Show employers how you've mastered the art of time management and productivity
Effective time management skills are a cornerstone of professional success. They help you boost productivity, manage your workload, and stay on top of deadlines. Whether you're currently working or seeking a new role, mastering these skills can significantly improve your career. In this article, we explain what these competencies entail, provide key time management skills examples for your CV, and share practical tips for improving yours to stand out in the job market.
What are time management skills?
Time management skills are essential in the workplace and are highly valued by all employers. These skills revolve around using your time more effectively, which often means organising tasks by their priority and urgency.
Having a strong set of time management skills at your disposal ensures you're not just getting things done, but doing so in a way that keeps your workload manageable and your stress levels in check.
Examples of time management skills
Here are some practical time management skills examples that employers value, and which you can start implementing in your daily work routine:
Goal setting
You can only manage your time best if you know what you're trying to achieve. A key player of the time management skills suite is the ability to identify and set clear, achievable goals.
From there, you can break them into smaller, more manageable tasks to help you stay on track. Two popular goal-setting frameworks you may use are OKRs and SMART goals.
Planning
Unsurprisingly, planning is another core component of time management, as it can significantly enhance productivity and reduce stress. By planning, you can systematically organise your tasks and activities and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
How you plan is your choice. You could start each week with a “big picture” to-do list and create a daily plan for immediate priorities on paper or via a project management tool like Asana. You could also set time blocks or self-imposed deadlines on your calendar to keep yourself accountable and minimise distractions, AKA monk mode!
Prioritisation
Prioritisation is a key time management skill that goes hand in hand with planning. It can be hard to identify what truly matters and where to focus your time and energy, especially if there's a culture of “latest and loudest” at your workplace. However, knowing how to prioritise your tasks effectively can help you achieve your business goals more efficiently.
One of the most effective models for prioritisation is the Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix. It's a four-quadrant matrix where you classify tasks by:
Urgent and important: tasks that require immediate attention and have significant consequences if not completed promptly, e.g. deadlines
Not urgent but important: tasks that are important for long-term goals and success but don't require immediate action, e.g. relationship-building
Urgent but not important: tasks that demand immediate attention but don't contribute significantly to your long-term goals, e.g. most emails
Not urgent and not important: tasks that offer little to no value and are often distractions, e.g. trivial activities
Delegation
Knowing when to complete a task yourself and when to delegate is a critical time management skill that can be difficult to develop and implement effectively.
However, you can distribute tasks to others and free up your time to focus on higher-priority tasks – this ensures work is completed efficiently, empowers your team, and promotes their development.
Often, the tasks on your plate that are urgent but not important can be delegated to your team as they need to be done but may not require your specific skill set.
Communication
Strong verbal and written communication skills are vital for time management. Clear and concise communication clarifies expectations, deadlines, and responsibilities, minimising time spent on clarifications and corrections. It also opens lines of communication to foster teamwork and collaboration, which enables faster problem-solving and decision-making.
Consider using simple and direct language to convey your message, use listening skills to help you understand others' needs and concerns, and use the proper channels for your messages, such as email for detailed instructions or instant messages for quick updates.
Other common time management skills examples include:
Stress management
Technology utilisation and automation
Reflection and adaption
Self-discipline
Organisation
Maintaining boundaries
Why are time management skills essential in the workplace?
There are many reasons why time management skills are essential at work:
Increased productivity: Getting more done in less time helps businesses achieve their goals more swiftly and effectively.
Consistent deadline meeting: Managing your time well means projects are delivered on schedule. Your reliability maintains satisfaction across your team and the business.
Reduced stress and burnout: If you have strong time management skills, you're good at handling your workload, contributing to a healthier work environment and lower absenteeism rates.
Improved team collaboration: Employees who manage their time effectively are more likely to contribute positively to team projects, creating a strong team culture.
Achieving business goals: If you have the ability to break down objectives into manageable tasks, you can support the company's strategic goals.
How to show time management skills on your CV
The time management skills examples we've provided above are key for any new hire, so it's necessary to showcase them on your CV.
Your CV should include a Key Skills or Core Competencies section near the top of the document, putting your best and most relevant time management skills in a prime position. The optimum number of skills to include is between six and 12.
Also, demonstrate time management skills on your CV by showing achievements that resulted from this skill set. For example:
Created a detailed daily schedule using time-blocking techniques, resulting in a 25% increase in project completion rates and meeting all client deadlines ahead of schedule
Successfully delegated routine tasks to team members, improving overall team productivity by 30% and reducing project turnaround time by 15%, leading to faster delivery of key deliverables
Remember to add facts and statistics for each point to make your achievements tangible.
Get better at time management
Improving your time management skills starts with self-assessment and learning, followed by the practical implementation of strategies and continuous improvement. Here are a few pointers to help you develop and refine this skill set:
Assess your current skills: Reflect on how you currently manage your time and identify areas for improvement
Set clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with better time management, like reducing distractions or improving deadlines
Read relevant resources: Explore books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear and Getting Things Done by David Allen for effective strategies
Try out techniques: Experiment with methods like the Eisenhower Matrix, the Pomodoro Technique, or time blocking to find what works best for you
Use productivity tools: Leverage apps like Trello, Todoist, Toggl, or Hour Stack to streamline your tasks and manage your time efficiently
Practise self-discipline: Maintain clear boundaries between work and personal life, and focus on one task at a time to enhance efficiency
Seek feedback: Ask for input from colleagues or mentors to uncover areas for improvement
Review and adjust: Regularly assess your progress and adapt your strategies based on what's effective and needed
If you're looking for a job, highlighting some, if not all, of these time management skills examples on your CV is imperative. To ensure you've showcased your abilities effectively, submit your CV for a free review.
Recommended reading:
See how your resume stacks up.
Related Articles