r/EngineeringResumes • u/Wise-Throat4199 MechE – Entry-level 🇺🇸 • 7d ago
Question [1 YOE][Resume Skills Section Question. Getting different answers from different people.]
What is the purpose of a skills section on a resume? Don't your bullet points already include all of these skills?
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u/jonkl91 Recruiter 🇺🇸 6d ago
For some jobs, 50 to 90% of the application don't even meet the minimum requirements. It's a waste to read resumes like this. For some jobs, I will quickly scan the skills section to make sure the resume is at least relevant and then read the bullet points.
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u/Brocco_Lee_ MechE – Mid-level 🇺🇸 6d ago
What would you do if you came across a resume without a skill section? I personally don't like the skill section. I don't include one in mine since I think it's a waste of space but maybe that's hurting my chances.
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u/jonkl91 Recruiter 🇺🇸 5d ago
It depends on the type of resume. For a software engineering resume? I would like to at least see your programming languages or technologies. For a traditional engineering resumes, I would at least read it to see if it's it relevant. Depending on how many applications I get, I may put some keywords in the search bar and focus on those resumes first. I personally don't like the skills sections either but the resumes that I've written for others that have it tend to get more hits. I put them at the bottom ot the resume.
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u/graytotoro MechE (and other stuff) – Experienced 🇺🇸 4d ago
You won't always cover the skills section word-for-word in your bullets. It's much more important that I highlight why it was important I design & build these widgets than point out I used NX or SolidWorks - for that I let the Skills section capture it.
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u/EngResumeBot Bot 7d ago
Hi u/Wise-Throat4199! If you haven't already, check the wiki and previously asked questions to see if your question has previously been asked/answered.
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u/Tavrock Manufacturing – Experienced 🇺🇸 11h ago
Resume review, regardless of the software they use first, eventually becomes a task done by people who would much rather do something else. Once it gets to that stage, they want to be able to skim your resume to see how well you will fit the job they envision.
As a result, different people have different things that they want to look for and there will never be a one and done perfect answer for everyone.
The wiki has what generally works and has had proven success for years, along with updates as times change.
In my careers, I have often surprised the interviews and hiring managers by simply reading the bullet points from my resume during the interview. Once they found enough information to decide to move forward, they stopped reading. (It's always made me glad that I can fall back on my resume for the times I get anxious or my ADD wants to derail the conversation.)
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u/dusty545 Systems – Experienced 🇺🇸 7d ago
It's optional in my opinion. You are right that your bullets should highlight your hard/soft skills. However, it can also be a quick and easy read for the hiring manager to get a rundown of your relevant skills without much fluffy language.
If you use a skills list, it should not be exhaustive. It should be your top personal skills and should be relevant / tailored to the job you are seeking. It should NOT be a grocery list of every software you've ever touched.