Time management skills with CV examples
Managing your time effectively is essential for productivity. Strong time management skills can also set you apart in the workplace, showing employers you can meet deadlines efficiently. Mastering these skills will not only improve your day-to-day efficiency but also enhance your career prospects.
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Do you sometimes wish there were more hours in a day? The thing that keeps you from enjoying some free time in between tasks may be how you manage your time.
But what exactly are time management skills? Why do they matter so much during recruitment? How can these skills benefit you, and what are the best ways to improve them?
In this article, we’ll answer all these questions and more. We’ll break down the essential time management skills you need, provide job-specific examples, and show you how to develop these essential CV skills to boost your career and get the job you’ve always wanted.
Key takeaways for showcasing time management skills on a CV
- Strong time management skills help you increase productivity and meet deadlines efficiently.
- These skills are transferable, which means they’re valuable across different industries and job roles.
- Key time management skills you may want to highlight on your CV include prioritising, delegating tasks, and setting goals.
- Investing in your time management skills can help you achieve a better work-life balance and reduce work-related stress.
What are time management skills: definition
Time management skills are abilities you use to organise, plan, and complete tasks. They help you increase productivity and the quality of work while preventing task overload. Examples of time management skills in the workplace include prioritisation, delegation, and goal setting.
What’s great about time management skills is that they’re transferable skills – which means they’re the type of abilities that can be useful on any CV, regardless of your career history or the job you wish to secure. They’re acquired, and we start developing them as early as childhood through doing homework or preparing for exams.
The advantages of time management skills are not only evident in the form of efficient workflow and greater productivity but they also have a psychological aspect. A person with well-developed time management skills:
- Works in peace, not in chaos.
- Rarely brings work home, maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
- Finishes tasks on time, without stressing about deadlines.
Examples of good time management skills for a CV
Time management skills are about adopting strategies and behaviours that increase efficiency, improve workflow, and create a healthy balance between work and rest. They're universally valuable at any stage of your career and applicable to any profession. Below are some essential time management skills you can highlight as you’re writing your CV:
Goal setting
Setting realistic, achievable goals is key to maintaining focus and making progress. Having an overall goal in mind makes it easier to break it down into manageable milestones and plan your work.
A clearly defined goal not only serves as a roadmap but also provides motivation and helps you stay committed to the smaller tasks that lead to success.
Planning and scheduling
Effective planning and scheduling involves assessing how much time each task will take and allocating your resources accordingly. It's important to allow enough time for thorough work without allowing one task to consume your entire day. A balanced schedule will help you maintain productivity while ensuring you have time for everything that needs to be done each day.
Prioritising
As you progress in your career, you're likely to be responsible for more processes and people - and to manage this, it helps to know how to prioritise your work effectively. Knowing which tasks are most urgent or valuable allows you to focus your energy where it matters most.
Prioritising is therefore essential to managing multiple tasks efficiently. To-do lists are an effective tool for this - listing your daily tasks helps you stay organised and ensures that nothing important slips through the cracks. For some people, it can even help with reducing anxiety.
Delegating
The ability to delegate effectively is a critical skill in leadership and high-pressure environments. Delegating tasks not only improves your own workflow but also supports the development of your team. Knowing which tasks to delegate (and when to do it) is key to ensuring that both important and urgent work gets done while maintaining overall efficiency.
Forecasting
Forecasting is about planning ahead and using tools to anticipate upcoming tasks and challenges. This skill is essential for staying proactive, ensuring deadlines are met, and adapting to changing circumstances. By forecasting workloads, you can prepare for meetings and avoid potential scheduling conflicts, helping you stay on track even when unexpected changes happen.
Focus
Distractions can be found almost anywhere in today's world, and maintaining focus is critical to effective time management. When you can concentrate on one task at a time, you can complete it faster and more accurately.
Whether at work or home, the ability to limit distractions and stay on task is a powerful productivity tool which can positively influence other areas of your life - including how you communicate with others.
Automation
Just as recruiters use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to automatically sort and filter job applications, you can use processes and tools to automate your routine tasks. Whether it's scheduling emails, automating reports, or using specialised software, the strategic use of automation can significantly improve your efficiency and free up time for higher-priority tasks.
Maintaining a healthy balance
Effective time management isn't just about work; it's also about knowing when to step back and rest – or when to say “no” to someone. Maintaining a healthy balance means recognising when your schedule is full and taking time to unwind. Sometimes, rescheduling or cancelling extra tasks allows you to prioritise well-being, which is equally important for long-term productivity.
Role-specific examples of time management skills to put on a CV
See what time management skills can go on a CV for these jobs:
Time management skills for students
When you’re at university, mastering time management is essential for balancing academics with personal and social life. At this stage in your life, some of the most important skills you want to include on your student CV are:
- Prioritising tasks and duties
- Meticulous organisation
- Setting goals and milestones
- Learning, memory, and focus techniques
- Balancing time between classes, studying, and resting
Time management skills for entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs and business operations specialists need strong time management skills to juggle multiple responsibilities and drive business growth within organisations. These are the key time management abilities in this role:
- Strategic planning
- Goal setting
- Prioritising tasks
- Multitasking
- Scheduling meetings and appointments
Time management skills for restaurant managers
Restaurant managers work in loud and fast-paced environments, often handling multiple tasks at once. To write a compelling restaurant manager CV, focus on the following time management skills:
- Planning and scheduling
- Creating to-do lists
- Prioritising and delegating tasks
- Team performance monitoring
- Good filing and organising skills
Time management skills in nursing
As a nurse, your time management skills are essential to balance your daily responsibilities while responding quickly to emergencies and ensuring the well-being of your patients. In the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of healthcare, the following time management skills are critical to success:
- Multitasking
- Focusing on a task on hand in very chaotic conditions
- Organisation and filing of patient’s documentation
- Making sure all medicines are administered on time
- Record keeping
Time management skills for team leaders
Team leaders must effectively manage both their own time and their team’s productivity to ensure that projects stay on track. Not only do they need to continuously improve their own time management skills, but they’re also responsible for mentoring, guiding, and evaluating their team’s effectiveness in meeting deadlines and achieving goals. These are the essential time management skills for success in a leadership role:
- Prioritising tasks
- Delegating tasks to subordinates
- Planning and scheduling
- Setting realistic, achievable goals
- Performance monitoring
Time management skills for teachers
Teachers also have to handle many responsibilities simultaneously, from planning and delivering lessons to managing classrooms and engaging with students. In this role, staying organised can take many forms, such as meeting curriculum deadlines and ensuring that each student receives the attention they need. These are the key time management skills to include on an education CV:
- Planning the curriculum for the whole semester
- Mapping out to-do lists for lessons and completing them within a strict time frame
- Keeping records of lessons
- Techniques to help students focus on the task
- Managing a group of students to complete a task on time
Check our top-notch CV examples for various industries to find more examples of time management skills.
