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Sudoku for Beginners: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Are you a beginner when it comes to solving Sudoku puzzles? Do you find yourself frustrated and unsure of where to start? Fear not, as we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to improve your problem-solving skills through Sudoku.

Understanding the Basics of Sudoku

Before we dive into the strategies and techniques, let’s first understand the basics of Sudoku. A Sudoku puzzle is a 9×9 grid that is divided into nine smaller 3×3 grids. The objective is to fill in each row, column, and smaller grid with numbers 1-9 without repeating any numbers.

Starting Strategies for Beginners

As a beginner, it can be overwhelming to look at an empty Sudoku grid. But don’t worry. There are simple starting strategies that can help you get started. First, look for any rows or columns that only have one missing number. Fill in that number and move on to the next row or column with only one missing number. Another strategy is looking for any smaller grids with only one missing number and filling in that number.

Advanced Strategies for Beginner/Intermediate Level

Once you’ve mastered the starting strategies, it’s time to move on to more advanced techniques. One technique is called “pencil marking.” This involves writing down all possible numbers in each empty square before making any moves. Then use logic and elimination techniques to cross off impossible numbers until you are left with the correct answer.

Another advanced technique is “hidden pairs.” Look for two squares within a row or column that only have two possible numbers left. If those two possible numbers exist in both squares, then those two squares must contain those specific numbers.

Benefits of Solving Sudoku Puzzles

Not only is solving Sudoku puzzles fun and challenging, but it also has many benefits for your brain health. It helps improve your problem-solving skills, enhances memory and concentration, and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In conclusion, Sudoku is a great way to improve your problem-solving skills while also providing entertainment. With these starting and advanced strategies, you’ll be able to solve even the toughest Sudoku puzzles. So grab a pencil and paper and start sharpening those brain muscles.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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How to List Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume [List Included]

Problem-solving skills are more in-demand than ever. 

Employers love candidates with problem-solving skills because, in 99% of cases, they guarantee you're also logical, creative, clear-headed, and a great decision-maker. 

But claiming you have organizational skills on your resume is not enough. 

To impress recruiters, you've got to prove that you possess them. 

This includes understanding which problem-solving skills you possess and adding them to your resume (the right way), among other things.

This is where this article comes in! We put together everything you need to know about problem-solving skills, including: 

• 8 Essential Problem-Solving Skills for Your Resume

How to Add Problem-Solving Skills to Your Resume

• Why Are Problem-Solving Skills Important
• 6 Problem-Solving Steps

Let's dive right in! 

8 Problem-Solving Skills for Your Resume

Research shows that problem-solving skills consist of several facets : 

• Identifying and analyzing a problem
• Taking effective actions
• Understanding the effect of the decisions
• Coming up with creative and novel solutions
• Transferring knowledge from one situation to another
• Thinking abstractly about problems

As such, there is no single problem-solving skill. Problem-solving includes a set of skills, all of which are equally important in helping your personal and professional life. 

Below, we’ll cover the eight most important problem-solving skills that you can also list on your resume to impress recruiters: 

#1. Research skills

To properly identify and understand a problem, you need excellent research skills. 

Research skills involve being able to gather information from the right sources, reviewing that information in detail to extract the data you need, analyzing the data according to the context, and being able to apply the data to your situation. 

#2. Analytical skills

Analytical skills are required throughout the entire process of solving a problem. 

In a nutshell, analytical skills refer to being able to analyze a situation in depth and from different perspectives . Specifically, you need analytical skills to achieve all of the following while solving a problem:

• Detect patterns
• Interpret data
• Analyze new information
• Reach conclusions based on several factors

#3. Creativity

Being creative means being able to think outside of the box and look at situations and problems inventively. 

For most people, creativity is mainly associated with creative industries such as arts and crafts, architecture, design, etc. 

In reality, however, creativity is an essential success factor for every job and the data is here to support that. According to this Adobe study , problem-solving (51%) and creativity (47%) have gained the most value in driving salary increases in the last five years. 

When it comes to the process of solving a problem, creativity can help you consider more perspectives, think abstractly about problems, and come up with novel solutions that others haven’t thought of before.

#4. Critical thinking skills

Being able to think critically means that you’re good at rationalizing, understanding the connections between ideas or situations, and logically analyzing any given situation. 

As such, strong critical thinking skills can help you see beyond what’s at face value, make more informed decisions, and anticipate the outcomes of said decisions. 

People who have critical thinking skills share traits such as open-mindedness , cognitive flexibility , skepticism , clarity , and precision . 

#5. Decision-making skills

Before coming up with a single action plan to solve a problem, you’ll need to first brainstorm several possible solutions. 

After that, you need good decision-making skills to choose the best possible solution. Without decision-making skills, you risk prolonging finding a proper solution or aggravating a problem even more. 

#6. Communication skills

With strong communication skills , you’re able to successfully explain the problem to others and propose your solutions. In turn, you can be sure that everyone’s on the same page and that you’re carrying out the action plan accordingly. 

Some communication skills required for problem-solving include: 

• Active listening
• Written and verbal communication
• Giving and receiving feedback

#7. Collaboration

Problem-solving is rarely a process you carry out alone. More often than not, you need to consult relevant stakeholders, give and receive feedback, and work with a team towards a common goal (i.e. solving the problem).

Well, collaboration entails exactly that - working well with others, cooperatively addressing problems, and putting a group’s goal ahead of personal goals. 

Some important collaboration skills that help with problem-solving include: 

• Conflict resolution
• Emotional intelligence 

#8. Attention to Detail 

Have you ever heard of the expression “the devil’s in the details?”

It means that something may seem simple on the surface, but in fact, the details make it complicated and are likely to cause problems.

Well, if you’re someone who shows great attention to detail, you’re not likely to let details keep you from solving a problem effectively. 

Not to mention, being able to spot and understand even the smallest details that make up a problem means you’ll be able to grasp the issue in its entire complexity and come up with even more inventive and workable solutions. 

Now that we covered the most important problem-solving skills, we’ll show you how to add them to your resume so that you can stand out from other candidates. 

Let us walk you through the process, step-by-step: 

#1. Mention Your Problem-Solving Skills on Your Resume Summary

The resume summary is a three or four-sentence paragraph positioned at the top of your resume that includes: 

• Your profession and years of experience 
• Your top skills (i.e. hard skills or soft skills)
• One or two noteworthy achievements 

The goal of the resume summary is to catch the hiring manager’s attention, show them you’re a relevant candidate and get them to go through the rest of your resume in detail. 

As such, it’s your first chance to highlight your problem-solving skills effectively. You can either do that by mentioning them among your top skills or by mentioning an achievement that proves you possess a given skill.

In the best-case scenario, you can even do both. 

Here is an example of how you can include problem-solving skills in your resume summary: 

• Behavioral psychologist with 7+ years of experience in the field. Great research, analytical, and communication skills. Over the last eight years, I’ve worked closely with more than 100 patients with different behavioral disorders, helping them improve their personal and professional lives through different treatment methods. 

#2. Add the RIGHT Problem-Solving Skills Under Your Soft Skills

Secondly, you should list your problem-solving skills under your resume’s soft skills section . 

The listing part is pretty easy - simply create a section titled Skills and write down your problem-solving skills.

There is, however, one caveat: 

You don’t want to overkill your skills section by listing every problem-solving skill we covered in this article.

Not only will the hiring manager have trouble believing you possess each and every skill, but there’s also a high chance you don’t even need all those skills to begin with. 

To make your skills section as relevant as possile, do the following: 

• Check the job description. The job description can show you exactly what skills you need for the job. If you’re applying for, say, a software engineering position, you’ll probably be required to have the following problem-solving skills: analytical skills, creativity, attention to detail, and cognitive flexibility. 
• Identify the skills you possess. Think about which skills you can back up with actual experience from your previous jobs. Only list problem-solving skills that you actually possess and that you can prove you possess on your resume. 
• Add those skills under your soft skills. Then, add the problem-solving skills that you have and that are required in the job under your resume’s “Soft Skills” section. 

#3. Prove Your Problem-Solving Skills In Your Work Experience Section

Finally, you should use the work experience section to prove that you’ve got the problem-solving skills you’ve mentioned throughout your resume. 

Anyone can just claim that they’ve got problem-solving skills on their resume - not everyone can back them up with experience.

Here’s what you can do to convey that you possess problem-solving skills and also make your work experience section as impactful as possible: 

• Tailor your work experience to the job. Only add past jobs that are relevant to the position you are applying for now. If you’re applying for, say, a software engineering position, the hiring manager will be interested in your previous jobs in the field, but probably not too interested in the time you worked as a server at a restaurant. 
• Focus on your achievements instead of your responsibilities. More often than not, hiring managers know exactly what your responsibilities consisted of in previous jobs. What they want to know is how you made a positive impact with your achievements. 
• Make your achievements quantifiable. Speaking of achievements, you want to make them as quantifiable as possible. After all “treated ten patients in the course of a year using positive reinforcement” sounds much better than “treated ten patients.”
• Use the Laszlo Bock formula . If you’re having trouble phrasing your achievements, the following formula will probably be of help: “Accomplished X as measured by Y doing X.” 
• Leverage action verbs and keywords. There are hundreds of words and verbs you can use instead of “did,” “accomplished,” etc. The more descriptive you are of your achievements, the more impressive they can sound.

And here’s an example of a project manager describing their problem-solving skills in their work experience section:

• Fixed company communication issues by implementing a new project management solution. 
• Improved team productivity by implementing time-tracking software and doing daily stand-up calls.
• Managed to meet all client deliverable deadlines in 2022.

Why Are Problem-Solving Skills Important?

Are you wondering what exactly is it that makes problem-solving skills so important? 

After all, there are hundreds of soft skills out there that you can master, improve, or learn how to add to your resume. So it’s normal to wonder “why should I focus on problem-solving?” 

Here is why problem-solving skills matter:

• They can improve your employability. Problem-solving skills are among the most important skills to employers across a range of occupations. In short, employers are always looking for proactive thinkers who can address professional challenges. 
• They can help you grow in your career more easily. You’ll be more likely to get promoted if you can come up with creative solutions to the different problems that you’ll face throughout your career. 
• They can become an essential part of your personal brand . Your current employer, coworkers, and future employers alike will see you as someone creative, reliable, and helpful. 
• They are related to a range of other valuable skills. When you prove you’re a problem solver, you’re effectively saying you’re attentive to detail, logical, creative, analytical, curious, and other things employers are looking for in their employees. 

10 Jobs That Require Problem-Solving Skills

As we’ve already mentioned, problem-solving skills come in handy for practically every job. 

