what key skills to put on resume

100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

When you’re adding skills to a resume, you don’t just want to focus on what you’re good at. Instead, relevancy has to be part of the equation. After all, every job you’re trying to land requires a very specific skill set, one that you need to show that you have.

Choosing the skills to put on a resume when you’re applying to a role isn’t something you should do haphazardly. Instead, you want to use the job description, company mission, and company values as a guide, creating a sense of alignment.

Additionally, it never hurts to have a handy list of skills by your side, making it easier to explore your options. So, if you’re on the hunt for good skills to put on a resume, here’s what you need to know.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

There are two basic types of skillsets that a job seeker can have and include on their resume: hard skills or soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills or abilities for a resume that are easily quantifiable…that can be learned through classroom work, apprenticeships, or other forms of learning. These include things like operating tools, computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or different kinds of technical prowess.

Soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills.” Some examples of soft skills include communication, relationship building, self-awareness, and patience.

Which Skills Are More Important?

The debate rages on about which of these two types of skills is more important.

According to executive consultant and Forbes contributor Naz Beheshti , “…There is an ongoing debate about the relative importance of soft and hard skills that imply a competition between the two. However, they are both necessary and complementary to one another.”

On the one hand, job seekers with proficiency in a specific hard skill may get hired more quickly. Many employers want to hire people that can deliver value with fewer resources (ex., the need for training, etc.), making hard skills their priority.

However, we are also seeing that many hiring managers are choosing to hire candidates with highly developed soft skills.

In the end, as Indeed puts it, “soft skills are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment.” Plus, hiring managers feel that they can always train the candidate in the hard skill that is required to complete the job, but soft skills are often skills that cannot necessarily be taught.

So, what does this mean for you? Mainly that you can’t simply just pick one or the other and cross your fingers. Instead, the best strategy is to take a balanced approach and make sure that your resume contains both hard and soft skills.

How Do You Choose the Skills to List on a Resume?

Here’s the deal; there’s a good chance you know what you’re good at in a professional sense. Often, you can use your experience, duties, training, and education as a guide, giving you a strong foundation. Then, it’s about diving a bit deeper, looking at traits that could help you stand out, and comparing it all to the job description.

By using a simple process, you can make progress faster. Here’s a quick way to get started.

1. Make a List of the Skills You Know You Have

As mentioned above, the easiest way to get a grip on your current skills is to reflect on your academic and professional experiences. Consider the tasks you’ve taken on, the training you’ve completed, and the courses you had in school. In most cases, that’ll give you some solid ideas about your hard skills.

After that, it’s time for soft skills. Here, you want to think of traits or capabilities that help you engage with others and navigate professional relationships. Often, these are reflections of your personality, so use that as a jumping-off point.

2. “Mine” the Job Descriptions for Must-Have Skills

The next step is to take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills it includes. Then, compare it to your capabilities. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now, notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. There are things you can do, which we’ll dig into shortly.

If you’re dealing with a vague job description, you aren’t stuck either. Here is a link to a ton of job descriptions that can give you an idea of the skills needed.

3. Tailor Your Skills to the Company/Position

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your resume to the company and position you want to land. For an in-depth look into how to make that happen, check out our Tailoring Method article. 

If you want a quick overview, the idea is to focus on capabilities the company wants to find. Every job requires a unique skill set, and you want to show you have it. As a result, it is absolutely essential that skills from the job description make an appearance on your resume.

However, you also want to dig deeper. Spend some more time researching the company, including going through all of their various web properties, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Why? Because they will leave clues about the types of people they hire. That gives you more ideas about the best skills to put on a resume to land a job there, particularly when it comes to soft skills you may not find in a job description.

100 Resume Skills Examples

If you’re struggling with coming up with a list of skills based on your past experience, it can be easier if you have existing resume skills lists to work with. You don’t have to think up every possible skill; you can simply review the list and find the matches.

Here is a list of resume skills examples, divided into hard skills and soft skills, that you can use when applying for a job.

Hard Skills for a Resume

• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Appointment Setting
• Automotive Repair
• Cold Calling
• Computer Programming
• Conversion Testing
• Copywriting
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Service
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Cleanup
• Forklift Operating
• Graphic Design
• Heavy Machinery Operation
• Installation
• Landscaping
• Mathematics
• Medical Coding
• Paid Online Traffic
• Patient Care
• Photo Editing
• Picking and Packing
• Project Management
• Schedule Management
• Search Engine Optimization
• Server Maintenance
• Social Media
• Spanish Fluency
• Statistical Analysis
• Systems Analysis
• Technical Support
• Telecommunications Systems
• Travel Booking
• Video Editing
• Website Design
• Word Processing

Soft Skills for a Resume

• Accountability
• Active Listening
• Adaptability
• Brainstorming
• Business Etiquette
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Contextualizing
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Emotional Intelligence
• Flexibility
• Goal-Setting
• Handling Pressure
• Influencing
• Insightfulness
• Interpreting
• Negotiation
• Open-Mindedness
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building
• Reliability
• Resource Management
• Responsibility
• Self-Confidence
• Strategical Thinking
• Strong Work Ethic
• Time Management

What If I Don’t Have the Required Skill?

Whether you need to possess a specific skill depends on the job and the skill in question. Usually, here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

However, you will come across situations where what you bring to the table is close. In this case, moving forward might be okay.

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill, even if you haven’t specially done it. So, go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing something in the right ballpark.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it, and everything will be fine.

Also, many job descriptions have “nice-to-have” skills on the list. If you happen to possess them, great. But if not, don’t assume you shouldn’t apply if you have the must-have skills. In the end, those capabilities aren’t outright requirements, so don’t screen yourself out based on them.

How To List Skills on a Resume

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put (or how to list) the skills on your resume.

According to our friends over at online resume-builder Zety.com , “…skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section.” In other words, it is imperative that there are elements of your skills throughout your resume, including your resume objective/summary and experience sections.

In addition, there isn’t one right answer for where to include your skill section because that depends on the industry, company, and position you’re trying to land. For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience. Then, put the skills section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves is the most important thing. After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

What About Skills for My Job Application?

When you’re looking for skills to put on a job application, you do have to treat it a little differently than skills for a resume. Usually, you’re working with a finite amount of space on an application, not just in an overall sense but in each applicable section.

Since that’s the case, you need to lean heavily on the job description. Look for any capabilities that are listed as must-haves or that are repeated through the job ad. Then, make sure those skills are featured prominently in several areas, including in work history descriptions and skills areas.

If you have to answer essay questions, discuss those skills there, too, whenever possible. Use any other relevant capability as a supplement, treating it as supporting information instead of the primary point you’re sharing.

However, if an essay question asks about a skill that’s not in the job description, feel free to dig in a bit. It’s a capability that’s clearly on the hiring manager’s mind, so touch on it occasionally to show you shine in that area.

Putting It All Together

If you were wondering, “What are some good skills to put on a resume?” you should now have a solid answer. The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for and, more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

• Our Products
• Case Studies
• Interview Questions
• Jobs Articles
• Members Login

The Right Way to Add Skills to Your Resume in 2023 (With 250+ Example Skills)

Stripped down to the core, the most important thing to show employers in any job search is your skills.

Everything in your application and candidacy comes down to your skills: Your past experience shows how you’ve used your skills to help other employers, your interview shows you understand what skills an employer is looking for and proves you have both the hard and soft skills needed to work well as part of their company, and your skills test…well it’s right in the name. Even checking your references—that’s just asking other people to vouch for how you’ve used your skills in the past.

If you’ve heard that employers care about all your interactions throughout the hiring process—like how you’ve greeted receptionists, how you’ve answered emails, and whether or not you sent that thank you note —that’s true, and it’s because these things show off your communication , interpersonal , and other professional skills.

Skills matter. And your first encounter with most employers is going to be via your resume. So how you put skills on your resume can make or break your job search.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Hard vs. soft skills

Top skills for your resume, how to list skills on a resume, list of skills for different jobs.

There are two major categories of skills:

• Hard skills are the abilities or knowledge you need to complete specific work tasks. For example writing software code, driving a specific kind of vehicle, and scheduling social media posts are all hard skills.
• Soft skills are the traits and qualities that categorize how you work and relate to the people you work with. For example, managing your time well, motivating others, and being curious are all soft skills.

For any job, you’ll need a mix of soft and hard skills—and you’ll want to show them both on your resume. Hard skills are fairly clear cut: You either have them or you don’t. They’re also easier than soft skills to prove that you possess—and to add to a resume. Meanwhile, soft skills are a bit more open to interpretation—for example, everyone’s definition of a good leader is different. But you can still show them on your resume if you use the right techniques.

Read More:   Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What the Heck Is the Difference?

Every resume will need skills that are specific to the job you want. For example, to be a software engineer you’ll need coding skills. But here are some of the types of skills that can be valuable for any job or industry:

1. Communication skills

Whether you’re a teacher interacting with students all day, a copywriter making sure you understand the needs of a given project, or an employee working in any other role, you’re going to need to give and receive information. Employers are always looking for those who can communicate clearly and effectively—in writing , in person, or over the phone, email, or any other platform.

Read More: Your Communication Skills Matter for Every Job—Here’s How to Use, Improve, and Show Off Yours

2. Time management skills

Time is a social construct, but unfortunately it’s one we’ve all more or less agreed on. Every job will require you to get tasks done on time, show up for scheduled meetings and events, and organize your schedule effectively. If you’re applying to a role with many different responsibilities or one where you’ll be managing or collaborating with a team, time management skills are even more vital to ensure that you’re hitting goals.

Read More: These Time Management Skills Can Make You a Better Employee—and Improve Your Work-Life Balance

3. Organizational skills

Organization is more than just making sure a physical area is well arranged and clean—though it is that too! Organization skills also encapsulate ensuring digital files are accessible, teams are well coordinated, events and projects are efficient, your work is on schedule, and a lot more. Though the type of organization you’ll be doing will vary from job to job, the need to logically arrange and plan is universal.

Read More: Your Guide to Organizational Skills on the Job—and During the Job Hunt

4. Technical skills

Technical skills are the knowledge you need to use a certain piece of technology, equipment, or technique. They’re a subset of hard skills and most jobs will require specific technical know-how to complete core tasks. However, there are also broader technical skills that are useful for all or many jobs such as the ability to use email, office suite software, and common communication programs like Zoom.

Read More: What Are Technical Skills and How Should You Include Them On Your Resume? (Plus a List of Examples)

5. Computer skills and literacy

Technology is constantly changing, and of course you can’t know how to use any new feature or piece of software immediately after it comes out. But if you can show employers that you have digital literacy, they’ll be confident in your ability to quickly adapt to new technology and troubleshoot basic computer issues.

Read More: Computer Skills You’ll Need in the Workplace—and How to Show Them Off on a Job Search

6. Management and leadership skills

You don’t need to be an executive or anyone’s boss to need management and leadership skills. These are the skills that help you plan, coordinate, motivate (both yourself and others), and complete any project or initiative. They also help you hit long-term goals and allocate resources well.

Read More: How to Improve Your Management Skills (and Show Them Off in a Job Search)

7. Analytical skills

Lots of jobs have the word “analyst” right in the title, but these skills aren’t just for them. Analytical skills cover any of the skills you need to take in or gather information, organize and synthesize it, and use it to make decisions or predictions.

Read More: No, Analytical Skills Aren’t Just for Analysts—Here’s How to Show Yours Off in a Job Search

8. Interpersonal skills

These are the skills that help you work, communicate, and build relationships with others. Employers are always looking for people with strong interpersonal skills like empathy, persuasion, and conflict resolution because it allows them to work well as part of a team. Employees with good interpersonal skills are better at resolving and avoiding issues with others, which helps keep companies working efficiently. For jobs where you’d be working with clients or customers, interpersonal skills are especially important to help drive business and uphold a company’s reputation.

Read More: How Strong Interpersonal Skills Can Help You at Work—and in Your Job Search

9. Problem-solving skills

Most roles are created to solve a problem the company is facing—whether it’s broad like “we need more business” or specific like “we need an expert in Javascript who has experience boosting page-load speed to make our web pages more appealing to the Google algorithm.” Even if a job feels like it’ll follow a set daily routine, issues are still going to pop up, and employers are more likely to hire people who can spot and identify potential or ongoing problems, communicate those problems, look for causes, brainstorm solutions, and/or implement them. 

Read More: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills (and Show Them Off in Your Job Hunt)

10. Decision-making skills

Many jobs require you to make choices all the time. For example, picking a new vendor for office supplies, making cuts to a budget, deciding to bring other people in to solve an issue, or prioritizing work tasks on your to-do list all require decision-making skills. Employers want to know you can identify options, weigh the pros and cons, and choose a path in a logical way.

Read More: You’ll Need Decision-Making Skills in Any Job—Here’s How to Get Them, Use Them, and Show Them Off

11. Other transferable skills

Broadly speaking, your transferable skills are any abilities you gained or used in one context that are also helpful in another. Some transferable skills, like the ability to communicate in a second language, pay attention to detail , or manage a project can be useful in almost any job or workplace. But others might be transferable in only certain situations.

For example, maybe you managed the budget for a club in college and now you’re applying to a position where you’d be managing a budget for freelancers. Or maybe you’ve used Excel to do data analysis in the past, but the company you’re applying to uses Excel to track project progress.

As you’re making your resume, don’t discount any of your skills just because you haven’t used them in exactly the same way and context this job opening calls for.

Read More: Transferable Skills: The Key to Landing Your Dream Job

Here are some tips for making sure anyone who reads your resume comes away with the right impression of what you can do for them if they hire you.

1. Identify which skills belong on your resume.

Recruiters and hiring managers don’t necessarily have a lot of time to devote to looking at your resume for the first time—about 7.4 seconds, according to the most recent data . So your resume has to make it very clear very quickly that you’re qualified for any job you apply to. The best way to do this is to tailor your resume —or change your resume for every application to match the specific requirements and language of the job description . Take a good look at any posting you’re applying to and note any mentions of skills you have. Also, think about any experience or skills you have that might be transferable to the role. These are the skills that belong on your resume.

For soft skills, you might need to read between the lines a bit. Some postings might mention that they’re looking for a skilled multitasker, but you’re not necessarily going to get an explicit list of all the qualities the employer is looking for in a hire. So think about which of your soft skills can help you accomplish the duties of the job. If there’s a lot of mentions of other teams you’ll be working with, for example, you’ll want to emphasize your collaboration abilities in your resume. Or if you’ll be giving a lot of presentations, you might want to highlight your public speaking chops.

And don’t feel like you need to include every skill you have. Scuba diving is a hard skill, but only relevant to very specific jobs. Remember, hiring managers are reviewing your resume with the job you applied for in mind, so keep your skills at least tangentially relevant to avoid a “Wait, why did they apply for this?” reaction.

2. Don’t oversell or undersell your skills.

Before you add skills to your resume, be honest with yourself (and companies you’re applying to) about your ability level. A hiring manager in the finance industry once told Muse writer Lily Zhang that he hated it when people listed skills in their resume and then added the word “basic” in parenthesis next to it. If you only have a basic understanding of something, it may not belong in your skills section. But if you’re saying your skill level is basic just to be modest, maybe don’t do that. Your future employer can’t pick up how humble you are from this document—you’ll just look less qualified than you are.

Hiring managers might also use your skills section to judge how truthful a candidate has been in their application. If a candidate lists a string of 20 programming languages, but only has done projects in one, it’s not a good look. In general, a good rule of thumb is to only include skills you’re comfortable talking about in an interview.

3. Create a skills section.

A skills section is one of the most important parts of your resume. Remember that 7.4-second initial look that you get from recruiters? That’s why the skills section exists. If you’re applying for a role where a certain skill or skill set is absolutely required for consideration, it’s not unusual for the reader to take a little shortcut and scan the skills section of all the resumes submitted to see if they’re there—and only look at those more intently.

Generally, your skills section is a list of the skills you have without any additional context. If you have a lot of skills to list, consider grouping your skills to make the section even easier to scan. For example, a web developer may have a “design skills” and a “coding skills” subheading within their skills section.

Note that your skills section is usually reserved for hard skills over soft skills.

4. Put your skills section in the right place.

Most commonly, you’ll place your skills section after your work experience section, toward the bottom of the page. But in certain situations , you may decide to put it elsewhere—most commonly near the top of the page just after your heading or your summary (if you have one). You might do this if:

• You’re using a hybrid resume format. As opposed to the more common chronological resume , a hybrid resume puts your skills at the top of the page along with some additional context around how you’ve used your skills.
• You’re in a career where skills sections commonly go at the top of the page. For example, product management resumes often list skills before experience. Look for example resumes for your field to see if they have any specific quirks
• You’re changing or pivoting careers. If your previous job titles might make someone reading your resume assume you applied to the wrong position, consider putting your skills section first. Career pivots and transitions are often dependent on transferable skills or skills you’ve picked up outside of your main work experience. (For career changes, you should probably also lead with a resume summary to help clear up any confusion.)
• You’re in any other situation where your skills boost your qualifications more than your past work experience. For example, if you’ve recently graduated, you may choose to put your skills ahead of your experience (though often after your education section) rather than have a reader comb through your internships, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars looking for what you can do.

5. Show how you’ve used your skills in your bullet points.

Anyone can list skills in a skills section. To really prove that you have them, you need to show how you’ve used your skills in the past—and that you’ve gotten results. Your skills section should actually be rather redundant. Ideally, a close read of your experience section should get across all your hard and soft skills.

Rather than just listing job duties under your past positions, phrase your bullet points as accomplishments . Then, add in the skills you used to achieve those accomplishments and what the results were. Inserting numbers when possible will also show anyone reading your resume just how much your skills have done for your past employers.

Tuck soft skills into your bullets rather than adding them to your skills section. Making the first word relate to your soft skills is particularly effective. For example, instead of, “Assisted with annual corporate retreat,” you could write, “Collaborated in a group of four to plan and facilitate annual corporate retreat for 200 employees.” While both bullets describe the same task, only the second one shows that you’re a team player. Instead of, “Attended monthly sales meetings,” you could write, “Presented product insights to 12 clients in monthly sales meetings,” to demonstrate strong communication skills.

For example, here’s a solid bullet point for your resume with the skills bolded:

• Produced and edited three 10-minute “Day in the Life” videos for different jobs at the company; running initial brainstorming meetings for each over Zoom ; coordinating and communicating with 10+ employees for each video using Airtable, Google Calendar, email and Slack ; arranging shot composition, lighting, and sound and overseeing shoots ; editing using Final Cut Pro and Adobe Creative Suite ; and uploading to YouTube resulting in 200K views and a 10x boost in job applications for focus jobs.

All your bullet points don’t need to be this hefty, of course. But it shows just how many skills can go into one professional accomplishment.

6. Include your skills in other resume sections.

Your work experience isn’t the only place you can drop in those skills. You can also weave them into your:

• Resume summary
• Education section (especially if you’re a recent graduate)
• Volunteer section
• Activities section
• Projects section
• Awards section

7. Add certificates, classes, and certifications that prove your skill set.

If you’ve gotten certifications that prove you’re skilled at something, like project management, don’t forget to put that on your resume. If you’ve taken courses to further your professional development, you can add those too—particularly if you haven’t gotten the chance to use all the skills you learned in your day job yet.

8. Use the same language as the job description.

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to parse and organize candidate’s resumes. Hiring managers and recruiters will search ATSs for the most relevant resumes using skills as their search terms. So whenever possible, use the same language as a job description to describe your skills to increase your chances of landing an interview. For example, if a job listing wants experience with project management software, say “project management software” on your resume, not just “Trello.”

Below are some examples of specific roles you might be applying for and skills that could be appropriate to list, but remember that a job posting is always the best place to find the skills you need for a specific role. To get a more robust list for your specific industry, you can check out O*NET , a resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor that breaks down occupations by skills, tasks, and activities.

Accountant resume skills

• Accounting software
• ADP Workforce Now
• Analytical software
• Budget forecasting
• Cash flow analysis
• Cost accounting
• Credit/debt management
• Estate planning
• Financial accounting
• Financial compliance
• Financial reporting
• Forensic accounting
• Google Sheets
• Income tax planning
• Intuit QuickBooks
• Management accounting
• Microsoft Excel
• Payroll management
• Reconciliation
• Revenue forecasting
• SPSS Statistics
• Tax preparation

Administrative assistant resume skills

• Administrative support
• Booking travel
• Calendaring
• Customer service
• Google Workspace
• Meeting coordination
• Meeting minutes recording
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Office support
• Proofreading
• Social media management
• Video conferencing software

Back-end developer resume skills

• Application scaling
• Back-end framework
• Back-end programming languages
• Database administration
• Front-end web technologies
• Hosting environment
• Load changes
• Security compliance
• Version control (e.g. Git)

Customer service resume skills

• Account management
• Chat support
• Language skills (spoken and/or written)
• Phone support
• Resolutions

Data scientist resume skills

• Apache Hadoop and Spark
• AWS software
• Data analysis
• Data cleaning
• Data modeling
• Data sampling
• Data structure
• Git and GitHub
• Key libraries
• Scikit-learn
• The MathWorks MATLAB
• UNIX command line

Executive assistant resume skills

• Corporate communications
• Editing and proofreading
• Preparing agendas
• Report generation
• Reviewing contracts

Financial analyst resume skills

• Microsoft Dynamics
• Montgomery Investment Technology FinTools
• Montgomery Investment Technology Utility XL
• Oracle Business Intelligence
• S&P Capital IQ
• SAP software
• SAS Financial Management

Front-end developer resume skills

• Back-end data display
• Dynamic web page design
• Framework templates
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Software workflow
• Styling and color design
• Web page creation
• Website content display
• Website navigation optimization

Full-stack engineer resume skills

Graphic designer resume skills.

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• After Effects
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Data visualization
• Design principles
• Dreamweaver
• Illustrator
• Product Design

Human resource manager resume skills

• Applicant tracking systems (ATS)
• Benefits administration and management
• Benchmarking
• Candidate screening
• Climate surveys
• Conducting background and reference checks
• Conflict resolution and management
• Contract negotiations
• Human resource information systems (HRIS)
• Interviewing
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Organizational development
• Orientation
• Payroll administration and management
• Performance improvement and management
• Recruitment
• Vendor negotiation
• Writing and posting job descriptions

Marketer resume skills

• Audience building
• Blog writing
• Brand management
• Content creation
• Content marketing
• Conversion rate optimization
• Customer acquisition
• Copywriting
• Demand generation
• Digital marketing
• Email marketing
• Facebook management
• Google Analytics
• Instagram management
• Lead generation
• LinkedIn management
• Marketing automation and technology
• Market research
• Marketo marketing automation
• Power editor
• Project management
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Social media
• TikTok management
• Twitter management

Office manager resume skills

• Billing software
• Document management
• Executive support
• Expense reporting
• Facilities management
• Inventory management
• Office supply management
• Payroll processing
• Reports generation
• Vendor management

Product designer resume skills

• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• ADA compliance
• Crashlytics
• Google Design Sprint Method
• Omnigraffle
• Story mapping
• Style guides/Pattern libraries for React
• Ubertesting

Product manager resume skills

• A/B Testing
• Beta testing
• Customer analysis
• Data analytics
• Financial analysis
• Forecasting
• Quality assurance
• Release management
• Risk management
• Roadmapping
• Scrum management
• SWOT analysis
• Troubleshooting
• User research
• UX/UI design

Project manager resume skills

• Change management
• Client communication
• Deployment management
• Development and testing
• Impact assessment
• Microsoft Project
• Process development
• Process improvement
• Project life cycle
• Project management software
• Quality control
• Resource allocation
• Scheduling and planning
• Scope management
• Stakeholder management

Sales resume skills

• Business analysis
• Business development
• Cold calling
• Consultative selling
• Customer relations
• Executive relationships
• Prospecting
• Relationship management

Teacher resume skills

• Blended learning
• Character education
• Classroom management
• Collaborative environments
• Data-driven instruction
• Inclusive classroom
• Interactive classroom
• MAP Testing
• Mystery Math
• Personalized learning
• Remote instruction
• Social-emotional learning
• Student-guided learning

Web developer resume skills

• Application coding
• Command line tools
• Google Angular
• LAMP development
• Object-oriented design
• Responsive design
• Server-Side scripting
• Writing modules

Lily Zhang  also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

101 Essential Skills to Put on a Resume in 2024 [For Most Jobs]

Skills make a huge chunk of a potential employer’s decision to hire you. 

You might think this section of your resume is easy - you just list your skills and you’re good to go.

But listing your skills the right way is a bit trickier.

How do you know if you’re mentioning the necessary skills for the job or if you’re just giving the hiring manager irrelevant information? 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the process of putting skills on your resume from start to finish.

You’re going to learn:

What Are the Different Types of Skills?

• Why Should You List Your Skills on Your Resume?
• How to List Skills on a Resume
• 12 Best Skills to Put on Any Resume 
• 400+ Skills to Put on a Resume for Different Professions

Let’s dive in!

Skills are the various abilities and attributes that you bring to the table when you’re applying for a job.

Your skills can be your ability to do a specific task or solve a problem with some level of proficiency, and they’re typically divided into hard skills and soft skills.

If you want to create an effective resume that catches the hiring manager’s attention, you need to mention both hard and soft skills.

Let’s break down what each means:

Hard Skills

Hard skills involve the technical knowledge or know-how one can gain through experience, training, or education. 

While hard skills are essential for completing tasks in just about any job, they’re also teachable and easily measurable. 

For example: 

• Machinery skills. Some fields require operating specialized machinery or equipment. (E.g., operating a road roller, pallet-stalker, forklift, or others.)
• Software skills. Depending on the field, you need to know how to use different software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite for designers or the Ableton Live Suite if you’re a DJ.
• Tools. If you’re a digital marketer , you’ll need to know how to use tools like Stethoscope, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush.
• Languages. Being able to communicate in more than one language is an extremely useful skill. The more customers or teams you can communicate with, the more valuable you are as an employee. Some of the most sought-after languages today include German, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic.
• Computer skills. Most jobs will require that you have at least some basic computer knowledge in MS Office and G-Suite, emailing, and presentations. If you’re a web developer , your hard skills will likely include more specialized software knowledge or proficiency in coding languages such as Python, C++, or PHP.
• Techniques. Different specialized techniques you’ve learned can be listed as individual skills. (E.g.: frequency analysis, crystallization, gamification, or even CPR and first aid.)
• Mathematics. A lot of professions, such as accounting and finance, require mathematical skills. If you’re applying for a position in a field that uses advanced mathematics, such as a research assistant , you should be more specific with the types of mathematical skills you have. (E.g.: statistics, trigonometry, calculus, algebra, etc.)
• Data analysis. Businesses are always looking for professionals who can gather and analyze data for various stakeholders and help make strategic decisions, making different types of data analysis a very in-demand hard skill.

