If your problem-solving process involves divergent thinking, we’ve got the tips you need to highlight that skill on your resume.
As the modern workplace continues to evolve at breakneck speed, more and more companies are looking for talented employees who can help drive their innovation. For job seekers, it’s more important than ever to highlight problem-solving skills on your resume so employers can see the kind of creative value you can bring to a position. But what if your problem-solving style involves some form of divergent thinking? Is that a skill you should include on your resume? Absolutely!
In this post, we’ll explore divergent thinking as a problem-solving skill and explain the difference between it and other types of problem-solving skills. We’ll also help you understand how you can fit this exciting and innovative skill into your resume.
What is divergent thinking?
Divergent thinking is a type of problem solving that relies on a less structured approach to finding solutions. Most people have worked with a divergent thinker at some point in their careers, even if they didn’t recognize it at the time. You can usually identify this type of problem solving when you see it in action, as the person using it can typically be seen offering a range of possible solutions to any given challenge. If you are the type of person who enjoys “brainstorming” to solve problems, then you may be a divergent thinker.
In short, divergent thinking involves a free-form approach to removing obstacles. Someone with this kind of skill can quickly generate multiple options for solving any problem, including possible solutions that no one else imagines. Highly talented divergent thinkers are able not only to think “outside the box” but also to work collaboratively with others to refine their ideas, rule out those that may be impractical, and discover ways to implement their best solutions.
Divergent thinking vs convergent thinking vs lateral thinking
One way to define divergent thinking is by comparing it to two other types of thought processes: convergent and lateral thinking. While divergent thinking is free-form in style and structure, convergent thinking is a more linear type of critical thinking that is based on analysis, rules, and a coherent logical chain. Meanwhile, lateral thinking applies both convergent and divergent thought processes (creativity and analysis) to identify a unique solution to any problem.
Why would a company need divergent thinkers?
At first glance, divergent thought processes may seem too chaotic to be of any real value in a work setting. After all, the drive to find the best solution in the shortest amount of time seems to leave little room for any kind of open-ended brainstorming. However, experience has rightly shown the need for divergent thinkers in business. In fact, the divergent approach to identifying potential solutions can allow organizations to create and implement innovative ideas that they might never consider otherwise.
How to include divergent thinking on your resume
Of course, your divergent thinking skills can only work to your advantage if you can show them off on your resume and land a job where you can use them to the fullest. Fortunately, there are several places on your resume that can be used to highlight this skill effectively. You should include references to your divergent thinking style in your resume summary, skills section, and work experience section. The goal should be to use those listings to illustrate how your ability to think divergently can provide creative solutions to any potential challenge.
Include Divergent Thinking in Your Resume Summary
Since the summary is the first section most hiring managers see, it’s important to emphasize your problem-solving skills in that introductory paragraph. Try to write a single sentence describing your divergent approach to problem solving, focusing on the results you can achieve with this style of brainstorming. For example:
Divergent thinker capable of quickly and creatively generating multiple innovative solutions to any challenge and maximizing the effectiveness of team brainstorming exercises to enable faster problem solving.
Include divergent thinking in your skills section
You can further emphasize this talent in your skills section. Here, you can separate some of the elements of divergent thinking into separate skills if you prefer. That can help ensure that your reader has a better appreciation of how the core components of your thought process work together to produce superior results. Some of those key skills may include:
Alternatively, if you already have a full list of skills to highlight in this section, you can simply include an additional bullet point to emphasize your skill as a divergent thinker.
Provide examples of divergent thinking in your work experience section
Your work experience section can provide another way to highlight this dynamic ability. Here, however, you’ll want to take a different approach. Instead of simply saying that he is a divergent thinker, you should include one or two examples of how he used divergent thinking to solve problems and achieve the goals of his previous employers. Here are some examples of how you might describe your use of this ability:
- Led brainstorming sessions for a team of 10 for 4 years, consistently creating turnkey solutions that reduced customer churn by 27%, increased annual sales by 32%, and improved overall customer satisfaction in 19%.
- Implemented a divergent thinking funnel in team meetings, which accelerated problem resolution and delivered constant innovation in processes and customer service.
- He developed a fast-track analysis system that allowed the team to generate multiple solutions to any problem while quickly analyzing the potential effectiveness of each option.
With a little thought and reflection, you should be able to produce several examples of times when your divergent thought processes provided measurable benefits for an employer. Pick the best two or three examples and put them in your work experience section to really illustrate the value of your problem solving skills.
The way to follow
As companies continue to seek innovation, divergent thinkers will continue to be in high demand. To take advantage of that demand, you need to make sure your resume adequately conveys your divergent thinking skills to any potential employer.
Struggling to create the compelling resume you need to land a great job in today’s competitive job market? Get the help you need by getting a free resume review from our experts today!