Skills for a Resume | What to List With Examples
Your resume should showcase the skills that are most relevant to the job, internship, scholarship, or program you’re applying for. So, when selecting the skills for a resume, you need to analyze the posting or application documentation carefully to determine the skills they’re looking for and edit your resume to prioritize the ones you have.
Make sure you put a mix of hard and soft skills on your resume.
- Hard skills are specific abilities that you can learn to do on a course or by doing a particular job (e.g., using Microsoft Word or bookkeeping tasks).
- Soft skills are more difficult to acquire through formal education and training because they’re to do with your personality and how you interact with other people (e.g., staying calm under pressure or attention to detail).
If your resume format has a separate skills section, the skills can be listed in categories, like “technical skills” (e.g., proficiency in using specific software, IT tools, or equipment), “languages,” and “soft skills.”
- Edit the list so the most relevant skills are at the top.
- If you’re listing over 15 items, it’s probably too many—some experts recommend as few as five. Limiting the number of items will also help you to keep your resume to a suitable length.
- The list in the skills section can be key words and phrases (e.g., “MS Word & Excel”) or extended bullet points (e.g., “Proficient in Microsoft Word & Excel for document creation, data analysis, and office automation”), depending on the resume format you’ve chosen.
- Don’t forget to provide concrete evidence of the most important skills in your cover letter, letter of interest, or in the work experience or education sections of your resume—tangible examples such as descriptions of duties that required these skills.
- MS Word and Excel
- Mailchimp
- HTML
- Basic Python
Soft skills
- Adaptability
- Conflict resolution
- Problem solving
Languages
English – Advanced (TOEFL score: 116/120)
Spanish – Native speaker
Skills to put on a resume
If you’re applying for a specific job rather than making a cold application, then the skills you list on your resume should be tailored to the content of the job posting.
Make a list of the skills explicitly highlighted in the posting, and prioritize the ones you are able to demonstrate. Ideally, the items you put on your resume should be a mix of hard and soft skills, with brief details that show the employer that you have the particular skill requirements stated in the job ad.
So, if an employer is asking for “Photoshop” and “experience dealing with customer complaints,” and you have these skills, edit your resume to make sure you include them.
| IT skills (hard skills) | Example descriptions (extended bullet points for a skills section) |
|---|---|
| Programming (e.g., Java, Python, CSS) |
|
| Database management (e.g., SQL, database security, backup and recovery) |
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| Cybersecurity (e.g., network security, operating system security, encryption) |
|
| Computer skills (hard skills) | |
| Google Workspace |
|
| Canva |
|
| Office skills (hard skills) | |
| Filing |
|
| Scheduling |
|
| Equipment and machinery operation skills (hard skills) | |
| Logistics equipment (e.g., forklift, pallet jacks, conveyor system) |
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| Construction machinery (e.g., excavator, dump truck, crane) |
|
| Languages skills (hard skills) | |
| Foreign languages (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French) |
|
| English as a second or foreign language |
|
| Communication skills (soft skills) | |
| Verbal communication (e.g., clear and confident expression, active listening) |
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| Written communication (e.g., emails, documents, reports) |
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| Interpersonal skills (e.g., teamworking, flexibility, giving and receiving feedback) |
|
Soft skills for a resume
Even if the job posting doesn’t explicitly mention soft skills, listing some on your resume will help to demonstrate a well-rounded skill set. Think about the communication and interpersonal skills required for the job, and edit your resume to showcase the ones you possess. This will help to convince the employer that you can collaborate effectively with coworkers, provide good customer service, and conduct yourself professionally, for instance.
| Duty | Relevant soft skills |
|---|---|
| Working on reception | Friendly and approachable demeanor |
| Patience | |
| Empathy | |
| Data entry | Strong attention to detail |
| Organized and methodical work style | |
| Ability to maintain focus on repetitive tasks | |
| Picking and packing orders for shipment | Teamwork and coordination |
| Organization | |
| Reliability | |
| Serving customers | Effective verbal communication |
| Composure under pressure | |
| Cultural awareness and sensitivity | |
| Handling cash and processing payments | Trustworthiness |
| Reliability | |
| Methodical approach |
Describing skills for a resume
Short descriptions in the skills section of a resume are typically based around nouns (e.g., “Extensive experience in …”). But if you want to highlight certain key skills with a bit more detail in the work experience or education sections, they’ll probably be based around verbs (e.g., “Created clear, structured process documentation …”).
