Table of Contents
Creating the best resume is like creating a cocktail — it requires a balanced blend of professional experience, soft skills, and hard skills to captivate potential employers. Now you may ask, what skills to put on resume, well you’ll know exactly with our professional crafted article!
In a surge of job applicants, choosing the best skills to put in resume can set it apart from the rest. From featuring digital certificates of acquired skills to seamlessly mentioning them throughout your resume, there are many ways to highlight what makes you a top candidate.
But the thing is, not every skill you have will suit every job you apply for. As a professional, tailoring your skills to match a specific role is essential for hiring success.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Read on to explore the key types of skills to add to your resume, how to customize them for your industry, and practical tips for presenting them effectively.
Types of Skills You Can Put on Resume
For the picture-perfect resume, professionals need to achieve a good balance of technical and interpersonal skills.
Technical skills for resume
Also known as hard skills, technical skills demonstrate one’s specialized knowledge of the job. Unlike soft skills, hard skills can be easily measured, and typically apply to specific industry expertise. They can be easily acquired or evolved through technical training or targeted educational programs. Here are a few examples of technical skills you can add to resumes:
- Project management
- Email marketing strategies
- Website design
- Software development
- Artificial Intelligence
- Technical writing
Interpersonal skills for resume
Interpersonal skills might sound less important, but they are not to be neglected in your resume. Often referred to as soft skills, they show the essence of your professional personality and the way you communicate and collaborate with others.
Compared to hard skills, soft skills cannot be measured, however, they can be showcased through practical experiences and accomplishments. Common examples of soft skills include:
- Teamwork
- Empathy
- Leadership
- Communication
- Active listening
- Adaptability
- Team management
How do soft vs hard skills affect employers and leaders?
Technical skills will always be essential for proving competence and expertise in a given role. However, even with all the knowledge in the world, employers will never consider applicants who cannot work well with others or are inconsiderate and neglectful in the workplace.
Essentially, both interpersonal and technical skills benefit your resume. A good balance of hard vs soft skills proves to employers that you are the full employee package.
The Best Skills to Use in Resume, Based on Your Role
Job roles exist in all shapes and sizes, and across various industries. Choosing the best skills for a resume will boil down to meeting the particular job requirements and the industry-specific demands for that role. Here is a preview of the most in-demand soft skills vs hard skills for a resume, based on various roles.
Cybersecurity Analyst Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – SIEM tools experience (e.g., Splunk) – Penetration testing and threat analysis – Frameworks experience (e.g., NIST) | – Problem-solving – Reporting and visualizing – Multi-team collaboration |
Data Analyst Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Database management and SQL – Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) – Statistics analysis | – Critical thinking – Detail-oriented – Research & Reporting |
IT Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Cloud computing (e.g., AWS, Azure) – System security and troubleshooting – Cloud computing | – Adaptability – Problem-solving – Mentoring |
Machine Learning Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Deep-learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch) – Engineering features – Evaluating and deploying models | – Problem-solving – Critical thinking – Leadership |
Management Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Financial strategizing – Project management tools (e.g., Asana) – Agile methodologies | – Leadership – Empathy – Interpersonal communication |
Marketing Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – SEO optimization – Social media management tools – Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) | – Storytelling – Persuasion – Collaboration |
Project Management Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – QA testing – Risk assessment – Gantt chart management | – Innovative thinking – Time management – Team management |
Software Developer Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Programming languages (e.g., Java) – Debugging – Testing | – Problem-solving – Attention to detail – Collaboration |
Customer Service Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – CRM software (e.g., Salesforce) – Product knowledge and research – Data entry and management | – Active listening – Empathy – Conflict mitigation |
UX Design Skills
| HARD SKILLS | SOFT SKILLS |
| – Figma experience – Interaction design – Visual content optimization | – Communication – Creativity – Innovation |
How to Choose the Best Skills for Your Resume
Think of your resume as a puzzle, with each piece representing a different skill. Depending on the role you apply for, you rearrange the pieces to perfectly meet different role expectations.
Soft skills may often stay unchanged, technical skills might be the puzzle pieces you swap to meet the specific needs of each position. Yes, you might not build the same resume twice, but there are a few things you can do to make the skill selection process more targeted and tailored.
- Analyze the job description. You can initially identify the top skills employers are looking for in the job description. See which of your skills can fit in with their requirements and highlight them in your resume. Leave unrelated skills out of your resume, but keep them on hand for more fitting job applications down the line.
- Strike a fine balance. Recruiters typically want to see both hard and soft skills before taking the next step with your application. However, ensure you don’t overpower your resume with one or the other. Instead, infuse a nice mix of people and technical skills to pose yourself as a well-rounded applicant.
- Pay attention to keywords. Many job applications will be vetted through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Since this is automatic, make sure to include industry-specific keywords and phrases so your resume is immediately flagged by ATS as a good match.
- Include proof of skills. Feature relevant examples in your resume to back up your skills and showcase your skill-based achievements. Linking digital badges or certification is a great tool to use here.
Where to include your skills in your resume
As soon as you have preselected your top skills, it’s time to include them in your resume. There are several ways to do this, depending on what you want to achieve.
In the ‘Past Experiences’ Section
Feature key soft and hard skills when describing past roles. Start with action verbs and use relevant statistics and numbers to fortify skill efficiency.
