Resume Objectives and Skills Matrices

by Kay on June 7, 2011

I’ve added two new features to InstantResumeTemplates.com: There are now resume objectives, along with articles on how to use them. Also, there’s a new category for the skills matrix, which is a hiring and evaluating tool of use to employees, business owners and managers.

Skills matrices are simple and quick to put together, and can be a very handy tool for gauging the abilities and worth of your employees or potential employees.

Skills Matrix Template


Essentially, a skills matrix is a table that outlines the employees or interviewees in one column, along with certain skills you expect a person in a certain position to have. In most skills matrices, the employees or interviewees are listed down the left column, with the skills listed across the top of the page. For each skill, you can make an “X” or a check to indicate that the employee or interviewee has that skill. Or you may choose to use a ratings system, and give the person a 1-5 (one being the best, five being the worst) for his/her ability in that particular area.

For instance, if you’re making a skills matrix for your IT department, you might have categories such as “database administration” or “support.” Your employee, Joe Schmo, is fantastic at database administration, so you would put a “5” in that box. Maybe he’s only so-so at support, so you would give him a “3” there.

The simplicity of the skills matrix makes it easy to glance at and know exactly what you’re getting from each person. If you had a project coming up that would rely heavily on administration, and not so much on support, you might look at your matrix and determine that Joe Schmo is the guy for the job. If you have a project that needs someone strong in support, your matrix would tell you that there might be someone better suited for the job.

Skills matrices can be used in any field, for any number of employees. A small business would benefit from the simplicity of a skills matrix, but even a larger corporation can create such a system and use it as a means of determining which employees are flourishing in which categories. And if you’re simply interviewing candidates, a skills matrix can be just one more tool you use to evaluate which person will the ideal fit for your company.

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