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Career development
10 Key Strengths To Develop for Career Advancement

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated July 8, 2022 | Published January 3, 2020

Updated July 8, 2022

Published January 3, 2020

Related: "What Are Your Strengths?" Interview Question: Top Example Answers and Best Strategy

We share why employers ask this question, how to select the best strength to highlight, and common mistakes that you should avoid.

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach

Your most valuable skills represent your greatest key strengths. Including these relevant key strengths on your resume shows employers that you have dedicated the time and practice necessary to build a specific skill set.

In this article, we explain what key strengths are, how to improve yours and how to highlight them for an employer.

What are key strengths?

Key strengths include knowledge-based skills, transferable skills and personal traits. Knowledge-based skills are technical skills that you learn from education and experience. Transferable skills are soft skills that are applicable in most situations, such as communication and problem-solving. Personal traits are your unique qualities, such as accountability and punctuality.

Examples of key strengths

Key strengths will vary from person to person. Some examples of key strengths to include on a resume are:

Specialized equipment
Specialized tools
Technology and software
Programming languages
Web design
Communication
Planning and organization
Problem-solving
Patience
Persistence

1. Specialized equipment

Experience working with specialized equipment and a mastered ability to get consistent, repeatable results from the use of the equipment can be a key strength. When applying for positions that require the use of the same, or similar, equipment, this would be a strength to include on your resume. For example, the ability to operate and maneuver heavy equipment with limited space demonstrates your mastery of the equipment.

2. Specialized tools

Developing mastery of specialized tools can increase your marketability for jobs in industries that require those tools. The ability to use your specific tools to complete various types of projects is a key strength to include on your resume. For example, carpenters and mechanics rely on their specific tools. They develop a mastery of their tools that allows them to creatively solve problems and perform complex jobs with different materials and in different situations.

3. Technology and software

The ability to learn and adapt to different technologies as well as develop expertise with software applications is a marketable skill. This strength indicates that you are not intimidated by technology and can learn and leverage technology from your first day. For example, expert knowledge of spreadsheet applications allows you to collect and analyze different types of data in new contexts.

Related: Computer Skills: Definitions and Examples

4. Programming languages

Expertise in programming languages is a strength for developing custom technology solutions to meet an organization’s unique needs. This can include developing and analyzing relational databases with SQL, creating custom websites with HTML 5 and CSS or designing fully-integrated solutions with a variety of other languages such as C#, Ruby, Python and PHP. Developing mastery of various programming languages allows you to creatively solve problems and design unique applications to support organizational objectives.

5. Web design

The ability to create aesthetic, accessible and dynamic web designs is a strength that shows your knowledge of design practices and your creativity. Proficiency with web design includes more than technical knowledge of web programming languages. Web design is a key strength that requires staying up-to-date with the latest technology and trends in web development. It also requires mastery in design, such as in the use of color, contrast, typeface and usability.

6. Communication

The ability to clearly articulate your thoughts and ideas, both verbally and in writing, and listen actively are strengths that demonstrate how well you work with others. Effective communication requires teamwork to achieve mutual understanding. This strength requires knowledge-based skills such as vocabulary and grammar as well as transferable skills such as comprehension. It also requires personality traits such as empathy, patience and respect for others.

Related: Communication Skills: Definitions and Examples

7. Planning and organization

The ability to plan and organize your time and space is a strength that allows you to prioritize work, meet deadlines and maintain an orderly space to stay on top of projects and assignments. As a key strength, this shows employers that you can manage your workload to complete assignments on time. Planning and organization require the ability to accurately estimate the time required to complete tasks and prioritize work to ensure you meet important deadlines.

8. Problem-solving

Problem-solving is a strength that allows you to identify issues and then brainstorm, test and implement solutions. A key strength in problem-solving requires critical thinking and creativity to analyze a problem and imagine possible solutions. It also includes the ability to creatively identify and test non-traditional solutions. Creative problem solving as a key strength means you are capable of analyzing problems from all possible angles to identify all possible solutions.

9. Patience

Patience is a personality trait that represents a key strength. It is beneficial when working in service-oriented jobs where you may have to demonstrate patience with customers. Patience is also a strength when working on long-term projects that may not have immediate results. A key strength in patience allows you to mitigate automatic responses and improves your relationships in the workplace.

10. Perseverance

Perseverance is the ability to push through difficulties and complete assigned tasks. This personality trait represents your fortitude in completing your work regardless of the challenges you may encounter. A key strength in perseverance shows employers that you are steadfast in the face of obstacles. Perseverance is a strength that may help drive positive change in the workplace by driving process improvements through to completion.

How to improve your key strengths

Improving key strengths requires self-awareness, patience and practice. To improve your strengths, start by developing an awareness of your strengths and which ones you would like to improve upon. Here are some steps to consider when working to improve key strengths:

1. Reflect on your key strengths

Think about projects you completed well and situations where your actions improved the outcome. Identify the strengths you exhibited that led to your accomplishments.

2. Request feedback

Ask trusted friends and family as well as your supervisors to provide feedback about your strengths. This allows you the opportunity to get an objective opinion about your strengths, evaluate what you consider your strengths to be and discover other strengths you didn’t think of.

3. Study and practice key strengths

Research the key strengths you want to develop, then implement what you learn in your day-to-day routines to practice and build the strength. Since key strengths are different for each individual, you may need to practice different techniques to learn what works best for you.

4. Attend workshops or seminars

Workshops or seminars designed to improve key strengths provide the opportunity to learn about and practice them in a structured environment with immediate feedback. These events may include activities and role-play to provide the opportunity for attendees to build practical experience developing key strengths.

Benefits of developing key strengths in the workplace

Learning to recognize and leverage your key strengths can improve several aspects of your job, including:

Job satisfaction: People naturally enjoy working on things they are good at. Focusing on how your work leverages your key strengths can help improve job satisfaction.
Productivity: Working on your key strengths can increase productivity. When you are doing work you enjoy and are good at, you may be more focused on your work and require less downtime between projects.
Efficiency: Using your key strengths at work allows you to work more efficiently. You spend more time performing at a higher level when you are working on your strengths.
Teamwork: Understanding your key strengths can improve teamwork in the workplace. When team members recognize their strengths and weaknesses, they can support each other to ensure the best quality of work.

How to highlight key strengths

When choosing key strengths to include on your resume, it is important to select the strengths that are relevant for the position. Some transferable skills and personality traits may be relevant for most positions, but make sure to limit these only to the most relevant.

On your resume

If you have a separate section on your resume for listing relevant skills, you can include key strengths in this section. For clarity, consider grouping technical or functional skills separately from key strengths. You can also weave key strengths into your work history or professional experience section by including accomplishments that show how you can leverage those strengths.

On your cover letter

You can highlight key strengths on your cover letter by expanding on relevant experience that demonstrates your strengths. Another good option is to identify a problem the company has and explain how your key strengths would help solve it.

In an interview

Demonstrate your key strengths in an interview by using the STAR method to show the situation, task, action and results of times you used your strengths to benefit previous employers.