…so, just about any field-specific skill is a hard skill you can list on your resume.

Soft Skills

The attributes and habits that describe how you work individually or with others are known as soft skills .

Generally speaking, soft skills aren’t job-specific, so they’re transferable skills that indirectly help you adapt to the work environment and company culture. 

Some examples of the most in-demand soft skills include: 

• Time management
• Communication
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict resolution
• Stress management
• Critical thinking
• Organization

Soft skills are essential for just about any job out there.

While some soft skills can be critical to doing your job well, such as communication with a customer support representative , others ensure that you get along with your coworkers and foster a positive work environment.

Like hard skills, you can also learn how to develop soft skills, but it’s significantly harder. 

While you can acquire computer skills through a technical course, you’ll need to put in a lot more effort to develop your communication skills. 

For example, you would need to practice active listening in the workplace, learn how to notice nonverbal cues and practice your oral communication skills as much as possible to improve.

What’s the Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills?

There are three main differences between hard skills and soft skills.

• How you obtain them. You can obtain hard skills through work experience , education, training, and certifications. Soft skills, on the other hand, can be gained through life experience, both in and out of work.
• How you use them. While you apply hard skills directly to the job, soft skills usually come into play indirectly and may often complement your hard skills. For example, you may be a communicative marketer or an office manager with great leadership qualities.
• How you list them. Hard skills and soft skills should be listed separately on your resume, but unlike soft skills, hard skills can include your level of proficiency. You can say you’re an advanced user of Adobe Photoshop, but you can’t measure how creative you are in the same way.

When it comes to your employability, both sets of skills are crucial for your resume.

If a hiring manager is on the fence about two candidates with the same hard skills, it’s the soft skills that are going to tip the scales in someone’s favor.

Why Should You List Skills on Your Resume?

The skills section is one of the two most important resume sections , with the other being your work experience.

In fact, 41% of hiring managers notice skills on your resume first.

Let’s look at an example of a well-written skill section:

At first glance, listing some skills on your resume looks easy.

In reality, though, putting skills on your resume the right way is a bit more nuanced than that, and here’s why:

Most companies nowadays use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them go through the hundreds and thousands of resumes they receive every day.

This software scans your resume for keywords relevant to the job you’re applying for, and if it doesn’t find them, the ATS automatically rejects your resume.

For example, let’s say you’re applying for a job as a software engineer , and the job requires an expert level of proficiency in Javascript.

If you focus on other programming languages and don’t mention Java as a skill on your resume, the ATS will probably discard it immediately.

Resume statistics show that nearly 75% of resumes are rejected at this first screening stage, and they never make it to a hiring manager .

But let’s assume the company doesn’t use an ATS, and your resume ends up on a hiring manager’s desk.

There’s a good chance the hiring manager is only going to skim through your resume in less than six seconds , looking for the right set of skills.

So, regardless of whether you’ll need to breeze past the ATS or the hiring manager, you have to mention the right skills.

How to List Skills on a Resume (And Stand Out)

Now that you have a clear understanding of how important skills are, let’s talk about how you should list them on your resume.

We’ve divided the process into a step-by-step guide you can follow, starting with:

#1. Tailor Your Skills to the Job

The key to an effective skills section is making sure the skills you list are relevant to the job.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as a backend developer, the customer service skills you gained working as a server during college don’t belong on your resume.

So, only list skills that are useful for the job you are applying for.

Start by thoroughly reading the job advertisement to find out what skills to include on your resume.

Job ads usually list a set of requirements or skills they expect from candidates. Take note of which skills and experiences you have, and remember to write them down on your resume.

Let’s look at an example of a job ad for a line cook position in a restaurant:

At Restaurant X, we are dedicated to delivering an exceptional dining experience that reflects the heart of French cuisine. We are currently seeking a skilled Line Cook to join our team for the summer season. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced, prestigious environment under the mentorship of our acclaimed chef.

Key Responsibilities:

• Efficiently prep ingredients for service, ensuring high standards of quality and freshness.
• Execute recipes to exact standards, contributing to the creation of signature dishes that delight our guests.
• Maintain meticulous attention to detail in the plating and presentation of each dish.
• Uphold the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation in the kitchen before, during, and after service.

Requirements:

• Proven experience as a line cook in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• A passion for French cuisine and a strong desire to learn and grow within the culinary field.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Knowledge of best practices for food handling, safety, and sanitation.

From this job description, we can see that the restaurant is looking for someone who:

• Is committed to excellence and is highly professional
• Works well under supervision and as part of a team
• Has experience working in a fast-paced kitchen environment
• Pays great attention to detail when it comes to cooking and presentation

Based on this, some of the skills you should definitely mention in your resume include:

• Culinary Expertise
• Food Preparation
• Knife Skills
• Plating Techniques
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail
• Safety and Sanitation
• Stress Management

Don’t mention skills that aren’t directly related to the job. For example, a line cook doesn’t need to list computer skills on their resume, even if those skills are relevant for most other jobs.

#2. Create a Skills Section

Once you’ve identified all the right skills to add to your resume, create a dedicated “Skills” section to list them under.

A dedicated section will help you pass the ATS, and it makes it easier for hiring managers to find the skills they’re looking for.

Here’s an example of what a skills section can look like on a resume:

We recommend keeping your resume skills section somewhere near the top of the page so that the hiring manager can see it quickly. Usually, they should go either next to or after the work experience section, depending on your resume layout .

Next, here are a few tips you should keep in mind when listing your skills:

• Be specific. “Verbal and written communication” sounds significantly better than just “communication.” 
• Sort your skills by relevance. Order your skills based on how crucial they are for the role. The more important skills should go at the top, and the nice-to-have ones should go after them.
• Format skills accordingly. Not everyone has dozens of skills they can show off on their resume, and that’s okay. If you don’t have a lot of skills, you can list both your hard and soft skills in a single section, just like the example we used above.
• Don’t lie or exaggerate. If you don’t have one of the required skills for the role or you’re not very experienced, just be honest. It goes without saying that you should never lie about what you can do. The employer will find out you lied eventually, your professional reputation will bear the consequences, and you could even lose your job.

#3. Match Each Skill With Your Proficiency Level

While some skills are hard to measure, others can be put on a proficiency scale .

We recommend only using a proficiency scale for some hard skills, such as specific tools or software programs. Soft skills are difficult to measure objectively, so there’s no point in putting them on a scale.

Here’s how to show your proficiency level:

• Beginner. You are just starting to learn this skill, or you haven’t practiced the skill through experience. This usually applies to students with no experience who only understand concepts through theories or classroom experience.
• Intermediate. You have applied this skill in practice, and you rarely need help with it, but you still have room to grow.
• Advanced. At this level, you know your stuff. You don’t need help with this skill anymore, and you can teach beginners how to use it.
• Expert. You’re a recognized authority when it comes to this skill, and you’re the go-to person if anyone has any questions.

#4. Back-Up Your Skills in Other Resume Sections

Only listing your skills in their dedicated section will get you so far. After all, everyone else is doing the exact same thing. 

If you want to take your resume from good to great, you need your most critical skills to make an impression from the get-go.

This is where the resume headline and work experience sections come in.

Resume Headline

Your resume headline can be either a resume summary or a resume objective.

The resume summary is a short, two to four-sentence-long paragraph that summarizes your resume. When done right, it shows the hiring manager your strongest selling points as a candidate right from the start.

Here’s an example in action:

But if you don’t have a lot of experience, you can use a resume objective instead.

The resume objective is a two to three-sentence statement of your career intent that goes at the top of your resume. It can include a snapshot of your professional experience, skills, achievements, and professional goals.

Here’s what it looks like:

Both the resume summary and resume objective go at the top of your resume, either before or after your contact information section .

Regardless of which resume headline you go for, the goal of this section is to pique the hiring manager’s curiosity and make them want to read your whole resume. You should always add one or two of the most necessary skills from the job description here.

Work Experience

Once you’ve mentioned some of your top skills in your resume headline, you have to prove you actually have them.

The best way to do that is by listing some impressive achievements in your work experience section and explaining how your skills helped you.

Let’s look at what the work experience section could look like for the data entry specialist from our resume summary example:

• Achieve a 99% accuracy rate, surpassing departmental accuracy goals by 15%.
• Leveraged advanced organizational abilities to streamline data entry processes, reducing task completion times by 20%.
• Employed superior communication and interpersonal skills to resolve 95% of customer inquiries on the first contact, earning an Employee of the Month award.
• Managed and maintained a complex database of over 10,000 records, ensuring data integrity and accuracy through effective office management practices.

Hobbies and Interests

Another section where you can back up your skills is your hobbies and interests section .

If you have leftover space on your resume, you can use this optional section to list a couple of hobbies or areas of interest that relate to your skills.

For example, let’s say you’re applying for a job as a writer, and the ad says you need to be creative, collaborative, and familiar with pop culture.

In that case, if one of your hobbies is playing a popular tabletop role-playing game with your friends, like Dungeons and Dragons, make sure to list it.

A hobby like that shows that you are genuinely creative, like writing for fun, and are capable of organizing with multiple people for a mutual goal.

#5. Put Transferable Skills to Use 

If you’re looking for your first job or if you’re making a career change , transferable skills are something you should make use of.

Transferable skills are skills that aren’t directly related to the job you are applying for, but they’re still useful and likely relevant for most jobs.

For example, if you're writing a career change resume and you’re going from a role as a sales associate to a copywriter, there are several transferable skills you can list on your resume.

Some of them include:

• Written communication. Both roles involve communicating through text. A salesperson needs to send cold outreach emails, while a copywriter has to write newsletter emails.
• Persuasion. A copywriter needs to create copy that drives sales, while a salesperson needs to be persuasive in person.
• Computer skills. Both jobs require some degree of computer literacy. For a salesperson, that might mean using Customer Management Software, while for a copywriter, that’s publishing content online.

12 Best Skills to Put on Any Resume

Now that you know how to put skills on your resume, it’s time to talk about which skills you should add.

Every profession requires some role-specific hard skills. For example, a photographer needs to know how to use photo editing software like Photoshop. 

But when it comes to soft skills, a lot of them are universal across different industries.

Soft skills are the skills that define your approach to work, how well you cooperate with others, and if you can fit into a company’s culture.

And while the right soft skills for a job may be harder to point out, they’re just as essential in today’s job market. In fact, 93% of employers say that soft skills play a critical role in the hiring decision.

There are very few, if any, jobs out there that don’t require at least some level of communication skills .

So, let’s look at some of the most highly valued skills for any resume:

#1. Communication skills

Whether you’re a writer who needs to communicate a message to your readers, a marketing specialist who needs to communicate an advertising campaign to your client, or an employee who needs to communicate with a coworker to complete a task, communication skills are vital. 

Communication is a multi-faceted skill that includes several skills, such as: 

• Oral and written communication
• Non-verbal communication
• Active Listening
• Presentation
• Public-speaking
• Negotiation

#2. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving means you’re able to identify problems, find the root cause behind them, and come up with creative solutions.

Considering there isn’t a single job where you won’t face problems in one way or another, problem-solving skills are a great asset to have.

Throughout your career, you might have to troubleshoot technical glitches, resolve customer complaints, streamline processes, or drive strategic initiatives. In any of these cases, strong problem-solving skills will be crucial to your success. 

But problem-solving is a broad set of skills that can include:

• Analytical thinking
• Root cause analysis
• Data gathering and evaluation
• Creative thinking
• Decision making
• Strategic planning
• Risk assessment and management

Whether you’re an IT professional debugging code or a manager implementing operational improvements, problem-solving skills let you tackle challenges head-on.

#3. Conflict Resolution

When working with diverse groups, disagreements are bound to happen. So, having the skills to resolve conflicts in a constructive manner is extremely valuable in any organization.

Conflict resolution skills are essential for managers addressing performance issues, HR professionals mediating workplace disputes, sales teams negotiating contracts, or coworkers with clashing personalities.

This multifaceted skill involves:

• Impartiality and objectivity
• Assertive communication
• Creative problem-solving
• Persuasion and influence
• Patience and composure

#4. Computer Literacy

Over 70% of jobs require medium-to-high-level digital skills.  

This means that computer and technical skills are priceless assets, even if your job isn’t centered around technology. So, computer skills are almost always a great addition to any resume.

Here are some valuable computer skills for every professional: 

• Office suites (MS Office, iWork)
• Social media
• Database management
• Web (Internet savviness, basic HTML, CMS)
• Troubleshooting
• Equipment installation and configuration
• Fast Typing

#5. Research

Effective research abilities are essential for making informed decisions and driving successful outcomes across any industry.

Whether you’re conducting market research to identify consumer needs, gathering data to explore a scientific hypothesis, or investigating to build a legal case, strong research skills are invaluable.

Some research skills include:

• Finding credible sources
• Evaluating information objectively
• Organizing data
• Identifying patterns
• Documenting and reporting findings

#6. Teamwork

Teamwork skills enable you to work effectively with others towards a common goal.

Since teams tend to drive most major projects and workplace initiatives, learning how to work well with others is essential to most jobs. You might be part of a project team, a committee, or just coordinate across departments someday.

What you need for strong teamwork skills is:

• Active listening
• Reliability
• Flexibility
• Motivating others

#7. Project Management

Project management skills are usually associated with dedicated project manager roles, but in reality, that's not usually the case. Any type of professional can benefit from strong project management skills.

In a nutshell, project management skills involve being able to effectively handle resources, timelines, deliverables, and processes for driving projects to successful completion.

Here are some of the most in-demand project management skills:

• Resource allocation and management
• Project planning and scheduling
• Risk identification and mitigation
• Logistics and coordination
• Action planning
• Task planning and prioritization
• Stakeholder management

#8. Leadership

Leadership includes both the ability to manage and inspire others. Managers are not always great leaders, but leaders almost always make good managers. 

People who are good at leading are emotionally intelligent, good communicators, and natural-born influencers. They can motivate others to reach their full potential and work together towards common goals. This makes leadership another great skill to have for many professions out there. 

Some important soft skills related to leadership include:

• Relationship-building
• Strategic thinking

#9. Organization

Organizational skills are a set of soft skills that help you keep track of information, materials, and even your time in such a way that you can tackle short and long-term tasks efficiently.

Organizational skills are among the top skills recruiters are looking for in 2022, primarily because they help employees be more productive, save companies time and money, and facilitate a more positive work environment. 

Here is what organizational skills consist of: 

• Physical organization
• Prioritization
• Goal setting

#10. Time Management

Time management is the ability to effectively prioritize and organize your tasks and responsibilities.

Needless to say, it’s a crucial skill in nearly every job, since being able to manage your time well allows you to increase productivity, meet deadlines, and maintain a healthy work-life balance .

Time management includes:

• Task prioritization and planning
• Task delegation
• Avoiding and Ignoring distractions
• Adapting to changing priorities

#11. Customer Service

A lot of the jobs out there involve dealing with customers. 

From customer support representatives to cashiers, customer service skills are a great asset to have in 2024. Particularly, that’s because it encompasses a number of other valuable skills, such as:

• Persuasion skills
• Product knowledge

#12. Networking

Networking skills refer to how well you can build professional relationships and connections.

It goes without saying that they're extremely useful for roles like sales, business development, or entrepreneurship, as a lot of the work involves meeting and engaging new people.

However, these skills are also useful for roles where you don't expect to rely on professional networking as much.

Take, for example, project managers. To be really effective, they need to:

• Understand the needs of stakeholders
• Collaborate with various teams across the organization
• Build rapport with people at all levels

Just like most other skills on our list, networking skills are multi-faceted. They include:

400 Must-Have Skills for Different Professions

Still not sure which skills to mention in your resume? We’ve got you covered.

We compiled a list of some of the most relevant skills on the market in 2024, for all sorts of different fields!

If you happen to possess some of these skills, make sure to mention them in your resume. If not, it’s never too late to learn something new!

#1. Retail and Sales Skills

Retail and sales are at the heart of successful business interactions.

Despite the rise of technology, the essence of sales hasn’t changed much . People still need contact with each other, and even with channels of communication becoming digital, communication skills and empathy still take top priority in this industry.

So, here’s a list of must-have skills for salespeople and retail workers :

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Cold-calling
• Merchandising
• Product demonstration
• Public speaking
• Inventory management
• Lead generation
• Buyer-Responsive selling
• Buyer engagement
• Point of Sale (POS) proficiency
• Effective communication and sociability
• Social media and digital communication
• Listening skills
• Personalized selling
• Service-based selling
• Follow-up techniques
• Up-selling and cross-selling
• Knowledge of return and exchange policies
• Organizational skills
• Multitasking capabilities

#2. Customer Service Skills

Customer service requires a specialized skill set centered around excellent communication and problem-solving. Success in this field relies on effectively managing various communication platforms and maintaining customer satisfaction through attentive service.

Some skills crucial for any customer service representative include:

• Telephone etiquette
• Data entry proficiency
• Customer needs assessment
• Crisis management
• Multitasking
• Ticket tracking systems
• Scripted responses
• Technical troubleshooting
• Complaint resolution
• Record-keeping
• Team collaboration
• Understanding of privacy and confidentiality
• Customer education techniques
• Feedback collection
• Call center operations
• Email Etiquette
• Live chat management
• Help desk support
• Client retention strategies
• Cultural sensitivity

#3. Hospitality Skills

Hospitality is all about making guests feel welcome and appreciated, no matter the setting - whether it’s a bustling hotel, a serene resort, or a cruise ship. Professionals in this field need to create memorable experiences for guests by providing impeccable service and making sure their every need is met with a smile.

Some of the most sought-after hospitality skills are:

• Customer service excellence
• Effective communication
• Foreign languages
• Reservation management
• Event planning
• Specialized software proficiency
• Front desk operations
• Tour and activity coordination
• Guest Relations
• Guest information management
• Concierge services
• Personalized guest experiences
• Safety and security protocols
• Marketing and upselling
• Health and hygiene standards
• Loyalty programs management
• Quality control
• Emergency response handling
• Environmental sustainability practices
• Check-in and check-out procedures

#4. Food and Beverage Skills

The food and beverage industry is one of the most dynamic and fast-paced environments you can work in. Here, professionals have to continually adapt to customers’ changing preferences, stay updated on culinary trends, and provide exceptional service.

Here are some skills that would look great on any food and beverage worker's resume:

• Menu planning and design
• Recipe development
• Food safety and hygiene
• Culinary arts
• Plate presentation
• Portion control
• Cost control and budgeting
• Wine pairing
• Beverage service
• Detailed menu knowledge
• Order taking and processing
• Table setting and arrangement
• Food preparation techniques
• Dietary restrictions and allergen awareness
• Staff training
• Quality assurance
• Health and safety regulations compliance
• Event catering management
• Customer feedback management
• Upselling techniques
• Point of sale (POS) system operation
• Kitchen equipment operation and maintenance
• Communication skills

Looking for more skills? Check out our server resume example here.

#5. Marketing and Advertising Skills

With new technologies developing faster than ever, it’s essential to move beyond the basics of traditional marketing and advertising to succeed in the industry. New skills keep popping up, and even the biggest marketing executives out there need to stay up to date on the latest developments.

So, here are some  of the most important marketing and advertising skills for any level:

• Data analysis
• Web analytics 
• Email marketing
• Web scraping
• CRO and A/B testing
• Data visualization
• Pattern-finding through critical thinking
• Project/campaign management
• Social media and mobile marketing 
• Paid social media advertisements
• B2B Marketing
• The four P-s of Marketing
• Consumer Behavior Drivers
• Brand management
• Copywriting
• Storytelling
• Digital advertising
• Multichannel marketing
• Public relations
• Content strategy
• Market research
• Budget management
• Compliance and legal considerations
• Affiliate marketing

#6. Administrative Skills

If you work in an office setting, there are some skills you should know, regardless of your job. Whether you’re a secretary, office manager, or executive assistant , you can put these skills on your resume.

Some basic administrative skills include:

• Microsoft Office
• Google Suite
• Filing and paper management
• Bookkeeping
• Research and data analysis
• Office management
• Technical writing
• Cloud networking and file sharing
• Prioritization and task management
• Customer service skills
• Meeting planning and coordination
• Event management
• Travel management
• Document preparation
• Confidentiality and data protection
• Minute taking
• Report generation
• Problem-solving skills
• Calendar management
• Expense reports
• Reception duties
• Correspondence handling
• Presentation skills
• Project management skills

#7. Human Resources Skills

Human Resources is a field that needs a strategic blend of soft and hard skills.

HR specialists are essential for managing diverse workforce needs and enhancing employee and company productivity in the long run.

Here are some examples of HR skills that always come in handy:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Motivation techniques
• Technological savviness
• People management
• Business development
• Strategic management
• Negotiation skills
• Recruitment and selection
• Training and development
• Performance management
• Knowledge of compensation and benefits
• Employee relations
• Labor law compliance
• Succession planning
• HR analytics
• Diversity and inclusion initiatives
• Change management
• Employee engagement strategies
• Workplace safety
• Talent acquisition strategies
• Policy formulation and implementation
• Employee counseling and support
• HR information systems (HRIS)
• Cross-cultural communication

#8. Business Skills

Business professionals are increasingly vital to organizations since they offer operational support and strategic insights that can drive growth.

Experts in the business industry need a broad set of skills to analyze trends , optimize processes, and predict future outcomes so their companies remain competitive and responsive to changes in the market.

Here are some examples of skills any business professional could add to their resume:

• Financial forecasting
• Profit and loss management
• Market analysis
• Trend identification
• Competitive analysis
• Risk management
• Project management
• Operations management
• Leadership and team building
• Stakeholder engagement
• Supply chain management
• CRM software proficiency
• ERP systems
• Business reporting
• Compliance and ethics
• Sales and marketing strategies
• Customer service
• Business writing
• Analytical reasoning
• Cloud computing
• E-commerce management
• Social media strategy
• Digital marketing
• Innovation management

#9. Finance and Accounting Skills

The days of filing financial data and taxes by hand are long behind us, and now there are countless digital platforms and apps you can use instead.

So, it goes without saying that anyone working in finance or accounting should be familiar with the most popular skills and tools in the industry.

Some examples include:

• Microsoft Excel
• Enterprise Resource Planning 
• Big Data Analysis
• Know Your Customers (KYC)
• Cognos Analytics (IBM)
• Visual Basic
• Accounting Software
• Revenue recognition
• Anti-money laundering
• Clear communication
• General business knowledge
• Numerical competence
• Financial reporting
• Cost accounting
• Tax preparation and planning
• Financial modeling
• Investment analysis
• Credit analysis
• Cash flow management
• Portfolio management
• Compliance and regulatory management
• Audit coordination
• Project financing
• Mergers and acquisitions

#10. IT Skills

New technology is popping up every other day, and that’s a great reason for anyone working in IT to keep their skills updated.

That said, if you are proficient in a programming language or two, you pretty much have a leg up on the competition.

Here’s a list of some of the most useful skills for any IT professional out there:

• Programming languages (Python, Java, C#)
• Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Frameworks (React, Angular, Vue.js)
• Mobile app development (iOS, Android)
• Database management (SQL, NoSQL)
• Cloud computing services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• DevOps practices (CI/CD, automation)
• Containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Network security protocols
• Cybersecurity best practices
• Data analysis and visualization
• Machine learning and AI algorithms
• Version control systems (Git, SVN)
• Agile and Scrum methodologies
• Software testing and debugging
• System architecture design
• API design and development
• Performance optimization
• IT project management
• IT support and troubleshooting
• Operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Scripting (Bash, PowerShell)
• IT infrastructure management
• Virtualization technologies
• IT compliance and governance
• UX/UI design principles
• SEO and web analytics
• Blockchain technology

#11. Nursing and Healthcare Skills

More than any other profession, healthcare professionals need to stay updated on the latest technologies, medicines, and techniques.

While the skills a registered nurse or other healthcare professional needs are countless and can be extremely specific to their specialization, the most basic skills boil down to:

• Mathematics
• Paperwork/record-keeping abilities
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Physical endurance 
• Infection control
• Surgery preparation
• Medication administration
• Emergency room care
• Psychiatric support
• Geriatric health
• Pediatric nursing
• Oncology knowledge
• Patient education
• Medical software proficiency
• Phlebotomy skills
• Vital signs monitoring
• Palliative care
• Obstetric and neonatal care
• Medical terminology
• Ethical decision-making
• Team coordination
• Cultural competency

#12. Art and Design Skills

Today, knowing the basics of art and design isn’t enough. To get hired as part of a creative team, be it as a designer or illustrator , you need to know how to create content with different tools and for different channels, like the web and social media.

Some of the most important art and design skills for your resume include:

• Graphic design
• Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop)
• Dreamweaver
• Infographics
• Web and app development (HTML, CSS, UX/UI)
• Photo Editing 
• Typography (spacing, line height, layout, choosing fonts)
• Storyboarding
• Targeting and marketing through visual communications
• Logo creation
• Digital printing
• Integration of visual communication in social media platforms
• Attention to detail and aesthetics
• Interactive media design
• Color sense and theory
• 3D modeling and animation (Blender, Autodesk Maya)
• Video editing (Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro)
• Motion graphics (Adobe After Effects)
• Print design
• Packaging design
• Branding and identity design
• Environmental graphic design
• Exhibition design
• Illustration
• Sketching and conceptual visualization
• User interface design
• User experience design
• Prototyping (digital and physical)
• Content management systems (WordPress)
• Accessibility standards for design
• Composition
• Crafting and use of traditional media
• Client relations and communication
• Augmented reality (AR) design
• Virtual reality (VR) design

#13. Education Skills

You might have three PhDs and still struggle to get the latest educational programs to work in front of your classroom. You’re likely missing some crucial skills for your field.

Teaching methods have evolved, and so have the skills you need to be a teacher or professor at the top of your game. So, here are some essential skills if you want to work in education:

• Updated curriculum knowledge
• Educational platforms (Elearn)
• Technological and digital literacy
• Lesson planning
• Classroom management
• Student assessments
• Differentiated instruction
• Educational theory and practice
• Parent and community engagement
• Child psychology
• Educational policy knowledge
• Student safety and welfare
• Career counseling
• Technology integration in the classroom
• Remote learning management
• Curriculum adaptation
• Educational software proficiency

Looking for a job in academia? Learn how to write an academic CV to get started.

Bonus Infographic: Skills to Put on a Resume

FAQs About Putting Skills on Your Resume

Do you still have some questions about what skills you should put on your resume and how? Check out the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions here:

#1. What kind of skills should I include in my resume?

Your resume should include a combination of two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills involve job-specific skills that are acquired through education, training, or work experience, while soft skills involve personality traits that can be indirectly useful at the workplace and help you adapt to the company culture better.

Depending on your industry, some examples of hard skills you can list on your resume include copywriting, database management, graphic design, foreign languages, public speaking, and more.

