People skills, sometimes called interpersonal skills, are defined as the skills used to communicate and interact with others effectively. People skills include active listening, the ability to mediate disputes, and being tolerant of differences in a casual or business setting.

And since jobs that don’t require at least some people skills are few and far between, you can bet that employers will be combing your resume and grilling you in interviews to see if you have them.

Whether you’re just starting to acquire people skills or they’re a little rusty, here is a guide to get you on the right track.

We’ll go over people skills in a second, but… Perhaps you’d like to blaze through your job search—

Looking for other life and job skill guides? Check out one of these guides:

• Employability Skills
• IT Skills
• Transferable Skills
• Teamwork Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Computer Skills
• Conceptual Skills
• Time Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving
• Organizational Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Decision Making
• The Difference Between Soft Skills and Hard Skills

What Are People Skills?

What is it that you need to get that job you’re applying for, that promotion you’ve been working towards, or that award for employee of the month? Of course, you’ll need the necessary job skills and an education that will allow you to perform all your duties and responsibilities. But in almost every industry, you’ll also need another set of skills that could be completely unrelated to the job at hand. Enter people skills.

The definition of people skills is flexible, but they typically refer to the skills used to communicate effectively in different environments or situations. And because productivity is difficult to maximize without excellent communication, people skills can be a real dealbreaker for companies and organizations.

People Skills Examples

• Effective communication
• Active listening
• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Conflict resolution
• Persuasion and influencing skills
• Reliability
• Respectfulness
• Tolerance
• Diplomacy
• Leadership
• Relationship building
• Mediation
• Self-motivation

With that said, people skills are often neglected. The focus of most university and job training courses revolve around technical skills. This leads to the idea that if you hit the books hard enough, career success is all but guaranteed.

But in fact, the opposite is true. Neglecting soft skills—like people skills—can mean career suicide. According to one study, 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills, while only 25% is dependent on technical knowledge.

That’s not all. Other research found that 85% of job success comes from soft and people skills, and only 15% from hard skills.

And developing people skills isn’t only useful in the workplace,

According to Dr. Ralph Nichols. “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.”

Luckily, people skills can be worked and improved just like every other skill.

People Skills—Synonyms

There’s lots of ways people refer to people skills. Here’s a list of people skill synonyms if you need to use another word for people skills:

• Social skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Charasmaticness
• Active listening skills
• Interpersonal relations
• Social competence
• Soft skills

People Skills on a Resume Example

Frances Byron
[email protected]
(830) 579-3531
Campbellton, TX

Resume Summary

Energetic receptionist with over 3 years of experience in both small and corporate offices. Task-oriented with a knack for multitasking. Eager to apply my interpersonal skills and organizational strategy at Fly Media. Trained on CRM for logging client interactions to drive sales and marketing growth targets.

Work Experience

Receptionist

Hays Systems Inc, Dallas, TX

March 2019–November 2020

• Answered 10+ inbound calls in a professional manner to redirect callers or field questions.
• Maintained office calendar, organizational tools, and CRM database.
• Used office equipment to copy, scan, file, and send important documents.
• Scheduled appointments and company meetings to accommodate itineraries and adjust to changes with grace.
• Received 20 hours of CRM training on a new software platform.

Front Desk Receptionist

Cordial Care, San Antonio, TX

August 2017–February 2019

• Greeted, assisted, and provided information to visitors in the waiting area.
• Answered phone calls, relayed messages, and called customers as needed.
• Coordinated access to the rest of the office by serving as a liaison between staff and customers.
• Ensured a positive experience for clients by maintaining a well-organized waiting area.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in English

Central New Community College, Albuquerque, NM

Graduation: June 2017

• Treasurer for the Methodist Church Campus Organization

Skills

• Time management
• Detail-oriented
• Communication
• VOIP phone systems
• Data entry
• Typing >80 WPM

Hobbies and Interests

• Volunteer at the Best Friends Humane Society (2018-Present)
• Lifestyle blogging at simplyinfashion.com

How to Add People Skills to a Resume

The skills section of your resume is not the only place you can add your people skills. Sprinkle them throughout your job application. See the examples:

People Skills in the Resume Profile

Energetic receptionist with over 3 years of experience in both small and corporate offices. Task-oriented with a knack for multitasking. Eager to apply my interpersonal skills and organizational strategy at Fly Media. Trained on CRM for logging client interactions to drive sales and marketing growth targets.

People Skills in the Work Experience Section

Receptionist

Hays Systems Inc, Dallas, TX

March 2019–November 2020

• Answered 10+ inbound calls in a professional manner to redirect callers or field questions.
• Maintained office calendar, organizational tools, and CRM database.
• Used office equipment to copy, scan, file, and send important documents.
• Scheduled appointments and company meetings to accommodate itineraries and adjust to changes with grace.
• Received 20 hours of CRM training on a new software platform.

People Skills in the Education Section

Bachelor of Arts in English

Central New Community College, Albuquerque, NM

Graduation: June 2017

• Leader for the Methodist Church Campus Organization

People Skills in the Skills Section