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Table of contents

What are conflict resolution skills and why do they matter for your resume?
25 conflict resolution skills examples to include on your resume
How to list conflict resolution skills on your resume
How to improve your conflict resolution skills
More skills resources
Key takeaways

There’s no denying it. No matter how much you love your job, work is stressful. Whether it’s the pressures of a looming deadline or the frustration of a missed communication, there’s no avoiding conflict entirely. As humans, our emotions are bound to show up at work sometimes, especially if we’re passionate about what we do.

So how do you maintain a safe, supportive and productive working environment for yourself and your co-workers? By exercising your conflict resolution skills!

You might be wondering: “What are conflict resolution skills and why do they matter for my resume?” Our guide will answer your questions while providing conflict resolution skills examples to help you describe your abilities to potential employers.

Read on for:

A conflict resolution skills definition to help you understand what they are and why you need them.
A handy list of conflict resolution skills examples that you can use to showcase your cool-headedness on your resume.
A helpful guide explaining how to list conflict resolution skills on your resume for maximum effect.
Tips to help you improve your conflict resolution skills so that you’re better equipped to handle conflicts in the future.
Key takeaways so you can remember the important stuff!

Need a resume where you can let your conflict resolution skills shine? Try out our AI Resume Builder. This tool provides professional content suggestions, automatic formatting, stylish templates and expert tips so you can put together a resume that stands out from the crowd quickly.

What are conflict resolution skills and why do they matter for your resume?

The definition of conflict resolution skills is as follows: Conflict resolution skills are the abilities that empower you to respond to disagreements in a calm, respectful and effective fashion, allowing you to work toward a meaningful and mutually satisfying end to the conflict.

This conflict resolution skills definition might sound complex, but it’s really very simple. And, the good news is, you almost certainly already have quite a few of these competencies in your toolkit. Conflict resolution is made up of the skills that help you listen to others, understand where they’re coming from, assess your own emotional state and respond to problems respectfully.

But why would an employer want to see conflict resolution skills on your resume? Well, conflicts at work are inevitable. It’s nice to minimize their occurrence as much as possible, but there’s no way to completely eradicate workplace conflicts. Especially when they won’t always come from co-workers. Roles in customer service, sales, health care, law enforcement and many others frequently encounter disagreeable customers, clients and outside vendors.

An employee who knows how to work through altercations with a level head is a precious asset. That’s why it can be helpful to write a resume that shows employers that you’ve got your conflict resolution skills down!

25 conflict resolution skills examples to include on your resume

We’ve covered the definition of conflict resolution skills and why they’re important for your resume. Now, let’s go over some conflict resolution skills examples that you can use alongside the resume skills that you’ll already be showing off on your resume.

To do this, we’ll break conflict resolution skills down into four categories.

Communication skills

When it comes to resolving conflicts, communication is key. Misunderstandings are a major source of conflict in the workplace and in general. If you approach conflicts with this in mind, you’ll find that most can be amicably resolved just by clearing up the confusion.

Here are some communication conflict resolution skills to list on your resume:

Effective verbal communication
Effective written communication
Active listening
Empathy
Negotiation
Open-mindedness
Organization
Proficiency with communication software like:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams

Emotional regulation skills

Mediating conflict can be really challenging. Whether or not you were involved in the original conflict, even the process of resolving an issue can be emotionally charged. A great mediator has the emotional regulation skills to keep a cool head and treat each conflict with objectivity and fairness.

Examples of emotional regulation skills to help you keep your emotional response in check:

Accountability
Humility
Respect
Positivity
Objectivity
Perspective
Self-awareness

Collaboration skills

Resolving conflicts sometimes takes teamwork. But on top of that, effective teamwork is often the best way to avoid conflicts in the first place. If you’re applying for a role where you want to showcase your conflict resolution skills, demonstrating your ability to function on a team should be high on your priority list.

Here are some collaboration skills to help you show off your ability to work well with others:

Collaboration
Teamwork
Flexibility
Leadership
Patience

Strategic thinking skills

Finally, resolving conflicts requires a strategic approach. You’ll sometimes need to get creative and really search for out-of-the-box ways that all parties can feel satisfied with the conclusion of the issue.

Here are some strategic thinking skills to highlight on your resume:

Problem-solving
Curiosity
Innovation
Adaptability
Analysis

Pro Tip

These categories are simply a framework to help you understand how each skill is important to effective conflict resolution. While we’ve separated them into boxes, they aren’t independent from one another and work together to help you resolve conflicts. That’s why some of the skills we put in one category could still fit neatly into another.

How to list conflict resolution skills on your resume

Now that you have a comprehensive set of conflict resolution skills at your disposal, how do you integrate them into your resume so that potential employers see you are adept at managing conflicts and fostering positive outcomes in challenging situations? Read on to find out how these skills fit into your wider range of professional skills!

Step 1

Pay close attention to the specific skills and expectations outlined in the job description

Job postings typically include a list of responsibilities and desired skills and experiences for the ideal candidate. These are useful keywords you can use as a starting point for determining which conflict resolution skills to highlight on your resume.