Whether you’re a teacher who needs to solve a dispute between peers in your class or a customer representative who needs to help a client, knowing how to go about solving issues is definitely an asset. 

That said, some jobs are all about solving problems. In such cases, problem-solving skills are not just a nice addition to have on your resume - they’re crucial to getting hired. 

Here are the top 10 jobs requiring problem-solving skills in 2023: 

• Software engineer  
• Air-traffic controller
• Police officer
• Social worker  
• Psychologist
• UX designer

35 Action Verbs You Can Use to Highlight Your Problem-Solving Skills

The language you use to describe your problem-solving skills matters.  

Sure, you can use “ solved” to describe how you dealt with a problem throughout your entire resume and risk coming off as repetitive and unimaginative. 

Or , you can use any of the following action verbs and keywords and make your problem-solving skills pop out in the eyes of recruiters: 

• Calculate  
• Critically think 
• Draw conclusions
• Experiment 
• Listen/Listen actively 

The Problem-Solving Process in 6 Steps

Problem-solving is a methodical process. It consists of certain steps that you always need to take if you want to find a good solution. 

The more you understand and practice this process, the better you can get at solving problems. 

Below, we cover the six main steps of problem-solving in detail:

#1. Identify the problem 

The first step to solving a problem is identifying exactly what’s causing it. 

After all, if you’re not focusing on the real underlying issue, you might come up with solutions that don’t fit the problem itself. 

Say, for example, that you’re a teacher that’s facing poor class performance. Identifying whether the problem comes from the students’ not studying enough or from your own teaching methods can make a big difference in the solutions you come up with. 

It typically happens that the faster you find the root cause of the problem, the easier it is to find a proper solution. 

#2. Understand the problem

Once you identify the problem, you’ve got to understand it completely. Here are some questions you can ask to make sure you properly understand a problem: 

• What is the scale of the problem? 
• What are its short and long-term effects? 
• Have you faced something like this before?
• Can the problem be solved by dividing it into smaller parts?

The better you understand the problem in its complexity, the more likely you are to come up with effective solutions. 

#3. Research the systems that make up the problem 

In many cases, solving a problem will be a complex undertaking. See, complex problems are often the result of several different underlying systems that you need to understand to find a dynamic solution. 

Let’s take the teacher example from above. 

If a certain student is not doing too well and keeps getting poor grades, you might be tempted to go the easy route and simply chastise them and tell them to study more.

This, in a lot of cases, might simply not work because you’re not addressing the root cause of the problem.

The student might, for example, be burned out , unmotivated by the curriculum, or simply struggling with specific topics.

A problem-solving solution that’s more likely to work would be to talk to the student (or their parents), try to understand the reason for their poor grades, and address the root cause behind the problem itself.

#4. Visualize the problem 

This may not apply to all situations, but it can definitely come in handy for most. 

Drawing a diagram to visualize the situation or your solution to the problem can help you grasp its complexity better - especially if the problem is multi-faceted. Anything from PowerPoint to a piece of white paper can be a good tool to visualize your problem, highlight the problem area, and tackle it more effectively.

#5. Brainstorm solutions 

After you’ve done all the above, it’s time to start thinking about solutions. 

This is another step of the problem-solving process that’s based on collaboration and effective communication. In the brainstorming phase, you should sit with team members or relevant stakeholders and come up with as many creative ideas and solutions as possible. 

This is not where you come up with your most refined, well-thought-out ideas. Instead, it’s where you discuss freely and combine diverse knowledge and analysis of the problem to come up with diverse solutions. 

Brainstorming is an essential part of problem-solving that can help you break out of boring or predictable ideas and thinking patterns. 

#6. Choose the best answer(s)

This is where decision-making skills come in. With a list of different potential solutions, you can narrow down your options to finally choose the best one. 

To reach a solution more easily, take the following into consideration:

• Your company’s/organization’s objectives
• The budget and the timeframe at your disposal
• The success outcomes
• Potential risks linked to the solution 

Finally, discuss your solutions with relevant stakeholders and team members to gather all the possible feedback that can help you make the best possible decision. 

And remember - once you’ve chosen the best possible solution to a problem, your work is far from over. Being a problem solver also includes the following: 

• Develop and implement an action plan
• Monitor the progress of your plan 
• Make necessary adjustments during the process
• Evaluate the outcomes of your solution 

Problem-Solving Skills Resume Example

Want a resume that makes your problem-solving skills pop like the above example? 

Use one of our tried-and-tested resume templates . 

They’re free, modern, and created in collaboration with some of the best HR professionals from around the globe!

Key Takeaways 

And that's a wrap on problem-solving skills. By now, you should know everything there is to know on the topic. 

Before you go, here are the main points we covered in this article: 

• Problem-solving skills are a set of soft skills that help you solve problems effectively. They involve critical thinking, analytical skills, creativity, communication skills, and attention to detail. 
• Problem-solving skills can improve your employability, work performance, and personal brand. 
• Add your problem-solving skills to your resume summary, under the soft skills section, and in your work history section. 
• When you’re creating your work history section, make sure to tailor it to the job, focus on your achievements and make them quantifiable, and use action verbs and keywords from the job description. 
• To get better at solving problems, follow these steps: identify and understand the problem, research the systems that make up the problem, visualize the problem, brainstorm, and choose the best possible solution. 
• Once that’s done, create an action plan and make sure to monitor its progress as you’re implementing it. 

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How Should you Show That you Have Problem-Solving Skills on Your Resume?

Here are the top ways to show your Problem Solving Skills skills on your resume. Find out relevant Problem Solving Skills keywords and phrases and build your resume today.

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What are problem-solving skills?

Why are problem-solving skills important on your resume, what skills, activities, and accomplishments help you highlight your problem-solving skills, problem-solving skills: key takeaways for your resume.

Imagine this typical situation: there has been a mistake in the contract sent to a client. But what about if your biggest industry competitor surprisingly decreases prices or your Chief Financial Officer quits? What would you do if you had the responsibility to respond?

Problem-solving skills express themselves in the ability to define problems, come up with alternatives, assess which is the best course of action and act on it.

Therefore, problem-solvers are the people who can objectively and calmly respond to issues once they arrive or forecast them in advance while coming up with a set of actions for the timely resolution of the identified problems.

Problems of all sizes arise both inside and outside the workplace. Every day. That is why it is so essential for employers to have employees whom they can trust to handle such situations independently.

Depending on the position and the industry, businesses need talent that can cope with both day-to-day operational challenges and with more long-term strategic issues.

Problem-solving is one of these sets of skills that do not necessarily appear in the “Requirements” section in a job offer. The reason is that employers simply expect candidates to show in some form that they possess analytical minds and a go-to attitude.

Yes, it is much easier to demonstrate your problem-solving skills during an interview when you can talk in detail to paint a picture of a specific situation and your response to a given problem.

But this doesn’t mean that you can’t communicate your abilities to use your sense of initiative to improve problematic situations. Wonder how exactly? Take a look at the following list of skills and abilities.

Unlike conceptual skills, which are about abstract thinking and ideation, problem-solving skills are to be a big part connected to being proactive when it comes to the implementation of your ideas.

Even though problem-solving skills sound pretty self-explanatory in themselves, they are not so easy to communicate. Such abilities are highly situational and can only be relayed when referring to specific tasks and actions you have undertaken to achieve desirable results.

• Communication & Observation skills: to come up with the most effective and efficient solution to an issue, you need to first identify the root cause. Since root causes are rarely obvious, problem-solvers search for them through conversations and careful observations.
• Analytical skills & Decision-making: after the problem definition stage, it is time for action. Therefore, you need to put your analytical skills in use to develop solutions and make a timely decision to speed up the problem-solving process.
• Teamwork and technical skills: having hands-on technical knowledge is necessary so that you know what opportunities lie ahead of you. In addition, even though working in a team is essential for developing the best solution, you need to be prepared to execute it independently.

How to demonstrate problem-solving skills on your resume

• Mention a time when you have taken the initiative to troubleshoot overlooked areas.
• Explain that you like to collect new information and gather data on a daily basis.
• Give examples of times when you have assumed the responsibility to improve processes in the company or your team.
• Illustrate that you are a team player and explain what is your role in a team.

Just keep in mind that you should aim to balance your ability to work independently and work in a team.

Even though in the modern business world, companies face very complex problems which require collective action, you would be expected to use your own capacity to solve some day-to-day issues.

Below you can get some inspiration from Enhancv users who have found a nice way to show that they can be real problem-solvers when issues arise in the workplace.

Example 1: Demonstrate problem-solving skills in the experience section

Job situation: Junior Business Analyst applies for the position of a Junior Project Manager

• • Conducted extensive research on a daily basis to identify potential gaps and issues that would affect the market position of our clients.
• • Used data to identify how my team can make better decisions and improve its analysis strategy.
• • Initiated ‘weekly team lead meetings’ where departments reported arising issues with the Senior Management to prevent issues from becoming major problems.
• • Overcome challenges connected to client complaints and working with a limited client budget.

The examples that this Junior Business Analyst has handpicked demonstrate that he is proactively looking for potential areas and processes that can be further improved and optimized.

What’s more, besides an analytical mindset, the candidate highlights his communication and team skills by showing that he is open to approaching superiors when necessary.

Problem-solving abilities are expressed in a third manner with the example of resolving issues connected to clients' complaints. With this, the candidate communicates that he can be relied on for solving both internal and external issues.

Example 2: Demonstrate innovation skills in the resume summary section

Job situation: Project Manager applies for the position of Senior Account Manager

What is a better way to resolve problems, that actually prevent them from arising in the first place?

In this resume, the candidate shows that he counts on open communication both with his team and clients to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Example 3: Show your problem-solving skills in your achievements sections

Job situation - PR Manager applies for the position of Head of Communications

This set of achievements creates a consistent narrative of an employee who is actively seeking answers and solutions to the everyday challenges in the workplace.

By focusing on both processes and results, the candidate demonstrates that he gives the same importance to achieving great outcomes and following a logical problem-solving path.

Example 4: Demonstrate the skill through other sections of your resume

Besides giving examples from the workplace, your resume may also include references from times when you have tried to build your own initiative, startup, or a side project.

This gives the loudest example that you act upon your ideas for solutions to an identified problem.

Also, don’t be hesitant to mention an occasion when you failed to get the best results or outcomes.

For example, talking about your failure to become President of your college club demonstrates that you are aware of your own mistakes and take credit for both good and bad outcomes.

• Balance your soft and technical skills: in order to be able to solve problems independently, you need to have an analytical mindset and creative thinking, but also some operational capabilities necessary for the execution of your solution.
• Don’t underestimate teamwork: even though self-sufficiency is a good thing to have, working as a part of a team leads to far better results. That is why focusing on your communication and listening skills is so essential for effective problem-solving.

