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Specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted experts

Adam Greer,

Claire Strom Ph.D.

The technical or hard skills a specialist will need depends almost entirely on their specific field of specialization. For instance, healthcare specialists will need to be experts in patient care, and sales specialists will need to be experts in meeting and exceeding sales goals. Regardless of the field, you'll need strong product knowledge or service knowledge.

When it comes to soft skills, specialists need to be able to relay their knowledge and findings within their organization of work, so strong communication skills are an absolute must. Presentation and public speaking skills are also helpful.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.0% of specialist resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how specialists use patients:

Encouraged patients from Community Crisis Stabilization unit to attend support groups and provided outreach.
Educated patients about their treatments, documented patient information obtained from interviews.

2. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how specialists use customer service:

Protect company assets by providing exceptional customer service to prevent theft and by following cash handling and credit card acceptance procedures
Commended by consumers for excellent customer service and professional demeanor in spite of the often negative circumstances surrounding lawsuits.

3. Work Ethic

Here's how specialists use work ethic:

Ensured customer satisfaction by providing quality training and maintaining good work ethics.
Demonstrate significant work ethic through a positive, motivated attitude8.

4. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how specialists use patient care:

Participated in quarterly hygiene department meetings in addition to monthly office staff meetings focused on enhancing patient care and improving office efficiency
Performed medical examinations to conceptualize diagnosis before patients were seen by a Medical Provider maximizing patient care between patients and Provider.

5. Exceptional Client

Here's how specialists use exceptional client:

Support the day-to-day portfolio management and trade processing of over 160 various model portfolios through exceptional client service and execution.
Served as trusted concierge to C-level medical professionals in the surgical field with exceptional client service and stellar communications.

6. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how specialists use troubleshoot:

Set up Operating Room for surgery *Troubleshoot problems that arise during surgery *Decontaminate and sterilize the instrumentation used during surgery
Performed basic maintenance and troubleshoot issues with fingerprinting equipment, including computer hardware and software.

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7. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how specialists use product knowledge:

Shared product knowledge with customers while making personal recommendations, and forming professional relationships with customers.
Set appointments with customer using product knowledge Made reasonable procedure exceptions to accommodate unusual customer requests.

8. PowerPoint

Here's how specialists use powerpoint:

Generated training material using Microsoft PowerPoint used Microsoft Word for the completion and escalation of legislative inquiries.
Created relational databases, managed all IT vendor communications, and created PowerPoint presentations for national audiences.

9. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how specialists use hr:

Coached HR to investigate potential problem areas identified during internal audits of affirmative action programs and recommended corrective actions.
Received files and reviewed if incomplete or inaccurate returned to appropriate HR Coordinator.

10. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how specialists use mental health:

Reviewed and processed requests for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and outpatient mental health services for traditional Medicaid members under 21 years old.
Performed telephonic managed care clinical reviews with mental health providers as part of a dedicated service team for General Electric Corporation.

11. POS

POS is an abbreviation of "Point of Sale" which is the time and place where a customer completes a transaction. It can either be a physical shop that consists of POS terminals or a virtual shop. A POS system helps simplify the retail functions and track important sales data.

Here's how specialists use pos:

Complete and process customer orders for TO GO take out department POS billing and payment processing Friendly customer service Stocking work station
Inventory, training, customer service, shrink control, POS, preparation, general maintenance, closing, opening.

12. Apple

Apple is a technology company known for the iPhone and similar products. The brand is iconic for its clean look and simple design as well as its own operating system called iOS. In addition to phones, Apple also produces tablets, computer monitors, laptops, and accompanying accessories like phone cases, charging cords, mouses, and keyboards.

Here's how specialists use apple:

Created a personalized and beneficial experience for various customers and Apple enthusiasts by building rapport and quality relationships.
Practiced Advanced Conflict Management in solving difficult customer issues without compromising brand or customer relationship with Apple.

13. Sales Floor

The sales floor is the area in a company or a business that is specified for retail activities or is designated as the selling area of the shop. A car showroom can be considered a sales floor, as it has cars in its display which are to be sold. A sales floor is generally crowded with sales assistants who are there to help you out while you can search and check out the products. Generally a sales floor has free access to the public and they can observe, view and get information about the product that is being sold.

