How Do I Prove I am a People Person on My Resume?

To convince an employer that you are a people person, you need first to understand what an employer is looking for when they ask for people skills.

Definition of ‘people person’: What does people person mean?

What does it mean to be a people person?  The simplest definition is someone who is friendly, relates well to others, and enjoys meeting and interacting with people.

People person skills for my resume

A people person, however, will encompass several skills and traits. Broadly, these are summed up as interpersonal skills. 

Interpersonal skills are often referred to as people skills and focus on interactions with other people. Interpersonal skills include communication skills, but also attitudes and demeanour.

Here are some skills and attributes necessary to interact effectively with others:

Being a people person means having a balanced repertoire of these skills and communication strengths.

Related: What is a Team Player & How to Prove You Are One

How to say I am a people person on my resume?

On your resume, include examples of when you have used the skills outlined above. Here are some prompt questions to help you think of examples

• When entering a new workplace, how have you gone about developing relationships with your new co-workers?
• Have you experienced conflict at work? How did you resolve the dispute?
• Is there a time you needed to have a difficult conversation with a team member? How did you make sure your message was delivered effectively?
• Have you ever been required to sell an idea? How did you go about this? What was the result?
• When have you led your team to achieve a challenging project? What were the methods you used to motivate your team?
• Is there a time you resolved a customer complaint? How did you fix it?
• How do you engage a potential customer during the sales process? When has your ability to build rapport resulted in a positive outcome?

With the examples you think of, you can create achievement stories for your resume. For example:

Confidently and assertively communicated to resolve customer complaints; used a variety of approaches to manage and resolve concerns, and ultimately negotiated a mutually agreeable solution

Accomplished sale by talking the customer through setup and operation; the customer was concerned they would not be able to setup at home, so I gave clear verbal directions and checked understanding. I then provided customer brief written notes and store phone numbers

Two final notes…

First, not everyone is a people person. You may have a good mix of interpersonal skills and be a gifted communicator, but still not enjoy meeting and interacting with people! If this is the case, consider if a role that requires you to be a people person is the right fit.

Second, it is possible to improve your people skills. This test on Mind Tools might be a good place to start, How Good Are Your People Skills?