About this report:

Data reflects analysis made on over 1M resume profiles and examples over the last 2 years from Enhancv.com.

While those skills are most commonly met on resumes, you should only use them as inspiration and customize your resume for the given job.

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20+ Examples of Good Problem Solving Skills for Your CV

As seen in:

Problem-solving skills are a group of soft and hard skills that allow individuals to effectively identify, work on, and create effective solutions to problems. Efficient problem solvers possess hard research and analytical skills combined with soft thought-process and interpersonal skills.

That’s the problem-solving skills definition. The importance of problem-solving skills in the workplace won’t diminish, but putting them on your CV effectively can be a problem in itself. We’re here to solve it.

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Problem solving skills examples on a CV

Isaac Harrison

07953 904805

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/isaac_harrison

Personal Statement

Conscientious Project Manager with 13+ years of experience delivering on-time and on-budget in the IT industry. Proven track record of solving roadblocks and scope creep to improve profitability of projects by 10%. Documented ability to oversee multiple projects at a time, with an average budget of £3m. Track record of managing a monthly spending budget of £1.2m. 

Work Experience

IT Project Manager

SoftNet, London

January 2015–Present

• Directed teams up to 40 employees: programmers, developers, analysts and testers.
• Proven track record of solving roadblocks and scope creep to improve profitability of projects by 10%.
• Managed 18+ projects at a time, with an average budget of £3m.
• Generated reports on project performance and implemented corrective actions, which improved the efficiency of all projects by an average of 5%.
• Implemented work organisation solutions to allow finalising 70% of projects up to two weeks ahead of schedule.
• Completed projects generating a total of £89m in revenue.

Project Manager

SoLite, London

February 2008–November 2014

• Led the migration of a desktop application with a range of 40k+ users, improving application speed by 20%.
• Increased profits up to 20% by identifying loyal customers and offering them personalized plans.
• Managed teams of 30+ employees during projects with a total value of £70m+.

2.1 B.Sc. Management, 2005–2008

University of London

• Business Strategy Knowledge
• Critical Thinking
• Project Budgeting
• Complex Strategic Planning 
• Adaptability

Certifications

• Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) — PMI, August 2015
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) — PMI, May 2012
• Professional in Project Management (PPM) — PMI, June 2011
• French (fluent)

Examples of problem solving skills

Luckily for you, most problem-solving skills are transferable skills which you could have acquired already, and will be able to apply to many occupations. It may be the case that many successful decisions are made on gut instinct, but that’s not going to work on your CV.

You need proven and quantifiable problem-solving abilities to convince hiring managers that you’re the solution to their problems.

So let’s see the problem-solving skills examples that you could put on your CV:

1. Research

Without solid research and preparation, you could be focusing on the wrong issue. A consistent research method will ensure that you’re working on the right problem with the maximum knowledge and resources.

2. Data analysis

Data analysis doesn’t pertain just to IT skills . Analysing qualitative data, and knowing how to spot trends and patterns, is invaluable to the problem-solving process. Identify the cause, and you’ll be able to identify the solution.

3. Critical thinking

The most important example of problem-solving skills is critical thinking. Following a consistent, logical method from identifying the problem, through considering possible solutions, to finding a way to implement them, ties up all the other skills into one. 

4. Teamwork

Most of the time, problems are solved faster by more than one individual. Whether you’re commandeering the whole team to a solution, or just consulting your thought process with a co-worker, teamwork is important in being an efficient problem solver. 

5. Interpersonal skills

Working together on solving the problem, or implementing your solution, can be difficult if you lack the interpersonal skills to get along with your colleagues. The ability to tailor your approach to different personalities and get them all on the same track speeds everything up.

6. Communication 

Communication skills ensure that once the decision is made, you present your solution in a clear, understandable, and consistent manner. The right tone and presentation can inspire your colleagues to implement the solution—or convince your superiors that it’s the right one. 

7. Creativity

Going off-script can be massively beneficial, like it was for Martin Luther King Jr. with his improvised ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. The ability to think outside the box, or take a calculated risk when it’s needed is rare, and therefore worth its weight in gold.

8. Organisational skills

Organising your problem-solving process, as well as the process of implementation once the solution is agreed, is crucial. There is no use in having the best solution if the implementation process gets muddled and messy. 

9. Reporting

When you make important business decisions, you’ll need to report them and justify them to colleagues and superiors. Presenting the problem, data, thought process and solution clearly is essential if you want to be taken seriously and engage others.

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder .

How to demonstrate problem solving skills on your CV

Now that you have some idea of examples of problem-solving skills, it’s time to discuss how to write that CV! The CV structure might differ some between industries, but the main components are generally the same.

1. Start with your CV personal statement

The CV personal statement adorns the top of every CV and solves the problem of a recruiter quickly and absent-mindedly looking at your application. It’s also known as the CV summary and allows the recruiter to instantly see what you’re about in a few quick lines.

Problem solving skills in the CV summary

2. write an experience section full of problem solving skills.

The most important component is definitely the work experience section . Here’s where the bulk of your problem-solving skills should be, since this is where you can write the most. With these CV tips , you’ll get it right every time.

• Scan the job posting for the skills they need, and put most work in on those.
• List all the different skills, and try to write a bullet point for each. You won’t get all of them, some will end up in the bin, but that’s fine.
• Start as many bullet points as possible with action verbs .
• Quantify with numbers, justify with high-impact accomplishment statements .
• Five plus bullet points for the most recent position, three or less for the older ones.

Job description with problem solving skills

• Implemented work organisation solutions to allow us to finalize 70% of projects up to two weeks ahead of schedule.

3. Solve your education section

Write down your degree or highest level of education. If you have more than a couple of years of experience, that’s it.

When writing a student CV , you have to get more value out of your CV education section , and talk about some extracurricular activities or relevant modules that show examples of problem-solving skills.

Problem solving skills in the education section

2.1 B.Sc. Management , 2005–2008

Relevant Modules:   Logic, The Scientific Method  

Extracurricular activities:

Treasurer of the Business Society:   Reviewed the budget and made decisions that led to 25% increased membership, and 17% reduction in costs.

4. Add a skills section

To get some value out of your CV skills section , try the following:

• Either add a short list of additional skills that you haven’t discussed yet, or use this space to reiterate some important points.
• Balance soft skills and hard skills. 
• Two skills with a couple lines of justification could be more memorable than a laundry list of five skills with no explanation.

Problem solving skills in the skills section

• Decision-making:   By applying observation, analysis and problem solving skills, I was able to reduce costs on all projects by an average of 7%.
• Active Listening:  By listening to the team’s feedback and requests, I undertook solving their roadblocks and problems and in effect reduced the staff turnover to zero in my teams, as well as increasing efficiency.

5. Include additional sections

Writing a perfect CV requires an informed approach to additional sections, only listing relevant facts that demonstrate your problem-solving skills. It’s done this way:

• Languages, Certificates and Awards should have their own separate sections.
• Provide details about issuers of certificates or awards.
• Ensure that the CV hobbies and interests section adds to your general problem-solver profile, instead of being generic or uninteresting.

Problem solving skills in the extra sections

What else to remember when including problem solving skills on your cv.

If you want to learn a logical and scientific approach to problem solving, MindTools has a completely free series of 45 articles on approaches, processes and tools for problem solving . It’s the best resource we could find, with 10-15 minute reads per module, allowing you to take it step by step.

Make sure to write a cover letter . That gives you approximately 350 words to elaborate just what problems you have faced, took on, and solved in your previous positions. It’s valuable space that your CV cannot provide.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

If you’re still struggling to demonstrate problem-solving skills, or you just need some advice on how to include problem-solving skills examples in your CV, then let us know in the comments section. We’re here to help.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines . It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

About the author

Since 2005, the LiveCareer Team has been helping job seekers advance their careers. In our in-depth guides, we share insider tips and the most effective CV and cover letter writing techniques so that you can beat recruiters in the hiring game and land your next job fast. Also, make sure to check out our state-of-the-art CV and cover letter builder—professional, intuitive, and fully in line with modern HR standards. Trusted by 10 million users worldwide.

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Problem solving skills

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How to List Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume

12 min read · Updated on November 28, 2022

If you're a strong problem solver, your resume needs to prove it!

Imagine this scenario: a supplier delivers the wrong piece of equipment, your deadline is tomorrow, and your logistics person is out sick. What would you do if you were the one who had to respond?

Every business encounters problems, it's the nature of thriving in competitive markets. Having high-quality employees on hand who can solve problems like shifting deadlines, equipment failure, and changing client needs can be the difference between success and failure. 

That's why recruiters in today's environment are actively seeking candidates who can offer problem-solving skills. But what are problem-solving skills? How do you identify which ones you might have or which ones a recruiter might be looking for? Most importantly, how can you present them on your resume to land that interview?

In this blog, we'll discuss tips to identify, define, and present problem-solving skills.

What are problem-solving skills?

Put simply, problem-solving skills help you to overcome challenges and obstacles; that is, identify the core issue, propose solutions, choose the best one, and implement it.

When recruiters talk about problem-solving skills, they're usually referring to the ability to deal with challenging, complex, or unexpected situations. While they most obviously encompass traits that enable someone to assess and solve problems calmly, these skills are also highly useful in other areas like relationship building and routine decision-making.

Why do employers value problem-solving skills?

Challenges arise at companies every day. Having employees adept at analyzing and solving problems can be enormously advantageous. Companies will always need people to help them to find solutions to their problems. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook , 86% of employers look for problem-solving skills on student resumes.

Employers like to see good problem-solving skills because it also shows them you have a range of other talents, like logic, creativity, resilience, imagination, and lateral thinking.

Looking for problem-solving skills in a job description

There are rare occasions that a job description will plainly state the problem-solving skills that the job requires. But problem-solving is one of those skill sets that don't necessarily appear in the “requirements” section of a job post. Employers are apt to simply expect candidates to demonstrate an analytical mind. So, instead, they will couch those desired skills in other phrases. In this case, you can look for particular keywords to identify the skills the employer is looking for. If you find any of the following keywords in a job description, they are pointing you toward the skills that you should be sure to highlight in the resume you send in. 

If the recruiter is using an ATS, it will be searching for these words. Even if not, the recruiter will be on the lookout for candidates possessing these qualities. Look at this job description and see which problem-solving skills are woven into the post.

How do I list problem-solving skills on a resume?

Given that problem-solving skills come to life in specific scenarios, it's going to be easy to present any that you might have in an interview, when you can describe a specific problem and paint a picture of how you successfully solved it.

