{"id":4815,"date":"2023-07-12T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/?p=4815"},"modified":"2025-01-15T12:50:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T17:50:09","slug":"critical-thinking-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills","title":{"rendered":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Likely without realizing it, you\u2019re using critical thinking skills every day. Critical thinking happens when we assess information and make a decision. Maybe you used your critical thinking skills to decide to wear a sweater when you knew it\u2019d be a warm day. Maybe you used these skills to form an argument for an essay after reading a book for class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While critical thinking is a skill we use in our everyday lives, it\u2019s a highly valuable workplace skill, too. Employers want to hire people who are good at analyzing these facts and coming to rational conclusions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what exactly are critical thinking skills (and examples), how can you improve yours, and how can you show them off to employers? Here\u2019s your go-to guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-critical-thinking-skills\">What Are Critical Thinking Skills?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Critical thinking skills are a type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/what-are-soft-skills-definition-and-examples\">soft skill<\/a> that help you process information, solve problems, and make rational decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Critical thinking skills allow us to analyze problems from multiple angles, come up with various solutions, and make informed decisions,&#8221; says Bayu Prihandito, self-development expert and certified psychology expert. &#8220;This not only saves time and resources but also develops innovation and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/adaptability\">adaptability<\/a>, skills that employers highly value.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we all make decisions on a regular basis, critical thinking skills involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Gathering information to help us make a decision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Asking questions and staying curious<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not relying on assumptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identifying your own biases and how they may impact your judgement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/logical-thinking\">Thinking logically<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-are-important\">Why Are Critical Thinking Skills Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Critical thinking skills are important because they help you make well-thought-out decisions. Instead of acting on instinct, you\u2019ve considered all of the facts you have and tried to make the most logical choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These skills are helpful for your day-to-day life, but also critical in the workplace. In top industries like technology and finance, critical thinking skills are even more important than some technical and digital <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/hard-skills\">hard skills<\/a>. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retailbankerinternational.com\/news\/fs-sector-still-values-critical-thinking-skills-reports-pwc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PwC<\/a>, 77% of employers in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/financial-services\">financial services<\/a> say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. Critical thinking is one of the top five skills employers in technology are looking for, too, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/news\/skills-for-a-job-in-tech\">Forage internal data<\/a>, preceded only by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/communication-skills\">communication skills<\/a>, data analysis, and Python.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt;&gt;MORE: <\/strong>Learn the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/hard-vs-soft-skills\">differences between hard and soft skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But <em>why<\/em> do so many employers want you to have these skills? Critical thinking skills make you a more effective, productive, and efficient employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;By questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, and exploring alternative perspectives, individuals with strong critical thinking skills can make well-informed decisions and devise creative solutions to complex issues,&#8221; says Matthew Warzel, certified professional resume writer and former Fortune 500 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/recruiter\">recruiter<\/a>. &#8220;This leads to improved problem-solving and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/decision-making-skills\">decision-making<\/a> processes, fostering organizational efficiency and productivity. Critical thinking skills also empower individuals to identify and mitigate potential risks and pitfalls, minimizing errors and enhancing overall quality in the workplace.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card\">\n\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__inner\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-150x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Building with Cisco logo on the side\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-cisco.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"forage-core-course-card__name\">Cisco Career Readiness<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__description\">Build your critical thinking skills  in this free program and learn how employees approach problems, organize, prioritize, and communicate professionally.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__button forage-core-course-card__button--desktop\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/virtual-internships\/prototype\/xtoKhDr28HiTPFA6z\/Cisco-Career-Readiness-Virtual-Experience-Program\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"label\">Avg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t2-2.5 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__skills\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"label\">Skills you&#8217;ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tData analysis, communication, project management, project planning\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__button forage-core-course-card__button--mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/virtual-internships\/prototype\/xtoKhDr28HiTPFA6z\/Cisco-Career-Readiness-Virtual-Experience-Program\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-critical-thinking-skills-examples\">Critical Thinking Skills Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Critical thinking examples include a wide range of skills, from the research you do to understand a problem to the collaboration skills you use to communicate with others about a solution. Other examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/active-listening\"><strong>Active listening<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>listening to others by truly processing what they\u2019re saying and asking follow-up questions. Active listening helps you gather the information you need to make smart decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/analytical-skills\"><strong>Analytical thinking<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>finding patterns, brainstorming ideas, and making decisions based on data and logic. Analytical thinking and critical thinking go hand-in-hand, as you need to look to data, facts, and trustworthy information to make decisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/creative-thinking\"><strong>Creative thinking<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>coming up with original solutions. Part of critical thinking is finding the right solutions \u2014 which means you need to brainstorm and come up with them first!