Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (2024)

“Which skills should I add to my resume? What are the most important skills for resume?”

If you have tried to write just one resume in your life, you will have asked yourself these questions. And with good reason.

Your skills are important. And how you apply your skills to your resume is important. So important in fact that most recruiters, and Applicant Tracking Systems, will be on the lookout for the exactly right skills.

Thus, having a skills section in your resume is a must nowadays. And it is very important to treat this section with great care and an eye for detail. But don’t worry, we will be there to help you along the way.

This guide will cover the following questions regarding skills for resume:

  • Hard skills and soft skills for resume - what is the difference?
  • How do I choose which skills to add to my resume?
  • How do I list my skills on my resume?

Without any further ado, let’s get started.

Hard and soft skills - what is the difference?

When it comes to skills for a resume there are several types to choose from. The two types we will focus on in this article are the hard skills and the soft skills.

Below are the definitions for each of these.

Hard skills

Let’s start with the hard skills.

They are called hard skills because they are both hard to come by and they are also (often) measurable. These are the skills that you acquire in a classroom or during training courses. In other words, they are teachable.

Another aspect of the hard skills is that they are rarely transferable to other job categories.

For example, let’s say you are a software developer. During your education towards becoming a skilled software developer you will have learned a specific set of skills. These skills will not be transferable if you want to change your professional direction towards, let’s say, truck driver. Being a truck driver demands a whole different set of hard skills than a software developer. This is what non-transferable skills means.

Examples of hard skills:

Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (1)

Soft skills

Soft skills, on the other hand, are not (usually) taught. Think of them as a combination between your interpersonal skills, social and emotional intelligence, your personal character traits, and social skills.

It is your soft skills that allow you to navigate in your environment, both professionally and privately. They are the skills that enable you to collaborate successfully with your colleagues.

Soft skills cannot be taught in a classroom (you are either born with them or you don’t possess them). They are highly transferable and can determine if you are suited for a position or not.

For instance, can you learn how to be more patient? No, you are either a patient person or you are not. And there is no right or wrong here. Being patient is a great soft skill if you are a kindergarten teacher. But if you are managing a team with a very strict deadline too much patience might not be desirable.

As you can tell, the soft skills are a bit fussier than the hard skills. They are no less important though since they are an integral part of who you are and how you interact with your potential colleagues. So they are important to know.

Examples of soft skills:

Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (2)

How do I choose which skills to add to my resume?

Choosing the right skills to add to your resume is crucial to get past both screening bots (ATS) and the recruiter’s famous 6 seconds scan. But how do you choose the right skills for your resume?

Well, first of all you need to create a master list of all your skills.

The good news is, you will only need to do this once. Then you can pick and choose from it for each resume that you make.

After that it’s all a matter of matching your skills, both soft and hard, to the job ad. Go through the job ad very carefully and highlight all the skills that are required. This process is very similar to adding power words to your resume.

Now, note down all the skills you’ve highlighted from the job ad and see, with which of your own skills there is an overlap.

You might have to change the wording of your skills to match the ones the job ad mentions exactly (this is very important due to the ATS bots scanning your resume). For example, if one of your hard skills is graphic design but the job ad says web design, you should go ahead and write web design instead. Because this is what the ATS will be scanning for.

How do I list my skills on my resume?

Okay, so now that we’ve covered the basics and uncovered your skill sets, it’s time to get hands on. How (and where) should you list your skills on your resume? Well, there are a few ways to list your skills, depending on where you are in your career.

In the following I will show how you list your skills in different ways depending on your needs.

Skills for resume with extensive experience

If you have extensive professional experience you will want to put the most emphasis here, not on your skills. Your skills will then support your work experience. List your skills either at the bottom of your resume or in a column on the right side of your resume.

See examples below.

Skills at the bottom

Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (3)

Skills on right side column

Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (4)

Skills for resume without extensive experience

If you are fresh out of school, you will need to go about it a little differently. In this case it’s a good idea to put a lot of emphasis on your skills, since you probably do not have extensive professional experience yet.

You do this by creating either a functional resume or a hybrid (combination) resume (our recommendation goes to the latter).

When adding your skills for a functional or a hybrid resume, you will have to create a skills summary section. Here, you type in your skills and don’t forget to describe how these skills transfer to the job you’re applying for.