Examples of soft skills include communication, creativity, leadership, teamwork, time management, and conflict resolution.

#2. What top skills do employers look for?

Currently, some of the top hard skills hiring managers are on the lookout for include blockchain development, SEO, virtual reality development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, business analysis, Java development, affiliate marketing, UX design, machine learning, project management, video production and editing, sales, and business development .

The top soft skills hiring managers are looking for include creativity, collaboration, persuasion, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.

#3. How can I identify my skills?

If you want to identify your skills, start by considering your greatest accomplishments . Have you been recognized for a specific achievement? What skills helped you do it? You’re probably still skilled in those areas.

Next, consider asking friends and coworkers. Sometimes, it’s easier for others to recognize your strengths . If you’re new to the job market, you can ask former professors and classmates to give you some insight, too.

#4. Where do skills go on a resume?

Your skills should go under a separate ‘Skills’ section on your resume, typically placed right below or next to your work experience section.

That said, you should further prove that you have the skills you list in this section. Weave the most relevant skills for the job in other resume sections, such as the resume summary and your work experience sections, to show the hiring manager how those skills are put to use.

#5. How many skills should I include in my resume?

The number of skills to add to your resume depends on the job you’re applying for, as well as your level of expertise and work history.

If you’re a seasoned professional with plenty of job-related skills, you should definitely include them in your resume.

As a rule of thumb, listing up to ten skills on your resume is typically a safe choice, as long as they don’t make your resume spill over to page two .

#6. What are the best skills for a candidate with no experience?

If you’re a student with no experience and few job-specific skills, you can benefit from adding transferable skills to your resume. These are skills that can be applied to many jobs across several industries.

Some examples of good skills for a no-experience resume include communication, organization, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and computer skills.

#7. What are the top 12 skills to put on your resume?

There are several skills that could go on just about any resume, regardless of your targeted job. These include both hard skills and soft skills that can be used in any industry.

We recommend including skills like communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, computer literacy, research, teamwork, project management, leadership, organization, time management, customer service, and networking.

#9. Does a CV need skills?

There are a few differences between a CV and a resume . But for the most part, if you’re writing a CV for a job application, the structure should be similar to a resume.

So, you should add a skills section to your CV and list skills relevant to the job you’re applying for. The only exception to this rule is when you’re writing an academic CV, in which case skills are optional or even discouraged.

#10. What’s the best way to list skills on a resume in 2024?

To really impress with your skills in 2024, don’t just list some random skills under a separate section and call it a day!

Instead, make them more credible by finding out more about the company culture, tailoring your skills to the job description, mentioning the most critical skills in your resume summary or resume objective, and using your achievements to explain exactly how you used your skills to your advantage.

Key Takeaways

And that’s all there is to putting skills on a resume!

By now, we’re sure you’re a pro and ready to impress the hiring manager with the skills on your resume.

But before you go, let’s sum up the most important things we mentioned in this article:

• One of the most important sections on your resume is the skill section, and over 41% of hiring managers check it first.
• The skill section is crucial for making it past the ATS because some of the most important resume keywords are skills you should list on your resume.
• Skills are divided into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are technical skills you can gain through experience, training, or education, while soft skills can be attributes or habits related to how you work.
• Your resume should only list skills that are relevant to the job. Find out which skills these are by scanning through the job ad picking out the required skills that you have, and adding them to your resume.
• Some skills are universally useful across different professions, like adaptability, communication, and teamwork.

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2024 (Examples for any Job)

Learn how to professionally and efficiently list your skills on a resume.

How to List Skills on a Resume 

Your skills are just as important as your work experiences. Skills show a recruiter what you can do for the company -- without taking up too much space in your resume. 

Skills can be anything from “creativity” (a soft skill) to “JavaScript” (a hard skill). It’s important to include a mix of both on your resume.

Don’t know what skills you have? Read on to learn the difference between “soft” and “hard” skills, or skim our 250+ skills for each industry to jump right into the resume writing process. 

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Soft Skills vs Hard Skills

“Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable, such as leadership. These skills also cannot be learned, but  are rather a facet of your personality. Nevertheless, soft skills are still critical to have, for they demonstrate that you are personable and competent.

‍ Tip: Use some of the soft skills as adjectives when writing your profile summary . For example, try “enthusiastic entrepreneur,” “empathic childcare worker,” “organized nurses’ aid,” “supportive administration assistant” or “detail-oriented sales associate.”

The resume below is for a Childcare Worker and includes many soft skills that companies look for, including Creativity and Organizational skills.

In contrast, “Hard” skills are those that are learned -- either in school or through a certification program. These skills are quantifiable and can be continuously expanded upon through further education. Today, most hard skills have to do with computer technology, such as SEO, CSS/HTML, or Microsoft Suite. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, chances are you still have a few hard skills.

Tip: Be specific about your hard skills. Instead of listing “Programming Languages,” specify which ones you know -- Python, Java, C, etc. Same with photo editing software and any other platforms you are familiar with.

The resume below is for a Content Marketing Associate, and includes manyhard skills that companies in the marketing industry look for, including experience with Social Media tools. Remember, it's important to be specific in terms of defining and listing what softwares you know.

How to List Your Skills

Whether you’re a jack of all trades or a master of one, you absolutely must list some skills on your resume. Skills offer additional insight into what you can offer the company as an employee, and may just push your resume over the edge and into the interview pile. 

• Only list relevant skills . If you’re applying for a position as an engineer, don’t brag about your marketing abilities. Instead, save the space to list the software and programming languages that you know. 
• List around 5 Skills . Writing too many skills on your resume can be an overwhelming experience for the recruiter. He or she may not fully register your skills, and instead just blankly skim the long list. Conversely, listing too few skills is only selling yourself short. You definitely have more than two skills -- no matter your experience level! So shoot for around 5 skills, with a little wriggle room. 
• Include both hard and soft skills . Even if your profession seems to rely on soft skills more than hard skills -- or vice versa -- including both makes your resume stronger. For example, if you’re applying to work as a laboratory assistant, list soft skills such as “teamwork,” “problem-solving,” “time management,” or “organization.” If you’re in a more creative field, hard skills include softwares such as “Adobe Creative Suite” and talents such as “photography,” “writing & editing,” or “videography.” 
• Note your experience level . With each skill, specify whether you are a “beginner,” “expert,” or somewhere in between (using words like “intermediate” and “moderate”). Our resume templates have bars beneath each skill that you can toggle to reflect your expertise. 

The resume below is for a Human Resources Manager, and includes all of the above tips.

250+ Skills for Each Industry  

Although we’ve split these skills up by industry, please note that many skills are applicable to a variety of careers. For example, someone working in marketing might find knowledge of JavaScript just as useful as someone working in the computer science field. 

Let’s jump in!

Office and Administrative Job Skills

• Answering Phones
• Bookkeeping (Excel, Turbotax)
• Office Equipment
• Welcoming Visitors
• Calendar Management
• Organization 
• Time Management 
• Problem Solving
• Attention To Detail
• Adaptability 
• Written Communication 
• Email Platforms (E.G., Gmail And iCloud Mail)
• Word Processing Software (E.G., Google Docs)
• Spreadsheet Software
• Digital Calendars
• Prioritization 

Sales, Retail, and Customer Service Job Skills

• Product Knowledge
• Lead Qualification
• Lead Prospecting 
• Customer Needs Analysis
• Referral Marketing
• Contract Negotiation
• Self Motivation
• Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (Clv)
• Reducing Customer Acquisition Cost (Cac)
• CRM Software (Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Freshsales)
• Cashier Skills
• Knowledge Of Products And Services 
• Customer Service
• Communication (More Specifically -- Verbal Communication Skills, Listening Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Written Communication Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Presentation Skills)
• Math Skills
• Negotiation 
• Persuasion  
• Diplomacy  
• Cold Calling
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Lead Generation
• Buyer-responsive Selling
• Buyer Engagement

Nursing and Healthcare Job Skills

• Patient Assessment
• Taking Vital Signs
• Patient Care
• Recording Patient Medical History
• Wound Dressing And Care
• Urgent And Emergency Care
• Record-keeping
• Patient Education
• NIH Stroke Scale Patient Assessment
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
• Medicine Administration
• Blood Pressure Monitoring
• Rehabilitation Therapy
• Hygiene Assistance
• Use Of X-ray, MRI, Cat Scans
• Glucose Checks
• Electronic Heart Record (EHR)
• Decision-Making Ability 
• Critical Thinking
• Leadership 
• Thorough Understanding Of HIPPA And Privacy Policies
• Ability To Take And Record Vital Signs
• CPR And First-Aid Certifications
• Perform And Evaluate Diagnostic Tests
• Maintain Patient Charts

IT Job Skills

• Programming Languages
• Web Development
• Data Structures
• Open Source Experience
• Machine Learning
• Front-End & Back-End Development
• Cloud Management
• Agile Development
• CSS Preprocessors
• Graphic User Interfaces (GUI)
• Git/Version Control (Github, gitlab)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Application Programming Interface (API)
• Adobe Photoshop, InDesign
• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Testing/Debugging
• Responsive Design Principles
• Mobile and Web Development (e.g. iOS, Android)

Engineering & Technical Job Skills

• STEM Skills
• Prototyping
• Troubleshooting
• Project Launch
• Lean Manufacturing
• Workflow Development
• Computer Skills
• Technical Report Writing
• Programming Languages HTML, CSS, CRM tools

Advertising & Marketing Job Skills

• SEO (SEMRush, WordPress, and Ahrefs)
• SEM (i.e., Google Adwords)
• CRO and A/B Testing
• Social Media Marketing and Paid Social Media Advertising
• Sales Funnel Management
• CMS Tools (WordPress, Weebly)
• Graphic Design Skills (Adobe Creative Suite)
• Email Marketing (MailChimp, Constant Contact)
• Email Automation
• Data Visualization
• Print Design
• Photography and Branding
• Communication 
• Creativity 
• Data Analytics (Google Analytics )
• Web Analytics
• Email Writing 
• Google Adwords
• Social Media And Mobile Marketing 
• Paid Social Media Advertisements
• Consumer Behavior Drivers
• Brand Management
• B2b Marketing
•  Writing Advertising Copy
• Soliciting Feedback From Customers
• Cutting Costs
• Leadership skills
• Task Delegation 
• Strategic Management
• Proposal writing
• Problem-solving
• Problem solving
• Website Management
• Social Media Outreach
• Video Production
• Campaign Management
• Photo Editing
• Logo Creation
• Digital Printing
• Interactive Media Design 
• Color Sense & Theory
• Social Media Publishing
• Storytelling
• Financial Analysis
• Consumer Research
• Statistical Analysis
• Videography 
• Technical Writing 

General Management and Project Management Job Skills

• Agile Project Management (Kanban)
• Managing Cross-Functional Teams
• Scrum Management
• Performance Tracking
• Financial Modelling
• Ideation Leadership
• Feature Definition
• Forecasting
• Profit and Loss
• Scope Management
• Project Lifecycle Management 
• Meeting Facilitation
• Risk Management 
• Cost Management 
• Data Analysis 
• Collaborative 
• Collaborative Programs (Slack, WhatsApp, Dropbox)
• Adobe Creative Suite

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Get inspired with more resume examples

Read our how-to guides on making your resume perfect, how to list education on a resume in 2024 (with examples & tips).

Not sure what degree to list? If you should include a GPA? It just so happens that there's a variety of ways to effectively list your eduction.

How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order

When setting out to write the perfect resume, choosing a format is an important decision. Reverse-chronological resumes are the standard format, so knowing how to craft one is key! This guide will teach you how to write the best reverse chronological resumes.

How to Write a Resume Header

Your resume header is the very first thing an employer will see. Not only does it need to contain the correct information, but it needs to stand out as well! In this guide, we will teach you how to write the ideal header for your resume.

How to List References on a Resume in 2024 (with Examples & Tips)

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about including references on a resume, from how to format them to how to know when they should be included at all.

More advice that will accelerate your career path

See how this college student landed 5 internships.

Learn essential strategies to land your first, second, or even fifth internship as a college student.

How Long Should A Resume Be in 2024? (With Tips to Fit on One Page)

Keeping your resume on a single page keeps it focused and straight to the point. But sometimes it might not be easy to fit it all on one page. When should you use two pages versus trying to fit it all on a single page?

15+ IT Skills to List on Your Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

IT is a massively growing industry with tons of potential for professional growth. It’s no wonder why so many applicants are flocking to these jobs! In this guide, we will cover what IT skills are and offer you examples of some of the top skills to include on your resume.

What is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume in 2024?

If you’ve done any research into the different types of resumes, you’ve likely heard the term CV before. A CV is a type of document with a much more specific purpose than your standard resume. In this article, we will cover exactly what a CV is, how it differs from a resume, and when to consider using one.

Professional resume templates to help land your next dream job.

Facebook • Twitter • Linkedin • Pinterest • Crunchbase

How to List Skills on a Resume (Real Skill Examples)

This essential resume writing article is about how to list skills on a resume. For more resume writing help, visit our job seeker resource center .

EdgeWater Pharmacy just posted an opening for a Sales Associate right down the street from your home. You think you are the perfect fit for the job, so you submit your resume, but so do 30 other candidates.

Do you know who is going to get called in for an interview? 

The job seeker who looks like they have the most relevant skills for the job.

Make sure you’re getting the callback for an interview from a hiring manager by reading how to list your skills on a resume.

This essential job seekers’ guide will walk you through how to add the skills a hiring manager wants to see on your resume, along with 50+ real resume examples of skills you can use.

This article on how to include key skills on a resume covers:

• What are professional skills?
• Why are skills important on resumes?
• Different types of skills for job seekers
• Where and how to incorporate skills on a job application
• Top 50+ skills hiring managers want to see on your resume
• Fastest ways to gain new skills to get hired

What Are Skills? Why Are Skills Important?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a skill is:

“the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance”

“a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability”

When it comes to job hunting, your skills are what set you apart. Every human on earth has a set of skills that is unique to them. Likewise, every professional position has a unique set of skills that is required for performing the job.

Finding the perfect alignment between these two ideas is the key goal for every hiring manager.

If a hiring manager finds someone that already possesses the skills needed for their job, they won’t have to spend so much time and money on training. It also means that their new employee will be able to pull their own weight more quickly, providing a quicker return on their hiring investment.

But how do hiring managers know who has what it takes to perform well on the job?

The first and most important place hiring managers look is at your resume. On average, a hiring manager spends 6 seconds reviewing a resume and during that time they are scanning the pages to see if the skills required for the job jump out at them.

If they find what they are looking for, you get called in for an interview. If they don’t quickly see what they are looking for, your resume will most likely be discarded.

As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to make sure you know what skills hiring managers are looking for.

Once you identify those skills, it is also your responsibility to make sure those relevant skills are incorporated into your resume in a way that stands out.

If you do these two things accurately, you will be the one getting called in for an interview and will be that much closer to landing a new job.

Types of Professional Skills (Real Resume Examples)

Skills can be broken down into four main categories:

• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Transferable skills
• Job-related skills.

Before you start writing your own list of skills, let’s go through each of these skill categories to see what the difference between them is.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Hard skills are specific, teachable, and tangible. They can be measured and tested using assignments and assessments. Hard skills are learned, either through on-the-job training or through school, rather than coming naturally.

Examples of hard skills for a resume:

Soft skills are intangible and are harder to measure. They are personality traits and interpersonal skills that come naturally to humans, rather than being learned through school.

People are born with soft skills. These soft skills grow and develop over time from your upbringing, education, and experiences.   

Examples of soft skills:

Contrary to popular belief, hiring managers often care more about soft skills than hard skills, though both hard and soft skills contribute to your appeal as a candidate.

Hard skills, such as computer programming or accounting, can be taught using a combination of curriculum and hands-on practice. Whereas soft skills, such as a positive attitude or punctuality, are harder to teach.

Regardless of your background, hiring managers are usually flexible with teaching you the hard skills needed for their job, as long as you already have the right attitude along with the aptitude to learn.

Transferable Skills vs Job-Related Skills

Transferable skills can be carried with you from one job to the other. These skills can be a hard skill or soft skill, as long as they can be used in any type of role, regardless of the industry, company, or position.

Examples of transferable skills:

Job-related skills are usually always hard skills.  These job-related skills are specific to a certain type of role or position.

Examples of job-related skills:

How And Where To List Skills On Your Resume

Skills should be included throughout your resume, rather than confined to one area.

While scanning your resume, hiring managers will be looking over each resume section, starting with the top. Because of how people read resumes, you need to make sure they see your skills immediately.

Guarantee hiring managers will see your skills by listing them in four key areas of your resume:

• Resume header
• Professional summary
• Summary of skills
• Work Experience section

If you are writing a resume from scratch, try using this free and easy-to-use resume builder from Resume.com. The sections and formatting are already created for you, so all you need to worry about is filling in the blanks to finish a free printable resume.

1. Resume Header

At the top of your resume, directly below your name, write your job title along with the three most relevant skills you have as a candidate.

This is the first section hiring managers will be reading, so it is important to draw their attention using bold and large lettering.

If you’re using this resume builder , the ‘ Blue Skies ’, ‘ Three Blocks Digital ’, and ‘ van Deco ’ resume templates already have a header section included, which will make finishing your resume easier.

When writing your header, it is crucial that you customize the job title and skills to each job you’re applying for. Your job application needs to be consistent – you can read more about consistency in this article .

For example, if you write Java Developer in your resume header, but are applying for a .NET Developer position, a huge red flag will go up for the hiring manager.

When writing your top three skills in your header, make sure they align with the required skills listed in the job posting.

If you’re applying for a job at a large company or corporation, or you’re applying through a job board, it’s helpful to keep applicant tracking systems (ATS) in mind. Make sure your resume makes it past ATS software by listing your skills using the same wording as the job posting.  

Example of skills in the resume header: 

2. Professional Summary

Below your header and contact information, you will have a professional summary section. A professional summary used to be called an ‘objective’, but the modern resume writing approach is to replace your objective with a professional summary section.

Your professional summary should give an overview of your background, years of experience, and the top skills that set you apart. The skills in your professional summary should be written in sentence form, rather than listed out.

If using the resume builder , the ‘ My Employment ’, ‘ Apple Green ’, and ‘ Side Panel ’ resume templates have professional summary sections that are sure to draw attention to your most relevant skills.

Example of skills in the professional summary of a resume:

3. Summary of Skills

Below your professional summary, include a ‘summary of skills’ section. Alternative titles for this section could be ‘core competencies’, ‘key skills’, ‘professional skills’, or ‘relevant skills’.

If you have less than 10 skills, you can list them out in columns. 

Summary of skills resume example (less than 10 professional skills) :

Summary of skills resume example (more than 10 professional skills) :

For your skills section, your skills should be listed, rather than written out in sentence form. This formatting choice helps hiring managers to pick out the key words quickly, which they can read about in more detail in the experience section after.

4. Experience Section

The ‘experience’ section usually comes after your summary of skills on a resume. Depending on your background, this could also be called ‘professional experience’, ‘work experience’, or ‘relevant experience’.

Your experience section is the perfect place to back your skills up with real-life examples of when you have used your skills, in addition to the results you have achieved.

When writing your experience section, give specific details about where, when, and with whom you have used your skills. When possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements.

Example of how to list skills in the experience section of a resume:

How to List Skills On A Resume – Finding Relevant Skills For You

To figure out what skills you should include on your resume, follow these three simple steps.

Step #1: Create a master list of skills

Go through each category and create a master list of the skills in your toolbox. Don’t be afraid to list things that seem obvious, like computer skills or customer service.

Although they might seem like a given in your profession, many hiring managers still want to see these skills listed.

Never include skills that you are no longer familiar with. If you write a skill on your resume, hiring managers will be expecting that you can deliver on that activity.

If you are worried that a hiring manager will over or underestimate your level of proficiency, feel free to write ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’, or ‘proficient’ next to each skill listed.

Step #2: Figure out the skills needed for the job

When applying for jobs, it is important to identify the set of skills that are needed. Picking out the needed skills will help you determine if you are a good fit for the role. It will also help you tailor your resume skills to the specific job you are applying for.

There are two main ways to determine the skills needed for a job.

The first is to dissect job descriptions and job postings that are posted on career websites and job boards. To do this, go through a job description and highlight each quality that describes the candidate the company is looking for.

For example, here is a job posting for a cashier position: 

Then create a list of all the qualities described, making sure to write each skill using the same wording that is used in the job posting.

The second way to figure out what skills are needed for a job is to search for people on LinkedIn who are already performing the role.

By searching for a certain job title in the search bar, you can find a list of professionals who are already in that job and then search through their profile to see what skills they have listed, both in their summary and experience sections.

Step #3: Match your master list with the skills needed for a job

The skills you write on your resume should be whatever overlaps between your master list and the list of skills you created from researching jobs.

By using this technique, you will be making sure that the skills you have listed on your resume are relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

A general rule of thumb is to never include skills that aren’t important for the job you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for a project manager position, there is no need to list that you know yoga or CPR.

Top 50+ Skills Hiring Managers Look For On Resumes

A lot of research has been done as to what hiring managers look for on a resume. Many of the skills they seek are job-specific, while others are transferable.

To increase your chances of getting called in for an interview, include these top skills throughout your resume.

These professional skills are divided by category to help you find the skills that are relevant to you.

Soft Skills

Basic Computer Skills

Customer Service

Project Management

Art & Design

Human Resources

Fastest Ways To Obtain New Skills

Are you looking for your first job? Are you missing some of the required skills on a job posting? If so, don’t worry. There are a range of ways for you to obtain the needed skills quickly.

If you are in need of a hard skill, this task is much easier. Hard skills are learned, so you can typically find an online resource, school, or curriculum to pick up the needed skills.

If you don’t have enough time to attend class in person, there are a number of online learning platforms with courses that you can take online, in your spare time. Some examples of popular eLearning platforms include Lynda, Udemy, and Skillshare.

Learning soft skills are a little trickier. These interpersonal and personality traits are hardwired into humans, so the only way to get better at them is to practice, practice, practice.

If you can’t practice soft skills while on a job, try to find some day-to-day activities that you can practice these skills during.

For example, if you need to work on punctuality, set a goal to arrive 5 minutes early wherever you need to be, no matter if it is for class or for coffee. Or if you need to work on your professionalism, pick up a volunteer job based in a professional, office setting.

More Skill-Related Articles For Resume Writing:

• How To List Hard Skills On A Resume (50+ Technical Skill Examples)
• How to List Computer Skills on a Resume (50+ Computer Skill Examples)

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

17 Best skills to put on your resume to stand out

The best resume immediately answers a hiring manager's most pressing question: “Does this person have the necessary skills?” 

You don’t have much time to answer this question, either. Recruiters scan a resume in just seven seconds to form a first impression and decide whether they’ll offer an interview. 

You must understand the key skills for each job application and express your proficiency quickly to get ahead. We’ll discuss how to choose skills for a resume and add them effectively.

What is a resume skill?

A professional skill is a knowledge, ability, or competency to perform specific tasks or respond to challenges. Each skill is either a hard or soft skill . Hard skills or technical skills refer to our ability to perform knowledge-based tasks, like proficiency with a graphic design program. 

Interpersonal skills , or soft skills, refer to our interactions with others, like our ability to tap into our emotional intelligence to manage a team or our leadership communication skills . 

Learning new skills relevant to your job or reskilling to start a new career is crucial preparation. Every industry and job role requires proficiency in a wide range of job skills, so it's critical to know the most relevant ones for your profession and target the company and highlight them in your resume.

Hard skills for your resume

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge that are often quantifiable and job-specific. Hard skills are gained through experience, practice, and education. They can be measured straightforwardly by our ability to perform a technical task. Hard skills are crucial for performing tasks and functions within a particular field or industry. 

Here are a few hard skills you could include on your resume:

• Foreign languages 
• Project management 
• Marketing fluency, like SEO or SEM
• Computer skills
• Software management, like CRM
• Coding languages, like CSS or Python
• Design, like Photoshop or Illustrator
• Data analysis 

Soft skills for your resume

Soft skills are non-technical abilities that relate to how individuals interact with others and navigate social situations. These skills encompass qualities and attributes that shape one's emotional intelligence, communication style, and overall interpersonal effectiveness. They inform how we approach a task or challenge and are unique personal attributes that make us stand out and succeed as employees and leaders.

Unlike hard skills, soft skills are not job-specific but are universally valuable across various roles and industries. Soft skills play a critical role in building strong relationships, collaborating effectively with colleagues, and enhancing overall workplace dynamics.

Here are a few soft skills you could include on your resume:

• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration

Soft and hard skills often complement one another. Speaking a foreign language is a hard skill requiring specific vocabulary, diction, and grammar knowledge. The communication skills needed to speak this language effectively — knowing how to work through a concept, tell a story, and keep an audience engaged — are soft skills.

How many skills should you add to a resume?

In general you'll want to have 10 to 15 skills listed on you resume. But this varies depending on your level of experience, the specific job you're applying for, and the resume format you're using . Here are some general guidelines to help you determine how many skills to include:

• Relevance : Focus on skills that are directly relevant to the job you're applying for. Tailor your resume by carefully reviewing the job description and identifying the skills and qualifications the employer is seeking. Highlight the skills that align with the job requirements.
• Balance : While it's important to include relevant skills, it's equally important not to overwhelm your resume with an excessively long list of skills. Aim for a balance that showcases your key strengths without making your resume too lengthy .
• Prioritization : Prioritize the most important and sought-after skills . Place the most relevant and impressive skills towards the top of your resume, particularly in the skills section. This ensures that the hiring manager sees your strongest qualifications early in the document.
• Quantify : Where possible, quantify your skills or provide context. For example, if you are proficient in a programming language, you can mention the number of years of experience you have with it or highlight specific projects where you applied that skill.
• Quality over quantity : It's better to emphasize a few highly relevant and valuable skills rather than listing a wide range of skills that may not be as important for the job. Hiring managers often appreciate depth and expertise in key areas.
• Consider resume length : If you have many years of experience and a lot of relevant skills, you may have a longer resume. However, for most applicants, a one-page or two-page resume is typically sufficient. Ensure that your skills section doesn't dominate the entire document.
• Group skills : You can group similar skills together to save space. For example, you might create categories like "Technical Skills" and "Soft Skills" to organize your skills more effectively.
• Keep it honest : Only list skills that you genuinely possess and can confidently discuss in an interview. Exaggerating or fabricating skills can lead to problems during the hiring process.

Types of skills to add to your resume and cover letter

To show your versatility, try including a diverse set of skills on your resume. Choose a couple from each of the three main categories below:

1. Transferable or functional skills

This covers your competency to perform an action and apply that skill to different tasks, job roles, and industries. Your aptitude to perform a transferable or functional skill is measured by your ability to optimize this skill to various situations.

