The Most Important Reliability And Dependability Skills (With Examples)

A business puts so much confidence in the people they bring aboard, so hiring managers will search for candidates who display high levels of reliability.

We have the tips to help showcase your skills on a resume and provided examples of them to help you out.

Key Takeaways:

• If you want to be hired, it is important to showcase your dependability and reliability on your resume.

• Being dependable is an accumulation of several strong habits.

• When improving your reliability it is important to take your responsibilities seriously and hold yourself accountable.

5 Common Qualities of Dependable and Reliable People

You can often tell a dependable person because they demonstrate so many positive qualities or skills in their personal and professional lives. Below are five of them.

1. Their word is gold. The most common characteristic among reliable people is that their word is gold. You probably know lots of people who give half-hearted promises. This is the opposite of dependability.

   When a dependable person says that they’ll do something, makes a claim, or commits to a course of action, it’s happening.

2. They take responsibility for their actions. Dependable people understand that they’re accountable for their actions. If they mess up at work, they take responsibility for it. When they’ve succeeded incredibly on a project, they claim those accomplishments also.

3. They’re flexible when needed. In difficult situations, managers tend to turn to the most reliable person at work because they’re willing to adapt and take on a challenge.

   Whether it be working overtime during a hectic work week or assisting in training a new co-worker, a reliable person will take on the responsibility. A dependable person is open to taking on tasks upon their flexibility.

4. They’re honest with the people around them. In addition to following through with their word, reliable people are very honest. These types of employees rely on open and honest communication to efficiently complete their job, making it a tool and added skill.

5. Their goals are a priority. Since reliable people put so much value in following through with their statements, achieving goals is more important to them.

   To maintain their dependable status, these kinds of people are adamant about reaching their short and long-term goals, to the point when most people would throw in the towel. They are determined to see every objective through to the finish.

How to Showcase Reliability on a Resume

Showing a hiring manager that you’re a reliable person is the first step to catching their attention and potentially being hired for an open position. Since a resume is an initial introduction to a job applicant, this is where you’ll want to showcase your reliability qualities.

Read through the following steps for highlighting your dependability/reliability on a resume:

• Focus on dependability when describing prior work responsibilities. A large chunk of a resume includes describing any previous work experience.

  This area of a resume gives the candidate room to detail the responsibilities they’re familiar with, highlight relevant skills, and flaunt their professional accolades. Use your work history to shine a light on your reliability in past positions.

• Include reliability-related transferable skills. A resume skill section allows a hiring manager to quickly intake a candidate’s abilities to understand the type of professional they are.

  When implementing soft skills in this resume section, consider what qualities would portray you as a dependable employee and person. Some examples of common reliability-related soft skills include:

  • Time management

  • Communication

  • Collaboration

  • Adaptability

  • Determination

• Mention leadership experiences when possible. The most reliable employees are eventually given leadership opportunities. If this applies to your former experience, be sure to mention these responsibilities in a resume.

  Being trusted with a leadership role in a prior job tells a hiring manager that you were reliable enough to supervise other employees.

Example of a Resume Demonstrating Reliability

Tips for Improving Dependability

By now you’re likely considering dependability to be an extremely valuable skill in the workforce, and you’re right.

If that makes you nervous because you haven’t been the most reliable person or employee in the past, don’t freak out just yet. Dependability is a skill like any other, so focus on improving it.

Consult the following tips for improving your dependability at work and in your personal life:

• Take your responsibilities seriously. The first step towards becoming a more reliable employee is taking your responsibilities seriously, whether that’s at work or in your personal life.

  Once you’ve committed yourself to responsibility, view completing it as an absolute necessity.

• Analyze every situation before committing. Overcommitting without any consideration is one of the biggest reasons that some employees end up being unreliable. Always analyze your schedule and situation before committing to any professional engagements.

  Communicate beforehand to fully understand what’s expected of you and when it’s expected to be completed. Clearly express if there’s any chance that you won’t be able to work within these parameters.

• Work on your communication skills. The root of unreliability often comes down to miscommunication. Being unclear on instructions or deadlines can lead to a huge decrease in dependability.

  While the two might seem unrelated, working on your communication skills can do wonders for your overall dependability.

• See every goal through to the bitter end. Nearly every pursuit of a goal has that moment when quitting seems a lot more enticing than continuing.

  By simply rejecting the temptation and following through with every goal you’ve embarked on, you can improve your resourcefulness. By steadily continuing towards completing an objective, regardless of the difficult circumstances presented, you’re setting a new precedent of success.

  Getting into the habit of finishing every goal, no matter its size, only helps encourage your reliability as you’re accomplishing tasks on an employer’s time.

• Hold yourself accountable. Taking responsibility for your actions is necessary for a dependable person. Constantly falling short of work requirements or disappointing friends because you never stick to plans doesn’t feel good if you’re truly holding yourself accountable.

  In every situation, make sure to understand your strengths and weaknesses so that you can continuously improve on your dependability.

Reliability and Dependability FAQ

1. What Does It Mean to Be Reliable?

   Being reliable means that you can be trusted to do your work correctly without supervision and figure out solutions on the fly without needing to turn to your superiors every time. An employer needs to be able to trust their employees to get their work done. Holding an employee’s hand through every step of their job is the last thing a supervisor has time for.

   An employee whose word can be trusted when they say they’ll get the job done is considered reliable. Most people think about a professional’s reliability as their ability to keep a schedule and show up to work on time. But, a dependable employee’s performance extends past this definition. The value of an employee’s word is also a clear indicator of their work performance.

   When a reliable employee says they’ll make something happen, everyone in the office knows it to be true.

2. Is There a Difference Between Reliability Dependability?

   In short, ‘reliability’ and ‘dependability’ can be used interchangeably without it being incorrect.

   • Reliability is often directed towards a professional relationship in which one party is responsible for a task.

   • Dependability is used more often to represent non-professional relationships.

   During the application process, being viewed as dependable or reliable by a hiring manager is going to increase your chances of getting the job.

3. Why Is Reliability Important to Employers?

   Reliability is one of the most fundamental and crucial qualities that an employee can possess. It’s the basic tenant of getting a job done in the first place. Employers care about a candidate’s dependability because it shows that they have a strong work ethic and can be trusted to complete their responsibilities on time and up to par.

   In addition to aiding in the simple functions of being a team member in any field, reliable employees often go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re the person a supervisor can easily turn to when they need a helping hand. They go with the flow and continue to enable their company’s success.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.