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/decision-making-skills\"><strong>Decision-making<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>choosing a solution that makes the most sense based on the information you have. It\u2019s one thing to gather information, but another to make an assessment based on the risks and rewards of each scenario!\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judgement: <\/strong>the ability to make an effective decision. This might involve acknowledging your biases and knowing how to make a choice in a difficult or stressful environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/leadership-skills\"><strong>Leadership<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>uniting the people around you to work toward a common goal. While critical thinking can be a collaborative process, someone needs to take charge to make that final decision.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Logical thinking: <\/strong>methodically reaching a conclusion based on facts. Sometimes, critical thinking requires inference, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/inductive-reasoning\">inductive reasoning<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/deductive-reasoning\">deductive reasoning<\/a>, which are all part of a logical thinking process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Observation: <\/strong>monitoring what\u2019s going on around you. Observation is a part of the gathering information stage of critical thinking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prioritization: <\/strong>deciding what\u2019s most important or urgent. Prioritization is helpful when figuring out what information to value the most or how to weigh the risks or rewards of a potential solution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Problem-solving: <\/strong>the ability to identify problems, come up with answers, and decide on a solution. You use these skills to figure out what issues might require critical thinking and to eventually figure out a solution for those issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Questioning: <\/strong>asking relevant questions to dig deeper. Questioning helps you gather more information and get more facts to help you solve a problem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/what-is-research\"><strong>Research<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>learning more about a subject. Like questioning, research helps you get more information about the problem you\u2019re working on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-critical-thinking-skills-examples-at-work\">Critical Thinking Skills Examples at Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What does critical thinking in the workplace look like? Here are some critical thinking examples for different roles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/software-engineer\">software engineer<\/a> anticipating potential challenges with a new feature and making plans to mitigate them before integration&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/marketing-career-path\">marketer<\/a> evaluating historical user data to identify channels to invest in&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/investment-banker\">investment banker<\/a> performing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/due-diligence\">due diligence<\/a> on a potential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/merger\">merger<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/product-manager\">product manager<\/a> making a hypothesis of why a product change will drive more engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A sales manager considering the risks and outcomes of modifying the company&#8217;s pricing model&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A consultant gathering initial data and information on current company processes, costs, and organization to synthesize challenges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card\">\n\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__inner\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-150x100.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"BCG logo on building\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/BCG.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"forage-core-course-card__name\">BCG Strategy Consulting<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__description\">Apply your critical thinking skills as a consultant and conduct market research, understand consumer needs, and make a recommendation to a client.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__button forage-core-course-card__button--desktop\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/virtual-internships\/prototype\/ntTvo6ru6Tq3A2JPq\/BCG-StrategyConsulting\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"label\">Avg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t5-6 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"forage-core-course-card__skills\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"label\">Skills you&#8217;ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSynthesis, business communication, client communication, stakeholder management\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"forage-core-course-card__button forage-core-course-card__button--mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/virtual-internships\/prototype\/ntTvo6ru6Tq3A2JPq\/BCG-StrategyConsulting\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEnroll Now\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re in a technical field, creative one, or somewhere in between, critical thinking skills can help you be a better employee \u2014 and therefore are highly valuable to all different types of employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Critical thinking is essential to success in both white and blue collar jobs,&#8221; says Dr. Nathan Mondragon, chief industrial and organizational psychologist at HireVue. &#8220;Consider the school bus driver who must maintain constant vigilance and practice some critical thinking skills in the moment during an ever changing road or traffic situation. No parent will argue against the importance of a bus driver&#8217;s ability to quickly and critically analyze a situation to make an informed, albeit, rapid decision.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-improve-critical-thinking-skills\">How to Improve Critical Thinking Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If critical thinking skills are crucial to being an effective (and hireable!) employee, how can you improve yours?