What Skills to Put on a Resume (With Examples)

Your resume skills are your biggest strength. More than 70% of business leaders report a skills gap within their organization and experts agree that this is a growing problem across industries. So, when you’re trying to get your foot in the door, it’s smart to lead with the skills you have.

Knowing what skills to put on a resume is an art. You may be tempted to throw every skill you have onto the page. However, that’s simply not the way to go. Instead, you should be strategic in your approach.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best skills to include on your resume, how to tailor them to your application, and how to format them.

What are resume skills?

Resume skills are the abilities and knowledge you use to demonstrate your suitability for a job. These are crucial for showcasing your qualifications and convincing recruiters that you possess the necessary traits to excel in the role. You can include them in your skills section and contextually throughout your resume.

There are two main sections of resume skills:

Hard skills

Hard skills—also known as technical skills—are solid, demonstrable capabilities that often apply directly to the industry you’re in. You may have learned these during your education or on the job.

Often enough, hard skills are quantifiable and measurable. For example, you may have a corresponding qualification (and level) you can share with the potential employer.

Soft skills

Soft skills, on the other hand, are transferable skills that enhance your ability to interact effectively with others and thrive in the workplace. These are often personal attributes or traits that you happen to have.

While soft skills are less tangible than hard skills, they’re equally important. Potential employers aren’t looking for machines to simply get the job done, they want real-life people who have a range of skills.

Best key skills to include on your resume

Now you have an overview of why you should include skills on your resume, let’s talk about which ones to consider. While the skills you choose to list should align with your chosen industry, there are some that span various fields. Check out our top picks plus an explanation of why each one is valuable.

Communication

Communication is the foundation of any good working relationship. Being able to clearly and concisely get your point across means everyone is on the same page. It limits the amount of problems you may have with your coworkers, as you’re far less likely to get your wires crossed.

Of course, communication can be broken down into different components. You’ve got to speak and write clearly, but it doesn’t end there. To be a great communicator, you also need to listen well. Employing techniques, such as active listening and reflective listening is the way to go.

Teamwork

No man is an island. When you're working in a business, proper teamwork is the cornerstone of your job. Trying to do everything yourself will get you nowhere fast. If you know how to collaborate well with others, you may want to include this skill in your resume.

Time management

Proper time management can impact every part of your work life. It means having the ability to prioritize tasks and allocate the right amount of time to each of them. When it comes to hitting vital deadlines and making sure that you’re on time for important events, this resume skill comes into play.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving is integral to navigating the complexities of the modern working world. Potential employers are always looking for people who can approach problems in a unique and strategic way. If you’re able to “think outside the box,” you need to let the hiring manager know about it.

This skill requires a level of creativity, critical thinking, and knowledge to pull off. When talking about your problem-solving abilities, try to give some context. For example, you might talk about how you used this resume skill to overcome a certain challenge in a former workplace.

Adaptability

The business world is fast-paced and ever-changing. Employers value it when you can adapt to new situations and changes. If you adjust quickly and easily, it means you can handle these changes without any problems. This helps businesses stay competitive and deal with unexpected challenges.

People who are adaptable are also usually eager to learn new things and open to different ideas. This makes them valuable in any team because they help create a workplace where everyone is learning and growing together.

Project Management

A good project manager is like a superhero who can bring order to chaos. This resume skill is essential for any business that wants to achieve its goals and stay ahead of the competition.

Think of any successful project—a new product launch, a marketing campaign, or even planning a big event. Behind the scenes, there's someone with project management skills making sure everything runs smoothly. They're the ones who keep everyone focused, on track, and within budget.

Marketing

If you’re going for a job in a creative field, having marketing skills on your resume is the way to go. People with marketing skills know how to tell a compelling story, whether it's through social media, email campaigns, or eye-catching advertisements.

Leadership

If you’re managing a team or supervising a trainee, your leadership skills could be a huge benefit. Don't overlook this essential skill set when thinking about what to put on your resume.

True leaders inspire and motivate people to work towards a common goal. They provide direction, build trust, and help teams overcome challenges. Whether it's a small project or a company-wide initiative, strong leadership ensures everyone is on the same page and working effectively to achieve success.

Strategic planning

Do you have a strategic mindset? If so, now is the time to showcase that ability to a potential employer. Including this resume skill on your next application could make you stand out from the competition.

