The Soft Skills To Emphasize on Your Resume, By Personality Type
In today's competitive job market, employers are increasingly looking for candidates who possess strong soft skills. According to a 2019 LinkedIn survey, 89% of recruiters say that when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills. That means that if you're in the market for a new job, it's important to highlight these skills on your resume in order to stand out from the competition.
Of course, soft skills are not one thing but many. There's a long list of skills that fall under this category, including communication, teamwork, adaptability, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, persuasion and time management. You may not possess all of these soft skills, but we guarantee you have some. That's because every personality type has certain soft skills that they naturally excel at and others they may need to work on. So if you're not sure what to put on your resume, looking at your personality type can be a great place to begin.
16 Personality Types and Their Soft Skills
ISTJ: The Inspector
ISTJs are known for their practicality, responsibility and reliability. They excel in organizing, planning and executing tasks with great attention to detail. When preparing your resume, look for examples of your meticulousness, organizational skills and ability to work independently, as these are all highly valued by employers.
- Soft skills to highlight: Work ethic, attention to detail, logical reasoning, persistence, independence, organization.
- Soft Skills to develop: Flexibility, innovation, delegation.
ISFJ: The Protector
ISFJs are known for their empathy, reliability and practicality. They excel in creating harmonious environments and helping others. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your ability to work well within a team and provide support to others.
- Soft skills to highlight: Empathy, collaboration, dependability, patience, humility, attention to detail.
- Soft skills to develop: Confidence, assertiveness, conflict resolution.
INFJ: The Counselor
INFJs are known for their insight, compassion and creativity. They excel in understanding complex situations and connecting with others on a deeper level. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your ability to problem-solve, communicate effectively and bring a creative perspective to projects.
- Soft skills to highlight: Empathy, communication, problem-solving, creativity, intuition.
- Soft skills to develop: Assertiveness, delegation, taking criticism.
INTJ: The Mastermind
INTJs are known for their intelligence, independence and strategic thinking. They excel in analyzing information and finding innovative solutions. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your logical reasoning abilities and adaptability.
- Soft skills to highlight: Logical thinking, strategic planning, adaptability, independence, problem-solving, questioning, reframing.
- Soft skills to develop: Communication, teamwork, empathy.
ISTP: The Craftsman
ISTPs are known for their practicality, adaptability and hands-on approach. They excel in using their skills to troubleshoot and fix problems. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your practicality and adaptability, as well as any hands-on experiences you have.
- Soft skills to highlight: Adaptability, troubleshooting, practical thinking, independence, patience.
- Soft skills to develop: Communication, teamwork, perseverance.
ISFP: The Composer
ISFPs are known for their creativity, adaptability and empathy. They excel in expressing themselves through art and connecting with others on an emotional level. When preparing your resume, highlight any creative projects or experiences that demonstrate your adaptability to different situations.
- Soft skills to highlight: Creativity, adaptability, empathy, communication.
- Soft skills to develop: Discipline, organization, results-orientation.
INFP: The Healer
INFPs are known for their compassion, creativity and idealism. They excel in understanding others' perspectives and using their creativity to bring about change. When preparing your resume, highlight any experiences where you have demonstrated empathy and used your creative skills to make a positive impact.
- Soft skills to highlight: Empathy, creativity, problem-solving, communication.
- Soft skills to develop: Assertiveness, confidence, decision-making.
INTP: The Architect
INTPs are known for their intelligence, curiosity and analytical thinking. They excel in problem-solving and analyzing complex information. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your logical reasoning abilities and innovation.
- Soft skills to highlight: Logical thinking, problem-solving, questioning, adaptability, innovation, independence.
- Soft skills to develop: Teamwork, patience, office politics management.
ESTP: The Dynamo
ESTPs are known for their spontaneity, practicality and charm. They excel in adapting to new situations and using their charisma to connect with others. When preparing your resume, highlight any experiences where you have demonstrated adaptability and strong interpersonal skills.
- Soft skills to highlight: Adaptability, communication, charm, networking, confidence, negotiation, deal-making.
- Soft skills to develop: Time management, organization, patience..
ESFP: The Performer
ESFPs are known for their energy, creativity and spontaneity. They excel in social situations and bring joy to those around them. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your strong interpersonal skills and adaptability.
- Soft skills to highlight: Interpersonal skills, adaptability, creativity, enthusiasm, communication, deal-making.
- Soft skills to develop: Time management, organization, resilience.
ENFP: The Champion
ENFPs are known for their enthusiasm, empathy and creativity. They excel in inspiring others and bringing new ideas to the table. When preparing your resume, highlight any experiences where you have demonstrated leadership and strong communication skills.
- Soft skills to highlight: Leadership, communication, empathy, creativity, storytelling.
- Soft skills to develop: Clarity, time awareness, organization.
ENTP: The Visionary
ENTPs are known for their intelligence, charisma and innovation. They excel in generating new ideas and finding unique solutions to problems. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your ability to think outside the box and adaptability.
- Soft skills to highlight: Creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, questioning, confidence, networking.
- Soft skills to develop: Attention to detail, patience, mediation.
ESTJ: The Supervisor
ESTJs are known for their organization, leadership and practicality. They excel in setting goals and efficiently managing teams to achieve them. When preparing your resume, highlight any experiences where you have demonstrated strong leadership skills and attention to detail.
- Soft skills to highlight: Leadership, organization, attention to detail, efficiency, decision-making.
- Soft skills to develop: Creativity, adaptability, diplomacy.
ESFJ: The Provider
ESFJs are known for their compassion, dependability and social skills. They excel in nurturing and supporting others, often taking on a caretaker role. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your strong interpersonal skills and reliability.
- Soft skills to highlight: Interpersonal skills, dependability, compassion, teamwork, communication.
- Soft skills to develop: Independence, assertiveness, adaptability.
ENFJ: The Teacher
ENFJs are known for their empathy, charisma and leadership abilities. They excel in understanding others' needs and inspiring them towards a common goal. When preparing your resume, highlight any experiences where you have demonstrated strong leadership and communication skills.
- Soft skills to highlight: Leadership, empathy, communication, teamwork, patience, charisma.
- Soft skills to develop: Decision-making, resilience, independence.
ENTJ: The Commander
ENTJs are known for their ambition, confidence and strategic thinking. They excel in setting goals and executing plans efficiently. When preparing your resume, focus on showcasing your ability to lead and make tough decisions.
- Soft skills to highlight: Leadership, strategic thinking, questioning, decisiveness, efficiency.
- Soft skills to develop: Flexibility, tolerance, patience.
What soft skills do you have?
Did you find a soft skill or two on this list that resonates with you? If so, it's worth taking the time to develop and master these skills to help you advance in your career. Since employers are looking for well-rounded employees, it's also important to identify skills where you have room for growth and work on developing them as well.
To take your self-development to the next level, Truity's Career Aptitude Test can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and guide you towards a career path that aligns with your personality and skills. Mastering these skills can not only unlock your potential but also set you on a path to a fulfilling and successful career.