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-practice-active-reading\">Practice Active Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, maybe you know what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/active-listening\">active listening<\/a> is, but what about active reading? Active reading is when you read challenging material and reflect on what you read. It can help you engage with information and build your critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick an article on a topic you&#8217;re interested in. While you&#8217;re reading, write down thoughts you have about the author&#8217;s arguments and follow-up questions you have. Even better, get someone else to read the same material and start a conversation about what you wrote down!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;By reading diverse and challenging material, such as books, articles, or academic papers, students can expose themselves to different perspectives and complex ideas,&#8221; Warzel says. &#8220;Following this, students can engage in reflective writing, where they articulate their thoughts and opinions on the material, while incorporating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/logical-thinking\">logical reasoning<\/a> and evidence to support their claims. This process helps develop clarity of thought, logical reasoning, and the ability to analyze and synthesize information effectively.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exercise might seem a little like homework at first, but that&#8217;s why professors have you answer comprehension questions and participate in discussions for school \u2014 they want you to think critically about the material.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group forage__cta-pattern is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Get career-ready<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Build the confidence and practical skills that employers are looking for with Forage&#8217;s free job simulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/course-catalog\">Get started<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-play-with-puzzles\">Play With Puzzles \u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Building your critical thinking skills doesn&#8217;t just have to be reading a bunch of articles. It can be fun, too! Regularly engage with puzzles like logic puzzles, riddles, and word games. These puzzles practice your reasoning skills while keeping you intellectually stimulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-and-people-too\">\u2026 and People, Too<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Critical thinking isn&#8217;t done in a bubble. You&#8217;ll need to collaborate with others, especially in the workplace, to understand past projects, roadblocks, what resources they have, and their opinions. Participating in group activities like debates, academic clubs, and academic discussions can help you practice listening to and processing different viewpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stay-curious\">Stay Curious<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Good critical thinkers are open to a range of answers and ideas. They want to take in all of the evidence to understand why something is (or isn&#8217;t) happening.They also know going into a problem with an open mind is the best way to solve it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can practice this open-mindedness by staying curious.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Adopt a curiosity mindset, learn how to ask good questions, and practice unraveling something from end to beginning and vice versa,&#8221; says Arissan Nicole, resume and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/what-is-career-coach\">career coach<\/a> and workplace expert. &#8220;Critical thinking is about being reflective, not reactive. Put yourself in situations that are uncomfortable and challenge you, be around people that have different viewpoints and life experiences and just listen.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-demonstrate-critical-thinking-skills-in-a-job-application\">How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills in a Job Application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We know employers value critical thinking skills, but you don&#8217;t just want to add &#8220;critical thinking&#8221; in the skills section of your resume. Instead, your goal should be to <em>show<\/em> employers that you have these skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-on-your-resume\">On Your Resume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/how-to-write-resume\">resume<\/a>, don\u2019t just list \u201ccritical thinking skills\u201d in a skills section. Instead, you want to show how you\u2019ve applied these skills \u2014 so highlight experiences where you used critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Include relevant experiences or projects that demonstrate your ability to analyze information, solve problems, or make informed decisions,&#8221; Warzel says. &#8220;For example, you can highlight academic coursework that involved research, critical analysis, or complex problem-solving. Additionally, you can mention extracurricular activities or volunteer work where you had to think critically or exercise your problem-solving abilities.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-the-interview\">In the Interview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/basics\/interview-tips\">interview<\/a>, elaborate on your experiences using the STAR method to frame your answers. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/interview-questions\/star-method-interview\">STAR method<\/a> helps you clearly and concisely describe the situation, what you did, and what results you found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond speaking to your experience, you can also show your critical thinking skills in how you answer questions. This is especially true for more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/interview-questions\/technical-interview-questions\">technical interviews<\/a> where the interviewer might ask you to solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let&#8217;s say you&#8217;re interviewing for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/careers\/data-analyst\">data analyst<\/a> position. The interviewer might ask you a hypothetical question about how you&#8217;d figure out why company sales dipped last quarter. Even if you don&#8217;t have an answer right away (or a full one!), speak your thought process out loud. Consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Where do you start?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What resources do you rely on?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who do you collaborate with?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What steps do you take to uncover an answer?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you communicate results?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Emphasize your ability to think logically, consider multiple perspectives, and draw conclusions based on evidence and reasoning,&#8221; Warzel says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the time to get specific about exactly what steps you&#8217;d take to solve a problem. While on a resume you might keep it short, the interview is the time to elaborate and show off your thought process \u2014 and hopefully show why you&#8217;re the best candidate for the role!