Organizational skills are the foundational skills that allow me to work efficiently, deliver my best work on time, and maintain my peace of mind. They enable you to be the best you can be at your job. And thankfully, you can improve your organizational skills and show them off in your job hunt.
Physical Organization
Maintaining an organized physical workspace can improve your mindset and productivity
- To optimize your physical organization, try “creating and developing sensible strategies and physical solutions for facilitating workflow, cleanliness, and efficiency in a workspace”
- Put physical organizational systems in place and stick to them
- Declutter what you really need and what is just taking up precious space
Digital Organization
Organize your digital life using shared digital resources
- Decide what things will be saved where and how
- Set aside a few minutes at the end of each week to back up important files and label and organize them properly
- Check in with your digital organization system to ensure it is functioning at its full potential
On Your Resume
Create and keep deadlines, delegation, goal setting, decision making, team management, project management, event coordination, team leadership, and strategy implementation
- Include these skills in the skills section of your resume, but give them context using strong bullet points
Planning
Create a roadmap with clear directions and instructions for everyone involved to achieve the desired outcome in the most efficient way possible.
- Use planning skills at work to map out big projects, break them down into smaller tasks, and then decide when each task should be completed and how they’ll be accomplished, taking into account what resources are needed.
During Your Interview
Show your organizational skills by sharing specific stories that highlight those skills
- Have specific examples prepared for each of the skills you listed on your resume
- Practice with a friend or career coach, role-playing the interview and how you’ll share your examples in the moment
Time Management
Proper time management allows you to prioritize projects that will deliver the most impact
- There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to time management
- Pay attention to what times of the day you work best and use that intel to plan your time accordingly
Communication
To work effectively with our colleagues, we want to be able to express our point, ask questions clearly, and effectively communicate feedback
- Improving your communication skills begins with strengthening your active listening skills
- When you’re the one trying to communicate something, Wachtler recommends taking time to think about what you want to say first and being as direct as possible