But this doesn't mean that you can't find ways of illustrating your ability to face down a challenge on your resume.

Problem-solving skills sound like they're pretty self-explanatory. When asked to describe them, however, they don't offer much depth in the abstract. Unlike conceptual skills, like abstract thinking and ideation, problem-solving skills are all about being proactive in developing and implementing an action plan. That's why the best strategy to demonstrate your problem-solving skills is to show them in action: find specific examples of challenging scenarios and explain the plan you implemented and the results you achieved. 

Many resumes will use terms like “critical thinker” or “problem-solver.” Instead, show how you've used a skill in a way that has solved a problem at work. 

Give examples of scenarios where those skills lead to a solution

Describe a specific process you employed

List major accomplishments enabled by your solution

Add specific training related to problem-solving skills

Use various keywords to avoid repeating “problem-solving”

Let's look at 4 places on a resume where you can describe your problem-solving skills. 

Where do I list problem-solving skills on my resume?

The summary.

The summary is a great place to present a core skill that has benefitted you and your employers. If you've often been asked to find out-of-the box solutions to surprise problems, or you've been a team leader known for adjusting to personnel or process challenges, this is the place to introduce that.

In the employment history section

The employment history is the ideal place to list problem-solving skills that have contributed to proven solutions. When detailing past employment roles, you can use details, like percentages and dollar amounts, and specific scenarios to show how your ability to analyze issues, find options, and communicate action plans has solved problems. 

Mention a time when you took the initiative to troubleshoot key areas

Explain your habit of collecting new data regularly

Give examples of instances when you assumed a leadership role in process optimization

Use the keyword list above

Take a look at the following resume example. It shows how this person's abilities to design solutions, optimize testing processes, and adjust the process to the client helped to optimize process efficiency and save the client money. 

What's more, besides a strategic mindset, the candidate highlights his communication skills by showing that he can collaborate with clients to adapt processes to their needs. 

The skills section

If problem-solving skills are sought after for a particular role, the hiring manager will be looking for them in the skills section. ATS systems scan skills sections on resumes for requisite skills. The key, however, is to only list skills that specifically relate to the job posting. Remember, it's crucial to tailor each resume to a specific job advert. That includes the skills section. That's obviously easier if the job post explicitly lists desired skills. If not, however, look for keywords in the job description that might indicate particular problem-solving skills. Is it a management position looking for a “proven leader?” Communication skills are a must. Is it a logistics position that describes a need for experience with scaling? Troubleshooting and negotiation skills will be paramount.

There are both soft skills and hard skills that are problem-solving skills. “Test development” can be trained, but “troubleshooting” improves with experience. When considering which skills you possess, look to both categories.

A special achievements section

A separate achievements section isn't helpful for every resume, but some can benefit from including one. If, for example, you're using a functional resume format for a career change resume, or you're a senior executive looking to showcase career highlights, or if you have impressive achievements outside of the workplace, such as community organizing or hobbies with impressive, relatable skills, an accomplishments section can really highlight those skills in action. 

If you're using this section to showcase your problem-solving skills, focus on accomplishments with demonstrable results.

7 Important problem-solving skills and their definitions

Problem-solving skills can span from detail-oriented diagnostics to team leadership. Here's a list of skills involved in various stages of the problem-solving process. When crafting your resume, look to these examples to see what problem-solving skills you might have.

1. Research

“ Research skills refer to the ability to search for, locate, extract, organise, evaluate, and use or present information that is relevant to a particular topic.” 

Research skills are an essential component of the problem-solving skill set, as they address identifying the cause of the issue and understanding it fully. Research involves gathering data and information, consulting with more experienced colleagues, acquiring knowledge online or from external sources, and collating newfound data for dissemination. This skill is about the ability to find and use the right resources, extract the data you need, and find the right people to brainstorm with. This means:

Studying specific cases without generalizing

Aiming at variables which make the desired differences

Reporting findings in understandable terms

2. Analysis

The first step in finding a solution is effective analysis of the problem.  To solve a problem you must be able to analyze it from a couple of angles. Your analytical skills are exactly the ones you need in order to propose solutions and get to the heart of the matter.

Analytical skills allow you to assess data and processes to find solutions to a company's challenges. These include:

Forecasting

Data analysis

Interpretation of data and metrics

Deductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning 

Diagnostics

3. Critical-thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to process details with a particular flow, in order to draw connections between concepts and facts. In other words, it's “thinking about thinking,” or finding and fixing flaws in the way we think.

The ability to think critically is a foundation of problem solving. Unless you can see the big picture, you won't be able to suss out the pros and cons of different action plans. 

Critical thinking includes:

Interpretation

Open-mindedness

4. Decision making

Decision-making is the ability to choose solutions to problems. Simply stated, it's taking the relevant collected data, considering multiple viewpoints, and making an informed choice.

Once the choices are narrowed down, you'll need to pull the trigger, knowing you'll be held accountable for the decision. At times, you may need to make these decisions quickly, even if the wrong decision might make the problem worse. The ability to make proper use of your research and analysis to select the best action plan is a valuable skill. Components of this skill include:

Emotional Intelligence

Organization

5. Creativity

Sometimes the best solution is only found by thinking outside the box. That demands creativity. 

Creativity is the ability to approach a task or a challenge in a different way. In other words, it's possessing the imagination to generate new ideas and find interesting approaches and unique perspectives. Creativity is often described as

Divergent thinking

Inspirational thinking

Outside-the box thinking

Experimental thinking

6. Communication

Strong communication skills are vital during all phases of problem solving. While identifying and analyzing the problem, you'll need to know how to communicate the core issues to others. When researching the background of the issue, you'll need to know what communication channels are appropriate when seeking guidance. When brainstorming possible solutions, you will need to know how to guide a team through positive and effective discussions. Then, once you find a solution, communicating the action plan with clarity and precision is key to avoiding confusion and achieving proper implementation. 

No problem would ever be solved without good communication skills at work. 

Communication skills, however, include a much broader array of abilities beyond just speaking clearly. They also encompass listening in ways to make your colleagues feel heard, body language that puts your audience at ease, and vocal pitch adjustments to make your point land better. Here are few common communication skills:

Active listening

Giving constructive feedback

Presentation / visual communication

Nonverbal communication

Written communication

Oral communication

Voice modulation

Rapport building 

7. Collaboration

Problems are rarely solved alone, especially in the business world. The goal here is to show that you've worked effectively as part of a team to generate and implement solutions.

Collaboration, by definition, means working with one or more individuals to complete a task. In the workplace, collaboration can be brainstorming ideas, delegating tasks to individual strengths, layering pieces of a process, or bringing together the team to understand the bigger picture.

When people work together, they're more effective at problem solving than when attempting to go it alone. Successful collaboration with your coworkers also increases their motivation and engagement at work, making them feel like they're an important part of the team. 

Collaboration includes:

Long-term thinking

Adaptability

Positive debate

Emotional intelligence

The bottom line

Problem-solving skills are in high demand, so it's vital to list yours effectively on your resume. There are different places on a resume to add your skills. Explore which ones work best for you. Problem-solving skills go beyond the obvious, so dig deeper to see which skills you might have and, most importantly, when and where you've used them.

Just like problem solving works best with collaboration between colleagues, landing more interviews works best in collaboration with a professional resume writer. Why not submit your resume for a free review from one of our experts?

Related reading:

9 Soft Skills Employers Are Looking for in 2022

11 Steps to Writing the Perfect Resume

Standout Skills for a Resume: How to Make your Resume Great

Related Articles:

Higher Order Thinking Explained

How to Describe Organizational Skills When Applying for a Job

What are Social Skills and Why Are They Important in Your Job Search?

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Adding Problem-Solving Skills To A Resume

Problem-Solving skills are essential in our daily lives , as uncomplicated issues may arise that need smart rectification.

Companies also find these skills valuable, irrespective of the industry you choose to work in. Thinking creatively, disassembling problems, and producing practical solutions to ease the situation makes you an asset.

For this reason, we recommend emphasizing this crucial skill on your resume during career searches, as it will set you apart from other individuals competing for the same option.

Are you a problem solver and what Fortunately, this article of ResumeGiants will provide the vital information you need to convey your soft skills and shed more light on what soft skills are and come examples.

Let’s begin!

Here, you will learn about:

What Problem-Solving Skills Are

Problem-solving skills are vital traits that enable us to:

• Identify problems
• Creatively assess them
• Think of solutions effectively and efficiently

This ability enables individuals to be problem solvers and find alternatives when routes to work are blocked, services are down, or anything of the sort happens. In the workplace, it becomes handy when we need to complete tasks quickly, free-up schedules, rectify errors, etc.

Developing this skill requires proficiency in several other skills , including analyzing problems, fathoming creative solutions, and applying these small factors in your personal life and business.

Essentially, honing your ability to analyze, evaluate, decide, and communicate creatively may guarantee your ability to think through challenging situations critically.

List of Problem-Solving Skills

As previously mentioned, the core components that produce effective decision-making include:

• Proper evaluation
• Communication
• Quick decision-making

This section aims to emphasize these factors, giving you more material to express your value on your resume than merely writing “able to solve problems”.

Additionally, merely stating that you possess problem-solving skills on your resume doesn’t set you apart from the crowd as it is now a cliché term. Essentially, all business individuals are expected to possess these skills since they require them.

What makes you appear more valuable is showcasing your problem-solving skills in your resume, and the information below will help you accomplish this goal. These include:

1. Analytical Skills

In business, the best option upon realizing a complicated situation is to assess the issue and understand the problem’s core. This analysis enables you to identify the problem’s cause and produce an effective solution.

Afterwards, the next step involves careful thoughts on why the problem arose, what actions will fix the issue, what tools are necessary for rectification, and more.

Presenting this aspect of your business personality may set you apart from other individuals competing for the same role.

2. Assessment

Analyzing the problem allows you to produce a list of actions that may end the complication; however, when these solutions aren’t obvious, your assessment ability comes into play.

Essentially, multiple solutions produce different outcomes. As a problem-solver, it’s best to evaluate the pros and cons of each possibility and pick the most logical option with little to no consequences.

Some consequences that require further assessment can include the idea’s speed of implementation, cost, efficacy, business requirements, etc.

For example, suppose you have 2 solutions , one fixing the problem long-term but will take days to process, and the other rectifying it short-term in hours.

In that case, if the complication impedes completing an urgent task, the short-term but quick option is practical.

You can take assessment skills further and consider other alternatives should your initial plan fail.

3. Decision-Making

Irrespective of how much analysis or assessment you make, a decision from the brainstorming session is necessary to move forward with the problem. Without good decision-making skills and speed-of-implementation , this attribute falls flat.