Transferable or functional skills include:

• Organization and time management skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Writing 
• Project management
• Active listening and communication
• Customer service skills

2. Personal skills

This covers personality traits, behaviors, or perspectives that guide your approach to a task or situation. These are likely interpersoanl skills you’ve developed since childhood through different life experiences.

Personality skills include:

• Assertiveness
• Independence
• Detail-orientedness
• Strong emotional intelligence
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Relationahip-building skills

3. Knowledge-based skills

This includes a theoretical or practical understanding of a specific task or process learned through consistent work experience or education. These are often industry or career-specific and, depending on the expertise required for a particular position, the most in-demand.

Knowledge-based skills include: 

• Computer skills, including programming languages, web development, or experience with specific programs like Microsoft Office, Excel, or Quickbooks
• Analytical skills, including data analysis, strategy, or economic forecasting
• Industry-specific skills, including a content creator with social media apps or marketing skills or a software engineer with specific expertise in Python or HTML

Top 3 skills to put on a resume

We recommend choosing transferable, knowledge-based, and personal skills relevant to the job description and the company’s values. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong using these three top skills on your resume:

1. Managerial skills

If you have any managerial experience, add it to the relevant job description. Good managers can see the bigger picture, organize their teams around a common goal, and demonstrate effective communication techniques.

This experience also shows you’re willing to take on more responsibility and can handle different personalities. 

Expressing your management skills might look like this:

• 15 years of experience developing multiple teams to [name accomplishment]
• Ideated and managed [project] and increased revenue by [percentage]
• Certified in Conflict Resolution from [institution's name]

2. Communication skills

Strong communication skills are essential at every professional level. These skills include actively listening, speaking effectively, observing people and situations, and empathizing and supporting our co-workers, colleagues, and managers.

Expressing your communication skills might look like this:

• Thrives on constructive criticism
• Four years of public speaking experience
• Certified in Non-Verbal Communication at [institute name]

3. Computer skills

Expertise in various technologies or the ability to learn new ones are great hard skills to advertise. These include knowledge of hardware, software, work platforms, or coding languages.

Computer skills might include:

• Type 145 words per minute
• Fluency in CRM and CSM
• Knowledge of Python, Javascript, and HTML
• Experience with project management softwares like Monday, ClickUp, and Notion
• Adobe Photoshop

17 of the best skills to add to your resume

In addition to the three above, here are some of the most important skills to add to your resume skills section. When updating your resume, be sure to include the most relevant skills for the job you're applying to. Social media marketing, for instance, is more of a must-have skill across various marketing roles but fewer project management roles.

1. Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution involves mediating disputes and finding mutually acceptable solutions. This skill is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment and productive relationships among team members.

2. Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new circumstances and challenges. In today's rapidly changing world, individuals who can quickly learn and adapt to new technologies, work processes, or environments are highly valuable.

3. Negotiation

Negotiation skills are essential for reaching agreements that benefit all parties involved. Whether in salary negotiations or business deals, effective negotiation can lead to favorable outcomes.

4. Creativity

Creativity involves thinking outside the box to generate innovative ideas and solutions. It's particularly valuable in roles that require problem-solving and innovation, such as marketing or product design.

5. Strategic planning

Strategic planning is the process of setting long-term goals and developing a roadmap to achieve them. This skill is crucial for leaders and managers responsible for guiding an organization's direction.

6. Public speaking

Public speaking is essential for presentations, pitches, and effective communication with large audiences. Confidence and clarity in public speaking can enhance your professional image.

7. Mentoring and coaching

The ability to mentor and coach others in their professional development is valuable for leadership roles and fostering a positive workplace culture.

8. Crisis management

Crisis management involves responding effectively to unexpected and high-pressure situations, minimizing damage, and maintaining business continuity.

9. Risk management

Identifying and mitigating risks is vital in fields such as finance, insurance, and project management to protect against potential losses.

10. Data privacy and security

With increasing concerns about data breaches and privacy, knowledge of data security measures and compliance with regulations is essential, especially in IT and healthcare industries.

11. Foreign language proficiency

Proficiency in a foreign language can open up opportunities in international business, diplomacy, and global organizations, enhancing your marketability.

12. Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing skills involve promoting products or services and persuading customers to make purchases. These skills are vital in sales and business development roles.

13. Conflict management

Conflict management focuses on identifying, addressing, and resolving conflicts within teams or organizations to maintain a productive and harmonious work environment.

14. Research and data analysis

Strong research and data analysis skills are valuable in fields like market research, academia, and policy analysis, enabling evidence-based decision-making.

15. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing skills, including SEO, social media management, and online advertising, are crucial for businesses looking to expand their online presence and reach.

16. Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills are vital for identifying, analyzing, and creatively resolving challenges. They enable individuals to make informed decisions, find innovative solutions, and adapt to changing circumstances. 

17. Project management skills

Project management skills involve planning, organizing, and coordinating resources and teams to achieve specific goals within set constraints. Effective project managers excel at goal-setting, task breakdown, and timeline management. They ensure projects stay on track, meet deadlines, and stay within budget, making them highly sought after across industries.

How to add skills to your resume 

There are endless resume templates to choose from when designing your resume, and most offer a skills section. We’ve outlined four tips for adding skills to catch a recruiter's attention with resume skills examples to help you get started.

1. Choose wisely

Study the company by visiting its website, LinkedIn profile , and other public sources. What values do they promote? Which team members do they highlight and why? 

Read through the job ad and take note of the responsibilities, job requirements, and skills listed by the employer. Use this research to choose skills for your resume. It’s a good idea to list skills the job posting specifically seeks. 

Here’s an example of how to translate a job responsibility into skills when describing work experience on your resume:

Responsibility: Fact-check, proofread, and edit content for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

Skill on resume: 

• Eight years of copy and content writing experience with brands and PR agencies
• Wrote objective-oriented, SEO-driven content for brands
• Versed in workflow apps, Google Office, and grammar platforms

2. Include a skills section

If a hiring manager spends just seven seconds on a resume, make sure yours is readable. Design the resume to direct the reader's eye to critical information, and include a skills section close to the start. Use relevant action verbs to sell your experience and describe your skills from the beginning.

Don't over-clutter — insufficient white space will deflect the eye rather than attract it. This section should include bullet points with concise information.

3. Subtly mention skills in other sections

Sneak skills throughout your resume, including in the summary and work experience sections. Frequently referencing them will help show the hiring manager you really do possess the skills. 

Here are two examples of a writer's position:

Resume summary with a mixture of transferable and personal skills:

• Curious, creative, and self-motivated journalist and content writer with six years of experience working independently for agencies and publications.

Work experience section with a mixture of technical and interpersonal skills:

Digital Content Writer, [Company name], [time frame]

• Experience in Google Workspace, Surfer SEO, and workflow platforms
• Responsible for writing 10 1500-word SEO and keyword-driven articles weekly
• Detail-oriented and personable — never missed a deadline and facilitated feedback calls with clients directly

4. Be specific about your proficiency level

Always be clear about your level of expertise. You’ll likely be asked to showcase some of your skills in an interview, so it’s best to be upfront. 

Here are a few examples:

Languages spoken: 

• English, native
• Spanish, fluent
• Japanese, intermediate conversation and listening comprehension, beginner written
• High-level expertise in Python and Java
• Mid-level expertise in CSS

Feel confident about the skills on your resume

Building a good resume takes a lot of work. You have to read through the job description and tailor resumes to each post to make sure your profile best aligns with what the recruiter is looking for.

But the effort is worth it. You've spent your entire career learning and nurturing new skills — show them off in your resume and you'll be one step closer to getting the job. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and listing the right skills will help hiring managers see that.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Maggie Wooll, MBA

Maggie Wooll is a researcher, author, and speaker focused on the evolving future of work. Formerly the lead researcher at the Deloitte Center for the Edge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Maggie is passionate about creating better work and greater opportunities for all.

How and when to write a functional resume (with examples)

How to put babysitting on a resume: 6 skills to highlight, resume best practices: how far back should a resume go, best work accomplishments to list on your resume (with examples), a quick guide on how to list references on a resume, 7 types of resumes to suit various scenarios, unique skills for resumes to attract attention, use professional reference templates to make hiring smoother, resume dos and don’ts: 29 tips for writing your best resume, similar articles, hard skills versus soft skills and which to use on your resume, all eyes on it: how to make a page-turning portfolio, use these honors and awards resume examples to land your next job, what are professional skills, and which should you add to your resume, 7 tips to make your resume stand out and get that job, 20 marketing skills professionals should have in 2023, what are hard skills & examples for your resume, 17 essential transferable skills to boost your job search, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead™
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care®
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

Build my resume

• Build a better resume in minutes
• Resume examples
• 2,000+ examples that work in 2024
• Resume templates
• Free templates for all levels
• Cover letters
• Cover letter generator
• It's like magic, we promise
• Cover letter examples
• Free downloads in Word & Docs

150 Top Skills for Your Resume + How to List Skills in 2024

• Best General Skills

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

• How to Include Skills on Your Resume
• Job-Specific Skills
• Skills FAQs

When it comes to your resume skills, the more specific you can get, the better. That’s why we broke down the  most in-demand job skills by career type .

Still, it can be helpful to start by looking at the skills employers generally might be wanting right now.

We analyzed countless job descriptions across all careers and identified 150 of the most sought-after and widely applicable skills you can put on your resume (like this one) in 2024.

Software Engineer Resume

or download as PDF

20 Good Skills to Put on a Resume

While we’re going to give you plenty of job-specific resume skills you can add to your AI cover letter and resume, there are some that work across just about any field. These can add value for candidates who either lack work history or are creating an  entry-level resume .

• Data Analysis
• Problem-solving
• Collaborative
• Detail-oriented
• Written Communication
• Public Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Multi-tasking
• Interpersonal Skills
• Time Management
• Accountable
• Results-oriented
• Project Management
• Compassionate/ Empathetic

Before we jump into which skills to put on your resume, we need to get some definitions out of the way:

• Hard skills  are the tools and software you use to get your job done. Excel and QuickBooks are examples of hard skills.
• Soft skills  are those that are hard to measure or prove expertise in. “Communication” is a textbook example of a soft skill.

Quickly distinguish between hard and soft skills by asking, “Is there a specific tool or software associated with the skill?” If “yes,” you’re likely dealing with a hard skill. If not, you’re talking about a soft skill.

As we explained earlier, companies often use an ATS to filter out job applicants based on whether they include the right skills on their resumes.

The ATS filters are looking primarily for hard skills; they want to be sure the people they end up hiring know the right tools and software needed to succeed.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you should exclude soft skills from your resume. Why? After the ATS approves your resume, it’s passed on to the human hiring manager. They’ll likely want to see soft skills depending on the kind of industry and role you’re applying to.

Try out this quick guide to determine whether to put soft skills on your resume:

Should I include soft skills on my resume?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should likely include soft skills on your resume (we’ll detail how in the next section). 

• Technical roles are those primarily dominated by hard skills (software engineering, data science, accounting, etc.)
• Just listing soft skills on your resume isn’t as impactful as  showing how you used them to do your job .
• For example, if you’re in sales or customer service, you need the ability to communicate persuasively with customers!

Examples of hard skills according to industry

• Predictive Modeling (Finance)
• eQUEST (Energy)
• Crop Rotation (Agriculture)
• eZee Frontdesk (Hospitality)
• Google Classroom (Education)
• X-ray Diagnostics (Healthcare)
• Mailchimp (Marketing)
• AutoCAD (Engineering)

Examples of soft skills

• Self-starter
• Conflict Resolution
• Attentive to Details

How to List Skills on Your Resume

Now that you know whether you should put hard skills, soft skills, or a combination on your resume, how do you actually include them?

• When it comes to your resume skills, the presentation can matter just as much as the content! 
• Before we get to structure,  a word of warning :

Don’t list too many skills  in your skills section! While it’s all right to dump all sorts of skills into your  resume outline , it’s a big red flag to the hiring manager if they see a resume where an applicant lists 15+ skills.

First, it might mean the applicant is exaggerating their skillset (a big no-no). Second, a hiring manager would rather hire someone who’s a master of a few skills than a novice in many.

Different  resume formats  may display your skills in various ways, but regardless of the layout you choose,  there are three places you should mention your most important skills : 

• In your resume objective or resume summary (if you include this section)
• In a dedicated “skills” section on your resume
• In your work experience or projects ( show how you used your skills to do your job)

Your resume objective should only be two to three sentences , so you should include your top one to two skills most relevant to the job you’re applying for here. In addition to our objective sample below, we’ve got plenty more great examples of how to mention your best skills in your  resume objective  or  resume summary .

Organized, considerate administrative assistant with a history of remaining cool under high-pressure situations where multiple priorities are managed. Genoa Telepsychiatry is doing invaluable work for underserved housing populations, and I would be an asset in enabling Ms. Garcia to focus on that mission by alleviating her organizational burden.

How to organize skills on your resume

When it comes to skills for a resume, there are a couple of ways you can structure them:

• By skill category (technology type, soft skills vs. hard skills)
• Experience level

These kinds of breakdowns aren’t mandatory. You can just list all of your skills in your skills section, provided you keep the number to under 10.

First,  you can break up your skills by category . This is most appropriate if you’re applying for a technical role since you can group different technologies you use by type.

For example, as a data analyst, you might want to divide your skills by the different facets of your job (programming, modeling, and data visualization).

This breakdown of your skills can also work well if soft skills are your biggest strength. For example, you can chunk your soft skills into categories like leadership, customer service, communication, etc.

Another way to classify your skills on your resume is by your experience level . Convey your expertise either in terms of years of expertise with that skill or by a rating you choose (beginner, intermediate, expert, for instance).

Here’s an example of this skills breakdown in action:

And again, you can also just list all of your skills without categories like the example below if there are fewer than 10:

Let your work experience vouch for your job skills

Now that you’ve got your top one to two skills in your resume objective and a dedicated skills section, it’s time to talk about how you’ve used your skills in your previous roles and projects.

This is especially important for soft skills.  Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager .

Does seeing that someone described themselves as “attentive to detail” in their skills section mean much without seeing that skill in action?

It’s much more valuable if you highlight a time you were attentive to detail in a previous job. So, if you’re an administrative assistant, you might say you “re-organized thousands of customer contacts in HubSpot without losing any customer data.”

Remember, it’s one thing to say you have a skill, but  showing your knowledge of that skill in a work or personal project carries far more weight  in the eyes of the hiring manager.

Let’s make this practical with an example: This software engineer lists NodeJS and Django in her resume skills list.

This won’t be the last we see of these skills, though. Take a look at this job seeker’s work experience at MarketSmart. For instance, see how she weaves NodeJS into improving CTR? And even her intern experience shows how Django played a role in increasing reporting speed.

Pro tip: Try starting with specific work experience and then work backward to determine which skills you used instead of the other way around.

Regarding technical skills, try to be specific about what you did with the tool/ software you’re describing. Microsoft Excel is a program that can be used for many different applications, for example. Discuss specifically which functionality you used to accomplish your task (pivot tables, vlookups, etc.).

Match your resume skills to the job description

How can you identify the most common skills for the industry or role you’re applying for? The best way is to look at job ads for positions that grab your attention.

Try this two-step process to list skills on your resume:

• Look across 5-10 different job descriptions for roles you’re interested in and identify the 10-15 most common skills in those job listings.
• For each specific role you apply to, choose the 5-7 skills from your list that are most relevant to that job .

Yup, this means you’ll have to  customize your resume  for each role. Customizing your skills section, however, will vault you into the top five percent of applicants and is the quickest way to increase the number of interviews you get!

Let’s walk through an example of how to customize your skills for a specific job.

Say you’re looking for a position as a digital marketer, and after looking at some job descriptions, you notice the most common skills employers are looking for are the following:

• CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive
• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap
• General Tools: Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint, Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides
• Optimization: A/B testing, customer segmentation, attribution modeling
• Paid Ads: Facebook, AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, retargeting
• Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
• Email Marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Drip
• SEO: Content creation, keyword research, backlink building

Now, you’re specifically interested in a digital marketing role at Barnes and Noble with the following job description:

Digital marketing manager

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Develop and execute data-driven marketing strategies and campaigns with a strong focus on driving acquisition, engagement, and retention across multiple channels (e.g., SMS, mobile, email, social media, etc.) on time and on budget.
• Aim to generate revenue and deliver on key business objectives, ROI, and KPI targets.
• Own, measure, deliver, and optimize key metrics and reporting on marketing activities across channels and platforms.
• Identify trends and insights, optimize segments, spend, and performance based on data.
• Utilize strong analytical ability to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple channels and customer touchpoints and work cross-functionally to drive qualified traffic, improve conversion, and identify new opportunities to boost user engagement and retention through A/B and multivariate testing.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum 5-7 years of digital marketing experience with a minimum of 3 years demonstrated success in mobile, email, social media, PPC, and SEM marketing from concept to completion with a proven track record of success.
• Results-driven mentality with exceptional detail orientation and knowledge of metrics, A/B testing, and ROI analysis.
• Experience with testing and optimization platforms.
• Strong track record of distilling actionable insights from data to improve multi-channel marketing strategies.
• In-depth familiarity with email service providers and knowledge of marketing automation platforms.
• Solid understanding of website analytics tools (Google Analytics, Amplitude, Appsflyer), email systems (Sailthru, Salesforce Marketing Cloud), and ad-serving tools (Adroll, Facebook.)

Finally, we cross-reference our list of 10-15 skills with the skills this specific job is looking for (underlined above). This leaves us with the remaining five key skills:

• Optimization: A/B Testing, Segmentation
• CRM: Salesforce
• Web Analytics: Google Analytics
• Paid Ads: Facebook
• Social Media: Email Marketing

There you have it! These skills are what will make up your skills list for this specific role. Don’t forget to include the seemingly most essential skills in your resume objective (for this position, we’d say those are optimization and A/B testing) and mention relevant work experience where you used some of these skills.

Remember, it’s important to be truthful about which skills you know and which you don’t. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable being interviewed about a skill. If the answer is “yes,” then include it. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it off your resume. 

And for the grand finale to this digital marketing example: Check out how this resume integrates key skills into the career objective, skills section, and work experience.

Digital Marketing Manager Resume

Why this resume works

• Starting with the most obvious section—the skills section—Giselle lists skills important to Barnes & Noble, grouping them in easy-to-read categories.
• Don’t be deterred, even if you lack experience in an area or two! Demonstrating a willingness to learn is highly valuable.
• The work experience section is a prime opportunity to showcase skills in action. Like Giselle, start with active verbs to show how you used skills, software, and tools to impact the company positively. 

Job-Specific Resume Skills

We promised an extensive list of resume skills, organized by profession, and we’re not ones to break our promises!

Below, you’ll find countless role-related skills you can put on your resume, along with informational tidbits for each profession.

Remember that honesty is critical when you  build a resume , so we stand behind a shorter list of genuine skills rather than a slew of half-truths you’ll blush over later in an interview.

Web developer skills for your resume

Web developers build the web apps we interact with in our everyday lives. From banking to transportation to Netflix, it’s hard to find a facet of life that isn’t touched by web development.

We did an  extensive analysis of the top web developer skills  employers are looking for in 2024, and below are the results in order of those most in demand.

Top web developer skills

• JavaScript (React, Angular, Vue)
• SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle)
• Cloud Storage (GCP, AWS, Azure)

Data analyst skills for resume

Companies are currently swimming in large pools of data. Marketing, product, engineering, and executive teams all rely on data to make the most effective decisions in the face of uncertainty.

That’s where data analysts come in. To be a successful data analyst, you need the right skills to clean, organize, visualize, and make actionable recommendations from data.

We analyzed over 100 job openings and determined the  most in-demand data analyst skills  needed to get a data analyst position in 2024. Below are the results in order of the most popular skills.

Top data analyst skills

• Business Intelligence Tools (Tableau, PowerBI, Qlik, Looker)
• Excel/ Google Sheets
• Python (Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, Numpy)
• R (Dplyr, ggplot2)

Marketing skills for resume

No matter how great a product or website—unless a successful marketing campaign drives customers to that product, it won’t succeed.

Marketers must strike a balance between creativity and science to reach the right people at the right time to make them customers.

To do this successfully, marketers need a wide range of skills.

Top marketing skills

• CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive, HubSpot
• Web Analytics: Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap, Google Analytics
• General Tools: Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides, Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint
• Optimization: Customer Segmentation, Attribution Modeling, A/B Testing
• Paid Ads: AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, Retargeting, Facebook
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
• Email Marketing: ConvertKit, Drip, Mailchimp
• SEO: Keyword Research, Backlink Building, Content Creation
• Direct Mail

Customer service skills for resume

When a customer has a problem or a question, they need to get a prompt and accurate answer to ensure they remain a customer.

More than that, a strong customer service representative will build relationships with customers to help identify potential new features or directions to take a product.

To do this successfully, you need a potent blend of people skills while also knowing the tools of the trade.

Top customer service skills

• Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills
• Curious, Empathetic, and Professional
• Willing to Learn
• Goal-oriented
• Enterprise Software
• Experience with Business Processes
• Microsoft Excel
• Zendesk, HubSpot, Helpscout

Management skills for resume

No matter how effective a person is as an individual contributor, management is an entirely different job that requires an altogether different skill set.

To be an effective manager, you must first understand and relate to your employees while ensuring company initiatives are hit on time. To get this done, you need a mix of different skills.

Top management skills

• Financial Analysis
• Self-motivation
• Conflict Resolution & Management
• Managing Career Growth
• Performance Reviews
• Ability to Motivate
• Foster Team Environment
• Ability to Work Under Pressure
• Result-driven

Accounting skills for resume

Accountants are the unsung heroes of any well-oiled company. A company is only as successful as it can demonstrate through its financial reports.

Accountants need to be wizards with reporting and data while maintaining a culture of rigorous organization. Accounting is a field that requires knowledge of particular hard skills.

Top accounting skills

• Financial Reporting
• General Ledger Accounting
• Quarterly Close Processes
• Quarterly Financial Statements
• Tax Accounting
• GAAP Accounting Principles
• Expense Reporting
• Accounts Payable & Receivable
• Account Reconciliation

Project manager skills for resume

Project managers keep the trains on the rails. To be a successful project manager, you must know how to ensure deadlines are met on time and on budget.

In this role, you’ll need the ability to communicate with diverse teams and technical knowledge to help engineers remove roadblocks they encounter that will prevent them from getting their job done.

Top project manager skills

• Project Management Software (Jira, Trello)
• Microsoft Office/Google Suite (Excel/Google Sheets, PowerPoint/Slides)
• Project Management Frameworks and Methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban)
• Programming Languages and Frameworks (JavaScript, Node.js, Python, Django)
• CRM Experience (HubSpot, Salesforce)
• Digital Marketing

Sales skills for resume

An effective salesperson can form meaningful relationships with new sales prospects very quickly.

To be able to sell a new customer on your product or tool, you first need to intimately understand their pain points and what they’re trying to solve.

In addition to solid soft skills, you need to know the technical tools to track and manage prospects through the sales pipeline.

Top sales skills

• Strong Communication
• Negotiation
• CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)
• Presentation Skills
• Lead Generation (LinkedIn, Email)
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Administrative assistant skills for resume

When it comes to a career as an administrative assistant, there’s no skill more valuable than organization. How can you help others be at their best without ensuring all ducks are in a row?

Of course, other skills are needed to succeed as an administrative assistant, and we’ve analyzed numerous administrative assistant job openings to determine the most in-demand skills for this career.

Top administrative assistant skills

• Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets
• Microsoft Word/Google Docs
• Microsoft PowerPoint/Google Slides
• Scheduling (Microsoft Outlook/Google Calendar)
• Words per Minute you Type
• Languages you Speak
• Database Management
• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Personable and Welcoming

Nursing skills for resume

The value of nurses in our society has never been more apparent than during the COVID-19 crisis.

A good nurse must have a rigorous understanding of the medical procedures and documentation they need to complete while also maintaining the soft skills necessary to build trust and understanding with patients.

It’s a very tricky balance to strike. To help you pursue a new job in nursing, we compiled the most popular skills employers are looking for across a wide range of nursing disciplines.

Top nursing skills

• EMR Systems
• Ambulatory Care
• Emergency Care
• CPR Certified
• Best Practices
• Long-term Patient Care
• Compassionate
• Organized & Reliable
• Infant & Child Care
• Medical Documentation

Teacher skills for resume

With the shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the skills required to be an effective teacher from afar are also changing.

Teachers now need to be more in tune with the technologies used for remote learning to reach students.

Still, there are some skills required to be a great teacher that haven’t changed. Based on our analysis, here are the top skills schools want when they hire teachers.

Top teacher skills

• Lesson Planning
• Blackboard/Moodle
• Google Apps (Gmail, Sheets, Slides)
• SMART Boards
• Remote Teaching (Zoom)
• Safe, Supportive Classrooms
• Accountability
• Communication with Parents and Students
• Organization
• Focused on Student Performance

Software engineer skills for resume

Software engineer is a broad, all-encompassing term. There are hundreds of specific disciplines within this umbrella that require different skills.

Still, there are fundamental and common skills that all developers must have. First and foremost, you need to be able to program! 

We collected the most in-demand skills for software developers to help you make the best resume possible.

Top software engineer skills

• Python (Django)
• Java (Spring)
• Ruby (Ruby on Rails)
• PHP (Laravel)
• JavaScript (Node, React, Vue, jQuery)
• SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, NoSQL)
• AWS, GCS, Azure

Business analyst (BA) skills for resume

Business analysts combine skills from many areas to help drive outcomes that materially improve a customer’s core metrics.

A BA is a great communicator, a robust data analyst, and an effective project manager. After a project is complete, the BA then has to be able to communicate the outcomes to the executive team.

Top business analyst skills

• SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server)
• Excel, Google Sheets
• PowerPoint, Google Slides
• Tableau, Looker, Chartio
• Salesforce, NetSuite, HubSpot, Pipedrive
• A/B testing, Linear Regression, Logistic Regression
• Project Management (JIRA, Trello)

Student skills for resume

When you’re a student, it can be challenging to know which of your skills you should highlight when applying for your first job or internship.

It varies depending on the position, but at this point in your career, hiring managers don’t expect you to be an expert in all the tools you’ll need for the job.

The key is to mention which skills you have some familiarity with and express an openness to learning on the job.

Top student skills

• Microsoft Outlook/Gmail
• Hard-working
• Social Media
• Collaboration

Data scientist skills for resume

Data scientists are hybrid programmers and statisticians. It can be tough to figure out which of your technical skill sets should be the focus of your resume.

Touch on your primary programming language and put context around the modeling techniques you use regularly.

After studying over 100 data scientist job openings, here are the top skills employers are looking for in these roles.

