How to List Creative Thinking Skills on a Resume

Updated June 17, 20221.4k

Many candidates struggle with how to present their creative thinking skills, but these are highly prized. Check out our tips to help you showcase your skills

Creative Thinking Skills

Have you ever seen somebody find unique solutions to complex problems? Have you seen team members overcome challenges with innovative solutions? These creative problem-solvers who can demonstrate divergent thinking are valuable to companies everywhere. So, you should include these skills in your professional resume, but what are creative thinking skills?

What Are Creative Thinking Skills?

Creative thinking skills are techniques used to look at issues from different and creative angles. Some examples of creative thinking techniques include:

Brainstorming sessions
Mind-mapping
Lateral thinking activities
Storyboarding
Roleplaying

These activities can help build the soft skills and creative skills required to bring new perspectives to problem-solve for businesses.

And what are the benefits of creative thinking? A group of people who can demonstrate critical thinking skills and bring different perspectives prevents stagnation and breeds success.

Creative Thinking Skills To Showcase

Creative people are in high demand, so you should look to showcase whatever creative thinking skills you have on your resume. But, how can you highlight the fact you are a creative thinker?

In the skills section of your resume, it’s good to list some of the following skills to indicate to the hiring manager that you have these transferable, in-demand qualities.

Problem-solving skills
Critical thinking skills
Communication skills
Creative thinking skills
Creative problem-solving skills
Analytical skills

While you may not wish to include all of these, it is essential to include some of these attributes if you want to imply you are an expert in original ideas; they are keywords that recruiters look for.

In general, you should keep developing these skills to improve your creative thought process. You should also take the time to give examples of times when your creative thinking process has found possible solutions in your previous professional experience.

Here is an example of what this could look like:

“I headed a brainstorming session, encouraging active listening between co-workers. This led to us devising and implementing a new workflow system that has increased efficiency by 15%.”

An example like this shows that these creative skills are actionable and that you are not just helpful in generating ideas but implementing them too. With this example, you allude to the value of teamwork; it wasn’t just about your skills, but the whole team coming together. These are the attributes that a recruiter looks for in your resume.

Interview Questions That Test Your Creative Thinking Skills

Listing your creative thinking skills is all well and good, but you’re going to need to back these up with evidence if you are invited to an interview. You will likely be questioned about the skills you mention in your resume, so be prepared to share your creative ideas. These skills are a way of thinking, and you can't evidence this with qualifications or certifications. Be ready to answer questions like these in an interview setting:

What is one way you have thought outside the box in your job?
Tell me about a presentation you have created that you are particularly proud of.
How have you stepped outside of your comfort zone and utilized creative problem-solving in your job?
When have you used effective writing and communication skills?

These questions allow you to talk about your experiences that showcase an application of your lateral thinking. When you answer, always emphasize how your creative solutions benefited the company. Be specific about the situation, the problem, the creative skills you used to solve the problem, and the overall result. Remember to listen carefully, take your time and make sure you are addressing the key aspect of the interviewer’s question. The interviewers are essentially testing your creative thinking skills on the spot, so the way you answer can show your creative thought processes in action.

Creative Thinking Skills

How is creative thinking different from critical thinking?

Sometimes, people use creative thinking skills and critical thinking skills interchangeably. While linked, there are subtle differences. Creative thinking is more closely aligned to generating fresh, unique, and original ideas. Critical thinking is more evaluative and relies on analytical skills. Each is a different way of thinking with its own benefits and limitations, but they are often deployed together in many situations, hence why they are often amalgamated into one idea.

Can you develop creative thinking skills?

Yes, there are ways to develop creative thinking skills. Practice makes perfect, and this rings true for creative thinking. The best way to develop these skills is to immerse yourself in creative projects armed with tools and techniques to help you generate new ideas. This means engaging in brainstorming and mind-mapping activities; you’ll find your creative skills improving.

Do some fields require creative thinking more than others?

While creative thinking skills lend themselves to certain professions, these soft skills are valuable in everyday life in various ways. As such, all employers value innovative, creative thinking, regardless of its a prioritized skill for the role.

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About The Author

Jessie Oleson Moore

Jessie Oleson Moore is a Philadelphia-based freelance writer / ghostwriter and artist. As a writer, she has written extensively on finance, day trading, personal growth, and career development and has extensive experience producing in-depth, research-based articles and guides. In addition, she is an accomplished illustrator and author who has appeared on The Today Show and been featured in Publisher's Weekly. In her free time, she’s an avid traveler, Ashtanga yoga practitioner, and unicorn enthusiast.