Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
Ways to Develop Critical Thinking
- Take classes in areas such as research methodology and ethics.
- Participate in research or other projects in your field to learn critical thinking skills.
- Learn about valid and reliable information sources. Analyze and compare information from multiple sources.
- Look at and consider different points of view.
- Review the learning outcomes on your syllabi and talk to your faculty about how you are developing this skill in your classes and with which assignments.
Ways to Demonstrate Critical Thinking on Your Resume
- A projects section
- Classes you took that developed analytical or problem solving skills
- A research experience section
- Experience such as EMT, Lifeguard, Military Service, or other position where you may have needed to make quick, informed decisions.
- Embed critical thinking into the descriptions of your experiences with statements such as: “Researched and documented processes for XYZ project” or “Analyzed XYZ diagram for design flaws.”
- Use action verbs in your descriptions such as analyzed, diagnosed, investigated, observed, and synthesized. More action verb options.
- Resume Resources
Sample Interview Questions to Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills
- Give an example of a time you solved a difficult problem.
- Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What was the situation? How did you approach it?
- Give an example of a time when you needed to give constructive criticism. How did you approach it? What did you say?
- Interview Resources