How to Write a Successful Mathematics Skills Resume

Why highlight mathematics skills on your resume?

Many roles traditionally use mathematics skills, including accountants and researchers, and increasingly, more positions leverage these crucial abilities due to the rise of technology. Nearly every company is looking for people who can use mathematic and analytical skills to inform business decisions, discover detrimental bottlenecks, and improve operational performance.

Strong math skills enhance a person’s problem-solving and precision. These competencies help you examine situations, critically compare outcomes, and notice small details. This makes them vital to math-heavy roles but also useful to seemingly unrelated positions. For example, an administrative assistant needs math skills to correctly organize schedules.

Top mathematics skills to include on your resume

Mathematics skills are a broad category containing many unique abilities, from the basics to specific software expertise. Let’s take a closer look at these in-demand math and analytical skills.

General mathematics skills

Basic mathematic skills are used in countless job roles, from financial professionals to sales associates. This includes algebra, fractions, percentages, multiplication, and division.

General skills help people tackle math-related work issues, but also solve basic work issues. For example, an HR manager uses basic math skills to arrange monthly one-on-ones with their team, considering specific schedules and vacation days.

Analytical skills

Analytical skills help people examine and interpret data, research problems, and make decisions. They’re excellent hard skills for data-driven roles, like data analysts and human resource directors.

These capabilities include data modeling, statistical analysis, forecasting, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and research.

Software skills

Many sought-after math skills are directly tied to modern tools. For example, expertise in Python, MATLAB, and R programming languages improves data modeling and statistical skills, and Excel spreadsheet skills with pivot tables, functions, and formulas help you efficiently organize data.

Industry-specific skills

Some industries have their own technical math skills, like machine learning algorithms in data science roles. Here’s a quick overview of industry-specific mathematic skills:

• Finance: Risk assessment, financial modeling, portfolio analysis, interest calculations, and budgeting.
• Engineering: CAD integration, structural calculations, 3D modeling, and differential equations.
• Data science: Machine learning algorithms, predictive modeling, probability, and multivariable calculus.
• Education: Curriculum planning, breaking down complex topics to aid understanding, and deep comprehension of mathematical logic.
• Manufacturing: Calculating dimensions, trigonometry for angles in machine setups, and knowledge of quality control statistics.
• Healthcare: Clinical trial statistics, medication dosage calculations, patient care record keeping, and optimizing treatment plans.

How to showcase mathematics skills across your resume

Now, we’ll show you how to effectively weave your abilities into your application by looking at a few resume math skills examples. 

The most obvious place to put these competencies is your Skills section. This is important because the recruiter will quickly scan the section and check for non-negotiable abilities, but it won’t contain any compelling information. Don’t spend too much time here – list five to 10 of your strongest hard and soft skills, including your math abilities, and move on.

Next, include your best mathematics abilities in your resume summary or objective. This is your chance to add compelling achievements or metrics right at the top of your resume to encourage the hiring manager to keep reading. Here’s an example for an accountant’s resume:

Continue adding measurable metrics in your Work Experience section. This is the most important section in your resume, so it’s vital that it has impactful achievements that highlight your strongest skills. Add these accomplishments in bullet points under each work entry, starting each one with an action verb, like “Performed” or “Managed.”

Here’s an example of quantitative skills on resumes:

You can also showcase your math skills in the Education section or create a new header for Projects to list personal, professional, and academic math projects. Here’s a quick example:

The best way to learn how to write strong metrics and use action verbs is by viewing realistic samples. Check out our resume examples to see these best practices in action.

Writing strong math-driven points

Powerful resumes use quantified achievements to truly convey qualifications and impact. Without measurable metrics, your resume will read a bit dry, and the hiring manager may struggle to understand your value. Let’s compare traditional listing vs. quantified achievements:

This gives employers a strong, tangible idea of how you impact a company and helps them understand if you fit their specific role. 

Try using the STAR method to detail your accomplishments. This describes the Situation, Task, Action, and Result of your achievement, helping you accurately explain your skills and ensuring the recruiter understands them.

“Nearly every company is looking for people who can use mathematic and analytical skills to inform business decisions, discover detrimental bottlenecks, and improve operational performance.”

ATS optimization: Formatting and keyword tips

It’s essential to make sure your mathematics-focused resume is ATS-friendly. Math skills are a great start, but you need to adopt the right tactics so your application passes the applicant tracking system (ATS).

First, thoroughly read the job description and scan it for important keywords. These are usually job titles, responsibilities, degrees, and skills. Try to incorporate them wherever they’re relevant and smooth, as this shows the ATS that your resume is relevant to the open role. For example, if the job ad uses the term Statistical Analysis rather than Data Analysis, be sure to use that instead.

There are other small ways you can make your resume more ATS-friendly, such as using simple fonts, utilizing clean white space, and avoiding graphics and images. For more tips, read our complete guide on building an ATS resume.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

You’re almost there – don’t slip up now. Review these common math resume pitfalls and double-check your application to make sure it’s optimized:

• Adding irrelevant skills: Even if you have many impressive skills, only list capabilities that are strictly relevant to the role. For example, machine learning skills are in demand but not necessary for accounting positions.
• Overloading on skills: Only include your top five to 10 skills to avoid overloading the recruiter. Too many skills will distract them and they may end up skipping essential details in the rest of your resume.
• Using complex technical jargon: It’s easy to slip into complex language when you use it daily, but try your best to stick to layman’s terms so every recruiter can understand you. Ask a friend or colleague to proofread it for you to make sure.
• Failing to showcase relevancy: Sometimes, it may not be obvious how your skills relate to the role, and you may need to take the lead and draw correlations. Don’t leave any questions in the recruiter’s mind, and tell them exactly why you’re the ideal candidate.
• Excluding other crucial skills: Your math skills are important but don’t forget other vital abilities. For example, showcasing your communication shows you can describe difficult concepts to non-technical teammates.

Tools and resources to sharpen your mathematics skills

We recommend every professional commit to continuous improvement. Explore external resources to hone your math skills and polish your resume so you’re always enhancing your professional journey.

Here are a few tips:

• Online courses: Join an online course to enhance your math skills and gain new, attractive certificates. There are thousands of accessible programs for little to no investment.
• Mentorships: Ask your current company about learning and mentorship opportunities. Working with an advanced person in your field is a great way to get hands-on experience.
• Resume-building platforms: Take advantage of platforms that provide skill-focused resume templates and intuitive software. These help you write a professional resume without expert writing and formatting skills.
• Industry newsletters: Subscribe to newsletters and journals to get up-to-date industry knowledge. It’s vital to keep current with work trends and new, sought-after skills.

Build a mathematics resume and land your dream job

Our society is driven by statistics, data, and keen analyzing skills, so build a resume that accurately shows yours off. Just remember our top tips:

• Read the job description to learn relevant keywords and must-have skills.
• Quantify achievements and add tangible value.
• Continuously build your math skills and stay current with new software and trends.
• Include your math skills across your entire resume, including your resume summary and Work Experience section.
• Optimize your application for applicant tracking systems using the right terms and correct formatting.

Get started on your math resume today with CVwizard’s resume maker. Easily add and remove sections, edit and update fields effortlessly, and create multiple resumes for each application.

References:

(1) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 29, 2024: Math Occupations