Essentially, carefully evaluating the problem and its possible solution is a crucial part of being a problem-solver.

Besides quick implementation, good decision-making skills allow you to factor in the necessary elements needed to execute the problem’s solution, whether the managers or other group members.

4. Communication

As previously mentioned, making a decision may involve consulting your leaders or group members; however, conveying the problem and its possible answers may be impossible without effective communication.

Suppose you’re a developer that works with a team of other programmers and runs into a problem on your end. Failure to convey the problem and solution will hinder work progress or make you seem ineffective.

5. Creativity

Last but not least, the ability that’s necessary to develop complex problem-solving skills is creativity . In other words, the ability to fathom multiple ways to solve the puzzle and view the issue from multiple hypothetical angles.

Creativity implies that you can think outside the box to arrive at a decision that ends the problem in the best way possible. Additionally, this skill will enable you to rectify issues when they involve your group or information that’s not currently within your grasp.

Nevertheless, strive for creativity and develop your mind to view multiple angles to provide a solution.

Showing Problem-Solving Skills in your Resume

Showcasing your problem-solving skills on your resume may seem like a tricky task, but there are multiple locations on the document to accommodate this ability. You can use the “Skills” section, the “Achievements” section and even give examples of when you solved complicated problems in the “Experience” section .

Remember that when presenting your problem-solving skills, avoid writing down the generic “problem-solving” term, as employers encounter the word regularly.

Instead, you can list specific technical and soft skills in your arsenal that would help you solve problems, like research and decision-making abilities.

The most significant place to include problem-solving skills for a resume is in the “experience” section . Use specific examples you can back up with demonstrable action : 

• Present short but powerful examples of times you overcame significant obstacles
• Make sure they are relevant to your career path and the job you’re applying for
• Back them up with figures and statistics wherever you can.

It’s essential to tailor your problem-solving examples to the keywords of the job description you’re applying for. You need to show how your experiences make you an ideal candidate for this role. 

Examples of Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume

As an example, let’s take a look at some ways problem-solving can be expressed in the experience section of a  business analyst resume :

Brockton Industries / Business Analyst / Atlanta, GA /2018 – 2022

• Assessed risk of testing processes, thereby saving the company $5,000 annually. 
• Increased customer satisfaction by 31% by redesigning customer communication and fulfillment procedures. 
• Improved effective communication with company clients to better mutual understanding of processes and service

Now let’s take a look at how problem-solving could be expressed in the experienc e section of a UX Designer resume :

Lamax Solutions/ Senior UX Designer/ Atlanta, GA /2019-Present

• Achieved an 8% boost in user engagement by producing new visual parallax scrolling design prototypes.
• Developed user-based interfaces by focusing on data-driven design systems, resulting in a 89% increase in traffic over three consecutive years.
• Increased employee satisfaction by 20% by utilizing proprietary technology to install third-party applications like Figma into the mainframe

As you can see, it doesn’t matter which way around you present the problem, the solutions, or the impact your decision made. Just make sure you stress that you were indispensable in achieving an optimum outcome!

How to Improve your Problem-Solving Skills

you want to improve your problem-solving skills for a resume, the first step is to identify your areas of weakness.

Once you have identified these weaknesses, you can then begin to develop strategies to address them. 

Some ways you can improve your abilities in these areas include: 

• Practice problem-solving exercises including puzzles and logic games
• Read books or articles related to problem-solving to help you to understand different techniques and approaches
• Seek out real-life challenges that require problem-solving, such as volunteering or taking on new responsibilities
• Keep a journal of your problem-solving successes to track your progress and help you identify areas for improvement.

The most effective steps to take to practically improve your problem-solving ability is to:

• Practice active listening . Listen to the problem carefully
• Ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand the issue correctly
• Break down the problem into its components and look for patterns and commonalities. 

Once you have a better understanding of the problem, you can generate possible solutions and select the one that best fits the situation. It’s also important to practice using problem-solving techniques in different contexts. 

Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume: Conclusion

If you feel confident in your ability to thoroughly analyze problems, evaluate possible solutions, and promptly execute the correct actions for rectification, it’s worth including in your resume.

These skills reveal to employers that you’re a valuable asset , as complicated tasks will present little to no challenges while you work.

Hopefully, the information in this article is sufficient in helping you effectively present your problem-solving skills in your resume . Consider using our free resume builder to ease the hassle of composing this crucial document.

Our platform presents multiple resume templates and examples, thereby removing the challenge associated with the task. Let’s get a winning-resume!

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No Problem: How To List Problem Solving Skills on a Resume

Problem solving is an in-demand skill recruiters want to see on your resume. Learn how to highlight this soft skill with our detailed guide.

2 years ago   •   4 min read

Problem solving is a key skill in life — and in most workplaces. Like any other soft skill, it belongs on your resume. The only question is, how do you prove it?

Keep scrolling as we explain how to put problem solving on your resume in a way that actually lands. We'll also explain where soft skills like problem solving belong and give examples you can follow. But first, let's take a look at exactly what hiring managers mean when they say "problem solving."

Problem solving skills employers are looking for

If a job ad says that a company is looking for applicants with "strong problem solving skills," what does that actually mean?

Hiring managers want people with skills like:

• Critical thinking
• Brainstorming
• Troubleshooting
• Negotiation
• Conflict resolution
• Organization
• Communication
• Attention to detail
• Experimenting
• Observation

That's a lot! So, how do you fit all that on your resume? Here are some tips to get you started.

How to show problem solving skills on a resume

To effectively showcase problem solving skills on your resume, follow these steps:

• Look at the job ad. What kinds of problem solving skills are specifically mentioned? What key responsibilities are likely to involve problem solving?
• Make a list of these skills or responsibilities — this is what you’ll want to address in your resume.
• Think of a time when you’ve demonstrated each problem solving skill or been in a similar situation.
• Format that incident as an accomplishment by starting with a strong action verb.
• Be specific about what you did and what the end result was.
• Check in with a free resume scanner to see how your accomplishments score and what you can improve.

Now let's take a look at where problem solving skills belong on your resume.

Where to include problem solving skills on a resume

The first thing to know is this: Problem solving is a soft skill, which means you should never list it directly in your skills section. Instead, you should:

• Include past examples of problem solving in your work experience bullet points
• List related hard skills in your skills section
• Mention key skills and accomplishments in your resume summary and cover letter
• Use synonyms to avoid repeating "problem solving" over and over

Emphasize real accomplishments

The best place for any soft skill — including problem solving — is in your Work Experience section. Make your bullet points stand out by outlining what the problem was, what action you took, and what the end result was.

Remember: The key is to be specific. For example, instead of:

Solved problems causing long delivery times.

Streamlined the implementation process and reduced the average product delivery time from 10 days to 4 days by redefining responsibilities and improving accountability of employees.

This specifies what the initial problem was, what action you took, and the end result. Use the formula [Action Verb] + [Accomplishment] + [Metric] to keep you on the right track.

List related hard skills

Problem solving is a soft skill, which means you can’t include it outright in your skills section . But what you can do is list hard skills that go hand in hand with problem solving.

For example:

• Data analysis
• Quality assurance
• Engineering
• Programming languages
• Loss prevention
• Accessibility

If you’re unsure what problem solving skills to include in your skills section, use the tool below to search for the job you’re applying to and it’ll give you a list of hard skills relevant to the job.

Include targeted highlights

If you’re applying for a role where you know that problem solving is an essential skill — like most management, data-driven, or customer-facing positions — you can emphasize your ability to solve problems in your resume summary or cover letter .

Do some research to identify the key issues facing the company, like streamlining inefficient business practices or expanding a small customer base, and highlight 2-3 skills or accomplishments related to those areas.

Here's an example:

Find out if your resume shows enough problem solving skills

An important thing to remember when listing problem solving skills on your resume is, just like other soft skills, you need to show how you’ve used problem solving skills in the past. An easy way to check if you’ve shown hiring managers your problem solving skills, is to upload your resume to the tool below — it’ll tell you if your resume has shown problem solving skills the right way, as well as other soft skills like leadership and communication skills.

Synonyms for problem solving on a resume

Trying to avoid repetition? If you’re searching for another word for problem solving to use on a resume, these action verbs have you covered:

• Transformed
• Revitalized
• Streamlined

For even more suggestions, check out our list of resume action verbs for 2023 .

Resume examples of problem solving skills

Looking for more ways to say that you’re a problem solver on a resume? Try these sample bullet points.

Proposed a plan to reduce shrink, which increased work efficiency and customer services by over 75%.

The first step in solving a problem is identifying it. Companies want to hire people who are proactive, not reactive, which means it's worth including an example of a time you first identified a problem and then took steps to solve it.

Developed a contingency plan during tough economic conditions to save $540K per year.

What's better than solving a problem? Preventing it from becoming a problem in the first place!

Reduced double-booking and error rates by 45%, resulting in a $10,800 increase in yearly sales by developing a scheduling system to coordinate advertising space availability with Sales, Designers, and the Editorial team.

The more specific you can get with your bullet points, the better. Remember, the main point of your resume isn't just to show a recruiter what you've done for other companies — it's to help them imagine what you might do for their company.

Executed self-insured health plan including wellness benefits which saved the business in excess of $70K or 20% and influenced over 200 staff members to become healthier.

What hiring managers want to see is results. Any time you can identify a specific positive outcome in your bullet points, you take one step closer to getting hired.

Responded to and managed 50+ inbound requests from members daily.

Struggling to quantify your achievements? It's okay if you don't have access to specific metrics — you can still include numbers for things like how many projects you worked on or how quickly you completed tasks.

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• Career Advice
• What Are Problem-Solving Skills? (for a Resume & Career)

What Are Problem-Solving Skills? (for a Resume & Career)

As seen in:

Employers are literally fighting for candidates with highly developed problem-solving skills. So, here’s the question: are there really such few people who know how to solve issues? Or aren’t others just able to show this on their resumes convincingly?

If you want to find out how to define problem-solving skills, how to highlight them on your resume, and how to improve them—you’re exactly where you need.

This article will show you:

• What are problem-solving skills and why you need them.
• How to include problem-solving skills in a resume.
• Examples of problem-solving skills for various professions.
• How to improve problem-solving skills in your free time.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here .

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Sample resume made with our builder— See more resume examples here .

Looking for information on other skills? Head straight to one of our guides:

• 99 Key Skills for a Resume
• Organizational Skills
• Project Management Skills
• Marketing Skills
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Collaboration Skills

What Are Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills  consist of a set of abilities that help you identify a problem, propose solutions, choose the best one, and implement it. Problem-solving combines a bunch of other skills such as critical thinking, decision making, and information analysis. It's a valued skill in many jobs.

