“I’m a team player who works well with others.”
If you’ve been keeping this line on your resume for years to show teamwork, it’s time to take it off! Teamwork is a soft skill, which means recruiters aren’t just going to take your word for it — they want to see it in action. Describing yourself as a ‘team player’ is about as effective as labeling yourself as a ‘genius’ or ‘visionary,’ which is to say, not at all.
So what do you do, if you can’t just come out and say it? You show it! Here’s how.
How to list teamwork on your resume
- Review the job description to identify what specific teamwork skills the hiring manager is looking for.
- Highlight job titles related to teamwork.
- Start with a strong action verb.
- Demonstrate specific team-based accomplishments in your bullet points.
- Avoid meaningless buzzwords and use synonyms to emphasize teamwork.
- Upload your resume to a free resume checker to find out how it scores.
Find out if your resume shows enough soft skills
Just like other soft skills, teamwork is a skill that recruiters do not want to see listed in your skills section, instead they want to see how you’ve used teamwork in your previous roles. A good way to check if you’ve shown teamwork in your resume accomplishments and bullet points is to upload your resume to the tool below — it’ll scan it and tell you if you’ve shown enough team-based accomplishments and other soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, organization.
Review the job description
Your resume should always reflect the exact job you’re applying for, which makes this the best place to start. Scan the job description for the specific types of teamwork skills required. Will you be:
- Working closely with others on a day-to-day basis?
- Leading a team?
- Collaborating with external stakeholders?
Choose accomplishments that match the duties you’ll be expecting to perform.
- Job description: Work with internal and external customers to analyze the needs and align product roadmap to strategic goals.
- Your resume: Acted as the liaison between product, IT, and sales teams to understand customer demand for new features and prioritize the product roadmap leading to a 35% increase in yearly revenue.
More Tips: Write a targeted resume: How to tailor your resume to a job
Another good way to tailor your resume to the job is to use the skills and keyword tool below to search for the job you’re applying for and it’ll provide you with a list of hard skills relevant to that job. For example, type Program Manager and it’ll give you a list of skills that hiring managers look for in Program Manager resumes.
Highlight job titles
Sometimes, the need for teamwork is evident from the job title itself. If you’ve previously held a job title that contained keywords like Team Leader, Manager, or Coordinator, you’re already off to a strong start.
What if your job title wasn’t so self-evident? There are ways you can work around this — use an unofficial (but more descriptive) version of the job title in your resume summary, or include a short blurb underneath the title that explains clearly what it is you actually did. Just don’t actually change your job title (unless your previous title was full of buzzwords — you can change “Office Motivator” into “Team Leader” guilt-free).
More Tips: Changing job titles on your resume: Do’s and don’ts
Choose strong action verbs
Start your bullet points off with a bang by leading with action verbs that emphasize teamwork skills. Try verbs like:
- Teamed
- Coordinated
- Collaborated
- Liaised
- Mediated
- Coached
- Facilitated
More Tips: Resume action verbs for 2023
Demonstrate team-based accomplishments
Hiring managers want to see evidence of you doing things successfully in a team. Instead of directly saying you’re a team player, choose examples of times you’ve worked with others to finish a project, host an event, or resolve an issue.
More Tips: Writing resume accomplishments (with examples)
Use synonyms in your resume summary and cover letter
It is possible to directly address teamwork in areas of your resume like a cover letter and resume summary. The trick is to be clever about it — instead of coming right out and saying you’re a team player, use synonyms to get the right idea across without being too obvious about it.
- Don’t: Fall back on overused buzzwords and cliches like “team player” or “work well as part of a team.”
- Do: Use synonyms to describe why you thrive in a team environment, like “collaboration,” “supporting others,” and “sharing ideas.”
More Tips: Synonyms for common resume power verbs
Get feedback on your resume
Once you’re happy with your resume, it’s time to put on the finishing touches. Uploading your resume to an ATS resume scanner is fast and free. It can also give you specific, detailed feedback on how you score on core competencies like teamwork.
Examples of teamwork skills
Ready to write the perfect teamwork resume? Here are some sample bullet points you can use to demonstrate teamwork in any situation.
Collaborating with a team
- Collaborated with 10+ developers and product management team to assess project outcomes and prioritize future app features.
If you have experience working as part of a team, mention it! Focus on the size of the team, what your specific role was, and what you accomplished.
