What are Interpersonal Skills? Definition & Examples

Interpersonal skills are the set of skills we use to interact and communicate with others. They determine our ability to build relationships and work on a team, making them a key skill for your resume.

Below you’ll find the top 10 interpersonal skills employers look for and tips on how to highlight these essential skills on your resume.

Interpersonal skills examples

The following interpersonal skills are important for excelling in your career, and all make great additions to your resume.

1. Emotional intelligence

Employees with strong emotional intelligence are able to relate to others and maintain a level head in the face of emotionally-charged situations. They are adept at managing social dynamics and ensuring that those around them feel heard, seen, and understood.

Especially important for the following industries:
Human resources, social work, healthcare, sales

2. Communication

Verbal and written communication skills are essential interpersonal skills to demonstrate to employers.

Especially important for the following industries:
Public relations, education, customer service, journalism

3. Cultural competence

Cultural competence is the ability to understand, respect, and effectively interact with people from different cultures, and involves being aware of one’s own biases. This skill helps build stronger relationships with coworkers and clients from various cultural backgrounds.

Especially important for the following industries:
Diplomacy, government, international business

4. Leadership

Employers are always looking for motivated and capable employees who can inspire others and take charge when work needs to be finished. Leadership skills involve not only delegating and strategizing but also getting the most out of every employee and knowing how to best put their unique abilities to use.

Especially important for the following industries:
Corporate management, military, nonprofits

5. Positivity

Candidates and employees who demonstrate positivity are much more likely to find success in a position and be well-liked at the company. They tend to be more motivated and pursue tasks with enthusiasm, leading to positive outcomes for the organization.

Especially important for the following industries:
Hospitality, entertainment, retail

6. Negotiation

Negotiation is not only the act of buying or selling goods, but any interaction where you engage another person in a discussion in an attempt to come to a shared agreement.

Especially important for the following industries:
Law, sales, politics, real estate

7. Openness to feedback

No company wants to hire a stubborn or closed-minded employee, so it’s important to show that you’re receptive to feedback. When you view constructive feedback as a professional growth opportunity, you’re more likely to excel at your job.

Especially important for the following industries:
Technology, science, design, performance art

8. Empathy

People at work gravitate toward those who are capable of showing empathy and relating to their colleagues on a personal level. Empathetic employees are effective team players and tend to be well-liked by clients and customers.

Especially important for the following industries:
Counseling, healthcare, social work, education

9. Teamwork

Modern workplaces often require that employees rely on each other in some capacity and are willing to support others when called upon. Effective teamwork involves knowing when leadership is required and when it’s important to be supportive.

Especially important for the following industries:
Emergency services, sports, construction

10. Conflict resolution

Employers want to hire employees that can manage their own relationships in the workplace. If you’re able to demonstrate good conflict resolution skills, then it’s more likely you’ll be considered for leadership or managerial roles.

Especially important for the following industries:
Law, human resources, politics, diplomacy

How to showcase your interpersonal skills

Are you unsure how to showcase your interpersonal skills to employers? Below, we give you tips on how to demonstrate them in your job application, in interviews, and at work.

On your resume

Instead of listing your interpersonal skills in the skills section of your resume, you should put them into context in your resume bullet points.

Take a look at the two following examples that highlight various interpersonal skills:

Leadership and Teamwork:

• Led a 6 person marketing team in the development and implementation of 3 new marketing strategies, resulting in a 12% increased market share

Communication and Active Listening:

• Transcribed daily meeting minutes and communicated important points to 3 top executives, ensuring smooth business operations

Notice that in the above examples, the candidate doesn’t just say they have strong interpersonal skills – they demonstrate those skills through examples. This creates a much stronger statement that’ll win over any hiring manager looking for candidates who can use their soft skills to deliver results.

To effectively showcase skills on your own resume, follow these three steps:

1. Study the description of your target job and identify which interpersonal skills the employer values most.
2. Think about what you’ve achieved in previous positions that demonstrate those abilities.
3. Use these skills and achievements to create strong, accomplishments-oriented bullet points.

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In your cover letter

If strong interpersonal skills are an essential requirement of the job you want, go the extra mile by highlighting them in the introduction of your cover letter.

Here’s an example of a cover letter introduction that showcases a sales associate’s interpersonal skills:

I’m excited to apply for the Sales Associate position at [Company Name]. As someone who thrives in fast-paced retail environments, I take pride in connecting with customers, understanding their needs, and fostering a welcoming atmosphere. I’m eager to bring my strong interpersonal skills and customer service mindset to the role.

In the body of your cover letter, back up your claims with hard numbers. For example, you could mention how your outstanding interpersonal skills contributed to increasing customer satisfaction by X percent.

In a job interview

In a job interview setting, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to emphasize your interpersonal skills. It’s an effective method that helps you answer behavioral interview questions that focus on how you handle situations in the workplace.

For example, if an interviewer asks you a question about how you handle disagreements at work, you could say:

A response like this tells a full story about how you apply your interpersonal skills and is much more convincing than a one-sentence answer that lacks detail.

At work

Seek out opportunities to collaborate with colleagues you don’t usually work with. This will give you the chance to practice your interpersonal skills, as well as show your manager that you’re taking steps to become a better teammate.

If you’re aiming for a promotion to a managerial position yourself, look for opportunities to take a leading position on collaborative projects. You don’t need to be the designated leader, but if you demonstrate initiative and help the team succeed as a whole, this goes a long way to showing your leadership qualities to management.

How to improve your interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are an integral part of being successful at your job. However, if you don’t feel that you have naturally strong interpersonal skills, there are many ways to improve them.

Here are a few things you can do to build better interpersonal skills:

Ask for feedback

If you aren’t quite sure what skills you need to work on, one of the best ways to find out is to ask others for feedback. Be sure to ask someone whose opinion you trust and respect, and who knows you well.

Once you’ve received feedback on what interpersonal skills you could improve on, proceed to the next step.

Set specific relationship-building goals

One of the biggest reasons to work on your interpersonal skills is to improve your relationships. If you have specific relationships in mind that you want to nurture, whether with a colleague or a boss, it’s worth thinking about how to build that relationship.

For example, if you and a coworker don’t see eye to eye on a joint project you’re working on, this is the perfect opportunity for you to work on your communication skills. Practice actively listening to your coworkers to understand where they’re coming from.

If you can come to understand their core concerns, you might have more room for negotiation and compromise than you thought, and it’ll strengthen your relationship in the process.

Attend networking events

Networking events provide excellent opportunities for honing your interpersonal skills, because you get the chance to introduce yourself to and build connections with dozens of career-focused people. As an added bonus, you might connect with the person who’ll offer you your next job!

If you consider yourself an introvert these events are also a great way to practice being more social because you’ll already have things in common with the other attendees, which should make conversations flow easier.

Check Meetup, LinkedIn, or Facebook for events in your area. If you live in a small town or prefer to network from the comfort of your own home, consider signing up for virtual events.

More skills-related resources

Here are some additional skills-related resources for different industries to help you get the job you want.

• HR skills
• Medical assistant skills
• Graphic designer skills
• CNA skills
• Sales associate skills
• Teacher skills
• Cashier skills
• Server skills
• Nursing skills
• Project manager skills
• Child care skills
• Receptionist skills
• Accounting skills