Here’s a list of skills that may come in handy at each stage of the problem-solving process:

Analytical skills

This is pretty self-explanatory. To solve a problem you must be able to analyze it from a couple of angles. Your analytical skills are exactly the ones you need to propose solutions and get to the heart of the matter.

Research skills

As a matter of fact, they tie in nicely with your analytical skills. You must be able to find and use the right resources, dig deep enough to extract the data you need, and find the right people to bounce your ideas off of. Research skills are an essential component of the problem-solving skill set.

Sometimes finding the right solution will require you to step out of your comfort zone, think outside the box, and push the envelope. This is only possible when your creative thinking skills are sharp as razors.

Decision-making skills

Once you narrow down your choices and pinpoint what causes the problem, you need to make the right decision. Remember: you’ll be held accountable for what you decide upon. A bad decision may turn out not to be helpful in finding a solution in the best case. Or may aggravate the problem in the worst.

Critical-thinking skills

The art of problem-solving is correlated with  your ability to think critically . If you have problems with seeing the big picture, you won’t be able to identify all the pros and cons of different avenues you might decide to take.

• Collaboration

Rarely is problem-solving a solitary task, especially in the business context. You need to prove you work effectively as part of the team to implement your solutions.

Communication skills

Last but  definitely  not least. No problem would ever be solved if it weren’t communicated effectively. Period. The importance of good communication can never be underestimated. All problem-solving strategies depend on successful communication.

As you can see, problem-solving is related to many other kinds of skill sets. That's because it takes a mastery of more than one skills to  solve a problem.  Recent studies on employability skills suggest that problem-solving skills consist of two main components:

• identifying the problem,
• deciding on the best solution.

Each of these is as important as the other.

The problem-solving process would involve analyzing the situation, understanding it, and coming up with an action plan. In fact, y ou can come up with several possible action plans based on your assumptions about what the root cause is.

This is when decision-making skills come in handy.

If you have a good understanding of the situation and its implications, you’ll be able to decide on the right course of action more effectively and efficiently. So, when you come to think of it, there’s no such thing as a single problem-solving skill .

Let's take a closer look at how to highlight your problem-solving skills on a resume.

How to Put Problem-Solving Skills on a Resume?

Wondering why you should demonstrate problem-solving skills on a resume?

Employers love them.  Studies invariably place problem-solving somewhere at the top of lists of skills in high demand among hiring managers.

What’s more, i t’s hard to find a job offer that doesn’t mention problem-solving skills as part of the employer’s requirements.

So, naturally, the next question is: How to list problem-solving skills on a resume? Well, t here’s a good strategy that always works.  It’s called: tailor your resume to the job description.

There are many jobs that require your problem-solving skills to be second to none. The job ads for such positions include entire lists of problem-solving skills that recruiters want to see on your resume.

Here’s an example of a job description for the position of a business analyst :

• Collaborate with solution architects to develop solution designs , and developers to ensure solutions meet the business requirements.
• Establish high-quality user requirements and functional requirements on the basis of identified business needs .
• Evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconciling conflicts, and decomposing high-level information into details. Abstracting up from low-level information to a general understanding.
• Distinguishing user requests from the underlying true needs .
• Create work effort estimations.
• Support testing process on projects to ensure the solution is fit for purpose .
• Responsible for ensuring that the final solution matches the URS and meets the customer's need s.

By the look of it, you can easily say that a business analyst is a professional problem solver.

Before we move on, you need to know one thing: Almost  all Fortune 500 companies use the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to initially screen resumes for keywords. If your resume doesn’t contain the problem-solving keywords the ATS is looking for, you’re likely to end up in the rejected folder. To avoid this, you need to use the resume keywords from the job ad in your own job description.

The experience section of your resume could read something like this:

Problem Solving Skills on a Resume—Example

• Developed solution designs in collaboration with software architects that improved process efficiency by 150% and reduced costs by $300K.
• Supported testing on 3+ large-scale projects to refine solutions and ensure they fit the purpose and match the customer’s needs . This resulted in $1M savings for the client.

This way you can be sure that:

• the relevant keywords are there,
• you’ve included the problem-solving skills the hiring manager is after.

Pro Tip: Describe your past duties and responsibilities in terms of achievements .

But it doesn’t end here.  You can list problem-solving skills on a resume in a separate section to make them even more visible.

But don’t put any random soft skills there.

Take another look at your job description, extract the essence, and use some problem-solving skills synonyms to introduce a bit of variety to your resume:

Examples of Problem-Solving Skills for a Resume

• Data analysis
• Process analysis
• Project design
• Solution design
• Test development
• Benchmark development
• Troubleshooting

The problem-solving skills list above is entirely based on the two aforementioned experience bullet points.

The best part?

If the recruiter decides to ask you situational questions related to any of the skills on the list, y ou’ll be able to answer them by referring to a bullet point in your experience section.

So if you hear something like: Tell me about a situation when your data analysis and solution design skills made a difference,  you can focus on telling the recruiter what steps you took specifically to improve process efficiency by 150% and reduce costs by $300K.

It may be hard to believe, but there’s one more section on your resume you might want to populate with some of your problem-solving skills. The resume objective or resume summary .

Here’s what it could look like:

Problem Solving on a Resume: Example of a Resume Summary

A senior business analyst with 7+ years of experience and excellent communication skills . Eager to join Genentech to support solution lifecycle management and participate in executing strategic initiatives. In previous roles identified a major bottleneck generating a $200K monthly revenue loss, and designed a solution to effectively prevent it .

As you can see in this example, you can call your problem-solving skills by name and put them at the very top of your resume.

Need more ideas? Here’s a list of keywords you may find useful when describing your problem-solving skills on a resume:

The Best Problem-Solving Skills for a Resume

• Brainstorming
• Critical thinking
• Decision making
• Drawing conclusions
• Experimenting
• Logical reasoning
• Negotiation
• Observation
• Organization
• Persistence
• Questioning
• Testing 

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check . Start building a  professional resume template here for free .

When you’re done, our free resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

How to Improve Problem-Solving Skills

Listen: Problem-solving skills are vital.  Studies show that if we come up with the wrong solutions we may unknowingly aggravate the problems in the long run.

Other research shows that of all employability skills , problem-solving skills are the ones that managers find insufficiently developed among the staff. The reason for this is that employees are often afraid that the solutions they propose will lead to the problem... becoming worse.

This is why candidates and employees with highly developed problem-solving skills are so desirable.

If you're wondering how to improve your problem-solving skills—The answer is simple.  Practice makes perfect.  But not just any practice. Here's what you need to do:  Adapt a methodical approach to problem-solving .

One of the best methodologies was put forward by the eminent mathematician George Polya back in 1945 in his famous book How to Solve It .

Polya suggested four steps you must take to solve problems effectively.

1. Understand the problem.

Seems obvious, right? Well,  if this was so obvious, why would people have no faith in their problem-solving skills?  A thorough understanding of the challenge you're facing is vital in finding the right solution.

This is why Polya suggests you start with asking yourself these questions:

• Do you understand the words in which the problem is expressed?
• What exactly are you required to do?
• Can you describe the problem in your own words?
• Can you illustrate the problem with a picture or diagram?
• Do you have all the information necessary to solve the problem?

2. Devise a plan.

Polya suggests a number of strategies you can adopt. Here’s a look at some of them:

• Guess and check
• Draw a picture
• Look for patterns
• Eliminate possibilities
• Make a list
• Be ingenious

Ask yourself more questions:

• What are the connections between the data and the unknown?
• Have you seen a similar problem before?
• Have you taken a look at the problem from different perspectives?
• Can you restate the problem in several different ways?
• Can you solve a simpler problem?

Coming up with the best strategy comes in time and requires you to think in creative ways.

Remember: The more problems you solve, the easier it will be for you to identify the strategies that work for you.

3. Carry out the plan.

After the conceptual stage, implementing the plan may feel like a piece of cake.

As you’re carrying out the plan, keep checking if it brings about the desired results each step of the way.

4. Look back.

Once the problem is solved, i nspect your solution.  Find out what worked and what didn’t. Is it possible to reapply your solution to solving a related problem?

And finally,  check out these simple yet creative tips to improve problem-solving skills, train your brain and learn new strategies:

• Dance and listen to music (they supposedly stimulate neural connections.)
• Play logic games and doing puzzles.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Observe your circadian rhythm and following its patterns.
• Do physical exercise, such as yoga or soccer.
• Note down your ideas.

Your problem-solving skills are just a part of a skill set that turns you into a highly-employable candidate. Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.  Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

Here’s a quick summary of all you need to remember about problem-solving skills:

• Problem-solving skills are one of the key employability factors as identified by several independent studies.
• They consist of a set of interrelated abilities that allow you to solve problems effectively.
• Employers look for candidates with good problem-solving skills.
• You can show your problem-solving skills on a resume in many ways. Just make sure you identify the relevant ones.
• The best way to improve your problem-solving skills is by approaching problems in a methodical way. Practice makes perfect!

Do you have any questions about problem-solving skills? Maybe you’d like to share some tips on how to develop them? Give us a shout out in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines . We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

• https://cdn31.icims.com/icims3/prod/pdf/hei-assets/the-soft-skills-job-seekers-need-now.pdf
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d104/37ab118daca2a4d50828ce980ec26e851889.pdf

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What Are Problem-Solving Skills, and How Do I Put Them on My Resume?

No matter what career you pursue, a problem-solving resume will always be valued by an employer. Companies want to hire people who can think creatively, break down problems into smaller parts, and come up with an effective solution to these problems.

As a result, knowing how to list problem-solving skills on your resume can be beneficial in your career search. It will help set you apart from all the other candidates out there and show off some of your soft skills to an employer. Other than problem-solving, these key skills include critical thinking, communication skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.

Find your bootcamp match

In this guide, we examine what problem-solving skills are, why they are valued by employers, and how you can list them on your resume. It is important to note that, while strong problem-solving skills will help you find employment in any field, you may also require certain technical skills. For example, if you want to work in the tech industry, free coding bootcamps are an ideal way to quickly learn both problem-solving abilities and technical skills. 

What Are Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are the traits that allow you to identify problems and solve them efficiently and effectively. Problem-solving skills fall under the category of soft skills along with communication skills, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and adaptability, to name a few. 

Every day we encounter problems, whether at work or at home. For example, we may have to figure out how to travel to work if our regular commute is closed. Or we may have to identify ways to free up time on our schedule so that we can meet a deadline that we thought was tomorrow. Problem-solving abilities will help you find viable solutions for these challenges.

