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Table of contents

What are 21st century skills and why do they matter?
21st century skills examples to include on your resume
How to include 21st century skills on your resume
More skills resources
Key takeaways

The modern workplace moves quickly. To succeed, you need a resume that demonstrates your modern skill set and ability to adapt and innovate. Enter the so-called “21st century skills.”

Exhibiting 21st century skills in the classroom or the office will help you stand out as someone poised and ready to take advantage of the fast-paced and opportunity-rich environment of the information age.

But, why are 21st century skills important? Read on to find:

What 21st century skills are and why they can be an asset for your resume.
A 21st century skills list that you can use as a reference and incorporate into your resume.
How to add 21st century skills to your resume for maximum impact.
Key takeaways so you can remember the important stuff.

Need a resume to add your skills to? Get started with our AI Resume Builder. This tool will help you create a strong resume using professionally written text suggestions that you can customize as needed, automatic formatting help to ensure your resume meets your standards and guidance to help you beat that pesky writer’s block.

What are 21st century skills and why do they matter?

You’re already a citizen of the 21st century, so you might be wondering, “What makes 21st century skills any different from… regular old resume skills?” Well, for starters, most of the skills that we’ll define as “21st century skills” fall under the soft skills umbrella. This means that they’re subtle personality-based skills that are transferable across a range of industries and contexts.

But more than that, 21st century skills are skills that allow you to navigate the working and learning environments of the information age. Adaptability to new technologies, the drive and desire to learn independently and the open-mindedness required to connect and collaborate with all sorts of colleagues are skills that make you a uniquely valuable candidate in a modern setting.

So why are 21st century skills so important? They’re the skills that help you navigate this modern world effectively. In other words, they’re the skills that make you a strong, thoughtful and flexible worker. And who doesn’t want that on their team?

On top of that, even careers outside of the technology sector have been forever changed by the tech boom. Knowing how to use modern tools to your advantage is indispensable and can easily make the difference between landing that dream role and thriving in your responsibilities and getting passed over for a more prepared candidate.

21st century skills examples to include on your resume

Now that you know why 21st century skills matter, it’s time to dive into some examples that you can use on your resume, college applications or even just keep in mind as you hone your professional abilities.

But first, let’s talk about a commonly used framework for 21st century skills. There are no definitive 21st century skills standards, but these three key categories are a great way to break down this concept into bite-sized pieces that you can focus on separately.

Let’s dive into each of the categories of the 21st century skills framework.

21st century life skills

These are the soft skills that help you navigate the modern world inside and outside of the workplace. Life skills help you manage your time, make meaningful connections and decide the direction of your life and career.

Examples of life skills:

Flexibility
Time management
Self-motivation
Independence
Responsibility
Accountability
Leadership
Respect
Collaboration

21st century learning skills

Learning skills are the 21st century skills in education and in the workplace that prepare you to tackle new challenges. Learning skills help you think creatively and collaborate with others. In fact, creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking are sometimes called the “four Cs” of learning skills.

Examples of learning skills:

Creative thinking
Creativity software
- Canva
- Adobe Creative Cloud
Open-mindedness
Critical thinking
Communication
Active listening
Curiosity
Organization

21st century literacy skills

Literacy skills build on learning skills to help you make sense of the way that information moves in the 21st century. Things that fall under literacy skills include your comfort level with computer technology, specific software and your ability to critically read and analyze communications and media.

Examples of literacy skills:

Media literacy
Analysis
Resourcefulness
Technology skills
Computer skills
Productivity software
Communication software
- Zoom
- Slack

How to include 21st century skills on your resume

With a newfound sense of what 21st century skills are, you can now get to work on including them on your resume. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1

Pay attention to keywords from the job description

Any job listing is going to include responsibilities and skills that the ideal candidate should have. These keywords are important to show that you align with the expectations of the role, and many of them will qualify as 21st century skills.

Make sure that the soft skills that you list match the job listing, and pay attention to the technical skills listed. Familiarity with the technology that a workplace uses can be a significant advantage for a candidate.

Pro Tip

Matching your skills to the job listing also helps position your resume to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS), which are designed to screen out unqualified candidates.

Step 2

Include 21st century skills in your skills section

Your skills section is the most obvious place to showcase your 21st century skills. Use this section to draw attention to your adaptability and showcase your best talents from all three of the 21st century skills framework categories.

Step 3

Add skills throughout the rest of your resume

Your skills shouldn’t be limited to your skills section. Use your resume profile to highlight a few key 21st century skills at the top of your resume and use your work experience section to describe how you’ve put your skills to use to achieve results.

If you’re an entry-level applicant whose resume is going to focus more on skills than experience, a functional resume format might help you make the most out of your 21st century skills.

Step 4

Don’t forget about your cover letter

A cover letter is a valuable opportunity to expand on your qualifications. It’s also a great place to show off your 21st century skills and how they’ve helped you advance your career and accomplish great things.

Write a cover letter that highlights specific skills and how they align with the expectations of your target role. Check out some cover letter examples to inspire you and leverage our Cover Letter Builder if you need help getting started.

More skills resources

Looking for help understanding, displaying or developing a different type of career skills? Let us help!

Now, let’s dive into some final takeaways to remember the next time you think about 21st century skills.

Key takeaways

Develop life skills

Work on the key soft skills like accountability and leadership that allow you to achieve goals and feel in control of your life’s direction.
Remember the “four Cs” of learning

Creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication help you learn effectively and grow alongside your colleagues.
Emphasize literacy skills

Thoughtful analysis will help you develop your comfort with computer technology while also empowering you to understand modern communication styles and make truly informed decisions at school and in the workplace.
Showcase 21st century skills on your resume

Your 21st century skills should be present throughout your resume and should align with the job description for a resume that passes through ATS and positions you as the best possible candidate.
Be flexible

No matter how you slice it, each category of 21st century skills really comes down to your adaptability and willingness to learn. So, be quick on your feet, interested in growing as a professional and ready to learn from mistakes.

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Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.