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20+ Examples of Good Problem Solving Skills for Your CV
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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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I bet there are more skills to include on your CV. And these guides might help:
- Communication Skills You Must Have for Any Job
- Critical Thinking Skills & How to Develop Them
- Decision Making Skills & Why You Need Them
- Effective Presentation Skills to Mention on a CV
- How to Prepare an Effective Skills-Based CV
- IT Skills For Beginners and Professionals
- Leadership Skills That Will Impress Recruiters
- Technical Skills & How to Improve Them
- What Are Employability Skills (+ Examples)
- What Makes a Good CV (+ Expert Tips)
While problem-solving abilities are critical, it's important to also recognize other valuable skills. After reviewing 6 million CVs generated using our builder, we've identified the top 10 most frequently listed skills overall*:
- Customer service
- Active listening
- Communication
- Calm under pressure
- Public speaking
- Product knowledge
- Data analysis
- Team leadership and motivation
- Project management
- Quality assurance
*The data comes from a period of the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024).
Problem solving skills examples on a CV
Isaac Harrison
07953 904805
IsaacHarrison@teleworm.us
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+.
Education
2.1 B.Sc. Management, 2005–2008
University of London
Skills
- 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
Languages
- 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. Problem-solving skills are among the most in-demand job skills today.
Below, you can find the top 9 problem-solving skills examples to put on your CV:
1. Research skills
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. Analytical skills
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. With strong analytical skills, you can pinpoint the cause of a problem and effectively 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. Collaboration
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 skills
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.
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
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.
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.
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
IT Project Manager
SoftNet, London
January 2015–Present
- Proven track record of solving roadblocks and scope creep to improve profitability of projects by 10%.
- 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 us to finalize 70% of projects up to two weeks ahead of schedule.
- 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+.
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
Education
2.1 B.Sc. Management, 2005–2008
University of London
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
Skills
- 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
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
Languages
- French (fluent)
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 2013, the LiveCareer UK team has shared the best advice to help you advance your career. Experts from our UK editorial team have written more than one hundred guides on how to write the perfect CV or cover letter.
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