5 ways to highlight your digital literacy skills on your resume

Are you looking to elevate your resume to align with the demands of our digital age?

Highlighting your digital literacy on your resume is the key to demonstrating your relevance and readiness for today's job market.

Digital literacy skills are highly attractive to employers and will help you stand out in a competitive job market.

Digital literacy is "the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.”

Someone who is digitally literate has "the knowledge, skills, and confidence to keep up with changes in technology." They can successfully navigate and communicate through different digital environments.

Watch the video below for some details on digital literacy skills:

In the workplace, being digitally literate means being capable of using digital tools or technologies to be more productive, communicate effectively, manage data securely, problem-solve, and collaborate.

Digital literacy skills can be:

• Basic computer skills

• Communication skills

• Information and media literacy skills

• Digital security and cybersecurity skills

• Programming skills

• Data analysis skills

• Software application skills

• Relevant in our digital era as most jobs today require their employees to have a certain standard level of digital literacy.

• Relevant to the job if the job description says that certain digital skills are required.

• Gives you a competitive edge against other applicants.

• Shows your adaptability to keep up to date with new technology.

• Demonstrates productivity and efficiency: the ability to use digital tools to leverage technology to streamline processes.

• Demonstrates your communication skills.

Discover some effective ways to showcase your digital literacy skills on your resume!

In the work history section on your resume, describe your digital literacy skills in bullet points. Remember to:

• Highlight when you gained, strengthened, or applied a skill in your past roles or experiences.

• Quantify any achievements and use numbers.

• Mention the number of years of proficiency in a specific software or tool.

• Use action verbs to describe the impact of your efforts.

• Tailor your resume according to the job description.

• Emphasize how your digital literacy skills contributed success to the business or organization.

Quiz: Alex's resume

Alex is writing their bullet points for their past work experience as a marketing specialist. Which version is the most well-written?

A

• Made multiple digital marketing campaigns using design programs to create graphics and promotional materials.

• Sent email marketing campaigns through MailChimp, effectively reaching diverse audiences.

• Analyzed campaign performance and consumer behavior with Google Analytics to create better strategies.

B

• Developed and executed 15+ digital marketing campaigns utilizing content creation tools such as Canva and Adobe Creative Suite to design visually appealing graphics and promotional materials.

• Managed 20+ email marketing campaigns through MailChimp, effectively reaching and engaging a diverse audience of consumers.

• Analyzed campaign performance and consumer behavior using Google Analytics, resulting in a 25% increase in conversion rates and a 30% decrease in cost per acquisition.

To align with the role you're applying to, list out your tech skills in a dedicated skills section on your resume. Below are some examples that you can include:

Software applications 🖥

• Microsoft Office Suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams

• Google Workspace: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Gmail

• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, PremierePro

Data analysis tools 📊

• Excel, Google Analytics, Tableau, Power BI

Digital marketing tools 📱

• Social media management platforms: Hootsuite

• Email marketing software: Mailchimp

• SEO and analytics: Google Analytics, ScreamingFrog

• Content creation: Canva, Final Cut Pro

Project management tools 📌

• Project tracking: Jira, Clickup, Asana

• Collaboration: Slack, Basecamp

E-commerce tools 🛒

• Platforms: Shopify, Woocommerce

Programming languages and web development 💻

• Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python

• Content Management Systems: WordPress, Wix, Shopify, SquareSpace

If relevant, include your level of proficiency with these technologies.

The lists above provide just a few suggestions as examples. This article shares essential technical skills for your resume. 👈

Being honest about your skills is very important, as stretching the truth could lead to negative consequences down the line. Remember to choose the skills most relevant to the role you're applying to.

There are many online courses available to learn new digital skills and validate your proficiency for employers to see. Be sure to mention any relevant certifications you have received such as courses from:

• Google Career Certifications

• LinkedIn Learning

• Coursera

• HubSpot Academy

• Hootsuite Academy

• CompTIA

• Meta Blueprint

This article shares free certifications to boost your digital skills. 👈

To showcase your certifications on your resume, create a dedicated "Certifications" section.

List each certification by including:

• Name of certification

• Name of the organization or institution

• Date issued (month and year) — if you're still working on obtaining a certificate, you can state the expected date of completion

• Expiry date if relevant

Do you have any projects that showcase your digital skills?

A digital portfolio can be a great way to showcase samples of your best work. In a digital format, employers can simply click on a link and be able to visually see examples of projects you have worked on in the past.

Digital portfolios can consist of:

• Artwork

• Photographs

• Writing pieces

• Web development projects

• UI/UX design projects

• Graphic design

• Multimedia projects

• Software development

• Data analysis sets

Ensure you keep your digital portfolio up to date and relevant to the roles you are applying to.

Check out digital portfolio examples in this article. 👈

In some cases, including links to your professional social media platforms on your resume can be a great way to showcase your digital literacy skills. You can also create separate social media accounts to use solely for business.

You can create a separate social media section on your resume, or include it in your contact information section.

Ensure your privacy settings on these social media accounts are set to public. Be mindful of when this is appropriate!

Which social media platforms are acceptable?

LinkedIn is always acceptable on a resume. It acts as an extension of your resume, and can provide your employer with more detail about your past experiences.

Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and x (formerly Twitter) can be acceptable in some cases:

• If you use your Instagram or TikTok to showcase your creative work or content management skills.

• If you use a YouTube channel or TikTok to host videos that showcase your creative work and editing software skills.

• If you use Twitter professionally to engage with tweets relevant to your field, share your expertise, and stay up to date with trends in the industry.

Snapchat and Facebook are not acceptable to link on your resume, as they are often solely for personal use and probably contains unprofessional content that is irrelevant to the role.

It's important to showcase your digital literacy skills so employers can see that you are comfortable in a tech-driven workplace and can navigate the changing digital landscape.

Need more ideas on how to start?