Another reason potential employers are on the lookout for team players is because they help to maintain a positive, harmonious and a result-driven work environment.To grow professionally, it is important to have an inherent team player spirit but it is equally important to effectively showcase that in your resume. Fret not, we are here to help you do exactly that. In this article, we will discover through tips and examples the many appropriate ways in which you can include teamwork skills in your resume, making it the ultimate team player resume!
Defining Teamwork Skills
In a professional setting, teamwork skills can be defined as your ability to work efficiently with others to accomplish day to day tasks and larger organisational goals. The requirement for these collaboration skills is paramount in any industry or sector or place of work. These skills are an extension of your interpersonal skills that encourage cooperation and productivity within your team.
An organisation cannot succeed without its employees, departments and teams working in perfect harmony. Behind every successful company lies the teamwork and hard work of many individuals. Common and shared goals, knowledge and skills paired with honest communication and mutual respect are the main ingredients for achieving good teamwork skills and attaining success as an entire team.
Top Ten Teamwork Skills for a Team Player Resume
Your capability to work effectively with others needs to be accurately represented in your resume. Good teamwork skills are valued by employers and recruiters. It is highly recommended to scan through the job description from the employer's job posting and use the same exact keywords to demonstrate teamwork on your resume. This will also ensure that your resume doesn't get filtered out by an applicant tracking system (ATS) software which most companies use to shortlist the resumes.
Let’s take a look at the top ten teamwork skills that you can mention in your team player resume.
Communication
Effective communication is key to successfully conveying your ideas to a team member. You also have to be able to let others have an open channel of communication to you so that everyone is on the same page. Showcasing strong communication skills on your resume will reassure an employer that you can work well and help them in achieving team goals.
Collaboration
Demonstrating effective collaboration skills amongst your team members helps build the foundation of efficient teamwork and promotes better understanding within the team. Collaboration is necessary while working in group projects as it enables constant exchange of ideas leading to a cohesive working environment. This is one of the teamwork skills that is seen as a positive attribute for any candidate applying for a job.
Leadership
If you are applying for a senior role, then one of the key teamwork skills is leadership. To be a respected team leader you need to have all the positive attributes of a team player. On your team player resume, mention the times you have taken on a leadership role within a team or specifically for a project or been instrumental in the collective success of the organisation.
Accountability
Accountability can be considered one of the most valued and top teamwork skills. A valued quality by any potential employer and fellow team members as it shows that you are willing to take responsibility for your actions and deliver on all your professional commitments and obligations.
Conflict resolution
Working with other people can lead to disagreements and minor conflicts. What matters is your ability to handle those disagreements in a constructive and professional manner. On your resume, it is important to emphasise on your capability to resolve conflicts and to not let it negatively impact your or your team members' work and productivity.
Adaptability
Change is the only constant and work places are constantly evolving. Being an effective team member requires you to be adaptable and unfazed when circumstances change at your workplace. For instance, you can be asked to jump on a different project from the one you are working on and that should be a seamless transition for you and with consideration to the people who you will be working with. Demonstrate with examples on your resume how you can continue to work efficiently in a dynamic work environment due to your adaptable nature.
Time Management
Time management is a highly appreciated teamwork skill and virtue in a professional environment. It showcases your ability to handle your workload expertly and meet your deadlines positively impacting the team effort and organisation that you work for.
Attentive and Active Listening
To be a true team player, you need to be a good listener as it is extremely important to listen to your team members. Your team members can have valuable inputs that can elevate your performance and help improve the projects that you are working on.
Empathy
This is an underrated but one of the highly appreciated soft skills that should be showcased more often in resumes. To be able to exhibit empathy in a professional environment requires you to be able to understand and be considerate to your team members’ feelings and perspectives. To be able to demonstrate such a valued human quality will only make you a more successful team player.
Problem solving
Last but definitely not least is to demonstrate your problem solving skills on your resume. It is a coveted skill which a recruiter will definitely be on the lookout for. Highlight your skills in identifying and resolving issues related to work and your contribution to quick solutions that ensure you and your team members are back on the right track.
Teamwork Skills Examples
The best way to demonstrate how to showcase your teamwork skills on your resume is to provide examples. We have provided a total of ten examples for your reference to showcase yourself as a valuable team player and highlight your ability to work well in a team environment in your resume.
- Coordinated with cross functional teams of designers and developers to successfully launch an exclusive mobile app for a high-end boutique client, driving their sales up by 20%.
- Collaborated with multiple teams to incorporate customer feedback to improve the product leading to 30% increase in customer satisfaction.
- Assisted the finance team to supervise the budget of a $4 million housing project which was completed before schedule and within the allocated budget.
- Organised team-building workshops resulting in improved cross-departmental communication and collaboration.
- Led a cross-functional team of 6 members to optimise inventory management, reducing carrying costs by 30%.
- Worked with the sales and marketing team to conduct market research instrumental in the launch of a new line of breakfast products, boosting sales up by 10%.
