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Table of contents

What are analytical skills and why are they important?
40+ analytical skills examples for your resume
How to list analytical skills on your resume
How to improve your analytical skills
More skills resources
Key takeaways

Imagine a scenario at work that challenged you. Maybe you had to come up with a file system to bring some order into a chaotic records backlog. Maybe a scheduling mishap left you scrambling to feed tables full of hungry customers.

No matter your industry or area of expertise, the workday can always throw an unexpected curveball. That’s why you need to be ready to think on your feet and adapt to anything. Employers look for employees with strong analytical skills who can think through the challenge at hand and strategize creative “win-win” solutions.

Not sure what analytical skills are or how you can demonstrate them on job applications? Don’t worry! We’ve got that part covered.

What you’ll discover in this guide:

An analytical skills definition to help you understand what it means to analyze a problem.
Analytical skills examples that you can use to up your resume game.
Practical tips to help you exercise your brain and improve your analytical skills.
Key insights to help you remember the important stuff.

Need a resume that displays your analytical skills? Try our AI Resume Builder. This next-level resume tool offers tailored content suggestions and formatting tips to help you generate a persuasive resume in just minutes.

What are analytical skills and why are they important?

Imagine you’re lost in the woods. You’re tired and hungry and looking for a way out when out of nowhere you find it — a map! You’re excited and open it up, only to find that you can’t read it well enough to orient yourself. This is what facing the workday without strong analytical skills feels like.

No matter the resources available to you at work, you can’t navigate effectively, solve problems or truly progress if you don’t know how to analyze your situation and adapt to the information presented to you.

Employers value employees who know how to think through problems, examine their responsibilities from all angles and creatively problem-solve to find innovative solutions.

Analytical skills are the compass that points you down the right path and allows you to understand your roadmap. With a strong repertoire of analytical skills at your disposal, you’ll be out of the woods in no time!

40+ analytical skills examples for your resume

The ability to analyze problems and strategize solutions is not really a single ability at all. It is a composite of dozens of valuable personal skills that come together to make you a strong analytical thinker. We’ve broken down these skills into categories to help you understand how each one contributes to your analytical thinking.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking skills and analysis go hand in hand. These are the core skills that allow you to reason your way through problems.

Critical thinking skills to showcase on your resume:

Identifying patterns
Logical reasoning
Evaluating arguments
Hypothesis development
Decision-making
Judgment
Strategic planning
Foresight
Critical observation

Research

To analyze a problem, you need to be prepared to dig into research and gather all the context necessary to truly comprehend the situation. Use your research skills to show employers how thorough and attentive you are.

Research skills to include on your resume:

Information gathering
Attention to detail
Contextualization
Comprehension
Survey design
Interviewing
Documentation
Organization
Report writing

Problem-solving

Once you’ve looked at an issue from every angle and done the research to ensure you understand it, your next step is finding a creative solution.

Problem-solving skills to highlight your innovative mindset:

Creativity
Risk assessment
Solution evaluation
Troubleshooting
Prioritization
Scenario planning
Conflict resolution
Adaptability
Innovation

Data analysis

Analyzing a problem means understanding how to work with the data presented to you. These skills will help show employers how well you handle and interpret data.

Data analysis skills for your resume:

Data interpretation
Thoroughness
Qualitative analysis
Fact-checking
Comparative analysis
Trend forecasting

Communication

Finally, analysis requires teamwork. Whether you’re collaborating with a hands-on team or simply sharing your analysis with others, your interpersonal and communication skills are a key part of your analysis capabilities.

Communication skills to show off on your resume:

Persuasive reasoning
Empathy
Synthesizing information
Communication
Clarity
Data presentation
Summarizing complex information
Constructive criticism
Negotiation
Visual storytelling
Public speaking
Explanation skills
Feedback interpretation

How to list analytical skills on your resume

Now that you have a helpful list of analytical skills in your pocket, it’s time to showcase them effectively on your resume so potential employers can appreciate your abilities.