Here is an example of a functional resume with a skills summary. Note, that it is listed as the first section after the profile.

Resume with skills summary section

Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (5)

Skills for different careers

When you add your skills to your resume the general rule is, the more specific you are the better. That’s why we’ve collected some of the most common skills for different careers below.

However, it can be a good start to look at some of the more general skills that you can use across careers.

We’ve listed some of the most in-demand skills that employers are looking for right now. You will find that they are a mix of both soft skills and hard skills.

Top general skills for your resume

  • Data analysis
  • Problem solving
  • Collaborative
  • Detail oriented
  • Adaptable
  • Creative
  • Written communication
  • Public speaking
  • Critical thinking
  • Bi-lingual
  • Multi-tasking
  • Organized
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Time management
  • Accountable
  • Leadership
  • Results oriented
  • Project management
  • Budgeting
  • Compassionate/ empathetic

Teacher skills

Being a teacher no doubt demands that you possess a certain skill set. Not least within your subject. But there are also some general skills that you will need in order to be a successful and effective teacher:

  • Lesson planning
  • Instructional skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Classroom management
  • Effective discipline
  • SMART board interactive displays
  • Standardized testing
  • Software (e.g., Haiku Learning, Edmodo)
  • Subject knowledge (depending on the field of expertise)
  • Knowledge of curriculum and state standards
  • Sense of humor
  • Rapport with students
  • Creativity
  • Teamwork skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Decision making
  • Leadership
  • Problem solving
  • Time management

Marketing manager skills

As a marketing manager you will need to know a lot about what drives customers to buy your product. For that you will need a wide range of skills.

Here are the skills that will work wonders on your resume:

  • 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

Front End Developer skills

A front end developer is the person who implements web designs through coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They are some of the most in-demand roles out there. We’ve listed some of the most essential skills for a front end developer here:

  • HTML/CSS
  • JavaScript/jQuery
  • Frameworks
  • Responsive design
  • Version control/Git
  • Testing/debugging
  • Browser developer tools
  • Web performance
  • CSS preprocessing
  • Command line

Electrician skills

An electrician’s skills consist of a wide range of both hard and soft skills. In the following are some of the most common skills mentioned for electricians.

  • Calibrating level, pressure, temperature, and flow measuring systems
  • Commercial experience
  • Construction experience
  • Conducting 3-phase motor replacement
  • Conducting systems tests
  • Accuracy
  • Analytical skills
  • Analyze blueprints
  • Applying knowledge of programmable logic controls
  • Carefully evaluating risks
  • Dependability
  • Good communication skills
  • Independent problem solving
  • Time management
  • Attention to detail
  • Mechanical aptitude
  • Business skills
  • Customer service skills

Secretary skills

A secretary is an essential part of any company. Without someone to keep track of administration and meetings a company would fall apart. Here are some of a secretary’s most important skills.

  • Executive and administrative support
  • Meeting and event planning
  • Office management
  • Training and supervision
  • Customer relations and communications
  • Records management
  • Bookkeeping
  • Multi-tasking
  • MS Office (Word, Excel)

Cashier skills

The ability to manage time and provide great customer care is a core function of a cashier. Other top skills include:

  • Cash register use
  • Point of sale systems (POS)
  • Merchant processing
  • Scanner use
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Bookkeeping software
  • Creating receipts
  • Credit cards
  • Exchanging purchases
  • Inventory software systems
  • Product knowledge
  • Sales
  • Customer service
  • Accepting payments
  • Integrity
  • Basic math
  • Attention to detail
  • Accuracy
  • Bagging calculations
  • Cash management

Nursing skills

As a nurse you are often the link between the doctor and the patient. This requires a very special skill set besides your hard skills as a nurse. Below are some of the most sought-after skills a nurse can possess.

  • Nursing supervision
  • Care plan consulting
  • Quality assurance
  • Patient advocacy
  • RN training and mentorship
  • Clinical data analysis
  • Change management
  • Best practise development
  • Excellent communication skills

Sales associate skills

A sales associate needs to be able to navigate in the interaction between them and many different customers. This requires both interpersonal and hard skills. Some top skills for a sales associate are:

  • Communication and interpersonal skills when interfacing with customers
  • CRM or POS software
  • Customer-centric mindset
  • Deep knowledge in product or inventory
  • Creative problem solving and decision making
  • Empathic attitude
  • Ability to adapt and prioritize across multiple tasks
  • Ability to handle unexpected situations
  • Active listening and trust-building
  • Basic math and money handling
  • Time management
  • Ability to learn quickly and accept feedback
  • Retail sales experience
  • Personal autonomy
  • Persuasiveness

Truck driver skills

Great and reliant truck drivers will always be in high demand. Check out some of a truck driver’s top skills below.