There’s not much space in the skills section of a resume, so don’t worry if you can’t fit everything in. Make sure to reference the key skills mentioned in the job posting, but remember that you can add additional details in the cover letter or in the work experience or education sections.
You can bold important keywords to highlight your relevant skills, but don’t overdo it—bolding too much can make your resume look cluttered.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser App for iOS will help you write concise, impactful skill descriptions that help you to stand out from the crowd.
Hard skills for a resume
Hard skills are more “teachable” than soft skills. They’re the type of thing that you can learn at school or by doing a course, like how to use a specific piece of software or machinery, expertise in a legal field, or fluency in a foreign language. Hard skills are typically relevant to a specific industry, field, or profession, whereas soft skills apply across a broad range of jobs (i.e., they are usually transferable skills).
| Industry/field | Example area of expertise |
|---|---|
| Information technology | Data mining |
| Machine learning | |
| Project management | |
| Research | Academic writing |
| Subject-specific knowledge | |
| Statistical analysis | |
| Construction | Safety compliance |
| Machinery operation | |
| Cost estimation | |
| Graphic design | Software (e.g., InDesign, Photoshop) |
| Sketching | |
| Typography | |
| Healthcare | Practice management software |
| Medical billing | |
| Budgeting |
Describing language skills
If a language skill is a key requirement for your application, describe your proficiency level as specifically as possible on your resume. Try to avoid generic terms like “fluent” or “confident.”
Don’t forget to include useful details about any formal language qualifications you have, such as grades (e.g., TOEFL scores). If you haven’t taken any tests in the language, you can use the ACTFL or CEFR self-assessment scale to estimate your proficiency, so you can give the employer or institution a meaningful indication of your skill level (e.g., “C2 Proficient User” for CEFR, or “Superior Level” for ACTFL).
French – ACTFL-certified Advanced High Level (speaking and writing)
English – B1 Independent User Level (IELTS test score: Band 5)
Spanish – ACTFL-certified Intermediate Mid level (speaking and reading)
Entry-level resume skills
If you’re just starting out on your career and don’t have much experience, most of the skills you list on your resume will be the hard and soft skills that you’ve developed through your education, hobbies, and extracurricular activities.
| Example educational experience, hobby or activity | Example resume skill |
|---|---|
| Member of an organizing committee (e.g., senior ball, student events committee) | Planning and coordination |
| Leadership | |
| Social media content creation | |
| Member of a sports team | Teamwork and collaboration |
| Self-discipline | |
| Resilience | |
| Member of a debating team | Presentation skills |
| Critical thinking | |
| Persuasion and negotiating skills | |
| Volunteering at a thrift store | Customer service |
| Cash handling | |
| Inventory counting | |
| Participation in a science fair | Problem-solving |
| Programming | |
| Public speaking |
Frequently asked questions about hard skills for a resume
- What are some computer skills for a resume?
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Computer skills for a resume include proficiency in productivity suites such as Google Workspace (Docs, Calendar, etc.) and Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, etc.).
Follow standard resume format and include your skills alongside your experience and education.
If you’re writing a resume, don’t forget to check it for typos with a grammar tool such as QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What are some beginner skills for a resume?
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Some beginner skills for a resume include the kind of skills you develop through education, extracurricular activities, and hobbies, such as:
- Social media content creation
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Self-discipline
- Presentation skills
- Critical thinking
Resume format for entry-level positions suggests placing your skills below or next to your education and work experience.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to produce an error-free resume.
- What are some skills for a customer service resume?
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Some customer service skills for a resume include soft skills such as:
- Patience
- Cultural sensitivity
- Adaptability
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Active listening
Where you include skills depends on which resume format you choose.
Why not run your resume through QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker before you send it off?
- What are some communication skills for a resume?
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Some communication skills for a resume include presentation skills, writing skills (e.g., academic writing, research papers), conflict resolution skills, and negotiation skills.
Skills usually come after your work experience in standard resume format.
If writing skills are important for your career, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you to polish your portfolio of example texts.
