How To Say Team Player On A Resume

8 Proven Examples to Put "Teamwork" on Your Resume

By Terri Miranda

Never say "team player" again…unless you really want to!

Does the following describe you? You're a people person who loves collaborating on a team. You feed off the energy of being around others and you have no problem fitting in. You're eager to start a new project and ready to show the world what you can do.

Here's the good news: If you can work well with others, you have a strong soft skill to put on your resume: TEAMWORK

The truth is, throughout our c areers, we will work with all kinds of people. So, in order to get a job and keep it, we need to learn how to work in a team effectively. It's a soft skill that employers take very seriously.

Like communication and work ethic, teamwork is an important part of your resume. Let's find the right words and phrases to show everyone you're the team player the company wants to hire.

What to Do with the Word "Team" on Your Resume

You've heard all the phrases and figure all you have to do is pick one:

Team player
Teamwork
Team member

Wait!

Doesn't everyone put "team player" on their resume?

They do, but terms like "team player" and "teamwork" will only get you so far.

Why?

It's not descriptive enough to stand out. It doesn't say anything about your accomplishments and it doesn't show action.

Also, the word "team" is one of the most overused words recruiters see.

Anybody can say they're a "team player" and put it on their resume. Our challenge is to find the right words and phrases to show how well you work with others, describe exactly what you did, and make sure it gets noticed!

What Are the Best Examples of Teamwork Skills?

1. Supportive Attitude

First, there's the emotional component to teamwork. We want to like the people we work with, considering how much time we spend with them. We also want them to like us. Or we may feel like we're stuck with them but still need to get the project done. Pairing people skills with teamwork can make a powerful statement and show what you can do:

Ability to apply accurate, effective, and timely support
Ability to inspire
Able to contribute to building a positive team spirit
Able to drive the productivity and morale of the team
Able to overturn morale problems
Acknowledges people's strengths and accomplishments
Develops and maintains effective relationships with others in order to encourage and support the team
Encouraged empathy to understand the team's communication and working styles
Gets genuine fulfillment by supporting others and their successes (Someone else may get all the credit, but you're fine with that)
Helps to identify other's needs for future growth and improvement
Offers others opportunities (If you know that person, please commend them! They're rare!)
Personable team member
Provided patient understanding and support
Supported everyone's efforts to succeed
Supports a positive experience for all on the team
Supports an environment that encourages creative thinking (And feels free to speak up)
Supports risk-taking (And will be there for you if it doesn't work)
Understands and recognizes coworker contributions

2. Idea Exchange

Or as I call it: communication. Imagine meeting your team and minutes later, it's time to get started. You're organizing the project and getting to know your people. It's time to throw all the ideas out there and here's how to do it:

Ability to interact, communicate and present ideas
Ability to translate ideas into unconventional solutions
Ability to understand team needs and develop ideas to meet their objectives
Able to develop, present and effectively communicate complex ideas and strategies in both technical and user-friendly language to a variety of audiences
Able to share my ideas with others
Appropriately shares ideas and info with others (Also carries the thought that you're discreet)
Creates an environment where others feel it is safe to be open and candid (Especially if you're shy in groups, like me)
Desire to embrace new ideas
Embraces teamwork and shares ideas/methods to improve performance
Enjoys being on the idea committee
Open to discussing conflicting ideas and opinions
Proposed new creative ideas
Thinks through projects from ideas through production

3. Collaboration

This is a case where everybody on the team brings their own unique gift (writing, graphics, IT, etc.) Not only are you highlighting teamwork, you're showing skills like listening, creativity, and work ethic.

Ability to promote collaboration and sharing
Able to balance independent and collaborative work
Able to operate collectively and collaboratively
Able to quickly build trust and collaborative working relationships
Builds and maintains ongoing, collaborative relationships with coworkers
Collaborated with others to optimize results
Collaboration is part of my daily routine
Develops and maintains good relations and excellent collaboration with the team
Enjoys a collaborative environment with open dialogue and debate
Has built and motivated high-performing cross-functional and collaborative teams
Identified and implemented strategies to enhance collaboration between all parties
Ready to collaborate
Strong record of effective collaborations

4. Respectfulness

Respect is one of those crossover skills that could be listed under every other soft skill! Respect and teamwork show your emotional intelligence and work maturity.