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to start building your critical thinking skills? Try a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/course-catalog\">free Forage job simulation<\/a>. You\u2019ll learn how to apply critical thinking skills in a real-world work environment, then get resume bullets and interview tips to help you show off those skills in a job application.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Likely without realizing it, you\u2019re using critical thinking skills every day. Critical thinking happens when we assess information and make a decision. Maybe you used your critical thinking skills to decide to wear a sweater when you knew it\u2019d be a warm day. Maybe you used these skills to form an argument for an essay &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"forage_sticky_bar_enabled":true,"forage_sticky_bar_content":"Build the skills you need to stand out to top employers.","forage_sticky_bar_button_text":"Get started","forage_sticky_bar_button_url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/simulations","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"forage_editor_id":18,"forage_reviewer_id":35,"forage_authors":[],"veps":[4109,2537],"forage_sidebar":0,"forage_related_disabled":false,"forage_toc_enabled":true,"forage_toc_level":0,"modified":"2025-01-15T19:32:00","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.5 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? - Forage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here&#039;s how to improve yours.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here&#039;s how to improve yours.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Forage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theforage1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-07-12T15:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-15T14:32:00-05:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Forage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@theforage_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@theforage_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Forage\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Forage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4f5ff79a4a4ae737224cd7b4e1930a5\"},\"headline\":\"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-12T11:30:00-04:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T14:32:00-05:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\"},\"wordCount\":1982,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Skills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\",\"name\":\"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? - Forage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-07-12T11:30:00-04:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-15T14:32:00-05:00\",\"description\":\"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here's how to improve yours.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":700,\"caption\":\"person sitting at laptop thinking\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Skills\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Forage\",\"description\":\"Virtual job simulations produced by and for the world\u2019s largest employers\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Forage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Navy-Stacked-Logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Navy-Stacked-Logo.jpg\",\"width\":878,\"height\":893,\"caption\":\"Forage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theforage1\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/theforage_\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theforage_\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/theforage\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4f5ff79a4a4ae737224cd7b4e1930a5\",\"name\":\"Forage\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Avatar-Diamond-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Avatar-Diamond-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Forage\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/author\/theforage\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? - Forage","description":"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here's how to improve yours.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?","og_description":"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here's how to improve yours.","og_url":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills","og_site_name":"Forage","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theforage1\/","article_published_time":"2023-07-12T15:30:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":700,"url":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Forage","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@theforage_","twitter_site":"@theforage_","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Forage","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills"},"author":{"name":"Forage","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4f5ff79a4a4ae737224cd7b4e1930a5"},"headline":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?","datePublished":"2023-07-12T11:30:00-04:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T14:32:00-05:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills"},"wordCount":1982,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg","articleSection":["Skills"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills","name":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important? - Forage","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg","datePublished":"2023-07-12T11:30:00-04:00","dateModified":"2025-01-15T14:32:00-05:00","description":"Critical thinking skills are a type of soft skill we use to process information and make decisions. Here's how to improve yours.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills.jpg","width":1200,"height":700,"caption":"person sitting at laptop thinking"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills\/critical-thinking-skills#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Skills","item":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/skills"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/","name":"Forage","description":"Virtual job simulations produced by and for the world\u2019s largest employers","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Forage","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Navy-Stacked-Logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Navy-Stacked-Logo.jpg","width":878,"height":893,"caption":"Forage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theforage1\/","https:\/\/x.com\/theforage_","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theforage_\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/theforage\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f4f5ff79a4a4ae737224cd7b4e1930a5","name":"Forage","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Avatar-Diamond-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Avatar-Diamond-96x96.png","caption":"Forage"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/www.theforage.com\/blog\/author\/theforage"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/critical-thinking-skills-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Forage","author_link":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/author\/theforage"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4815"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}