For example, consider this job listing:

Our ideal candidate for the role of HR generalist possesses:

At least three years of experience mediating disputes in a professional setting.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong analytical abilities.
A passion for leadership and fostering a supportive and collaborative working culture.
An empathetic approach to employee disputes.

The highlighted terms in this job listing give us insight into the conflict resolution skills this employer is seeking. If I were applying for this role, I would emphasize communication, leadership, collaboration and empathy alongside specific HR skills like mediation or recruiting.

Pro Tip

Including conflict resolution skills from the job listing on your resume can help your application pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that screen candidates based on keywords designed to narrow down the pool to candidates whose qualifications match the role.

Step 2

Incorporate conflict resolution skills into your skills section

The skills section is an ideal place to showcase your conflict resolution abilities. Your skills related to conflict resolution should be listed alongside other specific hard skills relevant to your field.

Step 3

Integrate conflict resolution skills throughout your resume

List some of your key conflict resolution skills in the skills section, but also incorporate them into your work history section. This demonstrates how you have applied your conflict resolution skills to achieve positive outcomes.

Here’s an example:

HR Generalist

XYZ Company, Anytown, USA

June 2018 – June 2024

Applied active listening and empathy to address employee concerns, fostering a harmonious work environment.
Led outreach initiatives to promote positive employee relations and minimize interpersonal issues.
Conducted thorough investigations into workplace incidents, ensuring fair and equitable outcomes and promoting accountability.
Collaborated with management to provide guidance on effective communication strategies, reducing misunderstandings and improving team dynamics.

You can also use your resume profile to highlight a few of your most important conflict resolution skills at the top of your resume.

Pro Tip

If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, a functional resume format can effectively showcase your conflict resolution skills in the absence of extensive experience.

Step 4

Don’t underestimate the power of your cover letter

Your cover letter provides another opportunity to showcase your skills. Use it to illustrate how your conflict resolution skills are relevant to the specific role you’re applying for. You should write a cover letter that digs deeper into the specific skills and experience mentioned on your resume that match the role the best.

For further guidance, review some cover letter examples that effectively highlight conflict resolution skills. Our Cover Letter Builder can help you build a job-winning cover letter with the help of professional text suggestions and formatting assistance.

How to improve your conflict resolution skills

Conflict resolution skills aren’t just helpful in the workplace. They can also help you tackle the little day-to-day conflicts that come up in your life. Improving your conflict resolution skills can be a great way to get better at listening to and understanding others so you can minimize the frustration and stress of emotionally charged misunderstandings.

Plus, the better your conflict resolution skills get, the better you’ll get at leveraging them in the workplace to position yourself as a fantastic employee and a natural team player.

Improve your conflict resolution skills by:

Understanding your emotional responses

The better you understand yourself, the better you’ll be at regulating your emotions. It’s common to feel defensive, sad or angry when a conflict occurs. But learning how to assess how you’re feeling will help you decide what to do next, whether it’s taking a break, removing yourself from the situation or taking a deep breath and diving back in! A great way to develop this skill is to enlist the help of friends, family, or a trained therapist or coach.

Communicating clearly

We mentioned before that miscommunications are a common source of conflict, so how do we remedy this? Making an effort to focus on how you communicate is a good start. When you talk to others, are you clearly stating your intentions? Do you provide the necessary context for them to understand what you’re saying? Do you use “you” statements that put the focus on their actions or “I” statements that emphasize your perspective? These are all important things to be aware of as you improve your communication skills. Online learning platforms like Coursera and local universities and clubs are all great places to learn and practice this skill!

Getting creative

Sometimes, resolving conflicts requires creativity. Think about what it would take to make everyone happy and look for creative ways to eliminate the blockers that are in the way. Exercising negotiation and problem-solving skills is a great way to get good at finding creative solutions to conflicts. And, the best part? You can easily take courses or read books on these skill sets to develop them further.

Practice, practice, practice!

The best way to get better conflict resolution skills is to exercise them. The next time you find yourself in a heated debate with a loved one, or grumpily listening to a customer service representative who isn’t understanding what you’re asking for, try out your conflict resolution skills. The more you work on them, the better you’ll get!

More skills resources

Looking for help understanding, improving or listing a different career skill? Check out our other guides for assistance.

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

Key takeaways

Add conflict resolution skills on your resume

Conflict resolution skills are helpful whether you’re leading a team or just dealing with customers. Use your resume to showcase empathy, communication, emotional regulation and strategic problem-solving to show employers how you navigate emotionally charged situations.
Focus on communication

Great conflict resolution begins with communicating effectively. This is a crucial skill that will help you minimize conflicts in the workplace and in general. And, when issues do arise, a great communicator is just the person to get to the bottom of things so everyone can move on happily.
Acknowledge your own emotions

Keeping your emotions under control is essential to conflict resolution, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them either. Solid emotional regulation means understanding your emotional responses and being prepared to address them as needed.
Teamwork makes the dream work

Conflict resolution is always a team sport. Listen actively to both sides, keep an open mind and accept input from others in order to reach a collaborative conclusion that satisfies everyone.
Hone your skills

Practice makes perfect. Improve your conflict resolution skills by exercising them and by being mindful of the way you approach conflicts in every area of your life.

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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.