During a job search, you may include a wide range of skills, including technical and interpersonal skills, in your resume and other application materials. Many employers value analytical skills, which are a specific type of soft skills that you can develop through experience and critical thinking. These skills can help you solve problems and identify areas for improvement in your work.

Analytical skills are the characteristics and abilities that allow you to observe, research, and interpret a subject to develop complex ideas and solutions. When you use many of these skills together, it's called analytical thinking. You can apply analytical thinking in many situations, both in your professional and personal life.

Analytical thinking often involves trial and error and other systematic processes that allow a person to arrive at a logical conclusion. Those with effective analytical skills can quickly analyze a situation, issue, or problem and often perform well in a team environment to achieve goals.

The process of applying your analytical skills usually involves several steps, such as:

1. Identifying an issue or problem

2. Gathering information through testing and observation

3. Developing solutions or deepening your understanding of the issue

4. Testing solutions or new ideas based on what you have learned

5. Reviewing the solutions that worked for evaluation and applying your new knowledge.

While some fields, such as data management and IT, heavily rely on analytical skills, these skills are valuable across all industries and career levels. Employers often value professionals with strong analytical skills because they can improve their company's operations.

For example, a customer service operator with strong analytical skills can review customer refund data and identify trends, which can help the team reduce the number of refunds. Possessing these skills can make you eligible for a leadership position or other promotion because they demonstrate your ability to add value to the company.

Here are four valuable analytical skills that you can include in your resume:

1. Critical thinking Critical thinking is the ability to challenge assumptions, which can help you identify issues or areas for improvement. This skill is valuable at every level of employment because it helps companies evolve beyond relying solely on traditional practices. Often, critical thinking is the first step in the innovation process.

2. Data and information analysis Data and information analysis are key parts of analytical thinking. Developing this skill can help you identify issues and solutions using data, which can improve decision-making processes.

3. Research The ability to conduct research can help you identify the most effective solution to a problem. The research process may involve consulting experienced colleagues to understand a problem or conducting formal research on external sources.

4. Problem-solving After identifying an issue and conducting research, you can use your creative problem-solving skills to design a solution. You can test your solution or seek feedback from others. For example, a recreation center manager can use surveys to collect information about the types of fitness classes that interest members and when they prefer to have classes.

Improving your analytical skills can help you achieve various professional goals. Highlighting your analytical skills on your resume and during your interview can also help you stand out as a candidate during the hiring process. To improve your analytical skills, consider following some of these tips:

• Practice basic analytical skills in your current role.

• Take courses that emphasize the use of analytical skills.

• Participate in activities that require analytical skills, such as team sports, games, or reading.

• Seek advice or guidance from professionals in your field or industry.

• Conduct research on best practices for your industry.

• Improve your knowledge of the subject so that you can solve problems more quickly.

• Customer problem solving

• Product improvement

• Technical issue resolution

• Identifying new sales opportunities

• Creating new product prototypes

• Implementing continuous education programs

• Designing learning and development programs that meet company needs

You can include information about your basic analytical skills in the summary section of your resume, previous job descriptions, and specific skills.

• Resume Summary

• Experience

• Skills

• Cover letter

Before your interview, consider the history of your work experience and create a list of your achievements. You can also mention the skills that helped you achieve some goals, such as solving problems.

In this way, you can confidently answer interview questions regarding your skills and provide specific details about your success in previous roles. Additionally, review the job description so that you can connect your answers to the position you hope to obtain.