  • Time management
  • Clear communication (written and verbal)
  • Problem solving
  • Customer service
  • Flexible
  • Good navigation skills
  • Safe driving
  • Focus
  • Responsibility
  • Math skills
  • Technical skills
  • Physical skills

Security guard skills

As a security guard you need to be able to navigate between being a person of authority and at the same time service minded. The top skills for a security guard are:

  • A polite, calm and reasonable approach
  • Good communication skills
  • Spontaneity
  • Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
  • Good observational and monitoring ability
  • Ability to follow instructions
  • Technical knowledge of security systems
  • A high level of physical strength and fitness
  • Alertness
  • Honesty
  • Leadership skills

Key takeaways

We hope you’re feeling confident about adding your skills for resume in a professional manner. The key takeaways from this article are:

  • Create a master document of all your skills, both hard and soft
  • Pick and choose skills for each resume you create to tailor it for the job ad
  • Re-write your skills when necessary to target the ATS
  • Add your skills for resume according to your level of experience

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Key Skills For a Resume [Best List of Examples & How to] (2024)

FAQs

What are some key skills to put on your resume? ›

What are the best job skills on a resume?
  • Computer proficiency.
  • Leadership experience.
  • Communication skills.
  • Organizational know-how.
  • People skills.
  • Collaboration talent.
  • Problem-solving abilities.
9 Jul 2022

What are the 7 elements of skills resume? ›

A résumé serves many purposes. Obviously, it displays pertinent contact information and an overview of your skills and experience.
...
The 7 Ingredients of a Well-Written Entry-Level Résumé
  • Font and point size. ...
  • Contact information. ...
  • Objective. ...
  • Summary. ...
  • Education. ...
  • Experience. ...
  • Skills.
17 Jul 2014

What are your key skills best answer? ›

Sample Answer: “I have very good organizational and time management skills, but my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines.” Sample Answer: “My strength is my flexibility to handle change.

What should I say for key skills? ›

List of the Top 10 Key Soft Skills on a CV
  • Flexibility.
  • Time Management.
  • Collaboration/Teamwork.
  • Communication skills.
  • Customer Service.
  • Conflict Resolution.
  • Active Listening.
  • Interpersonal Skills.
5 Oct 2022

How many key skills should you list on a resume? ›

You should list 4 to 10 skills on a resume. The number of hard and soft skills you include on your resume depends on the job you want, but 4 to 10 is enough for most candidates.

What are the top 5 skills that you have? ›

Top 5 Skills Employers Look For
  • Critical thinking and problem solving.
  • Teamwork and collaboration.
  • Professionalism and strong work ethic.
  • Oral and written communications skills.
  • Leadership.

What are five key things to put on a resume? ›

Key Elements of a Resume
  • Personal Information. Name Current and Permanent address (may be omitted from a resume posted on the web) ...
  • Objective. In one short sentence summarize your goal for your job search. ...
  • Education. ...
  • Work and Related Experience. ...
  • Awards and Honors. ...
  • Activities/Hobbies. ...
  • Skills. ...
  • References (3-5 people)

What are employers looking for in a resume 2022? ›

There are mainly four things that recruiters and hiring managers look for in the resume scanning stage: work experience, education, skill set, and personality.

How do you say highly skilled on a resume? ›

“To really make your resume stand out, replace words like 'proficient' and 'skilled' with words like 'persistent' and 'diligent. '” These words demonstrate your active initiative instead of passive knowledge.

What are 4 things a great resume shows employers? ›

What are four things a great résumé shows employers? qualifications, meet the employer's needs, likeable, work well with others, appeal to both human and electronic reviews.

What do hiring managers look for in a resume? ›

Here are some things hiring managers look for when reviewing resumes:
  • Relevant keywords. ...
  • Verification. ...
  • Exaggerations. ...
  • Career progression. ...
  • Online presence. ...
  • Scan for overall presentation. ...
  • Check for spelling and grammar errors. ...
  • Look for relevant qualifications.

