Since a well-crafted resume serves as your initial introduction to potential employers, the skills section helps you showcase your unique qualifications and make a lasting impression beyond just listing your work history and educational background. As recruiters sift through countless resumes, the ability to strategically highlight your skills becomes crucial in capturing their attention and demonstrating your suitability for the role.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional aiming for career advancement or a recent graduate entering the workforce, mastering the skill of effectively communicating your strengths on paper is a key step toward securing your desired position. In this guide, we’ll explore how to strike the perfect balance and create a compelling narrative about your capabilities — from technical proficiencies to soft skills that highlight your interpersonal strengths.
Best Skills to Put on Your Resume
Identifying the best skills to feature on your resume means you must ensure they align with the specific requirements of your target job. Begin by conducting thorough research on the industry and position you are pursuing. This will provide valuable insights into the skills most valued by employers in your field.
For instance, in the ever-evolving tech industry, your proficiency with relevant programming languages or familiarity with cutting-edge tools can set you apart. Similarly, in customer-oriented roles, communication and problem-solving skills may prove instrumental. Tailoring your skill set to match the demands of your desired job not only demonstrates your awareness of industry trends but also positions you as an ideal candidate with the capabilities needed to excel in the role.
Furthermore, consider the intersection of technical expertise and soft skills. Striking the right balance between hard skills (quantifiable abilities that can be measured) and soft skills (interpersonal attributes that contribute to effective collaboration and communication) is essential. While a strong technical foundation demonstrates your competence in specific tasks, the inclusion of soft skills paints a more holistic picture of your overall suitability for a role.
Since employers increasingly recognize the importance of a well-rounded skill set, a resume that skillfully combines both technical and soft skills can significantly enhance your marketability in today’s competitive job landscape. For context, the following skills are favored or most sought-after by recruiters and hiring managers across various roles and industries:
| Leadership | Interpersonal | Adaptability | Management |
| Time Management | Creativity | Technical | Critical Thinking |
| Communication | Problem-Solving | Computer | Attention to detail |
| Customer Service | Organizational | Data Analysis | Multitasking |
What Soft Skills Can I Add to My Resume?
Listing soft skills on your resume is crucial for presenting a comprehensive view of your professional abilities. These interpersonal attributes not only enhance your effectiveness in the workplace but also showcase your capacity for collaboration, communication, and leadership.
As employers increasingly recognize the significance of soft skills in fostering a positive and productive work environment, presenting these qualities on your resume can set you apart in the competitive job market:
- Communication: Effectively conveying ideas and information in a clear and concise manner
- Teamwork: Collaborating seamlessly with colleagues to achieve common goals
- Adaptability: Demonstrating flexibility and resilience in the face of evolving challenges
- Problem-Solving: Analyzing issues and devising innovative solutions to overcome obstacles
- Leadership: Inspiring and guiding others toward shared objectives with confidence
- Time Management: Efficiently organizing and prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines
- Creativity: Approaching tasks with originality and generating inventive solutions
- Conflict Resolution: Addressing and resolving disagreements constructively
- Emotional Intelligence: Recognizing and managing emotions, both one’s own and others’
- Decision-Making: Making sound judgments based on careful consideration of available information
What Hard Skills to Put on Resume
In constructing an impactful resume, it’s essential to also highlight your hard skills: specific, quantifiable abilities that are often industry-specific. These technical proficiencies serve as tangible evidence of your qualifications, demonstrating your competence and expertise in particular tasks or technologies.
Some examples you can list are the following:
- Digital Marketing: SEO, SEM, and social media marketing for effective online brand promotion
- Graphic Design: Proficiency in creating visually appealing and engaging content
- Data Analysis: Ability to extract and interpret insights from complex datasets
- Project Management: Familiarity with project management methodologies like Agile or Scrum for effective task coordination and completion
- Language Proficiency: Fluency in languages relevant to your field or industry, exemplifying international communication skills
- Networking: Expertise in configuring and maintaining network infrastructure for IT and cybersecurity roles
- Financial Modeling: Skills in creating accurate financial models and analyses
- Mechanical Engineering: Specific skills like CAD (Computer-Aided Design) for mechanical engineering positions
- Quality Assurance (QA): Familiarity with QA methodologies and tools for ensuring the quality of software products
- Healthcare Compliance: Knowledge of healthcare regulations, privacy laws, and compliance standards, essential for roles in healthcare administration or compliance management
What Computer Skills to Put on Resume
As technology continues to shape the way we work, computer proficiency isn’t just an asset but a prerequisite for many roles across diverse industries. To enhance your marketability to potential employers, make sure to include a well-curated list of computer skills such as the following:
- Programming Languages: Languages such as Python, Java, or C++ for software development and coding tasks
- Data Analysis Tools: Tools like Excel, R, or Tableau for interpreting and visualizing complex datasets
- Database Management: Experience handling databases, including SQL, for efficient data organization and retrieval
- Web Development: Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for creating and maintaining websites
- Graphic Design Software: Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud tools like Photoshop or Illustrator for graphic design and visual content creation
- Digital Marketing Tools: Experience with SEO tools, social media platforms, and analytics tools for effective online marketing
- Cybersecurity Skills: Knowledge of cybersecurity practices, including threat detection, network security, and ethical hacking
- IT Troubleshooting: Skills in troubleshooting hardware and software issues to ensure seamless technology functionality
- Cloud Computing: Familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for efficient data storage and management
- Microsoft Office Suite: Proficiency with in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
How to Put Skills on a Resume
Crafting an effective resume involves more than just listing your skills; it requires a strategic approach to showcase your qualifications in a way that resonates with prospective employers. Here’s a guide you can follow to incorporate your skills into your resume as seamless and targeted as possible.