Leadership
- Trained and led team building workshops monthly for 3 departments.
If you’re applying for senior or management roles, recruiters want to see examples of how you’ve led teams in the past. You can do this even if you’ve never held an official leadership position by choosing examples of specific projects, training, or initiatives you’d led.
Teaming up to complete a project
- Proposed solution and built team to solve number one cause of customer complaints and completed project six months ahead of schedule.
Teaming up with others demonstrates that you’re flexible and willing to adapt to different situations — and different teams. Mention specific times you’ve worked with people outside your usual department, like ad-hoc teams or cross-departmental initiatives.
Supporting others
- Supported the HR team on 15+ projects including best practice research, recruitment support and other ad hoc HR tasks.
Sometimes teamwork means taking a backseat and lending support to others. If you played some part in accomplishments you don’t want to claim solely as your own, emphasize your supporting role instead.
Training people
- Trained and mentored 20+ new and existing account executives and interns on solutions selling strategies, customer relationship management, and advanced product knowledge.
Training or teaching others is a specific — and valuable — type of teamwork skill. Be specific about how many people you trained, who they were, and what you taught them.
Working with external stakeholders
- Participated in local client meetings with the Account Executives to develop a rapport with clients, understand sales and talking points of the network, and comprehend the marketing needs of the agencies.
Teamwork doesn’t just mean working with people inside your company. Choose examples of times you’ve worked with clients, customers, and external stakeholders, especially if you’ll be doing any of those things in your new role.
Remote teamwork
- Managed a cross-functional team of 10 in 3 locations (London, Mumbai and New York), ranging from entry-level to Ph.D. analysts, and closely collaborated with business development, data analysis, operations and marketing teams.
Whether the role you’re applying for is remote, hybrid, or fully in-person, all companies are seeing the benefits — and the challenges — of remote work. Show that you can navigate this new dimension by mentioning times you’ve led or collaborated with others remotely.
Teamwork skills for students
- Conducted and led weekly intern meetings.
If you’re applying for entry-level roles, it’s fine to choose accomplishments from extracurricular activities, university projects, and internships and volunteer work to demonstrate basic teamwork skills.
Mid-level teamwork skills
- Managed mixed teams of independent contractors and full-time employees dedicated to SEO marketing, data management and content strategy; improved employee retention by 87%.
In a mid-level role, you should be emphasizing qualities like leadership, initiative, and overall career growth. The best way to do this is by including concrete numbers and metrics that clearly show what you achieved.
Senior executive teamwork skills
- Worked with CEO and 5 development team members to plan strategic goals to grow as a global company in the next 3 years.
If you’re applying for high-level roles, like senior management or C-level executive positions, choose examples that show how you’ve worked with top executives and made significant contributions to the company’s bottom line.
Recruiter insight
Tips for listing teamwork on your resume
Be specific. Use your resume to talk about exactly who you teamed up with. If you worked with departments other than your own, that shows us that you’re adaptable, while working with customers demonstrates level-headedness and people skills.
Show responsibility. Working with people in senior roles, like C-level executives or senior managers, proves that we can entrust you with high-level duties.
Highlight remote work. In 2023, being able to work remotely is an in-demand skill set, and we’re looking for people who have experience leading remote teams.
Why does teamwork matter?
It shows that you can work within a team. If you’re applying for team-based roles, this is obviously essential, but many roles involve an element of teamwork even if that’s not immediately apparent.
It shows you can get along with others. Even in a largely solo position, you’ll still need to be interacting with other people occasionally, whether that means coworkers in similar roles, liaising with other departments, or even just meeting with your manager or people you oversee. Never underestimate the importance of being generally pleasant, professional, and easy to get along with — nobody wants to hire a lone wolf.
Teamwork is a transferable skill. If demonstrated teamwork in a retail position, chances are you’ll work well in a team-based office environment. Transferable skills are key when you’re just starting out or changing careers, because they’re always relevant.
Teamwork skills for your resume
Here are some skills hiring managers particularly want to see you show evidence of on your resume. Remember, don't make the mistake of listing these skills out on your resume — instead, try to demonstrate them through your accomplishments.
- Communication
- Influence
- Persuasion, motivation, and other leadership skills
- Collaboration and idea sharing
- Conflict resolution
- Time management and multitasking
- Positive attitude
- Interpersonal skills