How to improve time management skills
How you manage your time not only affects the quality of your work and daily life but also improves organisation, increases productivity, and makes you a more attractive candidate to potential employers. If you're not sure where to start but want to engage in time management skills training, we’re here to help.
The following steps will help you understand how to develop time management skills for long-term success:
STEP 1
Start by monitoring your work hours
Start by monitoring how much time you actually spend on completing tasks throughout the day. Look for distractions – do you often check social media, take unplanned breaks, or chat with colleagues? Being aware of these habits is the first step towards better day management. You can track your time manually or use time-tracking apps to get a clearer picture of where your time is going.
STEP 2
Write down a task list and stick to it
Writing a daily to-do list helps you stay focused and organised. When you know exactly what needs to be done, you're less likely to waste time on unimportant activities. Plus, checking off completed tasks gives you a sense of accomplishment that keeps you motivated throughout the day.
STEP 3
Optimise your work environment
A cluttered or noisy workspace can make it difficult to focus and complete tasks. Minimise distractions by keeping your workspace tidy, silencing unnecessary notifications, and putting your phone away whenever possible. If background noise is an issue, try using noise-cancelling headphones or listening to concentration-boosting sounds, such as nature sounds or instrumental music.
STEP 4
Practise concentration
If you find yourself distracted despite having little to no distractions, it may be helpful to practice mindfulness or concentration exercises. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or structured focus sessions (such as the Pomodoro technique) can help train your attention. You can take professional mindfulness classes or explore free guided sessions available online.
STEP 5
Develop self-discipline
Procrastination is one of the biggest barriers to effective time management. The key to overcoming it is to build discipline through small, consistent habits. For example, challenge yourself to wake up with your first alarm instead of hitting snooze - see it as a simple habit that builds self-control. By practising discipline in small ways every day, you'll develop the mental resilience you need to stay on top of your tasks and deadlines.
Highlighting your time management skills on a CV
When applying for a job, your CV is one of the most important tools you have to stand out from the competition. Among its key components, skills play a crucial role – alongside experience, they are what recruiters focus on most. Your skills not only demonstrate what you’re capable of but also give potential employers an insight into the responsibilities you can take on and your overall potential as an employee.
CV skills are typically divided into two categories: soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills are transferable abilities that apply across different jobs, such as communication or teamwork, while hard skills are job-specific, such as programming skills for a software developer. As you may have guessed, time management falls into the soft skills category, which encompasses a range of skills that contribute to efficiency, productivity and overall job performance.
Below are two examples of CVs and their respective skills sections, with skills related to time management in bold:
Example 1
Skills
- Lesson and activity planning
- Childhood development reporting
- Inclusive learning techniques
- Positive reinforcement
- Special needs assistance
- Parent and caregiver relations
- Diligent supervision
- Progress monitoring
- Activity planning
- Parent communication
- Child development
Example 2
Skills
- Diary management
- Fast typing speed
- Microsoft Excel
- Email processing
- Scheduling and calendar management
- Business administration
- Clear communication
- Multitasking
Why are time management skills important
Strong time management skills are essential for maintaining efficiency and achieving both professional and personal goals. Here are some of the key benefits of mastering time management:
- Improved work organisation: When you manage your time effectively, you can structure your tasks to maximise efficiency. Clear planning and prioritisation prevent last-minute rushes and help you meet deadlines.
- Increased productivity: Good time management allows you to get more done in less time. By focusing on high-impact tasks and minimising distractions, you can increase your efficiency and overall performance.
- Reduced stress and improved well-being: Poor time management can lead to an overwhelming workload. Getting your schedule right can help you stay in control, reduce stress levels, and improve your overall mental well-being.
- Openness to new opportunities: Time management helps you stay proactive and task-oriented, making it easier to set goals and achieve milestones. Being organised and efficient increases your adaptability, opening the door to career growth and new opportunities.
Other skills employers look for include:
Developing time management skills is an investment in your future
Time management is one of the most sought-after skills by employers, making it a key factor in the hiring process. That’s why recruiters often look for it when reviewing candidates’ CVs. Take a look at CV examples from different industries, and you’ll see that time management is a common and valued skill.
Mastering time management not only improves your productivity and organisation but also strengthens your discipline, shapes your work ethic, and helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Discover the top skills to include on your CV and use our professional CV template today.
Olga Knapinska
Content Writer
Olga Knapinska is an experienced content writer and recruitment marketing specialist with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). With a background in career advice, she thrives on helping individuals navigate today’s dynamic job market and discover unique, non-traditional career paths. She’s passionate about equipping people with the right tools to understand and grow their potential as they work towards professional and personal growth.
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