To be a good problem solver, you need to have a wide range of skills and a strong work ethic. You need to be good at analyzing problems. You also need to be capable of coming up with creative solutions and doing so with business constraints like capital and the limits of team members. Here is a list of a few problem-solving skills that are highly valued by employers:

• Communication
• Decision-making

Why Do Employers Value Problem-Solving Skills?

Businesses encounter problems every day. A sales department may be struggling to reach its goals, and wonder how it can catch up. An office supplies delivery may have been missed, which leaves some workers without paper supplies. 

As a result, employers value job seekers who can solve problems. Employers want to hire people who can come up with solutions to the types of problems that are likely to come up in their job. You should be able to understand the nature of a problem, how it affects a business, and work either independently or as part of a team to come up with a solution.

What Are Some Examples of Problem-Solving Skills?

While you could list “able to solve problems” or “problem solver” on your resume, this is not a very accurate description of all the skills that make up the problem-solving process. Any worker that a business will hire should be capable of solving problems—that doesn’t set you apart from the crowd.

A problem-solving resume should be specific when it comes to listing these skills. Furthermore, you should include a wide variety of problem-solving skills examples. Here are some problem-solving examples that you can list on your resume:

#1: Analysis

The first step in solving any problem is to identify the exact issue that you are dealing with. This is crucial because if you don’t correctly identify a problem, it is very difficult to come up with an effective solution.

Once you have identified the problem you want to solve, you need to analyze it. This will involve using your analytical skills to understand why the problem has arisen and to determine what courses of action you can take to solve the problem. Analysis is an excellent example of problem-solving skills.

#2: Evaluation

When you are coming up with solutions to a problem, you may identify a few potential courses of action. This is because most problems don’t have an obvious solution—there are many ways you can address them.

To be a good problem solver, you need to be capable of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of pursuing a particular solution to a problem. For instance, you may need to evaluate whether a solution can be implemented quickly enough to be effective, or whether the business can afford to implement the solution you are considering.

In addition, you should also be able to evaluate the impact of your decisions after they have been made. Have your decisions led to the success that you expected? If a decision did not turn out in the way that you expected, why was that the case?

#3: Communication

Many of the problems that you’ll face in your job will require input from other team members. Suppose you are working on a team project and have a problem to solve. You would need to communicate that problem to all members of your team and work with them to come up with a solution. 

If you are not able to communicate clearly, different members of the team may walk away with a different understanding of the problem. This could lead to confusion down the line, and make it more difficult to implement a solution.

#4: Decision-Making

Planning out how you are going to solve a problem can only take you so far. At some point, you’ll need to decide on how you are going to solve the problem. You should be able to use your evaluation skills to decide which solution to a problem is best. 

You should also be capable of working with others and using their experience to better understand all the solutions you could use to address a particular problem. Then, once you have found a good solution, you should be able to implement it.

#5: Creativity

Some problems that you encounter will require creative solutions. This is because many problems have limitations within which your solutions must fall. For instance, you may be asked to come up with a solution within a budget, or you may be told that the business can only afford to delegate one team member to solve a problem.

Good problem solvers are capable of thinking outside of the box to arrive at the best solution for a problem. This will involve working with others to understand what has been tried before, and exploring new and novel approaches to problems. This methodical approach to problem-solving is ideal if you are a critical thinker. 

How to List Problem-Solving Skills on Your Resume

You must know how to list problem-solving skills on your resume. These skills are a valuable addition to any resume. By knowing how to demonstrate problem-solving skills on your resume, you can better articulate the potential value you can add to a team and ace your job interview.

But, before you add problem-solving skills to your resume, you should ask if it is relevant to the position for which you are applying by checking the job description. Jobs such as programmers, accountants, and customer service representatives, for instance, all involve a high degree of problem-solving in their day-to-day duties.

There are two places you can list your problem-solving skills on your resume. First, you can list them in your skills section. This is where you list all your skills, whether they are technical skills or soft skills, in an orderly fashion. For instance, if you are applying for a job as a full stack web developer, you could use the following list of skills on your resume:

Full stack web developer skills: Creative thinking, problem-solving, proficient in HTML , CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails, good at working on teams.

Alternatively, you could list your problem-solving skills in the “experience” section of your resume, where you list your previous roles. While you may not explicitly mention “problem-solving” in this section, you can use some of the keywords we discussed earlier to highlight your experience using this skill.

The following is a good example of how to highlight problem-solving skills on your resume by using the “experience” section of your resume:

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

J&J Fast Food

District Manager

2014 – 2019

• Averaged 30% annual revenue growth in home district.
• Used analysis skills to plan out a sales campaign that helped attract younger customers to our stores.
• Led the design and introduction of a new monthly inventory model for seven stores.

In this example, the candidate has mentioned that they have experience using “analysis” skills. Furthermore, their leading an initiative implies that they have experience implementing solutions to a problem.

Problem-Solving Skills: Resume Examples

Continue reading as we examine some more problem-solving skills examples for your resume. This first problem-solving resume example is for a video editing job. While a job like this requires advanced technical skills, problem-solving skills are just as important. You can use the “skills” section of your resume to showcase both technical and soft skills.

• Advanced knowledge of Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere . Can use advanced editing features and tools for quick decision-making. These programs allow for creative problem-solving.
• Working with clients . Experience and knowledge of video editing terms and practices to communicate clearly with clients in an easy-to-understand manner. 
• Ability to work under pressure . Video editing is a high-pressure job with tight deadlines. Completing past projects has led to a strong ability to work under pressure. 
• Collaboration . Video editing requires collaborating with a variety of industries and employees. Teamwork is key to quickly solving problems and meeting deadlines.

This second problem-solving resume example is for a sales assistant position at a video game store. Sales assistants spend their time interacting with customers, and therefore, must have strong communication skills. The “experience” section of your resume is an ideal place to showcase previous experience you have working with customers.

2015–2017

• Dealt with customers daily. 
• Answered customer queries on the telephone. 
• Listened to and responded to customer complaints.
• Helped customers choose the right products for them.
• Worked as part of a team.
• Recommended products to order based on customer feedback.
• Demonstrated quick and on-the-spot decision-making.
• Key responsibilities such as cashing out at the end of the day and handling customer orders.

Problem-Solving Skills for Cover Letter

Writing a strong cover letter is a great way to impress employers. Knowing how to add problem-solving skills to your cover letter is one of the best ways to do this. No matter what job you are applying for, problem-solving skills will be vital.

Adding problem-solving skills to your cover letter is easy, as you can use skills you have learned from previous work experience, education, or personal development. Most job descriptions will list specific traits and skills required. This will typically include problem-solving skills of some kind.

This next section will look at two examples of cover letters with problem-solving skills to help you land your dream job. As you will see, it is easy to add several problem-solving skills to a cover letter, as these skills are common in everyday use.

Problem-Solving Skills: Cover Letter Examples

This first problem-solving skills cover letter example is for an audio-visual technician role at Revolution Technologies. The job description indicates the need for technical skills and previous experience. It also mentions that the company requires a team player and a dependable employee. In this cover letter, problem-solving skills are showcased using a story from a previous audio technician job. 

During my time at Five-Star Audio Visual, I worked full-time as an audio technician. I was part of a core team of five other employees who I worked closely with to help meet client expectations, analyze potential technical issues, and organize frequent events. 

Being part of a team helped me to grow as a person and improve my technical learning. I worked under experienced audio technicians, event managers, and production managers. As such, my communication and decision-making skills vastly improved. I also found that working under tight deadlines helped me to deal with high-pressure situations. 

The second example is for a senior analyst position at Magellan Health. The job description highlights many problem-solving skills requirements such as critical thinking, analysis, and organizational skills. Furthermore, a senior role like this requires strong leadership skills. In this example, skills learned from a data analytics bootcamp are used.  

I recently completed the data analytics bootcamp program at Ironhack. During my studies, I collaborated with my peers on several projects. We used our analytical skills and critical thinking skills to identify and solve problems. Furthermore, we learned in-demand technical skills such as Git, Python, and SQL. This program was fast-paced and intense, which helped me to work quickly under pressure, both independently and as part of a team.   

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Not only should you know how to include them on your resume, but you must learn how to improve your problem-solving skills. The more problem-solving skills you can learn the better, as they can be applied to suit any job or situation. You should do your best to maintain, practice, and improve problem-solving skills as often as possible.

Learning how to improve problem-solving skills in the workplace will lead to better job opportunities and an increased salary. By listing problem-solving skills on your resume, you may land your dream job. However, to keep this job and advance up the career ladder, it is vital you understand how to improve your problem-solving skills. 

Acquire More Technical knowledge in Your Field

There are plenty of free resources where you can improve technical knowledge in your field. Alternatively, you can earn an additional degree. For example, if you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science , you may wish to improve your tech knowledge by enrolling in a master’s program or certificate program.

Acquiring more technical knowledge will boost and improve your problem-solving skills. Technical skills training, such as coding, for example, is a great way to boost your critical thinking skills. Managerial training is excellent if you want to improve your communication and leadership skills. Higher education programs typically require collaborative work, which is excellent for improving your teamwork skills.

Seek Out Opportunities to Problem Solve

You can seek out opportunities to problem solve in your place of work or everyday life. This can be something as simple as asking those in your household if they need help with anything. You can also speak to friends or colleagues and find out if they have any problems that need solving. 

The more problems you help solve, the better your problem-solving skills will develop. You might also find that you are seeking out problem-solving opportunities that are not part of your own skillset. This is a vital part of self-development and professional development, and will ultimately lead to job opportunities.

Do Practice Problems

You can use practice problems to work on and improve your problem-solving skills. This can be done at any time. For example, if you have a long commute to work, you can use this time to do practice problems. These problems can be based on past experiences where you had to problem-solve or on fictional problems. 

You might find it helps to write the problems and solutions out, but you can also do it in your head. If you find there is a particularly difficult problem at work, you can use this practice to explore a variety of solutions and options. You can also work on practice problems with other people, which will have the added benefit of building teamwork and communication. 

Observe How Others Problem Solve

One of the best ways to learn anything in life is to see how others do it. If you have the benefit of working with a particularly skilled employer, you can take advantage of their problem-solving skills by watching how they work and the methods they use. Students can often learn from their peers or instructors. 

It is important to ask questions too. While simply observing how others solve problems is hugely beneficial, asking questions will help clarify their methods and techniques. You can also observe problem-solving in your everyday life if you pay close attention to your surroundings.

Why Is Problem-Solving Important in the Workplace?

You cannot underestimate the importance of problem-solving skills in the workplace. No matter what job you do, problems will arise. Being able to efficiently solve these problems is vital if you want to climb the job ladder, earn more money, and impress your employers. Furthermore, being able to problem-solve will make you less reliant on others for help which is another reason why problem-solving is important in the workplace. 