- Successfully delegated tasks based on the team member's strength and expertise resulting in advanced workflow and achieving project milestones efficiently.
- Mediated team conflict and contributed to a constructive work environment improving team morale and fostering a positive attitude.
- Spearheaded the revamping of sales processes resulting in a 20% increase in conversion rate and a 10% boost in revenue.
- Led the marketing team and successfully launched the digital campaign for a high end perfume brand achieving 30% increase in their customer engagement.
Nine Belbin Team Roles
Belbin’s team roles is a concept developed by Dr Meredith Belbin, a British researcher who offers a keen insight into how individuals function in a group setting. The main principle of this theory focuses on the importance of identifying and utilising the different and characteristic skillset of each individual in a team environment. The main purpose of this concept is to achieve high levels of productivity and team success through good communication and honest collaboration.
The Belbin team roles are categorised based on an individual’s behaviour, preferences and abilities. Let’s list them down for you.
Coordinator- Brings focus to the team’s objectives and can delegate tasks appropriately.
Monitor evaluator- Offers a logical point of view and makes impartial judgment, weighing up the team’s options in a dispassionate way.
Implementer- Plans and implements workable strategies in an effective and efficient manner.
Plant- Brings creativity and offers unorthodox and creative solutions to problems.
Team worker- Helps keep the team together and provides work related support to team members whenever required.
Complete finisher- Ensures highest quality of output, scrutinising the errors and rectifying them.
Resource investigator- Takes initiative, explores new ideas and brings it back to the team.
Shaper - Keeps the team driven and motivated and ensures that nobody loses focus from the task at hand.
Specialist- Brings expertise and in-depth knowledge of a specific area to the team.
How to Say You are a Team Player on a Resume?
It is important to convey to potential employers that you are a team player but this needs to be done by specifying your accomplishments and experiences rather than just putting the term "team player" in the skills section of your resume. Here are some of the ways in which you can demonstrate your teamwork skills which will reflect that you are a good team player without you having to say it.
Put a Spotlight on Your Collaborative ProjectsThere is no better way of showing a possible recruiter that you are a team player than mentioning specific projects where you have successfully collaborated with your colleagues. Here's an example of how to describe your role and contribution in a collaborative project.
- Collaborated with cross functional teams to deliver 3 successful marketing campaigns and increasing customer engagement by 30%,
Start the bullet point with an action verb that implies team work while explaining your role and responsibilities in the work experience section of your resume. Some of the action verbs that convey a sense of working with others are as follows.
- Collaborated
- Assisted
- Supported
- Helped
- Coordinated
- Participated
If you choose to highlight your teamwork achievements in your previous jobs, ensure that you use specific metrics to do that. Quantifying achievements provides a specific and clear understanding of your work's impact. Here's an example of how you should mention your measured accomplishments.
- Collaborated with the marketing and sales team to ensure the timely release of a new hair care line, resulting in a 15% increase in quarterly revenue.
Highlight the soft skills that are relevant to teamwork and are important for meaningful collaboration.
- Communication skills
- Conflict Resolution
- Adaptability
- Problem solving skills
Adding a reference from an ex-supervisor, boss or colleague in your resume will provide additional credibility as they could vouch for you being an exceptional team player.
How to Improve Your Teamwork Skills?
Improving teamwork skills will be beneficial for you both in your professional as well as personal development. Here are a few ways to help you improve your teamwork skills.
- Communication
- Build strong relationships
- Be receptive to feedback
- Set clear goals
- Don't stop learning and evolving.
Key Takeaways
- Teamwork is a valuable skill that is essential for any organisation's growth.
- Identify your top teamwork skills that resonate with the job description in the employer's job ad.
- Demonstrate your teamwork skills with tangible examples in your resume.
- Understand the nine Belbin team roles to have a clear understanding of effective team dynamics.
- Specify with measured accomplishments rather than vague statements to show that you are a team player on your resume.
- Highlight the collaborative projects you have been a part of in your resume
- Use action verbs that convey that you are a team player.
- Mention references on your resume for additional credibility
- Keep trying to improve your teamwork skills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the different words for team player on a resume?
If you are looking for synonyms to closely describe yourself as a team player, here are some of the words that convey a similar meaning.
- Collaborator
- Supportive team member
- Contributor
- Team-Oriented
- Cooperative team member
Should you mention teamwork skills in the skills section of your resume?
You must mention teamwork skills on your resume as it is a big plus point for job seekers. You can include the following teamwork skills on your resume.
- Communication
- Collaboration skills
- Leadership
- Accountability
- Conflict resolution.
- Adaptability
- Time Management
- Active Listening
- Empathy
- Problem solving skills
How do you show teamwork skills on resume with no work experience?
Even if you don't have any work experience, you can showcase your teamwork skills on your resume through your internships, volunteer experiences and extra curricular activities where you may have undertaken a few group projects and got a chance to work as part of a team.