Tailor your skills to the job description.
Make sure to analyze the job posting to identify key skills and qualifications sought by the employer and align your skills with the specific requirements. Tailor your skills section to emphasize those that directly match the job’s demands and makes it clear that you are perfect for the role.
Arrange the skills on your resume.
When listing your skills, opt for a prominent position, often following the summary or objective statement, to immediately capture the attention of hiring managers. Also, group your skills into relevant categories, such as technical skills, soft skills, or industry-specific skills, creating a well-organized and easy-to-read section.
Prioritize core and relevant skills.
Highlight your most relevant and core skills prominently. Emphasize those that directly contribute to the specific role you’re applying for. This ensures that recruiters quickly recognize your key strengths and qualifications, making a compelling case for your candidacy.
Showcase a mix of hard and soft skills.
Create a balanced skills section that includes both hard and soft skills. While hard skills demonstrate your technical competencies, soft skills highlight your interpersonal qualities. This combination offers a holistic view of your capabilities that speaks of your ability to contribute effectively to the workplace.
Provide context with examples.
Offer context to your skills by providing brief examples or anecdotes that illustrate how you’ve applied these skills in previous roles (often in the work history section). This not only adds depth to your resume but also helps employers visualize how you can contribute to their organization based on your past experiences.
Be honest and genuine.
Maintain honesty and authenticity when listing your skills. Avoid exaggeration or misrepresentation, as it can lead to discrepancies during the interview process. Being genuine about your abilities fosters trust and transparency, creating a positive impression on potential employers.
Customize your skills section for each application.
Tailor your skills section for each job application. While there may be core skills that remain consistent, adjusting the emphasis and inclusion of certain skills based on the specific requirements of each role enhances the relevance of your resume, increasing your chances of making a lasting impression.
Ensuring Your Resume is ATS-Compliant
In today’s day and age, more and more companies are making use of ATS to handle the growing number of job applications they receive. An ATS scans a resume for keywords inputted by the employer. Unfortunately, it turns the application process into a cruel guessing game. Keywords are everything with the ATS; wrong use of keywords can spell the difference between your resume being thrashed or reaching a human reader.
So how do job seekers like you can ensure that resumes are ATS-compliant? Here are some tips you can follow:
- Read the job description, especially bulleted requirements. Employers often use keywords of the skills they want in an employee, so it’s best to use identical words when putting skills on your resume.
- If it’s not clear what keywords they want to see, use standard industry terms. Elaborate on your specific proficiencies after listing the skill.
- Be specific. Employers want to know what programming languages you use and which CMS you can handle. Listing “programming languages” can get your resume trashed; name-checking Python, Java, or C++ won’t.
Reminder:
Although the ATS is a huge obstacle during the job application, having an ATS-compliant resume won’t win you the job. Getting past the ATS only means you have a chance at a hiring manager reading your resume, so you must exert more effort than only ensuring your resume passes the ATS screening.
How Many Skills to Put on Resume
Determining the ideal number of skills to include on your resume is a delicate balance that lies on relevance and conciseness. Rather than overwhelming recruiters with an exhaustive list, focus on quality over quantity. A targeted selection of key skills directly related to the job you’re seeking will make a more significant impact. Also, aim to showcase a well-rounded set of competencies that align with the specific requirements of the position, emphasizing both technical and soft skills that position you as a well-rounded candidate.
As a general guideline, including 5 to 10 skills in each category (hard and soft skills) hits that sweet spot between providing enough information to capture the recruiter’s attention and preventing your resume from becoming overly cluttered. Remember that the goal isn’t to create a never-ending list of every skill you possess, but to present a curated and impactful snapshot of your capabilities. By carefully selecting a moderate number of skills and tailoring them to the job at hand, you ensure that your resume remains focused, relevant, and compelling to potential employers.
Impress Employers with an Outstanding Skill Set on Your Resume
Mastering the art of presenting your skill set on your resume isn’t just a matter of listing qualifications but a strategic endeavor that can significantly impact your career trajectory. The importance of knowing the best skills to put on a resume lies in presenting a tailored and compelling narrative that resonates with prospective employers.
By aligning your skills with the specific demands of the job market, you can distinguish yourself as a standout candidate. Your skill set becomes a powerful tool, allowing you to stand out in a competitive job market and articulate your unique value proposition to hiring managers.
If you’re in need of expert guidance on writing your resume, you can entrust it to Resume Professional Writers. Our team of seasoned experts understands the ins and outs of creating resumes that leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re entering the job market, looking to advance your career, or contemplating a career change, our resume writing services are designed to help you showcase your skills, experiences, and achievements effectively.
What are you waiting for? Elevate your job search today by leveraging the expertise of Resume Professional Writers to ensure you’re equipped with a job-winning resume, making you a compelling candidate in the eyes of potential employers and helping you land your target job. Contact us to get started!