Here's how specialists use sales floor:

Followed company merchandise presentation directives and standards while merchandising incoming truck freight and replenishing the sales floor.
Maintained sales floor to company/vendor standards to include recovery.

14. Windows

Windows is a chain of operating systems that controls a computer and is developed by Microsoft. Every version of Windows consists of GUI (graphical user interface), with a desktop that allows the user to open their files.

Here's how specialists use windows:

Administer Windows 2000 Server network environment including domain security, policy administration, DFS, and network configuration and troubleshooting.
Managed user accounts and performed server / directory management through Windows Deployment Services and Active Directory.

15. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how specialists use cpr:

Completed certified CPR, obtained secret security clearance and continuously updated annual and quarterly training.
Maintain CPR certification and Basic Life Support training qualifications.

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What skills help Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on specialist resumes?

Adam Greer

Career Services Specialist, Auburn University

Clearly, the distance/online working skills will stand out with our HDFS majors. Our students have a strong foundation in learning to work with people, and now they have a new way to work with people and remove barriers that might have previously prevented an in-person meeting.

What specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Claire Strom Ph.D.

Rapetti-Trunzo Chair of History, Rollins College

Gaining more facility with computers will always be beneficial-as we have all found out during the pandemic. Generally, however, I encourage students to use a gap year to have adventures and do things out-of-the-ordinary. Students are focused on their trajectory for all their lives and a gap year provides an unusual opportunity to do something different. In my experience, such adventures always prove fruitful and helpful, although it is never clear how until they are over. Thus, I would suggest AmeriCorps, VISTA, teaching abroad, and other related activities.

What type of skills will young specialists need?

Donna Kukarola

Procurement Director, Forsyth County, Georgia

Without a doubt, the need for computer literacy will continue to expand, the ability to work with people, communication skills, being a team member/collaborative. So, in other words, many of the "soft" skills will need the skills they trained for their industry/vocation.

What technical skills for a specialist stand out to employers?

Chirag Parikh Ph.D.

Computer Engineering Chair, Grand Valley State University

If you ask me, I consider valuable experience over good paycheck. Once you have gained that experience the paycheck will follow. As soon as you are out of college, the knowledge gained is very fresh and raring to go. If put into the right place can enhance your technical skills and you can do wonders.
As a Computer Engineering professor, I would say the job opportunities are tremendous for students out of college as they can venture into hardware field (technical support, hardware engineer, test engineer and much more) as well as software field (software engineer, software developer, software tester and much more). The possibilities are endless.
With COVID and employees working remotely there is still ample opportunity to enhance your technical and interpersonal skills as I believe remote working might stay for a while till things get back to normal.

What soft skills should all specialists possess?

Michelle Boller

Chair, Business Technology, Associate Professor and Program Director, University of Montana

Good therapeutic communication skills, including positive patient and coworker interaction, excellent phone skills, ability to compose emails, reliability, consistently positive attitude.

What hard/technical skills are most important for specialists?

Michelle Kelley Shuler Ph.D.

Department Chair: Human Services, Austin Community College

a. Must have strong basic computer skills and knowledge of software such as excel spreadsheets, google docs, etc. Most, if not all, agencies use electronic health records and treatment planning, so it is necessary to be competent in this area.
b. A degree and additional certifications will assist you in seeking employment. It will also increase your level of competency and diversify the communities you serve. For example, at Austin Community College, we offer our students a chance to complete a certification in Mental Health First Aid Training. This increases their marketability and skill level.

Do you want to know more?

List of specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a specialist resume and required skills for a specialist to have include:

Patients
Customer Service
Work Ethic
Patient Care
Exceptional Client
Troubleshoot
Product Knowledge
PowerPoint
HR
Mental Health
POS
Apple
Sales Floor
Windows
CPR
FDA

HIPAA
SQL
Upselling
Payroll
Technical Assistance
Medicaid
Community Resources
Blended Learning
Customer Complaints
Outbound Calls
CMS
QA
ELearning
Led Training
Inbound Calls
Scheduling Appointments

Federal Regulations
Inventory Control
Computer System
Technical Issues
Customer Accounts
Medical Treatment
Opportunity Management
Customer Issues
Customer Inquiries
Hippa
Excellent Guest
Telephone Calls
Mac
ACH
Sales Margins
Unified Communications

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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