What would you say is your top 3 skills? ›

Top skills employers look for
  • Interpersonal skills. ...
  • Learning/adaptability skills. ...
  • Self-management skills. ...
  • Organizational skills. ...
  • Computer skills. ...
  • Problem-solving skills. ...
  • Open-mindedness. ...
  • Strong work ethic. A strong work ethic is another excellent skill to highlight when applying for jobs.

How do you write your key skills and strengths? ›

Here's a general list of examples of strengths for a resume:
  1. Detail-oriented.
  2. Multitasking.
  3. Technical skills.
  4. Analytical skills.
  5. Leadership skills.
  6. Teamwork.
  7. Interpersonal skills.
  8. Effective communication.
22 Jul 2022

What are the 7 skills? ›

The seven skills are Composure, Encouragement, Assertiveness, Choices, Empathy, Positive Intent and Consequences. The seven skills emerge from the foundation of the Seven Powers for Conscious Adults. As we become more conscious of our reactions to conflict, we can choose a different response.

What are the skills employers want the most? ›

What Skills Do Employers Look For?
  • Communication Skills.
  • Work Ethic.
  • Teamwork.
  • Interpersonal Skills.
  • Time Management.
  • Computer Skills.
17 May 2022

What are three strongest abilities? ›

Strong abilities like being hardworking, determined, a good communicator, a good leader and a team player as well as enjoying challenges can be mentioned during an interview, depending on your personality type and strengths.

What are 3 things you should not put on your resume? ›

Certain personal details are unnecessary to put on your resume and could even send the wrong message.
...
Don't include:
  • Your marital status.
  • Sexual orientation.
  • Religious or political affiliations.
  • Social security number.
  • Anything else that a prospective employer can't ask about.

What is a skill example? ›

For example: Good communication skills. Critical thinking. Working well in a team.

Which 3 things are most important for a resume? ›

Including the most important parts of a resume is crucial to providing potential employers with an in-depth outline of your qualifications, experience and education. Commonly suggested parts are your contact information, resume profile or summary, experience, education and skills.

How do I impress my employer on a resume? ›

Resume Do's
  1. An organized layout is VERY important.
  2. Put format first.
  3. Triple-check spelling and grammar!
  4. List experience in chronological order.
  5. Identify your achievements: Challenge, actions, and results.
  6. Show leadership.
  7. Incorporate statistics.
  8. Use words such as achieved, created, and influenced.

What to write to impress employers? ›

Make sure you do all of these things.
  • Tell Them Why, Specifically, You're Interested in the Company. ...
  • Outline What You Can Walk Through the Doors and Deliver. ...
  • Tell a Story, One That's Not on Your Resume. ...
  • Address the Letter to an Actual Person Within the Company.
4 Oct 2022

What is the best font for a resume? ›

The best fonts for your resume
  • Arial. This sans-serif font is often used for branding and website or mobile design, which makes it a great option if you're in the creative field or are applying to a marketing job. ...
  • Georgia. ...
  • Helvetica. ...
  • Tahoma. ...
  • Times New Roman. ...
  • Trebuchet MS. ...
  • Verdana.
15 Sept 2021

How do you sell yourself in 25 words or less examples? ›

Positive words to describe yourself
  1. I am able to handle multiple tasks on a daily basis.
  2. I use a creative approach to problem solve.
  3. I am a dependable person who is great at time management.
  4. I am always energetic and eager to learn new skills.
  5. I have experience working as part of a team and individually.
23 May 2017

What can I say are my skills? ›

This is what you say on a resume . . .

Creative and have the ability to solve problems. Good concentration skills and always prepared. Anticipate problems and deal quickly with them. Motivated, persistent, and get the job done right.

What are the 3 skill levels? ›

Use this as a guide:
  • Beginner: A novice understanding of the skill. You have exposure to the skill and understand basic concepts, but you lack experience. ...
  • Intermediate: Between a beginner and an expert. ...
  • Expert: A highly developed skill level.