People with strong strategic planning skills can analyze the current situation, anticipate future trends, and develop effective plans to achieve long-term success. They consider potential obstacles, available resources, and the bigger picture to make sure every step taken moves the company in the right direction.

Negotiation

Good negotiators are skilled diplomats. They communicate effectively, understand different perspectives, and find common ground. In the workplace, negotiation skills are essential for resolving any potential conflicts, building strong relationships, and securing favorable deals (e.g. in sales).

If this is one of your main resume skills, you may want to add some context to it. How have your negotiation skills benefited your previous company? What deals have you made? What is your sales record? Wherever possible, add valuable metrics that showcase your abilities.

Public speaking

If you’re a person who exudes confidence, don’t hide that resume skill. Good public speakers inform, persuade, and inspire their audience. They capture attention, communicate well, and leave an impression.

This is a great transferable skill, as it can be used in a range of circumstances. For example, you may need to host talks, present your findings in a meeting, or speak in front of potential clients.

Foreign languages

Nine out of ten US employers value foreign language skills when hiring workers. Being able to speak a second—or even third—language can give you a competitive edge. For that reason, it’s well worth including your language, and proficiency level, on your resume.

If you’re looking to land a role in a multinational business, you may find that the hiring manager is looking for specific language skills. Be clear about which languages you speak and how well you speak them.

Technical skills

Technical skills can range from basic computer literacy to advanced programming and software development. They might involve using specific programs like Excel or Photoshop, analyzing data, managing websites, or even building robots.

Deciding which technical skills to put on a resume can be challenging, especially if you have a wealth of them. Start by including the hard skills the employer lists on the job advert. Once you’ve ticked those boxes, you can move on to any additional technical skills that may impress them.

How to find relevant skills for your resume

Of course, you shouldn’t simply throw all of the above onto your resume. Instead, you need a far more strategic approach to deciding what skills to provide. In this section, we’ll break down three of the main ways you can select the ideal capabilities for your application.

Review the job description

Start by looking at the job description and noting down the skills that the hiring manager has listed. You can typically find these in the core criteria section. When reviewing the post, think about the skills you already have that align with the demands of the position.

If the description emphasizes certain skills—by listing them as “must-haves”—you need to prioritize them. List them high up in your Skills section and focus on them in other areas of your resume. For instance, you may choose to refer to them when writing your Resume Summary or Objective Statement.

Look for rare or unique skills

What makes you shine? When you’re trying to determine what skills to put on a resume, think about what you have that other candidates may not. For example, most writers will have “good communication skills,” but only some can use shorthand to take notes at 100 WPM.

Consider any competencies you have that are unusual or not a given. By taking this approach, you can make it clear to the hiring manager what you bring to the table.

Research the company and industry

Many of the skills you include will be industry and even company-specific. With that in mind, it’s smart to do some research before deciding what skills to put on your resume.

Stay updated on in-demand skills in your field. Browse industry publications, follow thought leaders, and attend relevant events. Look at profiles of people in similar roles or at the company you're targeting. What skills do they emphasize? This may give you an insight into which skills you should be showing off.

How to format skills on a resume

Ready to add your chosen skills to your resume? There are three main places you can brag about these attributes. That is in your Skills section, your Work Experience section, and your Summary (or Objective).

Skills section

Your Skills section is the most obvious place to list your capabilities. We recommend only listing hard skills in this part of your resume. You can naturally weave soft skills throughout the rest of your application.

You should list them as bullet points. Where possible, you can also add a proficiency level to these skills. This provides some much-needed detail for the hiring manager.

Work experience section

You can talk about your resume skills and add context to them in your Work Experience section. Beneath the basic job information for a role, you’ll add descriptive bullet-point sentences.

In these sentences, you can reference any skills you have and include details of how they’ve helped you to excel within the workplace.

Summary or objective

Often enough, your Summary or Objective is the first thing a hiring manager will read. Don’t miss the opportunity to shout about your most impressive skill (or skills!) here.

You can include a hat-tip to valuable skills in this short, opening paragraph. That way, when a hiring manager reviews your resume, it’s one of the first things they’ll see.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Including relevant and impactful skills on your resume is a must. Make sure you lead with key skills that meet the requirements of the role. You can include these competencies in your Skills section, Work Experience section, or your Summary. Be sure to tailor your resume skills to each company. Use the advice we’ve shared in this guide to help you understand what skills to put on a resume.