Organizational Skills: What They Are and Why You Need Them

Whether you are leading a team of individuals or starting your education journey at a community college or university, organizational skills are essential for long and short-term success.

What are organizational skills?

Organizational skills are tools you can use to stay focused and efficiently prioritize your responsibilities. Practicing organization in day-to-day activities can help you manage your workload and equip you with the tools and strategies needed to thrive in any role.

Organizational skills also include processes to keep your work structured and measurable. Practicing these skills helps you effectively complete all of your tasks in a thorough and timely manner.

Examples of organizational skills

Familiarizing yourself with key organizational skills are and how to use them can benefit your work and school performance. From properly managing time to working well with others, gaining these organizational skills can help you achieve in a company or university setting:

Time management

Managing your time is crucial to organizational success. Making a schedule, creating appointments, and planning in advance allow you to have a better understanding of your own personal schedule and the time it takes to accomplish things.

Collaboration

Working in groups or teams can save substantial time on projects, and it can be an excellent source of learning different perspectives. Collaboration is a way to get to know your employees and peers, and it is an opportunity to bounce ideas off of one another.

Delegation 

Delegating is asking others for help by passing off tasks that were originally yours to someone else. Delegation is important for those who have a heavy workload, and it can be a great way to build trust and bond with co-workers by sharing interests and tasks. Asking for help is one of the best things you can do to ensure that all of your tasks get done efficiently.

Communication

Communicating your ideas, feelings, needs, and expectations is an essential way to create a healthy work environment. Good communication is essential for making sure everyone has a clear understanding of their own responsibilities and duties in the workplace. Not only does clear communication remove uncertainty, but it also creates a space for others to come to you with questions and get the answers they need.

Goal setting

Setting goals is an excellent way to keep you and your employees on task. Deadlines, due dates, and personal milestones allow you to prioritize what needs to be done first, plan your milestones, and schedule your tasks.

Why are organizational skills important?

Organizational skills are beneficial in a number of ways. Above all else, creating structure will save you, your company, and your teammates time and energy. Having things planned, scheduled, and communicated and goals set removes unnecessary tasks, allowing you to accomplish more.

When you practice organizational skills, you also remove stress from being overworked or overloaded. Delegating is a great way to remove stress, as you can focus on tasks that highlight your strengths and hand out duties to others that highlight theirs. This way, everyone is working on tasks that suit their interests and strengths, helping the team succeed altogether.

How to showcase organizational skills

Having organizational skills should be highlighted on your job applications and work evaluations for promotion. Your ability to manage time, collaborate, and set goals for yourself will be highly desired by employers, and you’ll want to communicate these strengths in resumes and job interviews.

How to showcase organizational skills on your resume

When writing a resume or cover letter, list your organizational skills as they pertain to the job you’re applying for. In the paragraph or summary at the top of your resume, describe yourself and your organizational skills. This will bring focus to your strengths when employers review your resume.

Another way to showcase your skills is by adding them to your relevant job experience. For example, when describing your past roles and responsibilities, highlight your organizational skills by telling the employer that you, for example, “expertly managed time” or “set and surpassed goals” in that specific role.

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