What are impressive skills? ›

These are 25 “Impressive” Skills That You Can Learn In A Few Hours.
  • Fixing 90% of computer problems. Image: pixabay.com (public domain) ...
  • Preparing a basic meal...and making it look good! ...
  • Tearing an apple in half with your hands. ...
  • Solving a Rubiks Cube. ...
  • Sewing. ...
  • Dressing well. ...
  • Building a PC. ...
  • Knowing constellations and stars.
10 Mar 2017

What skills are most valuable? ›

The soft skills that may be most important in a changing job market for 2022 and beyond, according to McKinsey, include:
  • Critical thinking skills.
  • Communication skills.
  • Mental flexibility.
  • Teamwork ability.
  • Self-leadership.
  • Digital fluency6.

What are 2 different things that should never appear on a resume? ›

Marriage status, birth date, social security number—all information that U.S.-based employers do NOT want to see.

What are seven things you should not put on a resume? ›

Remove these 7 things from your resume 'ASAP,' says CEO who has read more than 1,000 resumes this year
  • Irrelevant hobbies and interests. ...
  • Too many soft skills. ...
  • Your professional headshot. ...
  • Personal pronouns. ...
  • The wrong kind of email. ...
  • Your mailing address (if you're applying out-of-state) ...
  • Job positions older than 10 to 15 years.
20 Jul 2021

How do you list hard and soft skills on a resume? ›

For a chronological resume, you can separate your skills into hard and soft skills or list them all together. Use a bullet point for each skill. You can also put them side by side to save space, separating each skill with a comma or line.

What do employers look at first on a resume? ›

That means featuring the most important and relevant information first and removing irrelevant or outdated information, such as jobs you held 15+ years ago. Be sure to include your name and contact information at the top, a resume summary, your work experience, skills and education.

Does a resume tell an employer everything they need to know? ›

Many workers are proud of their careers and feel the information on a resume should reflect everything they've accomplished. However, the resume shouldn't contain every detail. It should include only the information that will help you land an interview.

What recruiters look at during the 6 seconds they spend on your resume? ›

In the 6 seconds, recruiters will look at your:
  • Name.
  • Current title.
  • Current company.
  • Current position start and end dates.
  • Previous title.
  • Previous company.
  • Previous position start and end dates.
  • Education.

What is missing from resume? ›

The one key ingredient that is often missing from resumes are quantifiable achievements. Achievements represent factual information that succinctly outlines the contributions made - and therefore skills possessed - by the individual.

What should you not put on a resume for 2022? ›

Don't include lots of information that's irrelevant to the job you're applying for. “Sure, you've got hobbies, interests, languages, favorite bands, and ambitions,” Cenedella says. “But keep the information that doesn't address your ability to be responsible, accountable, and a hard worker to a reasonable level.”

What are the skills companies are looking for in 2022? ›

  • Agility, Flexibility And Adaptability. Agility, flexibility and adaptability are three skills in demand. ...
  • Modern Communication. Modern communication is an essential skill. ...
  • Emotional Intelligence. ...
  • Creative Thinking. ...
  • Networking Skills. ...
  • Data Analysis. ...
  • Objective Self-Recognition. ...
  • Critical Thinking.
11 Aug 2022

What are 3 items that should not go into a resume? ›

11 things not to put on your resume
  • Too much information. ...
  • A solid wall of text. ...
  • Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. ...
  • Inaccuracies about your qualifications or experience. ...
  • Unnecessary personal information. ...
  • Your age. ...
  • Negative comments about a former employer. ...
  • Too many details about your hobbies and interests.

What should be avoided in resume? ›

The 10 Worst Resume Mistakes to Avoid
  • Typos and Grammatical Errors. ...
  • Lack of Specifics. ...
  • Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach. ...
  • Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments. ...
  • Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short. ...
  • Bad Summary. ...
  • No Action Verbs. ...
  • Leaving Off Important Information.

What are the 7 essential soft skills? ›

The seven soft skills that are commonly requested by employers are: teamwork, problem solving, communication, adaptability, critical thinking, time management and interpersonal. Below, we explore these in detail.

What is the number one skill employers look for? ›

Communication skills are vital for just about every job there is. Whether it is with fellow team members, clients, or other individuals outside the company, communication is a key part of being a productive employee.

What are high demand skills? ›

What are the skills required for high-paying jobs? They are Soft Skills, Algorithms Designer, Cloud Computing, UI Designer, Online Frameworks, Software Computing, and more.

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