E.g. “Managed a team of six customer service members, boosting client satisfaction scores by 20% with comprehensive training and conflict resolution approaches.”
In the ‘Skills’ Section
Another place for your top skills is in the designated ‘Skills’ section. Here, you can add proficiency levels for each skill and display them in categories, hard vs soft skills.
E.g.
Technical Skills:
- JavaScript (Advanced)
- SQL (Proficient)
- Angular (Intermediate)
Personal Skills:
- Problem-solving
- Solution-oriented
- Collaboration across teams
In the ‘Objective’ Section
The resume objective describes what you hope to achieve in your next role. It’s a great place to highlight your top career goals in detail, and how the skills you have will help achieve them.
E.g. “Proactive marketing specialist seeking a role to leverage HubSpot and Email Strategy skills to streamline business sales, build brand recognition, and improve strategic decision-making.”
In the ‘Summary’ Section
A resume summary details who you are as a professional, without getting into your career goals. Summarizing accomplishments through skills can be a great option for those just starting their careers.
E.g. “Proficient graphic designer with a proven background in creating marketing-optimized imagery, spiking sales and conversions by 25% through visual storytelling”
Skills to Avoid Including in Your Resume
Creating a strong skills section in your resume isn’t just about adding the right abilities. It’s about recognizing which skills, soft or hard, don’t serve a particular purpose in your resume.
It might sound counterintuitive to do so, but leaving out certain skills from your CV can remove the information clutter and put the main focus on what counts – your top skills for that particular position. Let’s look at some of the top skills to should avoid in your resume.
- Essential computer skills. The world has been digitized for a long while, so most people already have basic computer skills. Yes, abilities like managing Google Drive and Microsoft Word Office are still required but aren’t essential anymore — they’re a given.
- The language dilemma. Languages can be both a soft or a hard skill, based on how often you use them in your role. But, any language you speak partially has no place in your resume. Instead of listing beginner-level skills, stick to languages you’re fluent in.
- Irrelevant skills to the job description. While it’s cool that you know accounting, if you’re applying for a UX/UI role, accounting isn’t really a needed skill or something you can put into practice. Instead of trying to cramp your resume with every skill you have, try focusing on targeted UX/UI skills, like creative design for example.
- Oversold skills. Pretending to be skillful in something you are not as much is a bad idea. While you want to match the skill level employers are after, lying about it might cost you efficiency, and affect your performance quality. Plus, employers are not naive – they can easily sense if your skills are at the desired level, and even ask for example proof.
- Generic skills. Vague terms like ‘team player’ and ‘dedicated professional’ don’t say much about your expertise. Generic skills don’t serve a purpose, other than probably annoying the employer. When you do mention them, ensure they are tied to practical examples to support their efficiency.
The Dos
- Use linked examples of soft and hard skills. Digital accomplishments like badges and certificates can be ideal for showcasing your skills in practice. You can link a project where your skills shone and made a difference. This gives another layer of expertise to your resume and allows employers to see your best skills in action.
- Use metrics for technical skills. Numbers speak volumes. Being able to present your hard skills through realistic metrics of success can put you in the ‘desirable applicant’ basket.
The Don’ts
- Don’t overexplain skills. Overly focusing on every mentioned skill is a no-no. It takes away from other valuable sections of your resume, like your experience, education, and career goals.
- Don’t overuse skills in cover letters. Skills look good on any resume but on cover letters? Not so much. Cover letters should be concise and all about you as a professional. If you do mention skills in your cover letter, focus on one or two skills, showing how they align with the job’s needs.
What Skills To Put On Resume? — The Verdict
Whether you’re aiming for a new role or advancing in your current career, highlighting top skills in your resume can help you stand out from the crowd. Investing in the right expertise while building your existing skills is vital for positioning yourself in the current job market with credibility and style.
Let your top skills shine with Sertifier’s digital certificates! Showcase your verified hard and soft skills with secure, credible credentials that impress employers! Stand out with innovation ⸻ get started for free today!
Best Skills to Add in Resume — FAQs
1. What are the top skills to list on a resume?
That depends on the skills you have and the role you’re after. Some skills can be more valuable for certain positions, but not for others. Every skill you’ve developed, soft or hard, will be relevant to feature in your resume, as long as it fits the job description and aligns with your role requirements.
2. How to properly include skills in my resume?
The best way to include your skills in your resume will depend on the top skills you want to highlight and your overall experience. Typically, hard and soft skills belong in the ‘Skills’ section of the resume. But, you can also include them in your objective, summary, or past experiences to make them stand out.
3. What are the best skills to include in a CV?
All skills you have will be important to list in a resume. But, there are ‘top skills’ that will best match specific job descriptions and your experience, so start there. Highlight the soft skills that best depict your professionalism in the workplace. Some top soft skills include empathy, active listening, and communication. Top technical skills might include programming languages, data engineering tools, and customer care platforms, depending on your specific expertise.
4. How often should I update my resume skills?
Ideally, you should tweak your resume skills before each job application. This helps specify your best skills for specific jobs you’re applying for, leaving irrelevant skills out. You should also update your skills as soon as you’ve upgraded them (e.g. from intermediate to proficient). Finally, be sure to feature any new skills in your resume you’ve obtained since the last update.