Top data scientist skills

• Python (Numpy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, Keras, Flask)
• R (Dplyr, Shiny)
• SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle)
• AWS (Redshift)
• Supervised Learning (Linear and Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, Recommendation Engines)
• Unsupervised Learning (K-Means Clustering, Principal Component Analysis)
• Customer Segmentation, Price Optimization

Human resources (HR) skills for resume

When it comes to the skills you need to get your next job as a human resources manager, it’s important to demonstrate a combination of people skills (it’s in the job title, after all), but you also have to show command of the tools needed to get the job done.

You should demonstrate which phases of HR you have experience in. Whether that’s recruiting, benefits, compensation, or a combination thereof, these should be clear.

Top human resources skills

• ATS (Workday, Jobvite, Greenhouse)
• Compensation & Benefits
• Performance Management
• Recruiting (Sourcing & Interviewing)
• Employee Onboarding
• Benefits Planning & Administration
• Employee Coaching
• LOA, FMLA, PLOA, Disability
• Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
• Recruiting Coordination
• Compliance (OFFCP, FLSA, Unemployment)
• Employee Retention
• Organizational Strategy
• Labor Relations
• Succession Planning
• HR Analytics

Product manager skills for resume

Product managers help steer the direction of a company by working to understand new features and products customers are looking for.

A successful PM should have the technical skills to communicate fluently with engineers. They also need strong data analysis skills to determine whether new feature launches are working.

Top product manager skills

• Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel
• Google Tag Manager
• A/B Testing
• Optimizely, Google Optimize
• Basic Python scripting, APIs
• Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kaban
• Jira, Github, Confluence
• Google Analytics, Microsoft Excel

Recruiter skills for resume

Since recruiters are the first people prospective employees interact with in a company, they must have strong people skills.

Outside of that, a recruiter needs to be familiar with using an ATS to keep track of candidates as they go through the application funnel.

In addition, they need to know various tools to effectively source prospective candidates for a job opening.

Top recruiter skills

• Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word
• HR Information Systems (Workday, Oracle HCM, Zoho, SAP)
• ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, Breezy HR, BambooHR)
• Sourcing Tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, TalentNest, Connectifier)
• Full Cycle Recruiting, Intakes, Sourcing, Screening, Evaluating Talent
• CRM (HubSpot, Marketo, Hootsuite)

Scrum Master skills for resume

As a Scrum Master, it’s vital you demonstrate which project management frameworks you have experience in on your resume.

Scrum Masters help ensure project deadlines are hit by establishing and monitoring incremental goals along the way.

Communication and management skills are must-haves, in addition to a few technical tools.

Top Scrum Master skills

• Agile Development & Best Practices
• Agile Frameworks—Scrum, Kanban, XP
• JIRA & JIRA Portfolio
• Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio
• User Stories, ATDD, TDD, Continuous Integration, Automated Testing
• Project Planning & Scoping

Social media manager skills for resume

As the name implies, a social media manager must show prospective employers they can use social media to drive customers toward a business.

It’s not enough, however, to demonstrate experience with various social media platforms. You must also clearly understand data and analytics to prove that your campaigns can and will work for a business.

Top social media manager skills

• Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok
• Sprout Social, Hootsuite
• Google Analytics
• Google Docs/Microsoft Word
• Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel
• Paid Social Media Advertising
• Data Analytics

IT manager skills for resume

IT managers need to possess razor-sharp technical skills while demonstrating the ability to mentor and guide employees under their leadership.

Since the number of potential technical skills an IT manager can have is vast, you must demonstrate a firm command of at least a few skills.

On your resume, it’s much better to demonstrate expertise in a few skills than a weak command of a large number of tools.

Top IT manager skills

• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Agile/Lean Methodologies
• Network Infrastructure (DNS, DHCP, SSL)
• Linux/ Unix

Design skills for resume

As you might imagine, designers need to convince the hiring manager reviewing their resume of their creative ability. This is usually done via a portfolio.

Outside of your creativity, you also need to quickly and effectively communicate which tools you use to complete your design work. One of the first things a prospective employer will check is whether you have the technical skills they’re looking for in a designer.

Top design skills

• Design Principles
• Color Theory
• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Storytelling
• Canva, Vectr
• Print Design
• Photography

Your skills should directly correlate with the job you’re applying for so recruiters can tell what makes you special at a glance. Refer to the job description for keywords or mission statements that show what the organization values and what the job role emphasizes. Prioritize skills that relate directly to your profession over those that could enhance your qualifications for other fields.

Try to limit your array of abilities to just 6 to 10 skills per resume. If you have more to choose from, choose to meet the optimal resume skill range with abilities that specifically answer the call of the job description. You don’t want a skills list that looks too “hodgepodge,” so hone your skills to a trade-specific edge that demonstrates your expertise.

Soft skills are the tools you use to socially function with grace and efficiency. They refer to your interpersonal abilities like negotiation, communication, and team delegation (just to name a few!). Keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo your skills list and appear disorganized, so select only the most relevant soft skills to list. You can use them as context for your professional experiences.

Technical skills, or hard skills, can refer to anything from software proficiency to specialized actions or tasks you can perform that relate to your job. Physical technology or machinery, digital meeting programs, and the ability to interpret industry-specific data all count! These important skills show off your specialties and highlight your unique candidacy for the job role.

Every skills list should be technical, but yours especially so: This is your opportunity to demonstrate your expertise instantly. By naming precisely which software programs you use (think: Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Salesforce to name a few) instead of generalizing, you effectively spotlight your skills ahead of time. Recruiters often skim the skills list first since they move fast, so seize the chance to align yourself with the job!

Honestly, that depends on you! Which of your resume sections is the strongest: skills, experience, internships, or stuff like your degree and academic achievements? Resume layouts with a side column can put your skills list in a highly visible space. If your experiences are super strong, you can also list your skills at the bottom of the page. Just make sure your best qualities are the most eye-catching!

CVs & Résumés

• Oct 3, 2023
• 10 min read

100 Key Skills to Put on Your Résumé (List of Examples)

They’ll help you show your value to your future employer.

Chris Leitch

Editor-in-Chief & Résumé Expert

Reviewed by Electra Michaelidou

When writing your résumé or CV, you’ll probably be focusing on your education and experience. But a PhD or a five-year stint at a family-run business will only get you so far. Indeed, employers care more about seeing that you have what it takes to do the job you’re applying for .

And they look at the practical professional skills that you bring to the table to determine this. As such, it’s imperative that you carefully and strategically market your top skills to potential employers during the résumé-writing process if you want a fighting chance in your 2023 job search .

But which key skills should you put on your résumé, and how?

In this article, we’ll answer those questions — and more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Why include skills in your résumé
• List of skills to include
• How to include them
• Examples for specific jobs

The importance of adding your best skills to your résumé

There are many important reasons to create a résumé skills section.

Firstly, you’re expected to . As one of the five main sections of a résumé , omitting this makes you look careless and unprofessional, and inevitably results in your application’s rejection — even if you are the most qualified candidate.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, employers want to know you have the abilities required to succeed in the job you’re applying for, and listing your skills in your résumé helps you reveal the important information they’re seeking . Essentially, it’s your opportunity to quickly show what you bring to the table, what you’re capable of and that you’re a perfect fit.

And last but certainly not least, including job-specific skills and keywords in your résumé helps you get past applicant tracking systems . If these tools can’t locate any correlation between your application and the position, they’ll automatically discard your résumé — before it’s even read by a human recruiter.

Top 100 skills to include in your résumé

Need some inspiration? Check out our list of the 100 best skills to put on your résumé, organized by type:

Communication and interpersonal skills

Effective communication is essential for both individual and team success, and is a skill that every single employer looks for in candidates . Some of the best communication and interpersonal skills you should convey in your résumé include:

• Active listening
• Collaboration
• Communication (verbal, non-verbal, visual and written)
• Conflict management
• Emotional intelligence
• Negotiation
• Public speaking
• Presentation

Writing skills

Good writing skills are required in almost every industry and every job, whether it’s at the core of the role or a small part of the position’s responsibilities. Examples of writing skills to put on your résumé include:

• Content management systems
• Proofreading
• Publishing software
• Researching
• Storytelling
• Style guides (such AP and MLA)
• Writing (including copywriting, report writing and technical writing)

Critical thinking skills

Employers want employees who can not only identify problems but also solve them. As such, it’s always a good idea to highlight your critical thinking skills on your résumé, whether it was solving a problem or making a quick decision . Good skills that demonstrate critical thinking include:

• Brainstorming
• Conceptual thinking
• Cost-benefit analyzing
• Creative thinking
• Deductive reasoning
• Evidence collecting
• Inductive reasoning
• Troubleshooting

Time management skills

Good time management helps you achieve bigger goals, reduce procrastination and increase your productivity — which is exactly what employers want from you. Key skills to highlight in your résumé include:

• Goal-setting
• Multitasking
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Resource management
• Strategic thinking
• Time tracking

Accounting and finance skills

Although highlighting these types of skills is mostly beneficial to financial professionals , more and more industries are increasingly requiring some basic form of accounting and finance proficiency. Below are some useful skills worth showcasing:

• Accounting software (such as QuickBooks and NetSuite)
• Billing and invoicing
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Cashflow analysis
• Expense tracking
• Financial reporting
• Mathematical comprehension
• Tax planning
• Vendor management

Management skills

If your current or target role involves managing people or projects (or both), you’ll need to prove to potential employers that you have what it takes to be successful. Key skills for management roles and functions include:

• Adaptability
• Change management
• Employee development
• Problem solving
• Project management
• Risk management
• Team-building

Marketing skills

Since marketing controls the way a company functions, many employers look for employees who possess a variety of skills in this area. Here are 10 good examples for your résumé:

• Customer relationship management
• Data analytics
• Email marketing
• Google Analytics
• Mobile advertising
• Search engine marketing
• Search engine optimization
• Social media marketing
• Video marketing

Retail and sales

If you’re in a customer-facing role, your retail and sales skills should take centerstage on your résumé. Some good examples to list in your skills section include:

• Buyer engagement
• Buyer-responsive selling
• Cold-calling
• Customer service
• Friendliness
• Lead generation
• Product knowledge
• Understanding body language

Design skills

Design skills are no longer restricted to creative professionals who design products and experiences for consumers, and are often required across a wide range of industries and roles. Here are some examples of useful design skills for your résumé:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• Graphic design
• Layout development
• Photo and video editing
• User experience development
• User interface development
• Wireframing

Computer skills

As most jobs today require at least some basic knowledge of information and communication technology, it’s always a good idea to showcase your computer skills on your résumé. Some of the best examples worth listing include:

• Cloud computing (such as AWS and Google Cloud)
• Databases (such as Oracle RDBMS and MySQL)
• Machine learning
• Operating systems (such as MacOS and Windows)
• Presentation software
• Programming/coding (such as HTML, Ruby on Rails and C++)
• Project management software
• Spreadsheets (such as Excel and LibreOffice)
• Systems and networks
• Word processing (such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word)

How to list skills in your résumé

Now that you have a general idea of what skills to put on your résumé, you’re probably wondering how to go about listing them.

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:

• Showcase your job skills as a bulleted list in a dedicated section towards the end of your résumé. To save space, you can group similar skills together under specific categories or themes — for example: “Frameworks: Django, Laravel, Meteor”.
• Make sure to strategically refer to both your hard and soft skills throughout your résumé — not just in the skills section. For example, adding “Managed a team of 15 outbound sales specialists” as a bullet point in your experience section clearly encapsulates your leadership skills.
• Always choose skills that are directly relevant to the position you’re applying for . Read the job description to get a better idea of what the employer is looking for, and match your unique skill set to the specific job requirements.

Example résumé skills for specific jobs

Here are a few examples of résumé skills sections for different professions:

Web content editor

Web content editors rely on a mix of soft and hard skills that embraces technology to be successful in their job, which they should always highlight in their résumé — as done in the following example skills section:

• CMS platforms (HubSpot, Wix, WordPress)
• Content calendar management
• Content proposals
• Editing and proofreading
• Fact-checking
• Social media management

Working as a nurse requires a very specialized and technical skill set, and employers want to know you have exactly what it takes to succeed on the job. The following list of skills can be useful when writing your nurse CV or résumé :

• Clinical nursing
• Communication
• CPR and BLS skills
• EMR charting
• Medication management
• Patient assessment
• Patient safety and wellbeing
• Urgent care

Teachers require a variety of skill sets to effectively create lesson plans, instruct students and interact with parents, and it’s essential that they market these skills to prospective employers — like in the example skills section below:

• Behavior management
• Compassion and empathy
• Conflict resolution
• Classroom management
• Curriculum planning
• Effective communication
• Leadership skills
• Performance evaluations
• Teaching methods

FAQs about résumé skills

Got questions about résumé skills? We got answers!

What are professional skills?

Professional skills are competencies and abilities that help you succeed in a job . They consist of hard skills (which are learnable, and which allow you to perform job-specific tasks, such as copywriting and graphic design) and soft skills (personal habits or traits that shape how you work, which are developed over time, such as creativity and emotional intelligence).

How many skills should you list in your résumé?

For most jobseekers, listing between 10 and 15 skills is generally adequate. Any more than that, and you risk making your résumé look cluttered and unfocused. The most important thing to remember when listing your skills, though, is to choose the ones that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for.

What skills should you include if you have no experience?

If you’re just starting out in your career or you’re moving into an industry in which you have no (or little) relevant experience, your best bet is to focus on your transferable skills .

These are skills that have been acquired throughout your life (either in a personal, professional, academic or voluntary capacity) and can be applied to any job and work environment. For example, if you led a project team or founded an organization at university, you could use this experience to showcase your leadership skills.

Where is the best place to include skills in your résumé?

Traditionally, skills are listed towards the end of a résumé , after the experience and education sections and before supplemental sections for things like awards and professional memberships.

If you’re using a skills-based format for your résumé, meanwhile, you’ll need to add a skills summary section (immediately after your career profile) in addition to the standard skills section. Here, you’ll focus on 3–5 of your most relevant skills, providing examples of when — and how — you used each one.

Key takeaways

Here’s a quick rundown of everything we covered in this article:

• Including skills in your résumé is a great way to demonstrate your expertise, knowledge and strengths to potential employers.
• Some of the best examples to highlight are communication, critical thinking, management and computer skills .
• They are best featured in a dedicated section towards the end of a résumé , and they should always be tailored to the job you’re targeting.
• Specific professions and industries require specific skill sets; as such, it’s imperative that you understand what is required of you and how you fit the bill .
• When it comes to how many skills you should list, 10–15 usually does the trick .

Remember: listing your best and most relevant skills in your résumé is not an option — it is a necessity. They could, after all, be the make or break of your application, so make sure you get it right.

Got a question or want to suggest some other useful résumé skills? Let us know in the comments section below!

Originally published on September 4, 2017.

Soft Skills

Job Applications

Résumé Sections

Hard Skills

Résumé Writing

• Resume Builder
• Resume Experts
• Search Jobs
• Search for Talent
• Employer Branding
• Outplacement
• Resume Samples
• Job Descriptions
• Cover Letters

Resume Examples & Samples

50+ skills to put on a resume [key to get a job].

Dayana Aleksandrova

Create a Resume in Minutes & Get More Job Interviews

Table of Contents

How to tailor your skills using a job description, emotional intelligence, technical resume skills, results-driven, social media.

• Transferable Skills

Most resumes recruiters receive on a daily basis end up on the one-way express to the shredder. With fierce competition and a ton of details to keep in mind, creating a resume that gets you hired can seem like mission impossible.

One major aspect of landing the job is including key resume skills . Your skills show what you know. A recruiter won't hire a graphic designer who can't do Photoshop. On top of that, the Applicant Tracking Systems won't let your resume through unless you've included the relevant skill set for the position.

Tailoring your resume skills you present to a particular job is a must. Doing a little bit of homework to include the appropriate skills on your resume will increase your chances landing a job exponentially.

Think of formatting as the “ skeleton ” of your resume. Each bullet point and skill will then be its “ flesh .” One of the challenges that comes with crafting the perfect resume is to keep it short and to the point. All of the skills you include have to be powerful and match the job description.

Steer clear of fluff and include only the relevant resume skills. We are going to go through all the information you need to present the most important skills in the best way. If you don't have a resume to work with yet, have a look at these resume templates .

SKILLS TO MENTION ON A RESUME: THE COMPLETE LIST

in this guide, we will teach you:

• How to select your strongest skills and use them strategically on your resume
• How to choose the keywords recruiters look for
• How to figure out what your transferable skills are
• What the commonalities are between different industries in order to create a versatile resume
• How to use strong, clear language and avoid vague terms
• Which action words to include
• What the benefits of your skill section are

When listing skills on your resume, remember always to be honest about your level of ability. Include the Skills section after Experience.

For example, if you're a beginner at Photoshop, tell the truth. You don't want to end up in an awkward situation and be fired for lying.

Use the descriptors:

• Intermediate

when talking about your level of expertise.

Often times, we only take a glance at the job description and discard it. This is a big mistake. Job descriptions are incredibly valuable.

They list all the tasks that will be required of you. By examining each one, you can choose the most relevant skills to put on your resume.

For example, if a job description requires “developing front-end of a website,” skills such as “CSS, HTML, HAML” are going to get noticed.

If it calls for “team management,” you should delve into your past experience that demonstrates the results you have achieved working in a group and your mentor experience.

A good resume will mirror the job description and will be tailored in a way that hits all the important points. Feel free to use keywords from it as well.

VelvetJobs Expert Tip

Need help? Check out our resume builder .

THE NINE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF RESUME SKILLS

Not all skills are created equal. Some abilities, such as handling Big Data are hot right now. Others, such as leadership, are an all-time classic.

Here are the nine major groups of resume skills we will cover:

Be sure to cover these key categories on your resume. Combined, they will make your candidacy credible and desirable.

If you aren’t an expert in all of the categories yet, don’t worry. This guide will give you tips on how to improve and how to most accurately present your current level of expertise.

# emotional-intelligence

While many focus on a high level of IQ, they forget EQ . A lot of people might have a high IQ, but in a workplace environment, EQ is much more appreciated. Emotional intelligence is one of the most important, yet least understood categories of resume skills.

EQ determines how good of a team-player you will be - and everyone knows that teamwork is synonymous with success.

Have you ever met someone who is “book smart” but doesn’t know how to act in social situations? This is where EQ comes in.

So, what is emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and those of others. It entails the ability to influence those feelings as well.

Why do we need it?

Have you ever walked into a room and felt the soul-crushing tension in the air? I bet that you’ve been a part of an awkward conversation at the office at least once.

Emotional intelligence is the difference between being sucked into the vortex of emotional drama and skillfully resolving the issue in a sensitive and rational way . Emotional intelligence allows us to actively hear what others are saying.

Let’s say that you are applying for a manager-level positions. Being in charge of others is not like working on a computer all day.

Managing a team is a tough job due to the different personalities that comprise it. There is no one-fits-all way to manage your employees.

Some respond very well to constructive criticism, while others take it personally and get upset. It is emotional intelligence that helps us determine how to act according to the person and circumstances.

Use these descriptions to showcase your emotional intelligence:

Using any one of those keywords on your resume is a clear indicator of emotional intelligence and will be noticed right away.

This emphasis is essential for any people-focused industries like sales, teaching, customer success, hospitality, event planning, public relations.

How to Improve Your Level of EQ

Emotional intelligence will help you both at work and in life. This is why it is important to master it. Some are naturally inclined to be great listeners and empaths . Others require a bit more work. You can easily increase your level of emotional intelligence doing the following:

Journaling is a great way to identify emotions. Writing your thoughts and reactions down will serve as evidence to detangle your feelings.

Ever had a bad day at work? Write the experience in detail. Then go back to it and follow the course of events, analyze why you felt that way. The same applies to the moments when you felt great at work. Remember when you got promoted?

Write down how that felt and what your boss said to you. Could it be that you were promoted because you always listened to what they wanted you to do and did your job correctly?It’s really as simple as that. Analyze your actions and link them to emotions.

Trying to speak only 30% of the time in the conversation

Ask yourself: do you actually listen to others in a conversation? Here is a simple trick from the hospitality industry to help you become more attentive.

Any time you speak to someone, you have to walk away knowing three things about the other person. This is on top of their name, which is an absolute imperative.

Going into a conversation knowing that you’d be testing yourself on it later will help you pay attention. Make sure that the words the other person says actually make sense to you. You can repeat the last phrase they said in order to remember it.

for example, you can have a conversation like this:

"I was born in Minnesota and have been working in finance for the past 5 years."

"So, you were born in Minnesota, how long does it take you to fly home?"

The added benefit of being aware of the conversation is that people will like you a lot more than if you listen. The the best conversationalists are those who just listen. Listening to others will make them feel important. The golden ratio of listening to speaking is 3:1 . If that’s too hard for a start, go 50/50 and build up from there.

If you have ever worked in customer service, you know that every now and then a very grumpy customer will come in.

Trying to feel what the other person is feeling.

While a normal first reaction is to think that you did something to provoke their bad mood, that is rarely the case. In fact, customer service employees have little to do with the initial mood of the customer when they first come in.

People get upset because of any number of reasons - hunger, lack of sleep, confusion. While it’s not your job to conduct a therapy session, your life will become immensely easier if you can pick up on these emotions and empathize .

The next time someone is giving you a tough time remember not to take it personally. Imagine that you were the one who had been waiting in line for an hour for help and let yourself feel their frustration. Then begin by telling them that you understand how they feel. Make sure to be genuine when you say this.

That way you will show that you care. Customers will be more willing to cooperate, and your employees will work harder to make you happy.

Your boss will appreciate that as well. In fact, bosses are some of the most misunderstood people simply because many employees feel intimidated by them and are afraid to approach.

If you empathize with your boss, you will prove that you can put yourself in their shoes. Guess what - that right there makes you management material.

You can use emotional intelligence very effectively to interact with the hiring manager during the interview.

• Feel out their mood and mirror their language.
• First impressions count, so doing this right off the bat is essential.

When it comes to emotional intelligence, showing your skills as opposed to telling the recruiter they exist is key.

Make sure to describe situations and include tasks from your experience that require EQ :

• Fostered new client relationships
• Resolved personnel issues
• Mentored and trained new employees
• Interviewed prospective candidates

If you have had any interview experience where you were the one asking the questions, this will score you major EQ points.

Don’t be shy to mention it. The person interviewing you might be interested in meeting you in order to evaluate these resume skills and see your approach.

Need some more inspiration? Have a look at these resume templates .

# leadership

Leadership is a key quality to have in any industry. If you don’t have what it takes to be in charge, chances are you will not get hired or promoted.

Because a managerial position pays a lot. Just look at the recent CEO salaries. Jokes aside, leadership and teams is what enables scale to any operation and it is very valuable and high in demand.

Key leadership skills to include on your resume:

Some are natural born leaders, while others require a bit of practice. We've got some advice on how to enhance and demonstrate your leadership skills.

How to Improve Your Leadership Skills

Public Speaking

Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you have to deliver a speech in front of a crowded auditorium while you’re in your underwear? In real life, public speaking is not that scary.

It requires a bit of confidence. If you’re not confident at first, imagine that you are.

Create an alter ego for yourself who is confident and poised in front of a crowd. Then channel this character whenever you have to give a speech or a toast. Public speaking will make others see you as a leader.

It takes courage to stand up and speak your mind and others appreciate those who aren’t afraid to do so. If you don’t know where to start, just do a simple Facebook Live. Record yourself speaking to your friends and post the video.

See what feedback you get. This is a comfortable first step before going in front of an actual audience.

Take Initi ative

Interviewers love to see that you take the initiative and aren’t afraid of responsibility. You can demonstrate your leadership skills by including charities and volunteer organizations you’ve participated in.

Did you participate in a volunteer trip abroad? Helping communities is a great experience to have on your resume, as it shows initiative and adaptability.

Did you ever create a club at your school or lead a work-related activity with your co-workers at your old job? Don’t forget to mention these experiences.

Mentoring others

Showing that you care about others is essential. It is very likely that the interviewer will ask you to talk about your relationship with your past team.

Beat them to it and mention your mentoring experience on your resume. What counts as mentoring experience?

If you’ve ever taken time from your day to show a colleague how to do something: write a report, do research, use software; it counts. Mentoring does not just end with demonstrating another person how to complete a task.

Whenever someone new joins the company, and your boss asks you to be their trainer, this effectively makes you a mentor. Mentoring can mean advising newbies regarding integrating themselves into the team.

Make sure to mention all of these experiences. Companies want to hire people who care.

# technical-resume-skills

Technical skills are always handy. It's very important to be honest about your level of expertise in this section, as you can easily be tested on your understanding and abilities.

Now let's have a little more detailed look at a few of these skills:

• Big Data Analysis - data is absolutely necessary these days and companies need employees who are able to interpret it. This skill will definitely come in handy.
• Coding and Programming - being able to understand various programming languages is a huge plus.
• Project Management - technical projects are challenging and they require not only hard skills like programming, but also leadership skills. These will elevate you above the competition.
• Technical Writing - technical writing is the link between different divisions in a company. It makes complicated procedures available to the non-tech side by explaining in a clear and simple way.

How do you acquire technical skills?

Online courses

Learning technical skills will take a bit of dedication. There are, however, dozens of ways to get started. Plenty of courses like Coursera , Code Avengers, Code Academy and Lynda are available. You can find both paid and free alternatives.

Video Tutorials

You can watch Salesforce tutorials on YouTube. Universities like MIT and UC Berkeley provide top-notch online courses. All you need is motivation and time.

# languages

Here are the top languages in demand to list as skills on your resume:

Did you take French in college? Did you pick up some Spanish while traveling in South America? Don’t be shy and add these to your resume.

This is especially valuable to international candidates applying for positions at English-speaking companies. Today, a great number of people worldwide speak Spanish. Same goes for Mandarin.

What this means is that businesses will favor candidates who can reach this and other markets as well as the established English-speaking .

One important factor is to be honest about your level of proficiency. Don’t say that you have a high level of conversational Spanish when you don’t because chances are that you’ll get tested.

If you use your language skills to separate yourself from the competition, be ready to converse in that language at any given moment during the interview.

You never know what languages the interviewer speaks, so do not lie about your proficiency. Be honest about your language skills. If you’re just a beginner, that may work out in your favor.

Some companies out there offer language classes to employees, so your willingness to learn can be of help as that demonstrates your motivation to succeed and be of greater help.

What is a quick way to learn a new language?

Don’t be intimidated of foreign languages. Today, there are many ways to help you get started. The mobile app Duolingo is a great resource. It’s free and teaches all the core languages.

There’s also the Rosetta Stone software. It’s great for both beginners and intermediate level students. The most important aspect of learning a new language is to practice.

The easiest way to do so is to watch movies in the language you’re learning. If you have Netflix, you’d be able to switch your language to French, Spanish, German, etc.