Always respectful and professional
Able to encourage teammates to practice respect
Ability to gain respect and trust quickly (People person!)
Able to show respect and sensitivity for cultural differences
Experience interacting with different cultures
Respectful in all relationships (Especially with those we might disagree with)

5. Influence and Persuasion

You know how to motivate people without force. You have phenomenal communication skills and you can get others to listen (and maybe consider) what you have to say. Try these:

Ability to influence others
Ability to influence without direct authority
Able to influence and respond across complex arguments
Able to influence behaviors to achieve desired results
Demonstrated persuasion by _______
Excellent influencing skills with colleagues
Persuasive negotiator and influencer
Strong interpersonal and persuasion skills

6. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an important soft skill that needs it's own article! (More on that later.) Everyone on the team should always feel they can be heard, especially when feelings get hurt. Here are a few ideas:

Able to work under pressure and deal with conflict resolution
Demonstrated effective conflict resolution skills and maintained a calm work environment
Diffused tense situations with the team
Expressed opinions openly while managing conflict
Moved the team toward resolution
Proven conflict resolution skills
Provides a model of appropriate behavior for effective conflict resolution
Skilled with conflict management using professional composure
Used conflict resolution strategies to resolve minor disputes

7. Keyword: Team

Sometimes you need the word "team" to get the point across. It's an easy way to get specific:

Ability to work positively within a team environment
Ability to assess the downstream impact of decisions across the team
Ability to contribute to the team in a non-traditional way
Able to bring ideas to the attention of the whole team
Able to build, manage and motivate high-performance teams (High-performance = results!)
Able to step back from daily activity to assess and find new ways to help improve the way the team works
Able to work with and coordinate teams
At my best working in a team
Can be an important part of the team
Can be an invaluable bridge between teams
Enjoys working alongside others every day
Great teammate who never works in isolation (That wouldn't be a teammate!)
Guides a team charged/entrusted with _______ (Also showing leadership)
Helped to facilitate working sessions with teams to strengthen working relationships
Part of a diverse and enthusiastic team
Participates, contributes and ensures the purpose of team member's role
Put the success of the team above my own interests
Team oriented
The central point of liaison within the team
Used a flexible approach to work effectively as part of a large and enthusiastic team
Works cooperatively with other team members

8. Keyword: Projects

It's rare that anyone would work on a project of any size by themselves. When I see the word project, I think of groups of people working busily toward a common goal.

A strong desire to execute, drive impact and demonstrate urgency with projects big and small
Ability to juggle multiple projects accurately
Able to initiate the first steps in launching projects without waiting for permission
Able to take ownership of projects
Adept at keeping multiple programs and projects on track in a deadline-driven environment
Can alter my process to fit the needs of the team/project
Involved in high-impact projects
Proficient in the aspects of project launch and closure
Thinks through projects from ideas to production (You've got a plan!)

Bonus Phrases

Able to follow team protocols
Able to share my challenges and frustrations with my team (Communication!)
Comfortable operating independently with multiple teams relying on me (Even when collaborating, there will be times you'll be on your own. Or you'll have to switch back and forth between the two, effectively and quickly)
Created and deepened relationships between the company and the team
Maintained good working relationships across all areas (Thinking ahead to the next project)
Provided an environment where people could work effectively
Understands and takes an active role in establishing and communicating individual and team goals
Understands the value of building and maintaining strong relationships with team members
Worked cooperatively and effectively with various work styles

Final Thoughts

As you highlight teamwork on your resume, consider:

Show action and be descriptive about what you did on your team
Think of words like "collaboration" and "project"
Focus on people and communication skills

As I always say:

Find the words…get the job