How to Include Working Knowledge on a Resume

In a competitive job-seeking environment, you need to differentiate yourself from your rival job candidates. Your resume is one of the most important ways that you can achieve that goal. Use it to highlight your technical skills, soft skills, and practical knowledge. 

But what about experiences that demonstrate your working knowledge of a particular subject, tool, or task? Should you include working knowledge on a resume? And if so, how? In this guide, we will answer those questions so you have a better understanding of working knowledge and when it can be a useful addition to your resume.

What is working knowledge?

Let’s start with the basics: There are many distinct levels of knowledge that you can acquire throughout your life. When it comes to knowledge that can benefit an employer, however, there are three general categories: basic, intermediate, and expert knowledge. 

To understand working knowledge, it is helpful to know the differences between these three broader categories. Let’s take a deeper dive here: 

Basic knowledge is just that: a rudimentary understanding of a subject, tool, or task. For example, if you know how to enter numbers into an Excel sheet and can save the finished results but know nothing about creating new sheets or formatting existing ones, your knowledge can best be defined as basic. If you were being hired for any data entry job that required those more advanced skills, employers would expect that you will need significant training to fulfill those duties.

Expert knowledge lies at the other end of that knowledge scale. In this case, your knowledge of Excel would extend to expertise in everything from developing advanced spreadsheets and workbooks to creating automated templates that can be used by those with basic or intermediate skills in the software.

Intermediate knowledge is the middle ground. Let’s say you have a working knowledge of Excel. Your skill level lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. You will be familiar enough with the software to create spreadsheets, format them, and use them in the performance of your daily duties. That is a “working knowledge” of the program.

What should employers expect from your working knowledge?

Of course, the true test of working knowledge is how it is viewed by a potential employer. Working knowledge is likely to be shaped by the importance of the skill relative to the requirements of the job. If a particular skill is essential to the job, the employer is going to want to know that you have the knowledge and abilities you need to fill the role. 

Most employers will be interested in working knowledge if it is not a vital part of the job. If that knowledge is a core requirement for the position, however, employers will need to be convinced that you have enough skill to meet their needs.

When should you include intermediate knowledge in your resume?

Often enough, working knowledge is acquired outside of the workplace, or learned during your performance of other duties on the job. While these skills and abilities may not be essential for any job that you are seeking, they can sometimes be an important addition to your resume’s listed skill set. Resume experts vary in their opinions on when you should include this information in a resume.

According to ZipJob’s resume expert Caitlin Proctor, this type of resume addition can be a benefit for certain types of workers. "Including your ‘working knowledge’ on a resume can be helpful for certain people,” Proctor explained to the editors at UpJourney, “such as people who are early in their careers or people who are trying to make a career change. In both cases, there is a lack of practical knowledge which can make the ‘working knowledge’ qualifier a useful way to include some skills you are not actually skilled in on your resume.”

“However, I would advise people to steer away from including any skills they are not confident in on their resumes. No one is going to get hired based on their working knowledge of Spanish, for instance, if another candidate is fluent in it and the job requires it. Practical experience will beat working knowledge every time."

How should you add this ability to your resume?

Want to include your working knowledge on your resume? It’s easier than you might imagine. Here’s what to consider when describing your intermediate skills or knowledge:

• Be specific. Think about your skills and knowledge and try to choose the right words to describe your familiarity and expertise.

• Change your perspective. Try to put yourself in the employer’s shoes and consider how they will view your listed skills and knowledge.

• Put it into context. Think about how your working knowledge of a certain subject will help you excel in the role to which you are applying.

When adding working knowledge to your resume, there are two things to do. First, include any relevant intermediate skill or knowledge in your skills section. You can describe that ability in several ways. Take our Excel skill, for example. You could write:

• Working knowledge of Excel

• Intermediate Excel skills

• Working understanding of Excel

In addition to listing the skill or knowledge, you should also include instances in which you used that knowledge or ability on the job. For instance, you could include mention of how you used Excel to track productivity during an important project, and how that tracking helped to keep costs a certain percentage under budget. 

Additional examples of working knowledge 

While we have used Excel as our primary example of working knowledge, there are plenty of others out there. You can have a working knowledge of a whole range of topics and, indeed, competencies. Let’s take a look at two other examples you may list: 

Language fluency 

If you know some French or a little German, listing it on your resume is a quick way to stand out. In many workplaces, having an understanding of a specific language can be massively beneficial. However, you want to make it clear that you are not fluent in the language that you highlight. To do so, you can state you have a working knowledge of it. 

Examples: 

• Working knowledge of French

• Intermediate Spanish language skills 

• Conversational German

Unofficial skills

Let’s face it, not all of your skills will be specific to the job at hand, but they could be useful. For example, if you are a nurse and you have a working knowledge of how to use Excel, that may come in handy. If you happen to work as a vet but have a working knowledge of animal nutrition, that will be helpful when you are advising pet owners. Consider the unofficial skills you have and don’t be afraid to include them on your resume.

Examples: 

• Working knowledge of PowerPoint 

• General understanding of Salesforce

• Basic knowledge of nutrition 

Dos and don’ts of including working knowledge on a resume

By this point, you are about ready to include your working knowledge on your resume. However, there are some extra rules you need to keep in mind. Before you get started with this task, take a quick look at our dos and don’ts, listed below: 

• Don’t exaggerate. Always assume that employers will discover your true knowledge level. Honesty is the best policy. 

• Do put your skill into context. Consider how your working knowledge of a particular subject will help you get the best results in the job.

• Don’t include irrelevant knowledge. Sure, you may have a working familiarity with a jackhammer, but is it necessary to include it in your office job resume?

• Do think outside the box. Chances are, you have talents that you never even consider. Think about the array of knowledge you have and how you apply it.

• Don’t just claim that you have certain knowledge. Describe instances where you have used and demonstrated that ability, and how you learned it too.

Summary

It will be up to you to determine whether the addition of working knowledge in your resume enhances or undermines your skillset. If you do choose to include this knowledge, these tips can help you to ensure that you do it in a way that adds real value to your resume.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Use our free resume review tool to ensure you’re hitting the mark. Boost your chances of landing your next interview by creating a resume that turns hiring managers’ heads for the right reasons.  

Recommended reading: 

• 10 Best Skills to Put on Your Resume

• Using the STAR Method to Create a Superior Resume (Examples)

• How to Tailor Your Resume to Different Positions (Examples)