Hang out in places where this language is spoken and don’t be shy to participate in conversations.

Gone are the days when we could just say that we’re masterminds at “Microsoft Office.” Today, knowing how to use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint is pretty much a given. This is why we have to take a deeper look at our software knowledge.

Adobe Illustrator - artists and graphic designers should be very familiar with this software. This is the best way to create logos and designs and knowing how to use it, especially in combination with Photoshop is a major plus.

Adobe Photoshop - there are hardly any photographers left who don't know how to use Photoshop . Having extensive knowledge of this software comes in very handy not only in photography but also in marketing and advertising.

Quickbooks - this accounting software is used to manage billing, process payments and execute payroll functions. Knowing how to use it will keep your work process organized and efficient.

Final Cut Pro - this software is an absolute must if you work in journalism. Video production is a huge part of the industry not only for the traditional newscast but also for various modern platforms like Instagram . Knowing how to edit well will be very helpful in the social media industry.

Having any one of those resume skills is a huge plus for virtually any career. Even if the job you are applying to requires no technical skills whatsoever, you should list at least one or two.

Employees who can master both people skills and technology are more valuable than their peers who possess only one of the two.

Having experience blogging with WordPress and CMS is a great beginning. Good content is a must for any company today, so if you are able to help out with writing as a side project, you can increase your chances of getting hired.

How do you learn to work with new software?

Go right for the open source libraries online. There are a ton of instructional material on how to do basic programming or use Photoshop .

YouTube is another great source of information. It breaks down complicated programs step by step to show you how to code, edit, design and much more.

In our increasingly visual world, having design resume skills can be a big plus. These are some of the major design skills recruiters look for:

Having proficiency in design is a clear indicator of creativity and thinking out of the box. Even if you haven’t mastered Photoshop yet, having created a basic WordPress website will look great on your resume. It is likely that the question of your web presence will come up.

Interviewers may ask you whether you have your own blog. Chances are that if you do, they have already seen it. This is a great addition to your experience, so make sure to keep your site professional and speak about it during the interview.

How do you improve your design skills?

Create PowerPoint presentations

Start small. Work on Powerpoint presentations with an emphasis on graphics and visual transitions. You can elaborate on animations and logo creation as the following step.

Make your own site

Move on to creating a blog. You can do so with WordPress , Squarespace , and Wix . WordPress is perhaps the best option of the three, as it offers the most freedom for customization.

You can simply choose a theme you like and build design skills through arranging each section.

Need help with your resume design? Check out our resume builder .

You can also go for an online portfolio. Apart from your LinkedIn profile , create a website that will tell the recruiter everything they need to know about you. Make it interactive by having different sections dedicated to your skills and experience. You can add photos, video and any other visual stimulant that is relevant.

# results-driven

It’s great to be motivated and know how things work in theory. What you need to be, however, is results-driven . This applies especially to industries like sales, where you need data to show your efforts on a consistent basis.

Results-driven people are:

Being results-driven will elevate you above the competition. Employers need to know that their team will work hard towards reaching the established goals. There are many ways to show your results-driven personality and skills on your resume.

Use definitive time frames

Explain how quickly you achieved results and how long it took to complete an important project. Add numerical data to your resume. Do not simply say “met and exceeded the goal.” Use numbers to demonstrate your achievements.

Show how you helped others on your team improve, so that you could help the company faster. Include your hobbies that demonstrate your competitive spirit.

Are you a part of an after work sports team? Do you run marathons? Have you worked on a fundraising campaign? Make these experiences work for you.

How do you become more results-driven ?

Set clear deadlines for yourself

Set clear time frames for the things you’d like to accomplish. Instead of saying “ I’d like to have some interviews this week,” say: “ I’d like to have three interviews completed by Friday.”

Being vague is your worst enemy when trying to accomplish a goal. Are you someone who works better under pressure? Then setting clear time frames will be especially helpful to you.

Hold yourself accountable

Once you establish the goals you’d like to reach and the deadlines, you will be able to hold yourself accountable. Be strict and reasonable. Evaluate the projects you take on and the time you allocate to finish them.

Make sure to look at the situation objectively and set realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t set impossible goals saying: “ I’d like to get a new career in a week.” This will most likely fail, because finding a job that is the right fit takes a bit longer.

Do not procrastinate either. It is completely reasonable to land three interviews in one month, so aim for it with confidence. If you fall short of your goal, evaluate why that happened at the end of the month.

Does your resume need more work? Did you not spend enough time talking to recruiters and applying? Figure out what it is that you did wrong and fix it. Then start again. If you do manage to accomplish the goal you set for a number of interviews in a month, see what worked well.

Then continue to do it and move on to the next part of the task. This will help you become more results-driven .

# social-media

Social media has become extremely prevalent. Though some positions do not require social media expertise, having skills in the area is a big advantage.

Being good at social media demonstrates:

Being proficient in social media will soon become a must in most industries. A company’s online image is crucial, regardless of whether it’s in finance, engineering, fashion or food and beverage.

How do you gain social media skills?

Make sure to follow the company that you would like to work for on social media and engage with their posts. This especially applies to LinkedIn .

Endorse others and ask for endorsements yourself. Add links and photos relevant to your past work experiences.

The major social media channels you should be proficient in are:

If you don’t want to post personal content on social media, pick a cause you care about.

This could be anything from helping women in Ghana build businesses or support a local environmental group contribute to efforts against climate change. Either way, get involved with an online campaign and be active.

Let your passion show through, regardless if it’s a personal hobby you’d like to blog about or support an established organization.

Create a Personal Brand

Employers no longer look at you as a simple worker hired to use a particular skill. Now, you have to be a brand .

What does that mean?

Just like any good brand (think Forbes, Coca-Cola , Tesla), you have to have a mission and something that distinguishes you from the rest. Let’s say that you are applying for a job at an airline.

You would then have to exhibit the same values the airline does. If they care about safety, customer service and have a passion for travel, you have to mirror that.

How do you mirror company values?

Post relevant content on Twitter. Comment on new safety regulations and share your customer service experiences. Upload your travel photos to demonstrate a passion for the industry.

You can showcase different personality traits by uploading videos online. If you’re into adrenaline sports, grab a GoPro and film yourself skydiving.

Not only will you have something fun to share with friends, but hiring managers will also see the side of you that is not afraid of challenges. Social media can be a very powerful tool, so make sure to use it to your advantage.

Do You Have Transferable Skills?

Often times we think that we may not qualify for a certain industry because we haven’t had direct exposure to it. Some struggle to craft appropriate resumes when they switch industries, thinking that all the skills they have built would be irrelevant.

For example, how would concierge experience possibly apply to finance? As it turns out, industries that look completely opposite at first glance may have a lot in common.

identify your transferable skills

A transferable skill is your ability to do something that can be applied to various fields.

Here are some examples of transferrable skills:

Customer Service - being able to listen actively and demonstrate empathy is super important in any industry that has to do with people. If you've worked as a sales rep or have done cold calls, this will also be useful when applying for a job as a personal banker. While the two may not seem related at first, you will be using your ability to connect with others in both cases.

Design and illustration - knowing how to design logos and create images is a great skill you can transfer from your position as a graphic designer to a new one as a marketing executive. Since you'll already be familiar with the creative process, you will be one step ahead of those who only have the business idea in mind.

Hospitality - working in hospitality makes you very attentive to detail and teaches you to strive to fulfill customers' needs at all cost. This level of dedication translates into you being a very hard worker in general, regardless of the industry. You can directly apply your hospitality knowledge to positions that require teamwork and leadership, or have to do with sales.

You should not be intimidated by the fact that you are completely switching industries or functions. You can still use your existing resume. The only thing you need to do is rework it and tailor to the new industry or job function.

Find out How and Why To Tailor Your Resume to the Job (10+ Examples) .

In order to present the most suitable skills for each position you apply to, you have to spend time on research . You can do so by analyzing the job description.

Make sure to tailor your resume and skills set to each position. Reading the job description can help you identify what you can bring to the table. Make sure to hit as many of the nine major skill groups as you can.

Although some skills may not look like they are directly applicable to the industry you are applying for, they can still be a plus.

Having technical skills and being able to work with different types of software is always a benefit, even if you are applying for a customer-oriented job. Be sure to have a great online presence and don’t be shy of social media.

Establish yourself as a brand . Mirror the ideology and values of the company you are applying for on social media. Sharing the same ideals will make you a good match.

Follow us on Pinterest to see more awesome pins!

Skills to Put on a Resume Employers Will Actually Read (With Examples!)

As you carefully craft a resume that’s tailored for the specific role you’re applying for, know that the way you report your skills for a job can determine how far you advance in the hiring process. If you want your resume to show you have what it takes to justify an interview, you need to show off your skills - both soft and technical.

The skills on your resume can differentiate you from the competition so you can land the position you want. And if a hiring panel does decide to offer you the job, your resume skills section can easily influence the salary figure they settle on.

So, where do you start? Click on the links below to skip to the resume writing tips that interest you most. Or start from the top and read through to the end for a comprehensive review of the job skills for a resume any professional should consider.

• What are the best skills to put on a resume?

How to match your resume skills to the job description

What are examples of soft skills to put on a resume.

• What are example of technical or hard skills for a resume?

How to discover skills the company values

How to create a resume skills section, ways to weave in your skills for a job, what shouldn’t you do with job skills on your resume, what are the best job skills to put on a resume.

It’s no secret that many hiring managers spend only a short amount of time looking at a resume before deciding whether to pass on a job candidate or add them to the shortlist. What you may not know is, employers in Canada today are looking for both technical skills  and soft skills for a job. Read any job posting, for example, and you might see the following requests:

• Computer proficiency
• Leadership experience
• Communication skills
• Organizational know-how
• People skills
• Collaboration talent
• Problem-solving abilities

These skills and attributes, and others we discuss in this post, are essential for today’s workplace. Technical skills, or hard skills, are the technical abilities required to accomplish the tasks and responsibilities associated with the job. They’re acquired through practice, education and training. They’re measurable and easy to advertise: you either have the desired technical skills and experience, or you don’t. Your work history and certifications will speak to them.

Soft skills, or interpersonal skills, reflect one’s personality and personal attributes. They can relate to an ability to fit into a company’s work culture, handle stress, communicate clearly or play well with others, for example. They may be “soft,” but they’re important skills for a resume: when job candidates possess comparable experience levels and technical skills, soft skills can tip the balance.

See later sections for tips on how to showcase soft and technical skills on your resume. But let’s talk first about which skills Canadian employers are looking for.

Many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS), which acts as an electronic filter, to collect, scan, sort and rank resumes to narrow applicant pools to the most qualified candidates. That’s why you need to customize your resume and cover letter using keywords and phrases that match the job listing (so long as you possess the skills you’re listing, of course).

If an employer is looking for a graphic designer with mastery in Adobe Creative Suite, for example, you wouldn’t just claim “experience with software for creative professionals.” List the software by name, give your expertise level, and — if you have it — highlight your Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) certification. Likewise, if an employer is searching for an accountant with “experience processing daily invoices and credit,” then use similar language in your resume. Simply listing “gathering receipts” as a duty won’t likely score well with an ATS.

Repeat common words and phrases from other postings of the same role, too. But remember, every job description is different. Tailor the keywords and skills on your resume and in your cover letter for each position.

Looking for some additional advice? Read this post on how to write a resume in 7 easy steps .

Make no mistake, the soft skills on your resume can be of as much interest to a hiring manager as the technical skills you offer. Smart managers know that an experienced, highly trained new hire who doesn’t fit in the office culture, communicates poorly with clients and colleagues, or freezes under deadline pressures can take a heavy toll on the workplace. Your resume — and, later, how you present at the interview — should assure the employer that you not only can do the job, but you’ll help make the team thrive.

Unsure which soft skills can send that message? Remember, every job application should get a tailored resume. So review the duties of the position you’re applying for, and determine which of your personal strengths would help you be a success at the job and in the work environment.

Consider these 15 soft skills and personal attributes, and why employers value them:

• Adaptability — Whether you’re a new hire learning the ropes, a long-time staff member adjusting to change management, or a manager adopting transformative technologies in the workplace, you’re going to face some disruption in your career. Companies want employees who can quickly acclimate to different environments and are open to new processes and technologies.
• Attention to detail — Mistakes are expensive to businesses in terms of time and money. To show prospective employers that you are careful and deliberate in all you do, submit a tailored, proofread resume and cover letter with work history highlights that exemplify diligence and conscientiousness.
• Collaboration — How well you work with others, both team members and across departments, is going to be critical to your career success. Give examples in your work history — or if you’re a new university grad, examples from your labs, seminars and coursework — that demonstrate successful teamwork and partnerships.
• Communication — No matter the industry, no matter the position, verbal and presentation skills are an increasingly important soft skill in the workplace. Employers are looking for candidates who can message to different audiences, from interns to the C-suite, without resorting to jargon, and can present to an audience with confidence.
• Creativity — Businesses grow with the infusion of fresh ideas and new approaches to old problems. Hiring managers will give a careful look at someone whose resume skills show they think outside of the box, challenge the status quo and offer novel solutions.
• Customer service — A company’s prosperity — and an employee’s career prospects — is tied to good customer service. Employers want staff to be dedicated to meeting the expectations of both internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Decision making — Most savvy managers want to give staff a measure of autonomy so leadership can focus on the bigger picture (they also know it can improve employee happiness and performance). That’s why they value employees who can assess a situation and determine the next steps to take, rather than continually ask for guidance.
• Empathy — Understanding the emotions of others is important if you want to effectively engage with coworkers, managers, direct reports, customers and clients. Whether for a senior leadership or staff-level role, the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes is a valuable trait.
• Leadership — Even when they’re not hiring for a managerial role, employers look for candidates who can inspire and motivate team members, and act with integrity, fairness, and a strategic mindset. Where possible, highlight the professional experience and skills on your resume that show you can lead.
• Multitasking — Today’s workplace is in many ways busier and more complicated than our parents’. A strong resume will demonstrate a job candidate’s ability to juggle projects and competing priorities.
• Positivity — No, this doesn’t mean “excessively cheerful or optimistic.” Rather, show that you approach difficulties with a can-do attitude. Resilience and determination, not a negative mindset, are what gets a job done. Employers know that. Employers want that.
• Problem solving — What job doesn’t involve challenges and problems? And what employer wants to handhold staff when those challenges and problems arise? An ability to resolve conflicts and come up with creative solutions to challenges big and small are prized skills for a resume.
• Self-motivation — No boss wants to keep lighting a fire under their workers. Give instances of how you’ve taken initiative to solve problems and get the job done.
• Time management — Whatever role you’re seeking, time management is a prime skill to include on your resume. Employers want to know you have the discipline to tune out distractions, meet deadlines and get the most out of the workday.
• Work ethic — Honesty, punctuality, responsibility and reliability are all integral to a strong work ethic. Draw out those qualities in the examples you give in your professional history and resume skills sections.

What are examples of technical or hard skills for a resume?

When listing technical skills on your resume, include specific proficiencies and certifications. Front-end web developers, for instance, would report their level of expertise in HTML, CSS and JavaScript and other technologies the company lists in its job posting. A financial controller, meanwhile, might claim a strong foundation in GAAP or SEC reporting, and an administrative professional’s resume skills could advertise a CAP or MOS certification.

Here are some examples of hard resume skills for 15 in-demand fields in Canada:

• Accounting or bookkeeping — Basic abilities include invoicing, collections, payments, account reconciliation and proficiency in software such as QuickBooks, FreshBooks and Xero.
• Data analysis — Businesses need professionals who can gather and interpret technical data for various stakeholders. Hard skills in this area range from a thorough knowledge of relational database theory and practice to strong writing and verbal skills.
• Data privacy — Cybersecurity is top of mind for any organization that deals with sensitive or proprietary client information. Specific in-demand skills will depend on the position and field.
• Enterprise resource planning — ERP systems such as Oracle, NetSuite and SAP help employers manage their business and automate functions. Professionals in this area will want to talk up their coding expertise and project management skills.
• Human resources — Companies rely on HR specialists to assess and hire job candidates, help onboard new employees and develop retention efforts. These professionals might also handle employee engagement, create wellness initiatives, develop training and team-building programs. If this is your area, you’d want to promote your strong communication and project management skills on your resume.
• Mathematics — It’s not just the accounting world that requires workers to figure percentages, calculate margins and create accurate data charts. A marketing professional and a copy editor, for instance, will likely work with survey results from time to time. For roles that need a more extensive mathematics background, see the business systems consultant role listed in our blog post on financial consulting jobs .
• Multilingualism — The more customers and clients you can serve, the greater value you are to an employer. French is the most sought-after second language in Canada, but depending on the industry and city, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and German are also among the most in demand. Even if you’re applying for a position that doesn’t require interacting with an international clientele, fluency in another language is an important asset to mention. Unique skills on your resume will make you stand out among the competition.
• Process automation — Businesses can save resources and improve accuracy by using smart software and artificial intelligence to take over rote tasks. At the same time, companies rely on humans to set up and oversee those systems. Spotlighting your professional experience in this area, or completion of one of the many certification programs, can make you markedly more appealing to employers.
• Product design — Form and function are rolled into one in this field, which optimizes both user friendliness and visual appeal. Even if you have a degree in product design, you’d want to talk up your specific skills on your resume.
• Project management — In your work history and resume skills sections, show your familiarity with the software and best practices required for seeing a project through from beginning to end. (A Project Manager Professional [PMP] certification, offered by the Project Management Institute, would be a highly desired endorsement of your skills.)
• Research skills — Whether for eDiscovery, competitor intelligence or internal data collection, employers are looking for job candidates who know how to use the right research tools and methodologies. Hard research skills on your resume might include experience interviewing, planning and scheduling, and analyzing and interpreting collected data to help stakeholders reach a solution. Proficiency with relevant technologies should also be given on your resume.
• Software proficiency — Almost every office job today requires at least a baseline knowledge of Microsoft Office and G Suite apps for word processing, spreadsheets, email, presentations and collaboration. Many roles will require a far deeper knowledge of technologies. Jobs in the IT and creative fields are obvious examples, but tech proficiency is highly valued in many other sectors and roles. Consider the legal field: 82% of lawyers said in a Robert Half survey that their hiring decisions are influenced more by job candidates' technical abilities than their soft skills.
• Search engine optimization — SEO and its cousin, search engine marketing (SEM), are key aspects of any role that deals with online content — from writers and editors to publicists and HR professionals. SEO/SEM hard skills for a resume would include work experience with (or knowledge of) Google Analytics and Keyword Planner, keyword optimization, content creation, data analysis tools, and HTML/CSS and JavaScript.
• Typing skills — Medical coders, transcribers, schedulers, clerks, data entry specialists and administrative professionals should have fast and accurate keyboarding abilities. How fast is fast? That depends on the industry and the job, but the job description should give you a clue. To check your speed and accuracy, go to one of the many free typing speed testing websites. Then for consistency, check them again on a different website.
• Writing and editing — Just as polished verbal and presentation skills are prized people skills in today’s workplace, strong writing and editing are highly valued hard skills in almost any field. Clearly written, persuasive cross-departmental written memos, emails and other internal communication keep an organization humming. And no organization wants any external-facing content — website text, press releases, printed matter or even company emails — marred by incorrect grammar and diction or poor sentence structure and organization.

Keep in mind that your resume should provide examples of how you’ve used the hard skills that are most relevant to the job you’re seeking. Whenever possible, note specific, quantifiable achievements for each position you’ve held. If you’re a digital marketer, give conversion and click-through rates. If you’re a project manager, showcase projects that came in on time and on budget — and report their impact. As we discuss below, you want to demonstrate you’re a results-driven professional.

Not sure what the best way to highlight your experience is? Read this post to determine which resume format is best for you .

You need to use the job description to customize your resume skills and work history sections. But don’t stop there. Research the employer to gain insight into the workplace culture and company values. You may discover additional qualities that would be prized by the employer.

If you know someone who works at the company, or has in the past, reach out to ask about the workplace culture and what the employer considers important in its workers. Also check websites such as Glassdoor and Fairygodboss for company reviews by employees and former employees. (You might even get an idea there about the employer’s interviewing process.)

The company’s website can tell you a lot, too. Reading the About Us page is typically a good place to begin.

For instance, in a section called “Living our values,” IBM includes the following:

• Dedication to every client’s success
• Innovation that matters — for our company and for the world
• Trust and responsibility in all relationships

If you were applying for a job at IBM, you would want to consider what soft skills you possess that fit this framework — customer service, attentiveness, initiative and loyalty — and weave them into your resume.

Here at Robert Half , we focus on and promote our four LEAD principles. They are:

• Leadership by Example
• Ethics First
• An Openness to New Ideas
• Dedication to Excellence

If you’re applying for a job at Robert Half, you might highlight skills that speak to your leadership, drive and diligence, as well as your confidence and ability to collaborate.

Bottom line: Pay close attention to how the company says it operates and the workplace environment it promotes, and emphasize your most pertinent strengths.

Think you’d make a great fit at Robert Half? Search our corporate jobs or our open recruiting positions.

When you write a resume , it’s important to organize the content so it’s succinct and easy to read. A three-column, three-row highlights section near the top of your resume, just above your professional experience, is helpful way to list the nine soft and technical skills that speak directly to the posting’s required qualifications. It’s also a good place to add keywords you’ve identified.

You don’t need more than a couple words here to show what you bring to the table. This should be a bulleted list a reader can quickly scan. Complete sentences will come in your work history.

Here are some examples of what professionals from different industries could list in this section:

1. Accounting jobs

Accountants are expected to crunch numbers, but also to make data-driven conclusions and communicate them to people outside of their department. You might include skills in these areas:

• Analytical and problem solving
• Microsoft Excel
• Enterprise resource planning software
• Business and leadership
• Verbal and writing skills
• Data analytics
• Revenue recognition
• Risk and compliance
• Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)

Send us your resume for roles in accounting, from clerks to accountants to controllers.

2. Customer service jobs

When customers have issues or concerns about a company, they turn to customer service departments to get their problems solved. Dealing with the public in these roles often requires skills in these areas:

• Attentive listening, empathy
• Troubleshooting and research
• Speed and efficiency
• Positive attitude
• Time management

Search customer service jobs to see job descriptions for various roles from representatives to managers.

3. Business analyst jobs

A business analyst wears many hats: data specialist, finance professional and problem solver. Skills for the resume of a business analyst might include:

• Business acumen
• Data mining
• Client relations
• Strategic thinking
• Verbal and presentation skills
• Project management
• Collaboration
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving

Check out all our business analyst jobs !

4. Marketing jobs

Marketing jobs can run the gamut from social media or email marketing specialist to product manager and brand manager. But in general, candidates applying for marketing jobs need to show a mix of soft and hard skills that reflect the creative yet analytical nature of the career. Some examples include:

• Content creation
• Market research
• Web analytics
• SEO and SEM
• Content management systems
• Social media (strategy, campaigns, etc.)

Job hunting in the marketing arena? Check out our available marketing and creative jobs now!

5. Web developer jobs

Web developers need both the tech skills to accomplish their tasks and the soft skills to work with clients and internal stakeholders. Whether you’re looking at a front-end or back-end position, you’d want to carefully review the tech stack that the job posting describes, then tailor your resume to address the employer’s needs and work environment. Some soft and hard skills for a web developer’s resume might include:

• Coding languages
• Troubleshooting and testing skills
• Operating systems
• Database software
• UX and UI design
• Web frameworks

Search our open web developer jobs !

6. Graphic design jobs

Graphic designers need to possess a combination of creative flair and technical mastery. In addition to creating a digital portfolio that wows, you could mention these hard and soft skills on your resume:

• Design principles, such as colour theory and typography
• Brand development
• Storytelling
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration with clients
• Commitment to deadlines

Browse all our graphic designer jobs !

If you’re in a specialized field, such as legal or technology, another option would be to create a skills column on the side of your first page. This would give you more space to list all skills, divided by technical and interpersonal, that pertain to the job you’re applying for.

The important thing is to make the skills section an attention-grabbing part of your resume. Not every employer uses an ATS, so you want this section to stand out to the reader.

Keep in mind that skills should be highlighted in your work history and other resume sections, such as volunteer activities or professional certifications. There, you’d be less likely to name a specific skill than to show it — for example, you “led a team project” to successful completion, not you “have leadership skills” or “project management skills.”

Here, you would also give concrete examples of the impact you made at your current or past employer. Impressive skills on your resume will get you careful consideration. Impressive results on your resume can get you the interview — and possibly the job offer.

Here are some tips and examples on how to present your resume skills:

Communication — Focus on your verbal, writing and presentation skills, but also your collaborative and customer service skills. In your work history, show how your track record of strong communication with your colleagues, manager, clients or customers delivered solid results.

• Wrote a monthly email newsletter to customers that increased website traffic by 35 per cent.
• Presented in eight company webinars that reached an audience average of 5,000 per session.

Multitasking — It might be more challenging to show quantifiable results for multitasking. But you can still give the employer an idea of the competing tasks and situations you've handled regularly — and how you did so calmly and efficiently.

• Smoothly and calmly prioritized multiple web design projects for a team of 20 people in a fast-paced environment.
• Managed competing editorial deadlines for the company’s annual report and corporate citizenship report, while delivering weekly new content to the organization’s email marketing team that improved click rates by 20 per cent.

Leadership — You don’t have to be in a managerial role to show leadership. Taking charge on an important deliverable of a larger team project, working in an entrepreneurial manner independent of a team, burrowing deep into a problem above and beyond expectations to reach a solution all demonstrate leadership and an ability to inspire colleagues. Outside of your official duties, stepping up for volunteer roles within the company can also create opportunity to demonstrate leadership by action.

• Led a 10-person task force that worked together to succeed in reducing firm operating expenses by 15 per cent.
• Organized and chaired a six-member employee volunteer task force that researched corporate philanthropic practices and recommended new beneficiaries for senior management consideration.

Problem-solving — Show the essential role you’ve played for current and past managers by spotlighting examples of when you’d double-down on resolving longstanding team problems or show creativity when faced with a challenge.

• Implemented new consolidation procedures for monthly and quarterly close, reducing closing time by 30 per cent.
• Closed 92 per cent of desktop support tickets on the first call without escalation.

Dependability — Hiring managers want people on their team who’ll do what they say they’re going to do. Dependability can be particularly important if you’re working with outside clients, when missing a deadline can mean lost business and a damaged reputation.

• Completed all projects on time or before deadline, leading to a promotion to account manager after 12 months of service.
• Twice awarded CEO’s “Perfect Attendance” commendation at the company’s annual employee recognition event.

Technology — The technology skills on your resume should be relevant to the job you’re pursuing. If you’re looking for an administrative assistant role, you don’t need to fit in that coursework in data logic you took before switching majors. And if you’re a UX designer or computer programmer, there won’t be much call to advertise your familiarity with Word or Google docs.