Step 1

Begin with the job description

When customizing your resume, always start with the job listing. Identify keywords related to analytical skills that the employer is looking for in their ideal candidate. Integrate these specific skills from the job advertisement into your resume to demonstrate that you’re a perfect fit for the role.

For example, consider this job listing:

Our ideal candidate for the role of data analyst is someone who can:

Conduct detailed data analysis to derive meaningful insights.
Utilize statistical tools to interpret data sets, paying particular attention to trends and patterns that could be valuable for diagnostic and predictive analytics.
Apply critical thinking to evaluate complex data.
Communicate findings effectively to the team to aid business decisions.

The bolded keywords are the analytical skills that I would make the most effort to highlight on my resume if I were applying to this specific role.

Pro Tip

Showcasing analytical skills from the job listing not only positions you as the ideal candidate but also helps your resume stand out and pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) more effectively.

Step 2

Feature analytical skills in your skills section

Your skills section should not only include hard skills specific to your field but also key soft skills that demonstrate your comprehensive analytical capabilities. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight some of your most critical analytical skills.

Step 3

Integrate analytical skills throughout your resume

Beyond the skills section, your work history also offers an invaluable chance to show employers how you’ve used your analytical skills to achieve measurable results.

Consider this example:

Data Analyst
XYZ Analytics Firm, City, State
March 2019 – May 2024

Executed complex data analysis, leading to a 30% increase in client satisfaction.
Employed advanced statistical methods to forecast trends and advise company strategies.
Spearheaded the development of a new analytical tool that improved data processing times by 25%.
Presented analytical reports to senior management that shaped key business initiatives.

Your resume profile also provides a strategic spot to emphasize key analytical skills right at the outset. These are the first skills employers notice, so pick the ones that are most relevant to the role and your expertise.

Pro Tip

If you’re early in your career, a functional resume format can help you prominently feature your analytical skills, even if you lack extensive work experience.

Step 4

Include analytical skills in your cover letter

Your cover letter is an integral part of your job application. It allows you to expand on your resume and express your enthusiasm for the role. Here, you can further showcase your analytical skills by discussing how these abilities have contributed to significant achievements.

For help getting your cover letter started, check out cover letter examples that effectively highlight strong analytical skills. Our Cover Letter Builder can also help by offering generated content suggestions based on your background and providing professional formatting help, so you can confidently complete your cover letter quickly.

How to improve your analytical skills

The ability to critically analyze and assess challenges is a key skill that empowers you to solve problems and face the unknown with confidence. If you need help improving your analytical skills, we’ve compiled some tips below to help you on your journey.

Improve your analytical skills by:

Puzzling it out

Improving your skills doesn’t have to be a chore. Harvard Business School Online suggests playing games, trying out some brain teasers, solving puzzles and even reading mystery novels as methods to help you exercise your analytical thinking muscles.

Asking questions

Sometimes the best way to learn is also the simplest. TalentBridge recommends that readers improve their analytical skills by getting comfortable asking lots of questions. Curiosity breeds critical thinking, which feeds into your analytical abilities!

Relying on the professionals

When it comes to improving your skills, you don’t have to go it alone. Courses, like the ones offered by Udemy, can help you take a structured approach to developing your analytical skills and can help you identify and improve upon your weakest areas.

More skills resources

Looking for help understanding, improving or listing a different career skill? Check out our other guides for help making the most out of your resume skills.

Now, let’s explore some key takeaways to help you remember what’s important!

Key takeaways

List analytical skills on your resume

Want to showcase analytical skills on your resume? Great! Make sure your skills section, work experience and resume profile are chock full of them.
Showcase critical thinking

Demonstrate to employers that you know how to examine a problem logically and explore the information you have from all possible angles.
Focus on research

The ability to dive deep into a topic is key to formulating a complete and comprehensive analysis. Demonstrate that you give your responsibilities all the attention and research they require.
Highlight communication and problem-solving

Analytical skills aren’t just about how you think. Show employers that you can collaborate with others and use your analytical skills to solve problems.
Improve your analytical skills

Improve your skills by asking questions, sharpening your mind with games and puzzles and taking classes aimed at improving your analytical prowess.

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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.