It’s a given fact that today’s employers require their employees to be team players. Regardless of the job that an applicant is applying for, they must possess the ability to work well with other employees as a team player. So, including those teamwork skills on a resume is essential to impressing a potential employer in that particular area.
Of course, there are some teamwork skills that are more worth including in a resume statement than others, and each one should be described in a well-rounded manner. First of all, being specific about the where and the when of all teamwork skills is imperative. These should be fairly easy to pinpoint, but it is important to also include the supervisor’s name and any grades that might have been involved, especially if they were notable.
A few teamwork skills in a former position that are worth mentioning on a resume statement are receiving a team player award, gaining a reputation as a team player, being entrusted with being a liaison between management and other team players, serving as a team leader, thriving in a team environment, and possessing a strong commitment to the team.
Clearly, however, a resume that just lists the teamwork skills is not sufficient. That’s where teamwork examples come into play. The three steps in those should include what exactly the applicant did, the specific outcome, and how the applicant achieved success. Here is an example that illustrates good teamwork skills.“While working in my former position in a research center, I was among four staff members who worked together at planning and running a five-day conference. The purpose of the conference was showcasing our research and networking with other researchers at providing an international scholars forum. The team completed organizing the event ahead of schedule. In addition, the conference was successful and we received positive feedback from all involved.”
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More Examples How You Can Demonstrate Teamwork Skills in a Resume
It is important to be very specific and detailed about the skill and situation you like to demonstrate, because the potential recruiter wasn’t with you the day you achieved that, for this reason try that way:
Specific Projects: Mention specific projects where you worked as part of a team. Highlight your role and how your actions helped the team to achieve a common goal.
Bad Example: “Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 10 to develop a new software product, resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency.”
Good Example: “Participated in a multi-departmental team of 10 to develop ‘XYZ,’ a new software product for data management. As the lead developer, I was responsible for designing the software architecture and coordinating with the UI/UX team to ensure seamless integration. Our teamwork resulted in a 20% increase in the data processing efficiency of the organization.“
Conflict Resolution: If you’ve played a significant role in resolving conflicts or problems within a team, you should include this. It’s a solid indicator of your teamwork and leadership skills.
Bad Example: “Mediated a communication misunderstanding between team members, resulting in a smoother project workflow and a 10% improvement in project delivery time.“
Good Example: “During the ‘XYZ’ project, a significant communication misunderstanding arose between the design and the marketing teams, leading to delays in project milestones. As the project coordinator, I facilitated a series of meetings to clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations, which resulted in smoother project workflow and improved our project delivery time by 10%.“
Team-based Results: Any results that you achieved as part of a team can be a great way to demonstrate your teamwork skills. This can be in projects or a specific situation you mastered a solution.
Bad Example: “As part of a marketing team, co-developed a campaign that increased social media engagement by 30%.“
Good Example: “Served as a key member of a 7-person marketing team where I co-developed the ‘DEF’ social media campaign. I was responsible for generating creative content and scheduling posts, which played a crucial role in increasing our social media engagement by 30% over a six-month period.“
Mentorship/Training: If you’ve ever helped to train or mentor other team members, this can be a good indication of your teamwork skills.
Bad Example: “Mentored 5 new team members in the use of our internal software, improving the team’s overall productivity.“
Good Example: “Recognizing the need for stronger software proficiency within my team, I volunteered to mentor 5 new team members in the use of our internal customer relationship management software. This initiative improved the team’s overall productivity by reducing data entry errors and increasing the speed of customer response times.“
Team Leadership: If you have led a team, this should certainly be included. Even if it was a small team or a short-term project, it’s still valuable.
Bad Example: “Led a team of 3 in a successful project to streamline the company’s data management processes.“
Good Example: “I led a team of 3 IT professionals in a project to streamline the company’s data management processes. I coordinated tasks, maintained timelines, and provided technical guidance. Our successful project execution led to a 25% reduction in data redundancy and improved data retrieval times for all users.“
Participation in Team-building Activities: If your company had team-building activities and you actively participated, it’s worth mentioning that in specific way.
Bad Example: “Actively participated in regular team-building activities, fostering a positive work environment and enhancing team communication.“
Good Example: “Actively participated in and occasionally facilitated monthly team-building activities, ranging from brainstorming sessions to interactive workshops. This commitment fostered a positive work environment, increased team rapport, and resulted in enhanced communication within the team.“
Initiatives for Team Growth: If you’ve taken initiatives that helped your team grow or improve, this could be a great way to show your commitment to teamwork.
Bad Example: “Initiated a bi-weekly team feedback session, leading to improved team communication and a 15% increase in efficiency.“
Good Example: “Recognizing a communication gap within the team, I initiated a bi-weekly team feedback session. This platform allowed everyone to share their concerns and suggestions openly, leading to improved team communication, a more cohesive work environment, and a 15% increase in overall team efficiency.“
Team Recognition or Awards: If your team received any recognition or awards for its work, be sure to mention this.
Bad Example: “Part of the ‘Best Project Team’ of 2023, awarded for successfully completing a challenging project in XYZ ahead of the deadline.”
Good Example: “I was part of the ‘Best Project Team’ of 2022, recognized for our work on the ‘GHI’ project. Despite the project’s challenging timeline and complex requirements, our team successfully completed it ahead of the deadline, resulting in a significant new contract for the company.“
Examples of How Not To Demonstrate Teamwork Skills in a Resume
Some notes in the resume might have a positive impact of your overall expertise but likely will have a negative impact of your teamwork ability and will make the recruiter believe you are not capable to work with others. Here are some of those:
Focus on individual achievements: Instead of mentioning your accomplishments as part of a team, highlight the projects or tasks that you’ve completed on your own.
Example: “Independently developed a new software module, leading to a 15% increase in application performance.“
Emphasize technical skills: Highlight your expertise in specific technical skills and software programs to demonstrate your individual capabilities.
Example: “Proficient in Python, Java, and C++ with 5 years of experience in software development.“
Avoid team-oriented language: When describing your work experiences, avoid using phrases that imply teamwork or collaboration, such as “worked in a team” or “collaborated with.”
Example: “Handled end-to-end project management, including planning, execution, and monitoring.“
Solo projects and freelancing: If you have experience working on solo projects or as a freelancer, emphasize these experiences to show your ability to work independently.
Example: “Successfully completed 10 freelance projects for clients, including web development, mobile app design, and content creation.“
Independent research or publications: If you’ve conducted independent research or have published articles or papers, mention these accomplishments to showcase your ability to work alone.
Example: “Conducted research on machine learning algorithms and published a paper in the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research.“
Individual awards and recognitions: Mention any awards, honors, or recognitions you’ve received individually to emphasize your personal achievements.
Example: “Recipient of the ‘Outstanding Employee of the Year’ award for consistently exceeding performance targets.“
Self-driven learning and certifications: If you’ve taken the initiative to learn new skills or obtain certifications independently, this can demonstrate your ability to work autonomously.
Example: “Completed a self-paced course in project management and obtained a PMP certification.“