• Create monthly PowerPoint presentation to support supervising manager’s report of social media/email campaigns, client engagement and conversion rate to executive team. Success of the presentations has led to requests to train other managers’ support staff in the coming quarter.
• Optimized 300+ blog posts, increasing organic traffic by 33 per cent and conversion rate by 15 per cent.

We’ve said it all above in one place or another. But now that you have a sense of what you should be doing, here’s a recap of things to avoid doing with your resume:

Don’t exaggerate or lie about your skills — or anything else . Never give in to the temptation to inflate a job title, add a certification or skills you don’t have, or embellish a job tenure that didn’t last as long as you say it did. Making false claims or stretching the truth isn’t worth the risk. Most companies conduct background checks and call references, and falsehoods will severely damage your trustworthiness — and likely cost you the job.

Don’t leave out numbers . As we’ve discussed, don’t be vague. No matter what position you’re applying for, you should try to quantify your value. Did you reduce expenses for your company, increase sales or reach new target markets? Did you respond to customer inquiries or process orders X% faster than the previous year? All of those accomplishments involve numbers that you can use in your resume.

Don’t misuse words. Check your resume for wordiness. If you feel like a section is short, it can be tempting to get flowery with your language, but “owing to the fact that” is nowhere near as good as “because.” Also avoid using business jargon clichés like “synergize” or “outside the box.”

Don’t forget to proofread. Before you send in your resume, go over it with a fine-toothed comb for spelling, grammar and formatting mistakes. Then ask someone who understands your job-search goals to look it over. Review a printed copy: Sometimes it’s easier to catch errors on paper than on a computer screen.

Your resume, and the skills on your resume, should be an accurate, truthful report of you, your work history and your abilities. But help out the hiring manager and recruiters by crafting it in a way that directly addresses their needs. That means, be thoughtful and be meticulous. The time and work you put into that will pay off when interview invitations come in.

It’s time to put your skills to work for you!

20 good skills to put on resume for new grads

Looking for the top skills to include on your resume as a new grad? This guide highlights 20 essential skills to showcase your value to employers.

As a new graduate, it can be challenging to know which skills to highlight on your resume. Employers are looking for candidates who can bring a diverse set of skills to the table, and it's essential to show that you have the skills that are in demand in today's job market. Here are the top 20 skills that new grads should consider including on their resumes:

1. Critical thinking

Employers expect candidates to have strong critical thinking skills to solve problems and make informed decisions. Demonstrate your ability to analyze complex situations, evaluate different perspectives, and develop creative solutions that meet business goals. Provide examples of how you have used critical thinking to improve processes, increase efficiency, or solve complex problems.

2. Creativity

Employers appreciate candidates who can bring fresh ideas to the table and find innovative solutions. Highlight your creativity by sharing examples of how you have solved problems in unconventional ways or how you have introduced new processes that have led to positive results. Provide specific examples of how your creative approach has positively impacted your previous roles or projects.

3. Leadership

Leadership skills are highly sought-after by employers as they demonstrate the ability to motivate and manage others effectively. Highlight your experience in leading teams or projects, and provide examples of how you have inspired team members to achieve common goals. Share specific examples of how you have created a positive work environment, delegated tasks, and provided constructive feedback to team members.

4. Teamwork

Employers value team players who can collaborate, communicate effectively, and support their colleagues. Highlight your ability to work in a team by sharing examples of how you have contributed to a team's success and how you have handled conflicts or disagreements. Demonstrate how you have actively participated in team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative projects.

5. Time management

Effective time management is crucial in the workplace, and employers look for candidates who can manage their workload efficiently. Demonstrate your ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Share specific examples of how you have managed your time effectively to complete projects on time and handle unexpected challenges.

6. Organization

Employers seek candidates who are organized and can manage multiple tasks and projects effectively. Highlight your organizational skills by providing examples of how you have kept track of details, managed projects, and met deadlines consistently. Share specific examples of how you have organized your workday, kept track of project timelines, and prioritized tasks to meet deadlines.

7. Attention to detail

Employers look for candidates who pay attention to detail, especially in industries such as healthcare, finance, and law. Showcase your ability to catch errors, maintain accuracy, and deliver high-quality work. Highlight specific instances where your attention to detail has resulted in positive outcomes, such as catching errors before they become costly mistakes, ensuring compliance with regulations, or improving the quality of deliverables.

8. Adaptability

The job market is constantly evolving, and employers want candidates who can adapt to new situations and challenges. Highlight your flexibility by sharing examples of how you have adjusted to changes in your previous roles or how you have learned new skills quickly. Demonstrate your ability to be open to new ideas, take on new responsibilities, and adjust your approach to achieve results in a changing environment.

9. Customer service

Employers want candidates who can provide exceptional customer service to build strong relationships with clients. Highlight your experience in providing customer service and showcase how you have handled challenging situations to ensure customer satisfaction. Share specific examples of how you have handled difficult customers, resolved complaints, and exceeded customer expectations.

10. Communication

As a new graduate, it's essential to showcase your communication skills through your resume and interview. Employers seek candidates who can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, to convey ideas, collaborate with team members, and interact with clients. Highlight your ability to tailor your communication style to different audiences, use active listening skills, and convey complex information in an easy-to-understand manner. Share specific examples of how you have effectively communicated in your previous roles or projects.

11. Data analysis

Data analysis is becoming increasingly important in many industries. Highlight your ability to collect and analyze data by showcasing your experience in data analysis tools and techniques. Share specific examples of how you have used data analysis to inform decision-making, identify trends, and solve complex problems.

12. Technical skills

Depending on your field, you may need to have technical skills, such as coding or proficiency in specific software programs. Highlight your technical skills by providing examples of how you have used them in previous roles or projects. Showcase your ability to learn new technical skills quickly and adapt to changes in technology.

13. Project management

If you've managed projects in the past, be sure to highlight your experience. Employers want candidates who can manage projects from start to finish. Showcase your project management skills by sharing specific examples of how you have planned, executed, and monitored projects, managed resources, and delivered successful outcomes. Highlight your ability to collaborate with stakeholders and communicate project progress effectively.

If you've worked in sales, highlight your experience. Sales skills are valuable in many industries. Showcase your sales skills by providing examples of how you have achieved sales targets, built relationships with customers, and closed deals. Highlight your ability to prospect, negotiate, and communicate effectively with clients.

15. Marketing

If you've worked in marketing, highlight your experience. Marketing skills are valuable in many industries. Showcase your marketing skills by providing examples of how you have developed and executed marketing campaigns, managed social media platforms, and analyzed market trends. Highlight your ability to create compelling content, work with cross-functional teams, and measure the success of marketing initiatives.

16. Public speaking

Public speaking is a valuable skill that requires confidence, preparation, and effective communication. Showcase your ability to speak in front of an audience by highlighting your experience in delivering presentations, leading discussions, or participating in public speaking events. Emphasize your ability to connect with the audience, deliver messages with impact, and handle questions and feedback.

17. Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are essential in the workplace and involve communication, collaboration, and relationship-building. Highlight your ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders by providing examples of how you have worked with diverse teams, managed conflicts, and demonstrated empathy and respect. Emphasize your ability to listen actively, provide feedback constructively, and communicate effectively in different settings.

18. Research

Research skills are valuable in many industries and involve gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to inform decisions and solve problems. Highlight your ability to conduct research by showcasing your experience in designing and implementing research studies, collecting and analyzing data, and synthesizing information. Emphasize your ability to use various research methods, tools, and technologies, and to present findings in a clear and compelling way.

19. Writing

Writing skills are essential in many industries and involve communicating ideas, information, and messages through various media. Highlight your ability to write by showcasing your experience in writing different types of documents, such as reports, proposals, emails, or social media posts. Emphasize your ability to write clearly and concisely, adapt to different audiences and purposes, and use correct grammar, syntax, and punctuation.

20. Presentation skills

If you've given presentations in the past, highlight your experience in delivering effective and engaging presentations. Emphasize your ability to plan and prepare presentations, use visual aids and multimedia effectively, and deliver messages with clarity and impact. Provide examples of how you have adapted your presentation style to different audiences, managed time effectively, and received positive feedback.

Hard Skills vs soft skills

When crafting your resume or preparing for an interview, it's important to understand the difference between hard skills and soft skills. Both types of skills are valuable, but they serve different purposes in the workplace. Here's a breakdown of hard skills vs. soft skills and how to showcase them effectively:

Hard Skills:

Hard skills are specific, technical skills that can be taught and measured. Examples of hard skills include programming, data analysis, or graphic design. These skills are typically learned through formal education, training programs, or on-the-job experience. Hard skills are often used to demonstrate proficiency in a particular area or to qualify for a specific job.

To showcase your hard skills, it's important to be specific and provide concrete examples of how you have used these skills in past roles or projects. Use relevant keywords and include any certifications or training programs you have completed to demonstrate your expertise in these areas. You can also highlight any technical tools or software programs you are proficient in.

Soft Skills:

Soft skills, on the other hand, are personal attributes that are often harder to measure or quantify. Examples of soft skills include communication, teamwork, and leadership. Soft skills are often considered to be just as important as hard skills because they can affect how well you work with others and adapt to new situations.

To showcase your soft skills, provide examples of how you have used them to achieve specific goals or overcome challenges. Use specific examples to demonstrate your ability to work well with others, communicate effectively, or lead a team. Soft skills can also be highlighted in your cover letter or personal statement, where you can discuss your personal values and work ethic.

Common Questions

What skills should i include on my resume.

It depends on the job you are applying for and the industry you want to work in. Generally, you should include skills that are relevant to the job and showcase your strengths and abilities.

How many skills should I include on my resume?

You should include the skills that are most relevant to the job, but try to keep it to around 10-15 skills. Including too many skills can make your resume look cluttered and unfocused.

Should I include soft skills on my resume?

Yes, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management are highly valued by employers. These skills can demonstrate your ability to work well with others and adapt to new situations.

How should I format my skills section on my resume?

You can format your skills section as a bullet list or a table. Use bullet points to list your skills and highlight the ones that are most relevant to the job. You can also group similar skills together and use subheadings to make the section more organized.

How can I showcase my skills on my resume?

You can showcase your skills by providing examples of how you have used them in past roles or projects. Use action verbs and specific examples to demonstrate your achievements and show how your skills can benefit the company.

Can I include skills that I don't have much experience in?

It's okay to include skills that you are still developing, but make sure to be honest about your level of experience. You can also highlight your willingness to learn and improve in these areas.

Should I customize my skills section for each job application?

Yes, you should customize your skills section for each job application to highlight the skills that are most relevant to the job. Use keywords from the job description to ensure that your resume passes the initial screening process.

Should I include certifications or training in my skills section?

Yes, you can include relevant certifications or training in your skills section to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area. This can also show that you are committed to continuous learning and professional development.

In conclusion, as a new graduate, it's essential to highlight the skills that are in demand in today's job market. By including the skills listed above on your resume, you'll be able to show employers that you have the skills and abilities they're looking for in a candidate. Good luck with your job search!

Find the right jobs for you. Get hired.

Related stories, most recent stories.

More From Forbes

10 must-have skills to put on your resume in 2024.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Employers are placing a greater emphasis on skills, especially soft skills, than on degrees or work ... [+] experience

Have you ever felt tempted to skip the skills section in your resume, just to get to the most important part—your employment history? After all, it's your employment track record that matters, right?

Recruiters and employers on LinkedIn don't seem to think so. " Skills have become more important than ever in landing opportunities today," said LinkedIn's head of product for Jobseeker, Employer Brand, and Skills, Rohan Rajiv in 2022. "In fact, over 40% of companies on LinkedIn globally explicitly rely on skills to search and identify job candidates on LinkedIn (up 20% year-over-year)."

This staggering figure is certainly set to increase even more in 2024, as more companies turn to new and unconventional methods to evaluate the skill set of job applicants, and LinkedIn continues to empower applicants and recruiters alike with state-of-the-art tools to showcase and filter skills.

All this demonstrates that although your employment background is important, your skills and strengths—especially the ones unique to the role—are even more important. And off LinkedIn, there is an increased focus on skills-based-hiring, leading employers to place greater weighting on the skills a candidate includes in their resume.

While you should always look out for the core skills listed in the job posting and ensure you put them on your resume, there are some other skills you should always aim to include in your resume (whether in the skills section, your online portfolio, LinkedIn profile, or throughout the professional profile and employment sections).

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

And of course, it might seem fairly obvious, but don't forget to only include those skills that you can truthfully say you possess. Lying on your resume will work against you and you'll get caught out.

Top 10 Skills To Put On Your Resume

According to FlexJobs , some of the core skills that should be put on your resume include a combination of soft, or "power" skills and hard skills, listed below:

1. Problem-solving

Employers want to onboard candidates who take ownership for a problem instead of shifting or evading responsibility. Working out creative solutions to a business or customer issue is a skill that is, at least for the present, irreplaceable by AI.

2. Critical thinking

Listed in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2023 report , critical thinking is a skill akin to problem-solving, that involves evaluating a problem and possible solutions, and developing new and improved methods of working.

3. Flexibility

Although this has become a taboo term for employers and employees to discuss, it's importance cannot be evaded. So far as possible, maintain a degree of flexibility in your work, reaching a compromise with your prospective employer to ensure both parties are happy with working arrangements, and learn how to be dynamic and embrace change.

4. Communication

The importance of communication skills can never be overrated. They are needed everywhere to ensure the smooth delivery of projects, streamlined processes, and a healthy work environment. Get specific on your communication skills, showcasing aspects such as presentation skills, conflict resolution, negotiation, or even writing copy, depending on your role of course.

Taking ownership to resolve a problem for clients, team members, or stakeholders, is a highly ... [+] desirable quality sought after by companies globally

5. Teamwork

The saying goes, "Teamwork makes the dream work." Although it might sound cheesy and you may not enjoy working with people, it's essential to know how to collaborate and communicate well within your team and cross-functional teams. It will be very difficult to find a role where teamwork is not involved to some degree.

6. Digital skills

You'd be hard-pressed to find a job that does not require you to possess digital skills. Almost every role requires the use of company-specific software, design software, MS office suite, or a CRM. You should highlight the technical skills that you are proficient or comfortable with, including any that you are currently learning.

And if you observe through your research that the employer uses a specific type of software, always ensure you include this in your technical skills list (including proficiency level if possible).

You don't need to be a designer to need to have a grasp of design. Design principles (and related software) appear everywhere, from engineering, to social media management, to creating the slide deck for a PowerPoint presentation, to event planning.

8. Data analysis

Data analytics is another in-demand skill that is necessary, even outside of the data profession itself. If you find yourself called upon to analyze reports, Excel spreadsheets, or other data, to arrive at conclusions or to inform decision-making, you're likely doing some form of data analysis.

9. Negotiation

Sales, partnerships and agreements, and internal stakeholder arrangements all require negotiation skills to some degree. Add this skill to your resume and include some proof of where you have used it successfully, as a bonus.

10. Mathematics

No, do not list "mathematics" in your resume unless you're straight out of high school. But mathematical skills ? Absolutely. Think about budget management, financial forecasting, cost reduction, statistical analysis, probabilities, machine learning, and financial modelling.

These are all highly desirable and specific skills.

Aim to include specific examples of your skills in action, throughout your resume

Remember most importantly, listing skills is a relatively easy job. Detailing how you demonstrated them in your roles and the positive impact they made as a result, is another job altogether. Be careful that you do not fall into the copy/paste trap, without ensuring the skills listed are relevant, truly reflect you, and are backed, as far as possible, with evidence.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• Create Resume
• Resume templates
• CV templates
• Resume Writing Service
• 85 Key Skills to Put on a Resume in 2024: Tips & Examples
• Resume writing /

While the resume summary and work experience section are essential parts of a resume, so are the skills you include on the document. Resume writing has to take into consideration the top skills a hiring manager will be impressed to see. It’s another way to share why you’re a great candidate for a position with people at the company.

Even knowing that it is essential to include your skills, it can be challenging to decide which to add, which to exclude, how many to incorporate, and more. This guide will delve into each of those topics to help you build the best resume possible. In addition, we’ll share position-specific skills, general skills, and more.

Why Add Skills to Your Resume?

Are you wondering, “Why do I need job skills for a resume?” There are several reasons that it’s a common practice on modern resumes. First, if nothing else, it’s considered best practice, so most hiring managers expect to see it. However, it isn’t always required to follow all the rules, so you may want to know what other reasons skills are helpful.

One of those reasons comes down to the use of an applicant tracking system for resumes. What this means is that you send in a resume digitally and it is processed by a machine. The machine looks for specific keywords, including skills related to the job. Before a human sees the resume, the computer determines if it is relevant.

Even after the resume hits a hiring manager’s desk, skills are helpful. If you include skills related to a job description, it shows that you have the abilities for the job. In addition, items that might not fit in other sections of the resume can be added to skills to make you come off as well-rounded and show precisely what you are capable of.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: Understanding the Difference

Recruiters and hiring managers want to see both hard and soft skills in the skills section. Hard skills for a resume are skills gained through education, experience, and practice. A few examples include reading, writing, and coding. Hard skills are essential since they show how efficient, productive, and satisfied you may be in a position.

Soft skills for a resume, on the other hand, are based on personality and may not be easy to learn. These skills are what make someone perform well in a specific position or do better at a job than someone else. A few soft skills include adaptability, communication, and other social skills.

Deciding What Skills to List on Your Resume: How to Choose the Right Ones?

Even knowing you need to list skills, you may wonder exactly what skills to put on your resume. This section will help you better understand the best skills to put on the professional document. You can go through all your skills to determine which are good resume skills and which are not. Below are a few tips to help you decide which skills to include on a resume.

Consideration #1: Ensure Your Skills are Relevant to the Position

Of the skills to list on a resume, you want only the most relevant. After you make a list of skills and put them on paper – you need to go through them. Think about each one and how it pertains to the job. If the skill has nothing to do with the position, you should not add it. Instead, add something in its place that has a bit more relevance.

For example, someone working in finance might prioritize number skills and time management skills. However, someone applying to be a teacher might focus on teaching-related soft skills, certifications, and related things. After you make sure the skills on your list relate to the job, you can move forward.

Consideration #2: Group Skills into Categories

When you’re questioning what skills to put on a resume, make groupings for them so you can think about them by category. This can help you ensure you only add skills that matter and don’t state something several times in the process. For example, you can group the skills in terms of soft skills vs. hard skills or categorize them by type of skill, such as communication skills, technical skills, etc.

Start by writing down the relevant skills you have, whether on paper or in Word or Google Docs. Then, organize them into categories so you have an idea of where all the skills fit. When you choose the final skills for the resume, select some from each category to show how versatile and capable you are.

Consideration #3: Pay Attention to the Job Listing

Another tip when it comes to creating an excellent skills section is to read through the job listing. Read it a few times and choose skills that are mentioned in the job description and/or relevant to what you would be doing if you were hired. Many skills will be stated explicitly in the ad, but sometimes you may need to look for hints about skills, too.

So look for comments about the duties and determine what skills are related to them. Then, search your list of professional skills to see what matches up. Both explicit and hidden skills are essential to show that you can handle the rigors of the position. It also shows that you can read between the lines and understand the position well.

Consideration #4: Speak with Industry Professionals

If you still aren’t sure which skills to put on a resume for a particular job, it may be worth speaking to a professional in the same field. Talk to someone who has or is working in a position similar to the one you are interested in. This person can likely tell you which skills are the most essential. See which you have and make sure to use them.

At the same time, even if you know a skill is valuable, you shouldn’t place it on a resume unless you are experienced with it. If you’re starting to learn the skill, you don’t have to add it simply because it’s on the job description or a professional mentions it. If you move on to an interview and the skill is brought up, you can explain where you are in the learning process and how you are improving your abilities.

How to List Skills on a Resume

The number of skills you choose to add to your resume will vary. If you have a considerable number, make sure you spread them out in places like the experience section and resume summary. (Check out these excellent resume summary examples to help with that!) The other specific skills should be listed in the resume skills section. But remember that you will have limited space to do so.

All of your skills should be relevant and will typically be listed through bullet points. You can also choose a type of skills list, such as additional skills, relevant skills, or additional skills as a heading. Below is a resume skills example that you can use to get an idea of how this section is typically designed and placed on the page.

15 Must-Have Resume Skills for Most Common Jobs

When it comes to examples of skills for a resume, a lot of it comes down to the type of job and industry the role is based in. For instance, you wouldn’t list the same skills on an engineer resume as you might for a marketing resume. However, in some cases, there are good skills to have on a resume for any job, which we’ll delve into later.

Below, you’ll find skills for resume examples based on common positions. You’ll learn more about good skills to have on a resume so you can make a list that you’re sure fits the position. Each of the examples below will highlight examples of skills for a resume and why those skills are vital.

Advertising and Marketing

If the resume is for a job posting in advertising and marketing, you must show that you can take a product and make it seem like the best thing in the world. Many skills are helpful in marketing, but a few are extra relevant. Of course, the actual position will dictate the right skills to include, whether graphic design, research, or something else.

Calendar Management Skills

Whether you do marketing on social media like LinkedIn or your skills lie somewhere else, advertising and marketing are time-sensitive positions. Knowing when things have to be done and making sure they are completed is crucial. You should be organized and capable of flipping between tasks as needed based on priority.

Data Analysis Skills

Data analysis is vital in several jobs, but none is more essential than marketing. A considerable part of a marketing job involves analyzing metrics and determining how to make changes based on that data. Having knowledge of data analysis is something employers want to see for this specific job. It’s a valuable skill to include.

SEO & SEM Skills

Depending on the type of job, you may be expected to have SEO skills, SEM skills, or both. SEO focuses on ensuring a site gets lots of organic traffic, while SEM looks at improving traffic through paid and organic means. If you already know how to add keywords and optimize a website for Google, make sure you include that to the skills section.

Technical & Engineering

If your job search involves the technical or engineering fields, you want to show that you can handle that work without a problem. In addition, you’ll want to show that you understand the technology used in the position, are capable of making good decisions, can troubleshoot, and have some writing skills to stand out.

Programming Languages Skills

Whether you only know HTML and CSS or you have a knowledge of JavaScript, Python, and more, you’ll want to highlight those competencies in your skills section. Showing a hiring manager what you can do and what tools you’re experienced with can be the difference between getting a job and not.

Troubleshooting & Decision Making Skills

Another of the required skills for a tech or engineering work environment is troubleshooting. This also leads to the ability to make decisions on your own using logic. In addition, the work experience in these jobs often involves making changes based on new information, so these types of skills make it clear you can excel in the position.

Adaptability Skills

One of the most crucial skills for tech and engineering is adaptability. In tech and engineering, you have to be capable of flexibility. Problem-solving and a dynamic nature play into this type of skill. Showing you can use different approaches to reach a goal is something that can make you stand out from other applicants.

Nursing & Healthcare

Having a work history that speaks to a great work ethic is essential for nurses or other healthcare providers. However, the right skills are also going to be essential, and you want to be sure you show those on your resume. Of course, medical skills are the most important, but other things can be more vital than you might expect.

Medical Skills

Everything from general nursing or medical skills to the ability to carry out wound dressing and work on patients with urgent needs is vital in healthcare. Whatever medical skills you’ve earned from education or work experience are something to focus on when you create a resume in this kind of position.

Technical Skills

Many healthcare providers will also expect nurses and other professionals to have technical skills. You may need to do record-keeping on a computer, look up information for patient education, and take down the medical history of a patient. Being capable with computers and healthcare software is a huge benefit.

Patient Care Skills

While this falls under general nursing skills, you do need to provide evidence that you can care for patients well. This could simply be through knowing how to take vital signs and perform phlebotomy, or it could mean you have experience with medication administration, use of scans, glucose checks, and more.

Retail, Customer Service, and Sales

Sales, retail, and customer service are all different jobs – but many of them make use of the same kinds of skills. All of these jobs involve working with customers, so anything related to that will be a boon for your resume. There are also other skills that might be less obvious that you should include on your resume.

Teamwork Skills

When you fill out a job application, a hiring manager wants to know you can work well with others. Many retail, sales, and customer service jobs involve working with others on a team, even if it’s only part of the time. Showing that you can collaborate and work with others is a soft skill that is worth noting on a resume.

People Skills

As you might guess, an immense skill set not to ignore is people skills. You should highlight any customer service skills you have for this sort of position. Focusing on interpersonal skills is an excellent way to ensure you show you’re qualified for one of these positions. Try to weave these abilities throughout the entire resume.

Sales Skills

In a sales job, clearly, skills related to getting people to buy things are essential. However, these skills can also be helpful for retail or customer support positions. There will be chances to get sales in these positions in many cases, and a manager who knows you have experience in that may be more likely to contact you.

Administrative & Office Jobs

The final common positions that we want to go over are office and administrative jobs. You need to have the skills employers want to get the best positions with top pay and excellent benefits. Offices may all be slightly different, but most jobs in them will be working with the same things. Make sure you note those on your resume.

Microsoft Office Skills

Microsoft Office skills, such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, are often needed in administrative positions. However, placing these abilities on your resume can also show that you have general computer skills and won’t need that kind of training. An alternative is listing similar skills, like knowledge of Google Docs, Sheets, and other items.

Project Management Skills

Depending on the office job you choose, some relevant skills will be used more or less than others. For example, a large number of those in administrative positions will be in the place of needing to handle project management, whether that’s heading up a company’s party planning or doing something in a specific department.

Time Management Skills

One of the skills that fit office jobs and many others is time management skills. When you have a variety of projects to get done with different timelines and deadlines, you need to have a method of organizing things so they are completed. Therefore, listing time management skills shows you could be an asset to the job.

Looking for Other Good Skills to Put on a Resume in 2023? Consult the Full List of Skills for Resumes

Now that you’ve seen our resume skills list for specific jobs, we want to look at transferable skills. These are the top skills that managers want to see on a resume of any kind. This section of our guide will focus on the major categories of skills and which skills are the most desirable by employers. We’ll delve into special skills for a resume that you might not think of yourself.

Communication Skills

• Foreign languages (Spanish, French, German, etc.)
• Public speaking
• Interpersonal communication
• Verbal communication
• Written communication
• Active listening
• Constructive criticism
• Nonverbal communication
• Presentations
• Corporate communication

Active Listening Skills

• Asking questions
• Note-taking
• Punctuality
• Organization

Interpersonal Skills

• Communication
• Flexibility

Time Management & Organizational Skills

• Task delegation
• Prioritization
• Goal setting
• Dependability

Computer Skills

• Email management
• Word processing
• Spreadsheets
• Coding language knowledge
• Systems administration

Leadership Skills

• Team leadership
• Time management
• Ability to mentor and teach
• Team building
• Risk-tasking
• Decision-making
• Stress management
• Conflict resolution
• Problem-solving

Customer Service Skills

• Reliability
• Interpersonal skills

Problem-Solving Skills

• Critical thinking
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration
• Analytical skills

Management Skills

• Team communication
• Project planning

Transferable Skills

Final points about the best skills to add to resume.

