only highly relevant skills. Avoid skills like quick learner, hard-working, team player, and diligent - this is expected from any professional with research experience. Also, avoid obvious technical competencies, such as email, the internet, Microsoft Word, or outdated skills, such as Windows 2000.
Mistake #3. Listing all skills you've learned throughout your career. This mistake is popular among professionals with 15+ years of experience. They include every skills they've learned, making the list unnecessarily long. Cut off the outdated skills, such as such as Windows 2000, or skills like field research if the job doesn't require it.
How to develop your research skills?
Research is an important skill not only in academia. If you would like to give your research skills a boost and expand your career opportunities, use online courses. Here are some courses to develop your research skills for different levels of proficiency:
- Short course in research skills from Oxford Home Study. This basic course will provide you with essential research skills, such as effective reading and note-taking. It will help you analyze information profoundly, range it from more to less important, and perfect your skills in writing reports.
- Research skills course from Eton X. This course is beneficial for students in the first place. Here, you will learn practical tips and strategies to organize your research in college or university. The course covers planning research, locating sources, making notes, and drawing meaningful conclusions, as well as citing the sources properly.
- Market research specialization from Coursera. This extensive course includes writing a research proposal, mastering quantitative and qualitative research methods, and deriving insights from data. You will learn to launch surveys and analyze focus group data to perfect your marketing strategies.
- Digital skills for effective research from Future Learn. This course covers using digital networks for research and communication, the role of copyright in research, and research instruments for effective online research. It also provides insights in data management and storage, and helps you handle ethical issues.
- Introduction to statistics for healthcare research from Oxford. Designed for healthcare professionals, this course teaches the basis of analysis in medical research. You will learn mathematical and statistical techniques and apply this knowledge in the health context.
Key Takeaways
- Showcasing research skills are essential not only for academia and research roles. They are valuable for every profession and can help you stand out.
- You can showcase research skills in the dedicated Skills section. Be sure to expand on your research background and show how exactly you used those skills at work, adding numbers to illustrate your impact.
- Customize your resume for the job description, listing research skills and software required for your target job.
Need resume help?
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Send us your resume for a free review. We will send a personalized report showing what works on your resume and what doesn't, and also recommend a resume service.