Hard Skills for a Resume | What to List With Examples
Hard skills for a resume are specific competencies that you typically acquire through formal education or training or by doing a particular job (e.g., being able to program using JavaScript or speak a foreign language). This contrasts with soft skills, which are to do with how you interact with other people and your personality (e.g., patience, attention to detail, and flexibility).
Hard skills relate to the know-how you need to perform a specific task, whereas soft skills enable you to collaborate effectively, manage your time well, and adapt to different work environments—making them relevant to a wider range of jobs. Descriptions of hard skills are a crucial component of resumes, cover letters and letters of interest.
Technical skills are a subcategory of hard skills. These are the hard skills required to use specific tools or technologies such as programming languages (e.g., Python), machinery (e.g., forklifts), or software platforms (e.g., CAD software).
| Hard skill | Field of work |
|---|---|
| Fire safety compliance | Facility management |
| Machine translation software (e.g., Trados) | Translation |
| Data analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) | Marketing |
| Variance analysis | Accounting |
| Warehouse management software (e.g., Fishbowl Inventory) | Logistics |
| Learning management systems (e.g., Moodle) | Teaching |
| Material selection | Product design |
| Graphic design software (e.g., InDesign) | Graphic design |
Examples of hard skills for a resume
When choosing hard skills for your resume, focus on the ones most relevant to the job or opportunity you’re applying for.
Identify the hard skills explicitly highlighted in the posting or application documentation, and prioritize the ones you can most effectively demonstrate through your experience, education, and certifications. Don’t worry if you can’t fit in all your hard skills. The aim is to include what’s relevant to the application while keeping the resume to a reasonable length.
If the company or institution is asking for a particular hard skill that you have, make sure to reference it specifically (e.g., write “WordPress” rather than “web content management systems” if they’re asking for “WordPress”).
Here are some examples of hard skills organized by job category.
| Field of work | Example skill area |
|---|---|
| General office work | Using office software (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) |
| Typing | |
| Writing invoices | |
| Academia/research | Peer reviewing journal articles |
| Completing funding applications | |
| Writing research papers | |
| Warehouse work | Operating forklifts |
| Using inventory management software | |
| Preparing shipping documentation | |
| Software development | Programming in specific languages (e.g., Python, Java) |
| Using version control tools (e.g., Git, subversion) | |
| Using software frameworks (e.g., Rails, Django) | |
| Marketing | Optimizing content for search engines (SEO) (e.g., keyword research, using analytics tools) |
| Managing social media accounts (e.g., scheduling posts with Hootsuite) | |
| Analyzing campaign performance (e.g., tracking conversion rates in Google Analytics) | |
| Human resources | Posting jobs on recruitment platforms and tracking applicants (e.g., using Indeed’s Employer Dashboard or Human Resources Information Systems like Workday) |
| Writing job descriptions | |
| Processing new hire documentation (e.g., verifying I-9 forms) | |
| Event planning | Obtaining licences and permits |
| Recording expenses (e.g., in Excel) | |
| Preparing print-ready files (e.g., invitation PDFs using Canva) | |
| E-commerce | Managing product listings (e.g., editing descriptions, pricing, and SEO settings in Shopify) |
| Answering and managing customer inquiries (e.g., using Zendesk) | |
| Editing product images (e.g., in Fotor) |
Examples of hard skills for a customer service resume
Strong soft skills are essential for customer service, but demonstrating a solid set of relevant hard skills could be what makes your resume stand out from the competition.
- Data entry (e.g., accurate, quick typing)
- Languages
- Product knowledge (e.g., knowledge acquired through your education, certifications, or hobbies that relate to the company’s products)
- Computer fluency (e.g., demonstrated by proficiency in a range of software and tools)
- Customer relationship management/customer support software (e.g., Hubspot, Zendesk)
- Writing skills (e.g., corresponding with customers via email)
- Certifications (e.g., HDI Customer Service Representative)
How to write about hard skills for a resume
If you list your hard skills in a separate skills section on your resume, it’s still important to reference the ones that are most relevant to the specific application in the work experience or education sections. This makes your claims more convincing because you can show how you used or learned these skills. You might even be able to incorporate one or two of the core hard skills requirements into your professional summary.
Beginning bullet points in the work section of your resume with action verbs helps to create dynamic descriptions that highlight your responsibilities as achievements rather than just tasks.
- Use the simple past tense form of the verb to talk about past responsibilities.
- Use the present participle (e.g., “managing”) or simple present (e.g., “manage”) to refer to current duties, but use the same form consistently.
The opening verb doesn’t typically describe the hard skill itself. Instead, the reference to the hard skill often explains how or why you carried out a responsibility.
Coordinating/coordinate efficiently with local authorities to secure event permits and maintain productive working relationships. [For a job posting asking for “experience in obtaining event permits”]
Frequently asked questions about hard skills for a resume
- What are some hard skill examples for students?
-
Examples of hard skills for a resume if you’re a student include:
- Advanced writing skills (e.g., acquired through writing essays, project reports, and theses).
- Specialized software used on your academic program (e.g., AutoCad for engineers or MATLAB for scientists).
- General software used to do your college work (e.g., Google Workspace)
- Language skills
- Skills evidenced by certifications that were part of your program (e.g., Google Analytics certification)
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser will help you write dynamic descriptions of the hard skills on your student resume.
- What are some hard skills for marketing?
-
Examples of hard skills for a resume if you’re applying for a marketing job include:
- Campaign performance analysis (e.g., using Google Analytics)
- Social media account management (e.g., using SocialHub)
- Keyword research (e.g., using Google Keyword Planner)
- Skills evidenced by certifications (e.g., AMA Professional Certified Marketer)
- Survey and feedback tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey)
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help write the descriptions of the hard skills on your marketing resume?
- What are some hard skills for teachers?
-
Examples of hard skills for a resume if you’re a teacher include:
- Classroom management tools (e.g., Google Classroom)
- Game-based learning platforms (e.g., Kahoot)
- Learning management systems (e.g., Sakai)
- Lesson planning
- Unit planning
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser will help you write compelling descriptions of the hard skills on your teaching resume.