Creating the best resume possible takes work, whether you work with a resume template, a resume builder, or build it on your own in word processing software. Learning  how to make a resume is a good start before looking at templates, choosing a resume format , adding skills, and writing up a cover letter.

When it comes to the skills you should add, this article provides you with some great information to ensure your resume looks fantastic. After that, you can finish the resume and send it to an employer, knowing you did the best you could. Good luck out there!

FAQs Related to the Skills Section of a Resume

What skills should you not put on a resume.

The skills you should avoid adding to a resume are those that don’t pertain to the job description. If the skill isn’t valuable, avoid adding it. Try to list only skills that you are the most experienced with. It’s also intelligent to have soft and hard skills on your resume.

What are individual skills?

Individual skills are often referred to as soft skills or personal skills. These skills cannot be taught or require a considerable investment to see any change. This includes things like core values or social skills. Examples include analytical skills, dependability, problem-solving, motivation, and adaptability.

What are employability skills for students?

For students going into a first job, there are essential core skills. Some of these include communication, conflict resolution, resume writing, accepting criticism, and interviewing skills. Other valuable skills include working with a team, proper use of electronics in the workplace, and workplace etiquette.

Related articles

Hair stylist resume sample, job description & writing guide for 2024.

You’ve been following hair trends for as long as you can remember and were styling hair for...

Cosmetology Resume Sample, Template, Writing Guide & Skills for 2024

As a cosmetologist, you want to make others look their best. Nothing makes you happier than a...

Coaching Resume Sample, Template & Writing Guide for 2024

The passionate and motivational teachers who coach sports help develop the next generation of...

More than 112.872 users have already made their resume

With CV maker, you can quickly and easily create a distinctive and professional resume within 15 minutes.

Protect your data

This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.

• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Make a Resume:...

How to Make a Resume: Beginner's Writing Guide with Examples

30 min read · Updated on May 22, 2024

Your dream job is one resume away!

Your resume is arguably the most important financial document you'll ever own. And before you think, “Yeah – right” let's consider for a moment. Without a resume, you don't get the job, so you can't pay bills, support a family, go to the big game, have that weekend trip, or plan for retirement. Your resume is the doorway to your future, so let's make sure it's perfect.

Part of making it perfect is remembering that it's a targeted career marketing document – not a chronicle of your life. So, how do you write a resume? In this beginner's writing guide, we'll show you how to make a resume and provide examples of what each section should look like. 

Grab a cup of coffee and strap in, because you're about to learn everything you need to know about how to make a new resume!

Table of contents:

The purpose of a resume

Avoid rejection by the ATS

What is your career target?

Build your personal brand, what should your resume look like, how to make a resume – the layout.

How long does it take to put together a resume?

A major resume no-no: typos

How to make your resume more professional

Theory in practice – resume examples

The most basic purpose of a resume is to sell your skills , achievements , and qualifications to prospective employers. This one document can financially make or break you. Let's take a quick look at what being unemployed costs you per day (assuming a five-day workweek):

If you make $40,000 per year, you lose about $155 every day that you're out of work

If you make $50,000 per year, you lose about $190 every day that you're out of work

If you make $75,000 per year, you lose about $288 every day that you're out of work

If you make $100,000 per year, you lose about $385 every day that you're out of work

Clearly, finding out how to make a resume for a job is critical so that you can properly sell your skills, qualifications, experiences, and achievements to prospective employers. 

The job market is tough and highly competitive; you have to stand out in a sea of qualified candidates by creating a compelling narrative that tells a story of value, keeping in mind that your resume is supposed to do a few things for you:

Introduce you to a new company

Underscore how your experiences and education are relevant

Showcase how your skills and competencies will benefit the new company's team

Win interviews

Avoid rejection by the ATS 

What do you know about applicant tracking systems? Job seeking can be compared to throwing your resume into a black hole. You can go through 100 listings on any job search website and complete the online application with zero results. 

Ever had that happen? It's okay, it happens to everyone at some point or another! 

The problem is that you're probably not putting the correct keywords into your resume. When you hit “Submit” on an online application, it isn't magically emailed to the hiring manager. 

Oh, no! 

It goes through a computer system that scans your resume for specific keywords that can be found in the job description posted by the company. And, just so you know, approximately 90% of companies use ATS scans , including everything from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies. 

The companies use these programs because they just don't have time for a human to go through all the resumes they receive. Depending on the job opening, a company can get between  250 and 500 applicants . Can you imagine being the person who has to sift through all those resumes? 

Here is where the ATS steps in. It's designed to weed through candidates to narrow the applicant pool, so that the human hiring manager has a more reasonable resume load to go through. It ranks the remaining candidates in order based on how much of a match they are for the position that's open. 

Being overlooked by the ATS is one of the number one reasons job seekers get ghosted by companies.

Once your resume makes it through the ATS and gets into the hands of a hiring manager, don't think they're going to sit down and read each one. Who has that kind of time? You should expect that the first round of resume sorting will consist of them flipping through the stack to pick the ones that stand out within about 6 seconds of glancing at them. 

PRO TIP: Put your resume on a table, stand up, and look at it from a little distance. Is it eye-catching? Can you tell the position you're seeking just by glancing at it? Set a timer if you have to, but no more than 10 seconds.

Speaking of eye-catching, don't make the same mistake as a lot of your rival job seekers by being too generic with your resume. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that being non-specific will open doors to more opportunities. The problem is that the hiring manager won't be able to tell exactly where you'll fit within their organization. 

The first step in winning an interview is being sure that your resume actually makes it into the hands of a human being at the company you apply to. Start by defining what you want to do.

So the first, and most important, step in crafting the perfect resume is to narrow down your target career path. The more specific you are with this first step, the more response you'll receive from hiring managers because they'll be able to tell exactly how you fit within their organization. There are four areas to focus on as you begin to chart your career path:

Industry: Do you want to work in private sector, nonprofit, government, or public roles?

Geography: This one is more in-depth than choosing rural vs urban. It also includes whether you want to work in a dynamic or static environment.

Company size: You may not think it, but having an idea about whether you want to work in a small company or one with thousands of employees is important. 

Role: Saving the best for last, you have to know what position you want.

On the surface, it may seem like these things are only important for the job search aspect of landing a new position, but you have to know what voice to write your resume in, too. Part of that is knowing your audience. When you understand your audience, you can build a personal brand that resonates with what they're looking for in a new staff member.

Now that you've gotten your target career path nailed down, the next step is to brand you. Think of yourself as a product and your resume is the packaging. Companies spend a lot of time on their branding and packaging - you have to do the same thing.

The best place to start is with a  career assessment . Taking one of these tests can help you to identify your strengths, what sets you apart from others, and key themes of your professional identity. Just like Nike and Coca-Cola have timeless taglines and catchphrases that succinctly define what they have to offer to consumers, your personal brand has to tell a concise, yet compelling, story. This is where your resume comes in.

Your resume isn't just a piece of paper you give to a hiring manager or upload to a website that says, “I'm interested in this job.” Your resume is a personal marketing tool. You shape that tool with words that describe your experiences and achievements, to impress and grab the attention of the hiring manager. 

Unlike Nike's “Just Do It” phrase, your personal brand isn't something you build and forget. It is fluid and should be revisited and refined as you gain new skills, experiences, and achievements. Weave the elements of your brand into every section of your resume.

There is a common misconception that entry-level resumes look different than executive resumes. The reality is that the only difference is how much content is available to write about. 

Obviously, someone who has little to no experience will have a  short resume  – generally one page. 

When you start to get up to 10 years of experience, then you've earned the second page, so go ahead and use it. 

It's not incremental though

Just because you have 20 years of experience doesn't mean you can have a three-page resume. As you work through how to make a resume, remember that a three-page resume should be avoided, unless you have a lot of career extras like publications, research, patents, publications, or public speaking engagements to talk about. 

Other than the number of pages, your resume should use the same format and layout no matter if you're applying to a job as someone fresh out of college or seeking to be the CEO of a company. 

Chronological resume 

The  reverse-chronological  is the most popular, traditional, and well-known resume format. Its focus is placed on achievements from your career history and is defined by listing your work history starting with your current or most recent job and working backward 10-15 years. 

Employers like this type of resume because it tells them what, when, and where you worked. It's best to use this if your work history is steady and shows growth and development. If you're looking to make a career change, have had frequent job changes, or if you're seeking your first job, this may not be the best format to use.

Pro Tip: You could also get lost in the ATS if your  resume is over-designed . Many resume writers will tell you that you need to stand out in the sea of sameness by adding some personality to your resume through design. While that's true, you need to avoid heavily formatted resumes which are often rejected by computer scanners as being illegible.

Functional resume 

This resume type focuses more on skills and experiences rather than on your work history. It's more of a “what you know and how you apply that knowledge” than a simple list of where you got the knowledge. It plays down gaps in work history and makes frequent job changes less noticeable. If it isn't done properly, though, it can be confusing for the hiring manager to read and understand. There's also a bit of a stigma behind it, because employers know that job seekers use this style to downplay job-hopping. So, the first thing they do when they get a functional resume is check employment dates. If you can avoid using this style, it's best to do so.

Combination resume 

There is another resume format that focuses on skills first and then experience last. It's the combination resume, which is sometimes called a hybrid resume. This is the most complex resume type and the best resume for mid-career professionals who are transitioning into another career or for people who have special skills and a strong track record of accomplishments. These types of resumes do take a long time to read and some hiring managers won't take the time unless they're looking to fill a hard-to-fill position.

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin and means “course of life.” It's a little different from a resume, but some positions require a CV over a resume. The first thing you would notice is that a CV is significantly longer than a resume.  A resume is a self-branding document meant to portray your experience and achievements in a concise and easy-to-read format. A CV goes much further into the depth of your education and accomplishments (think publications, awards, and honors) and even has a section for you to include "Areas of Interest."

The best way to describe a CV is that it's a career biography. The biggest significant difference is that a CV is arranged chronologically in a way that gives a complete overview of your full working career. It also doesn't change based on the career or position for which you're applying.

Layout 

To make things easier for the hiring manager to digest the content of your resume, it should be laid out in a specific way to ensure that the right information is in the right place. 

Hiring managers don't  READ  resumes. They skim through until they find something that piques their interest and then they stop to read

Contact information

Title 

Professional summary , core competencies, experience , education and credentials , awards, certificates, and volunteer work .

Since the reverse-chronological resume is the one that the majority of people will use to apply for jobs, and because it's the format that hiring managers want to see, we'll focus this article on showing you how to make a resume using that style. 

Current contact information 

Location | Phone | Email | LinkedIn | Portfolio (if applicable)

You can be creative and use bold font in your  contact information  and even put a border under it to separate it from the body of your resume. 

• Name: Be sure to list your name the same across all professional documents (e.g., resume, cover letter, thank you note, LinkedIn profile). Don't get hung up with whether to use your legal name (i.e. the name on your birth certificate or driver's license). Write your name in the manner you want people to address you. Also, if you use any abbreviated credentials after your name (e.g. Jane Smith, MD), remember to include them on all professional documents.  You can also include any shortened versions of your name in quotations (e.g. Christopher "Chris" Smith). Just make sure to list it the same way everywhere you put your name.
• Address: It is no longer customary to include your full address on your resume. There have been instances of discrimination against job seekers based on their address. As far as your address is concerned, all you need is the City, State, and Zip Code. A lot of people leave off the Zip Code; however, hiring managers can query the ATS for all resumes within a radius of a Zip Code. If you exclude the Zip Code or put something like, "Greater New York Metro Area," your resume won't be included in the query.
• Phone and email: Put the telephone number and email address where you can easily be reached. Also, be sure that your email address is professional. Using something like [email protected] just won't cut it. The best idea is to use some form of your name. If you're paranoid about having your name in your email address, then you can use some form of the type of position you seek, like [email protected].
• LinkedIn URL: You don't have to spell out the entire URL on the contact line. You can put the words “LinkedIn URL” and hyperlink those words. Before you include your LinkedIn URL, be sure that your LinkedIn profile is optimized for the career you want - because you can bet if they have access to it, the hiring manager will look at it. 
• Portfolio: If you're applying for a position like Graphic Designer or Software Designer, you may have a portfolio of work that you want to make available to someone reviewing your application for employment. Include a hyperlink to the portfolio in your contact information. 
• Headshot / photo: There is no reason to include a  headshot on your resume . Actually, it's seen as taboo and could be the thing that gets your resume rejected, because the hiring manager might assume you think you can get the job based on your looks. However, there are some exceptions, like if you're applying to be a model or actor. 

Do you want a hiring manager to be able to tell immediately what type of candidate you are? Put a title at the top of your resume. Center the text on the line, put it in bold font, and put a blank space above and below. The white space and the small amount of words will help it to jump off the page and immediately be noticed. It will also be the first step in helping you stand out in the sea of sameness.

Also, be sure the title on your resume mirrors the title on the job description that you're applying to, but add a bit of panache to it so that it's not too boring. For example, instead of writing “Financial Services Associate,” write “Client-Centric Financial Services Associate Dedicated to Customer Engagement and Revenue Growth.” Just remember to keep it on one line. 

The very next thing on the page should always be your Professional Summary. But how do you write a summary for a resume?

It's a three to five-sentence statement about you. Where you've been in your career, where you're going, and how you'll use your experience to get there. 

While the professional summary is sometimes referred to as the resume objective , you must remember that the days of writing a  resume objective are dead . Never, ever include an objective on your resume. They are a waste of space and don't relay any information that markets you as the best candidate for an open position. 

Let's take a look at an example of each:

Sales Representative seeking a challenging position that will use my skills and provide opportunities for growth in a dynamic and rewarding company. 

As you can see, the objective is very inward-facing and only talks about what you want out of your career. It provides no value to the hiring manager and eliminates any possibility for them to be able to tell what you bring to the table for them. 

Professional Summary:

Ambitious sales professional offering 10+ years' experience in customer retention and aggressive revenue growth. Conquers goals and quotas through a keen awareness of the human buying motive that allows for quickly overcoming objections. Used historical data and consumer trends to reach new customers and grow territory by 24%. Innate ability to work independently or as a member of a cross-functional team.

The best use of resume space is to write a summary of your career. The effectiveness of this summary comes from the fusing of three things:

Relevant keywords – customer retention, revenue growth, and quotas 

Hard and soft skills – overcoming objections and working independently

An achievement – 24% territory growth

With this professional summary, the hiring manager will be able to tell in an instant what you have to offer their team. 

Even though the skills section of your resume is small, it packs a powerful punch! The skills you list in this section highlight your key abilities and show potential employers what you bring to the table. 

It should contain approximately 12 ATS-friendly keywords and phrases that align with the keywords in the job description. Meaning, this is a fluid section that will need to be  tailored to every job  that you apply to. Technically speaking, your entire resume should be customized to align with each job description. That's one thing that will help you get past the ATS. 

Be sure to include a good mix of  hard and soft skills  because prospective employers not only want to know that you can perform the tasks related to your job (hard skills), but they also want to gain a clear understanding of how you'll fit within the culture of the company (soft skills). 

Tips for building your Core Competencies section:

Include skills that are relevant to the job that you're applying to

Avoid creating a laundry list of everything you know how to do – be selective so that the section is more impactful

Group similar competencies together using categories – technical skills, soft skills, and languages

Prioritize your top skills based on their relevance to the job you want

Update frequently

Be consistent with the formatting

Here is a sample Core Competencies list that contains both hard and soft skills:

Core Competencies

Project Management | Data Analysis | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Digital Marketing Strategy | Python Programming | Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | Negotiation | Team Leadership | Business Development | Financial Modeling | Articulate Communication

This section is meant to show how your career history lends itself to the skills you have that make you the perfect candidate for a given job. There are some general rules of thumb on how to make a resume with a great professional experience section:

Don't go further back than 10 to 15 years

Use no more than 3 to 5 bullets per work listing

Incorporate at least 5 measurable achievements per 10 years of experience (the more the better)

Use stacking for companies where you held more than one role

10-15 Years

The 10-15 years of experience is the most relevant – you can list more than that, but avoid using bullet points for roles over 10 years old. Begin by listing your most recent position first and work your way backward to your oldest position, within that 10-15-year range. If you have 30 years of experience, you can use achievements or skills you learned during that time as talking points during the interview. Listing those older experiences on your resume will only dilute the content.

As you write out your bullet points, keep two words in mind: “so what?” The hiring manager is going to be thinking it, you might as well be thinking it, too. Every time you write something on your resume, think, “So what? Why am I writing this? What value will it bring to my new employer? Will this be THE THING that lands me an interview?"

Achievements

Remove “Responsible for…” from your resume-writing vocabulary. That's because it's crucial that you talk about what you achieved, instead of just what your responsibilities were. Let's face it, there are a lot of things that people are “responsible for” that never get done. So, be sure to talk about things you actually accomplished, as that will be the proof the hiring manager needs to take the next step and call you for an interview.

1. Use numbers whenever possible

The best way to call attention to your career accomplishments is to use numbers. Numbers add credibility to your claims and provide a clear picture of what you bring to the table. 

Don't write this:

• Conducted cold calls to expand client base

Write this instead:

• Increased sales by 15% by making approximately 20 cold calls per day to expand the client base

The latter makes an unmistakable assertion that you had a positive impact, not only in your role but on the company as a whole. You can take it a step further and talk about things like problem-solving skills and how you addressed challenges to lead to team success. These types of  soft skills are highly valued by employers  and could be the thing that lands you an interview.

PRO TIP: Use the  CAR method  for building achievement statements into your resume.

2. Use action words to convey accomplishment

A lot of people make the mistake of copying bullet points from the job descriptions of the roles they've held. This practice makes you sound detached from achievements and focuses more on responsibilities. Using passive language is too generic and doesn't allow a hiring manager to see what you'll be able to accomplish in the new role. 

It's better to use action language to show that you're an achiever rather than a doer. Here are some examples of action words you can use on your resume: 

Worked with others: Advised, Aided, Assisted, Chaired, Coached, Collaborated with, Consulted with, Helped, Instructed, Interacted with, Mentored, Motivated, Supported

Communicated: Addressed, Advertised, Answered, Briefed, Corresponded with, Debated, Explained, Facilitated, Informed, Interpreted, Interviewed, Persuaded, Responded to

Analyzed data: Assessed, Appraised, Audited, Calculated, Computed, Estimated, Evaluated, Forecast, Inspected, Measured, Researched, Surveyed, Tested

Operated equipment: Installed, Maintained, Programmed, Ran, Serviced, Used

Worked with money or contracts: Administered, Appropriated, Authorized, Balanced, Controlled, Directed, Enforced, Financed, Funded, Governed, Invested, Monitored, Oversaw, Purchased

Organized something: Arranged, Assembled, Catalogued, Compiled, Coordinated, Itemized, Routed, Scheduled, Stocked, Tracked

Created: Composed, Customized, Designed, Directed, Established, Founded, Illustrated, Originated, Shaped

Researched: Analyzed, Collected, Criticized, Detected, Diagnosed, Evaluated, Tested

How to make your professional experience section: The formula

There's a formula for writing your professional experience section in a way that focuses on achievements. You'll start by asking yourself these questions about every job you've had:

What was the name of the company?

What was the title of your role?

What dates were you employed? (*Hint: use the MM/YYYY format for your dates)

What did you do every day? (*Example: Leveraged management skills to direct operations of 5 separate but concurrent projects by delegating tasks to staff based on employee acumen and monitoring / controlling budgets)

What is one thing you did at the company that you're really proud of?

What is another thing you're really proud of?

What is one more thing you did that you're really proud of?

When you put all of that together, it should look like this:

Company Name | MM/YYYY to Present

Position Title

Balanced competing priorities on multiple and concurrent projects and program management initiatives using data-driven strategies in Agile environments. Managed key accounts, onboarded new accounts, and oversaw organizational process adoption for nursing facilities, emergency departments, and pharmacies.

Developed $2M Provider Incentive Program that increased community provider partnerships

Saved $800K by using Six Sigma skills to implement DMAIC approach

Coached and mentored 2 direct reports, creating an open environment of communication that facilitated future-facing decision-making

Many people will create separate sections for education history and certifications. That's not necessary. You can include all of it in one section. You can also include extras like  relevant coursework , projects, and achievements. These extras can be truly beneficial for your application if you have little to no work experience. 

There are some general rules of thumb for the education section: 

Spell out acronyms (BS, MS, PhD) and school abbreviations

It is no longer customary to include graduation dates unless you're still in school or graduated within the last year

Never include high school, unless you're still in high school - listing high school doesn't say “ I finished high school, ” it says, “ I didn't go to college .” 

List your degree first and then your school, unless you've obtained multiple degrees at the same institution. 

Here's what a regular education section looks like:

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

Master of Business Administration (MBA) | ABC University

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) | XYZ University

Six Sigma Black Belt | Council for Six Sigma Certification

If you don't have a lot of experience and need to include some relevant coursework or major projects to inject relevant keywords into your resume, then this is what that would look like:

Relevant coursework:  Marketing, Operations Management, Accounting, Corporate Finance

Capstone project:  Let a team of 4 to execute a market analysis project to expand the Brooms and Handles company into new regions. Used market and consumer analysis data to identify gaps and achieve a 15% projected revenue increase and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction within the pilot program. 

You can include educational information about a degree program even if it's still in progress. Here's what that would look like:

Expected completion:  05/2024

Capstone project:  Let a team of 4 to execute a market analysis project to expand the Brooms and Handles company into new regions. Used market and consumer analysis data to identify gaps and achieve a 15% projected revenue increase and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction within the pilot program.

It is important to list what you do outside of work and school. It helps to demonstrate that you're a well-rounded person. 

Were you the president of a fraternity or sorority? 

Did you get involved with showing new students around campus? 

Have you headed a sales team that produced top awards? 

Were you an employee of the month? 

Do you speak multiple languages?

Did you volunteer for an organization?

Did you perform some major research that ended up being published?

All of these extras allow prospective employers a sneak peek into your life outside of work. They can also go a long way to breaking the ice during an interview, especially if something you do outside work is important or interesting to the hiring manager. 

Keep in mind to list only those volunteer positions, projects, or affiliations that are related to your career goals. 

How long does it take to make a resume?

If you're going to use the resume wizard that MS Word has, you can slap your information together in a day or two. It will get to employers. The bad thing is that it probably won't get a whole lot of attention. 

The "just right resume" can take weeks, because of how much background work goes into it. You'll write it, rewrite it, and write it again, and may even have multiple versions. Ultimately, the exact amount of time that goes into putting your resume together depends on your level of experience, how complex your history is, and the specificity of the job you're applying to. 

Entry-level resumes take the least amount of time, simply because there's less information to include

Mid-level resumes take a few days because of the amount of detail in your work history

Executive resumes, or those for specialized positions, can take weeks - especially if you have to do some digging to come up with accomplishments from your previous positions

Updating an existing resume that's well-maintained can be done in just a few hours

While the time spent can seem like a lot, if you're truly marketing yourself for that “just right” position, do you want your resume to say “This was thrown together in a couple of hours using a template” OR do you want it to say “I know this document is important and a significant amount of time was spent on it to make it perfect?”

The first and foremost thing that will get your resume tossed in the garbage can are typos. The number of resumes with errors that are turned in every day to employers across the globe is so astounding that it bears discussing. 

You must proofread your resume!

The major problem with typos and grammatical boo-boos is that your eyes will read what you intended to type. So, after you've read through your resume a few times and think it's perfect, get a friend to read it. Make sure the friend is one of those brutally honest types. It's better to get it back marked all over with bright red ink so you can fix it before you send it out, than to send it out and then realize there's a mistake in it.

How to make your resume seem more professional

Lazy words: Do you see words like "etc" or “other duties as required” on your resume? Delete them immediately. If you take shortcuts in the language of your resume, hiring managers will wonder if you'll be taking shortcuts at work. 

Cookie cutter resumes: Your resume has to stand out. Because of that, you should avoid throwing something together that you find a sample of online. Make it yours, make it represent you. Many people rely on the resume wizard that comes loaded with MS Word and, while that is a good tool to use to help you remember the sections to include, it shouldn't be the end-all-and-be-all of your resume design. 

Specificity: You've had three jobs in the last 10 years and you've listed every detail of everything you've done during your tenure at those jobs. That makes you a Jack (or Jackie) of all trades, but a master of nothing. You have to be specific to the job for which you're applying. What value do you bring to that employer for that job? What achievements can you highlight?

Tailoring: Considering the rampant use of ATS by companies big and small, you have to take the time to customize your resume so that it gets past those scanners. Remember to use relevant keywords from the job descriptions throughout your resume. 

PRO TIP: You can check to see how to make your resume better! Have it checked against an ATS and get a free, personalized, and  professional resume review . 

Theory in practice – 10 resume examples

It's one thing to have someone tell you how to make a resume, it's another thing to see an example – proof that all of this information can come together in a practical way that makes sense. 

1. Software Engineer resume example

Click here for an example of a Software Engineer resume.

2. Data Scientist resume example

Click here for an example of a Data Scientist resume.

3. Cybersecurity resume example

Click here for an example of a cybersecurity resume.

4. Digital Marketing Manager resume example

Click here for an example of a Digital Marketing Manager resume.

5. Nurse Practitioner resume example

Click here for an example of a Nurse Practitioner resume. 

6. Finance Director resume example

Click here for an example of a Finance Director resume. 

7. Attorney resume example

Click here for an example of a Attorney resume.

8. Administrative Office Assistant resume example

Click here for an example of an Administrative Office Assistant resume. 

9. Information Technology Expert resume example

Click here for an example of an Information Technology Expert resume. 

10. Chief Executive Officer resume example

Click here for an example of a CEO resume. 

Now you know how to make a resume for your next job!

It may seem like it takes a lot of work to make a good resume, but if you've followed along this far there are a few things that should be ingrained in you that will help you write a professional resume:

Know what you want to do – be specific

Make your resume with the right format 

Use a standard layout, whether you are writing your first resume or 50th

Use action words to make your resume stand out

Quantify your achievements to prove that you have what it takes to succeed in a new role

Tailor your new resume to each job

Double and triple-check for errors, typos, and grammar mistakes

If you're still unsure how to make a perfect resume, TopResume has you covered. Our team of  professional resume writers  has the know-how and experience to write a resume for you that will win interviews.

Recommended reading: 

Resume Tricks That Don't Work

What Does Your Resume Really Say About You?

Bad Resume Advice You Should Completely Ignore

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

Career Advice Newsletter

Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.

Thanks! Career advice is on its way.

Share this article:

Let's stay in touch.

Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.

Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.