Craig Bush ⋅ Boston, MA IBM ⋅ 11 years experience

Life experience falls under the category of "soft skills" which are more difficult to categorize and quantify, hence the name. For example, being comfortable with around people much more senior than you; or perhaps being able to strike up a conversation with a stranger that's interesting and engaging in any topic.

When I hire consultants, I look for this, but only after I see their resume and online profile(s). I need people that have "presence." It's a blanket term used in our industry to describe someone who you can trust putting in front of a client, someone who can defend an argument without sounding like a jerk.

These skills supplement hard skills in the field. I wouldn't say they supersede though.

Patricia Sanderlin ⋅ Hempstead, TX HP ⋅ 20 years experience

I don't think life experience is a 'skill' that can be entered on a resume per se, but you can take the skills you have learned through your life experience and list those. Such as 'leading teams', 'staying calm in stressful situations and managing them methodically' are some examples that you can emphasize.

David Alhadeff ⋅ Buffalo Grove, IL Lighthouse Consulting LLC ⋅ 29 years experience

Brent,

At the end of the day, there are going to be critical behaviors and technical competencies that are define one's fit for a position and which the recruiter is actively exploring. Because past employment history typically aligns best with the position being pursued, one's past experience with these behaviors in prior work experiences are usually what is found on the resume. However, to the extent that a life experience can equally (or perhaps better) demonstrate one's proficiency in a particular skill/competency area, then such an experience should be considered for a resume or even as part of your LinkedIn profile. For example, behavioral competencies such as resilience, critical thinking, innovative spirit, and collaboration may lend themselves well to life experiences (e.g. military experience, crises) where these behaviors have been clearly demonstrated. Just make sure when you bring those experience up, you CLEARLY show when and how the behavior was exhibited so that the recruiter does not have to search hard for it. The life experience will only be as helpful as the professional competency it is attempting to highlight. Best of luck to you, and thank you for your service.

Dave

Judy Tomlinson ⋅ Dallas, TX Energy Future Holdings ⋅ 25 years experience

Does your resume have a "Skills" section? That is where you can include information about your skills and personal work ethics that aren't always obvious in your jobs performed description. If you'd like to send me your resume, I would be happy to take a look. tomlinsonjk@aol.com