• Climb the corporate ladder . Problem-solving is a great way to impress your employee and climb the ladder. If you want to earn a promotion at work, you can use learned and improved problem-solving skills to ace the interview.
• Earn more money . You can use problem-solving skills to help the company you work for make more money. This in turn can lead to a salary increase. 
• Team player. Strong problem-solving skills can make you a better team player. Working well as part of a team is vital in most careers.
• Meet deadlines. Some jobs have very tight and strict deadlines. Strong problem-solving is key to quickly solving solutions to meet deadlines.

Should You Learn How to List Problem-Solving Skills on Your Resume?

Yes, you should learn how to list problem-solving skills on your resume because every job requires problem-solving. These skills demonstrate that you are able to tackle the inevitable challenges that will come up in your job effectively. Soft skills, such as problem-solving, are often taught at universities, colleges, and bootcamps. However, you will develop problem-solving skills in all walks of life.

By following the advice in this article, you’ll have no trouble listing your problem-solving skills on your resume. These may just be the skills that help you convince your dream employer to reach out and schedule an interview with you!

How to List Problem-Solving Skills on Resume FAQ

Yes, you need to list problem-solving skills on your resume if you want the best chance of getting the job. For some jobs, problem-solving skills will be vital, and the more of these skills you can include on your resume the better. More technical jobs, like computer programmers, will need to list problem-solving skills on their resume, along with any technical training.

You can learn problem-solving skills anywhere. If you want formal training, most universities will offer soft skills training, which covers problem-solving. You will encounter problem-solving in everyday activities as well in the workplace. 

Some examples of problem-solving skills include critical thinking, analysis, evaluation, creative thinking, and decision-making. These key skills will help you improve your performance in interviews and help you attain future career opportunities. 

Other skills that employers look for include technical skills, project management skills, operational skills, creativity skills, organization skills, deductive reasoning, customer service skills, math skills, and quantitative skills. Highly developed problem-solving skills are essential, but you should read the job posting carefully to ensure you tick any other boxes required.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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Creative Problem Solver Resume Samples

A Creative Problem Solver is a professional who creatively tries to solve high issues or problems. While the job description varies greatly based on the type and scope of the employer, the following are certain core and common duties identified on the Creative Problem Solver Resume – identifying the needs and wants of the customer, assessing and evaluating the right method to come up with creative solutions, choosing the best alternative among various options, taking a balanced and unbiased decision, and using necessary tools or software to deliver quality and creative problem-solving solutions .

Qualification and education requirements vary from industry to industry, however, the following are certain core skills that are universally common and needed – effective decision-making skills, the ability to analyze and deliver a creative solution to complicated issues, and good judgment skills. To the least, a bachelor’s degree directly related to the field is needed.

• Resume Samples
• Creative Problem Solver

Creative Problem Solver Resume

Objective : Enthusiastic, a resourceful recent graduate with academic and professional background in psychology. Ability to establish priorities and meet challenges head-on. Organized and flexible as an independent or team worker with strong time-management and excellent customer service skills.

Skills : MS Office, Creative Skills.

Description :

• Aimed to exceed sales goals, and build long-term relationships with customers by creating positive experiences through high-quality customer care; I excel at client relations and retention guaranteeing customer satisfaction and repeat business.
• Completed on-time deliveries by choosing the best and most efficient routes.
• Recorded each delivery using the proper paperwork before leaving the warehouse.
• Inspected truck equipment and supplies and reported problems and safety hazards to supervisors.
• Fostered positive working relationships with customers by responding to their questions and concerns.
• Identified staff vacancies, interviewed and selected applicants.
• Provided high-quality customer service to optimize customer purchasing and payment processes.

Headline : Seeking a career that will allow me to use my experiences and continue to develop my knowledge, skills and abilities while making an immediate positive impact on the company.

Skills : Project Management, MS Office.

• Lincoln, NE Communicated with a high volume of patients and insurance companies via multi-line phone system, email, fax and in person.
• Maintained patient medical records and accounts on a daily basis.
• Consistently informed patients of their financial responsibilities prior to services being rendered.
• Remained up-to-date with all insurance requirements, including the details of patient financial responsibilities, fee-for-service and managed care plans.
• Coordinated with insurance providers to verify information on eligibility benefits, claims, reimbursements and obtain authorization for proper billing codes.
• Greeted visitors and maintain the front desk reception area in a neat and organized fashion.
• Created spreadsheets to improve inventory management.

Summary : Looking for a position where my extraordinary customer service skills and professional sharpness can be used to make the facility successful. A very motivated, outgoing and friendly sales associate with over four years experience in a fast-paced, team-based environment. Personable and professional under pressure.

Skills : Receptionist, Bookkeeping, Insurance Verification, Collections, Claims Processing, Claims Processing.

• Politely answered phones and scheduled or confirmed appointments.
• Completed patient paperwork and entered in Orthotrac.
• Worked closely with patients before, during and after treatment.
• Confirmed patient insurance benefits and checked claim status.
• Successfully completed OSHA and HIPAA compliance training.
• Cleaned instruments in accordance with sterilization and disinfectant protocol.
• Maintained clear, organized dental records and reports.

Objective : Highly qualified Creative Problem Solver with experience in the industry. Enjoy creative problem solving and getting exposure to multiple projects, and I would excel in the collaborative environment on which your company prides itself.

Skills : Quick learner Detail oriented Organizational Computer Microsoft word.

• Responsible for interviewing via telephone and face to face to assess business owners for state contracts for approval of certification or denial of entry into the Business Enterprise Program.
• Ensured that applicant business met Business Enterprise Program certification requirements that a business entity is owned and controlled at all levels by a minority, female, veteran or person with a disability.
• Reviewed and analyzed vendor reciprocity files and approved or denied reciprocity.
• Assisted Deputy Director with organizing goals, and objectives for certification program functions, conducted research studies, compiled information and data and developed reports.
• Reviewed application documents (tax statements, balance sheets, federal income tax returns, loan agreements; proof of ownership and sources of funds) conducted applicant site visits through the State of Illinois to view and inspect business operations to assist in the determination of certification; made recommendations to the Deputy Director for BEP Certification approval or denial of the applicant entity.
• Attended Outreach programs as a representative of BEP; met with vendors to provide one on one counseling.
• Assisted with the Outreach Section in developing and coordinating general targeted outreach public relations campaigns.

Headline : Responsible for Engaging with internal stakeholders especially upstream development colleagues and teams whose work intersects with policy decisions or supply availability, Helping develop long-term supply/manufacturing strategy in partnership with foundation colleagues.

Skills : Customer Service, Cleaning.

• Greeted and welcomed flight crew in proper form.
• Assisted Airhostess to their specified luggage compartments Making sure that aircraft has been serviced and restocked for its destination.
• Answered any questions they might have.
• Resolved any issue with regards to flight schedule, ticketing and checking luggage in a timely and empathetic manner.
• Greeted passenger upon arrival, assisting the individual into wheelchair in a safe and compassionate manner.
• Transported passenger through TSA security lines.
• Contacted customer to follow up on complete projects.

Headline : Creative Problem Solver is adept at working in diverse retail and customer service environments. Offer a positive attitude and a flexible schedule. Work well independently or with others as a team. skills Exceptional communication skills Customer-oriented MS Windows proficient Able to lift 50 pounds Quick learner Friendly and helpful Credit card processing Late-night shift availability Cash flow management Fast and efficient service worker Strong client relations Adapt to diverse groups.

Skills : Leadership, Creative Skills.

• Politely assisted customers in person and via telephone.
• Earned management trust by completing jobs independently.
• Provided an elevated customer experience to generate a loyal client.
• Restocked/order supplies.
• Developed reputation as an efficient service provider with high levels of accuracy.
• Served as the main liaison between customers, and management.
• Asked open-ended questions to assess customer needs.

Headline : Obtain a Creative Problem Solver position as a team player in a fast-paced organization where I can maximize my experience in a challenging environment to achieve corporate goals as well as growth.

Skills : Microsoft Office, Transportation Skills.

• Earned management trust by serving as key holder, responsibly opening and closing store.
• Answered an average of calls per day by addressing customer inquiries, solving problems and providing new product information.
• Provided an elevated customer experience to generate a loyal clientele.
• Conducted weekly walk-through with the manager to discuss interior visual displays, including store window presentation.
• Performed first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR when required Regulate children's rest periods naps meet regularly with parents to discuss children's activities development Help prepare and serve nutritionally meals and snacks Instruct children in safe behaviours.
• Transported children to and from school.
• Learned, referenced and applied product knowledge information.

Headline : Responsible for Maintaining a strategic view of the work to get done, connecting the dots across workstreams, seeing around corners to be proactive problem solvers, and spotting, managing, and mitigating risks.

Skills : Computer Repair, Critical Thinking.

• Maintained and organized store displays to enhance product visibility and expedite product location activities.
• Educated customers on available product options to meet and exceed customer service experience.
• Provided training to new employees to uphold company policies and sustain customer satisfaction.
• Monitored and tested water sources for chemical content Engineering Geology and temperature.
• Regulated chemical input as need to Soil Environment satisfy Washington Health Department Standards.
• Geophysics Repaired broken equipment, mitigated disruptions in.
• Maintained positive guest relations.

Objective : Friendly Creative Problem Solver is adept at working in diverse retail and customer service environments. Character escort with expertise in delivering support services and resolving customer complaints. Excelling at customer satisfaction and retention. Flexible and hardworking in deadline-driven environments.

Skills : Event Coordination, Leadership.

• Performed in shows in the park daily.
• Provided excellent customer service.
• Answered all customer questions fully and completely.
• Responsible for the safety and security of the mascot characters.
• Handled customer complaints.
• Went into character when necessary.
• Helped return separated children and parents.

Objective : Recent college graduate with network administration knowledge, including back-up, security management, e-mail systems, and applications support. Computer User Support Specialist with a gift for understanding the needs of both business and home users. Versed in troubleshooting and desktop support on Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.

Skills : Researching Skills, Planning Skills.

• Developed and executed layout and installation of electrical wiring and fixtures based on job terms and city regulations.
• Provided outstanding customer service.
• Traveled Numerous miles from job sites on a regular basis.
• Worked overtime, holidays and weekends to accommodate company needs.
• Investigated major malfunctions and breakdowns of heating, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.
• Replaced all old equipment with brand new equipment such as furnaces, condensers, boilers, mini-split systems and water heaters Familiar with Ohio and Michigan hvac codes and procedures Kept accurate records of time and materials used for each job.
• Read wiring and schematic diagrams.

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