what to put in a resume skills section

How to List Skills on a Resume (Real Skill Examples)

This essential resume writing article is about how to list skills on a resume. For more resume writing help, visit our job seeker resource center .

EdgeWater Pharmacy just posted an opening for a Sales Associate right down the street from your home. You think you are the perfect fit for the job, so you submit your resume, but so do 30 other candidates.

Do you know who is going to get called in for an interview? 

The job seeker who looks like they have the most relevant skills for the job.

Make sure you’re getting the callback for an interview from a hiring manager by reading how to list your skills on a resume.

This essential job seekers’ guide will walk you through how to add the skills a hiring manager wants to see on your resume, along with 50+ real resume examples of skills you can use.

This article on how to include key skills on a resume covers:

• What are professional skills?
• Why are skills important on resumes?
• Different types of skills for job seekers
• Where and how to incorporate skills on a job application
• Top 50+ skills hiring managers want to see on your resume
• Fastest ways to gain new skills to get hired

What Are Skills? Why Are Skills Important?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a skill is:

“the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance”

“a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability”

When it comes to job hunting, your skills are what set you apart. Every human on earth has a set of skills that is unique to them. Likewise, every professional position has a unique set of skills that is required for performing the job.

Finding the perfect alignment between these two ideas is the key goal for every hiring manager.

If a hiring manager finds someone that already possesses the skills needed for their job, they won’t have to spend so much time and money on training. It also means that their new employee will be able to pull their own weight more quickly, providing a quicker return on their hiring investment.

But how do hiring managers know who has what it takes to perform well on the job?

The first and most important place hiring managers look is at your resume. On average, a hiring manager spends 6 seconds reviewing a resume and during that time they are scanning the pages to see if the skills required for the job jump out at them.

If they find what they are looking for, you get called in for an interview. If they don’t quickly see what they are looking for, your resume will most likely be discarded.

As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to make sure you know what skills hiring managers are looking for.

Once you identify those skills, it is also your responsibility to make sure those relevant skills are incorporated into your resume in a way that stands out.

If you do these two things accurately, you will be the one getting called in for an interview and will be that much closer to landing a new job.

Types of Professional Skills (Real Resume Examples)

Skills can be broken down into four main categories:

• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Transferable skills
• Job-related skills.

Before you start writing your own list of skills, let’s go through each of these skill categories to see what the difference between them is.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Hard skills are specific, teachable, and tangible. They can be measured and tested using assignments and assessments. Hard skills are learned, either through on-the-job training or through school, rather than coming naturally.

Examples of hard skills for a resume:

Soft skills are intangible and are harder to measure. They are personality traits and interpersonal skills that come naturally to humans, rather than being learned through school.

People are born with soft skills. These soft skills grow and develop over time from your upbringing, education, and experiences.   

Examples of soft skills:

Contrary to popular belief, hiring managers often care more about soft skills than hard skills, though both hard and soft skills contribute to your appeal as a candidate.

Hard skills, such as computer programming or accounting, can be taught using a combination of curriculum and hands-on practice. Whereas soft skills, such as a positive attitude or punctuality, are harder to teach.

Regardless of your background, hiring managers are usually flexible with teaching you the hard skills needed for their job, as long as you already have the right attitude along with the aptitude to learn.

Transferable Skills vs Job-Related Skills

Transferable skills can be carried with you from one job to the other. These skills can be a hard skill or soft skill, as long as they can be used in any type of role, regardless of the industry, company, or position.

Examples of transferable skills:

Job-related skills are usually always hard skills.  These job-related skills are specific to a certain type of role or position.

Examples of job-related skills:

How And Where To List Skills On Your Resume

Skills should be included throughout your resume, rather than confined to one area.

While scanning your resume, hiring managers will be looking over each resume section, starting with the top. Because of how people read resumes, you need to make sure they see your skills immediately.

Guarantee hiring managers will see your skills by listing them in four key areas of your resume:

• Resume header
• Professional summary
• Summary of skills
• Work Experience section

If you are writing a resume from scratch, try using this free and easy-to-use resume builder from Resume.com. The sections and formatting are already created for you, so all you need to worry about is filling in the blanks to finish a free printable resume.

1. Resume Header

At the top of your resume, directly below your name, write your job title along with the three most relevant skills you have as a candidate.

This is the first section hiring managers will be reading, so it is important to draw their attention using bold and large lettering.

If you’re using this resume builder , the ‘ Blue Skies ’, ‘ Three Blocks Digital ’, and ‘ van Deco ’ resume templates already have a header section included, which will make finishing your resume easier.

When writing your header, it is crucial that you customize the job title and skills to each job you’re applying for. Your job application needs to be consistent – you can read more about consistency in this article .

For example, if you write Java Developer in your resume header, but are applying for a .NET Developer position, a huge red flag will go up for the hiring manager.

When writing your top three skills in your header, make sure they align with the required skills listed in the job posting.

If you’re applying for a job at a large company or corporation, or you’re applying through a job board, it’s helpful to keep applicant tracking systems (ATS) in mind. Make sure your resume makes it past ATS software by listing your skills using the same wording as the job posting.  

Example of skills in the resume header: 

2. Professional Summary

Below your header and contact information, you will have a professional summary section. A professional summary used to be called an ‘objective’, but the modern resume writing approach is to replace your objective with a professional summary section.

Your professional summary should give an overview of your background, years of experience, and the top skills that set you apart. The skills in your professional summary should be written in sentence form, rather than listed out.

If using the resume builder , the ‘ My Employment ’, ‘ Apple Green ’, and ‘ Side Panel ’ resume templates have professional summary sections that are sure to draw attention to your most relevant skills.

Example of skills in the professional summary of a resume:

3. Summary of Skills

Below your professional summary, include a ‘summary of skills’ section. Alternative titles for this section could be ‘core competencies’, ‘key skills’, ‘professional skills’, or ‘relevant skills’.

If you have less than 10 skills, you can list them out in columns. 

Summary of skills resume example (less than 10 professional skills) :

Summary of skills resume example (more than 10 professional skills) :

For your skills section, your skills should be listed, rather than written out in sentence form. This formatting choice helps hiring managers to pick out the key words quickly, which they can read about in more detail in the experience section after.

4. Experience Section

The ‘experience’ section usually comes after your summary of skills on a resume. Depending on your background, this could also be called ‘professional experience’, ‘work experience’, or ‘relevant experience’.

Your experience section is the perfect place to back your skills up with real-life examples of when you have used your skills, in addition to the results you have achieved.

When writing your experience section, give specific details about where, when, and with whom you have used your skills. When possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements.

Example of how to list skills in the experience section of a resume:

How to List Skills On A Resume – Finding Relevant Skills For You

To figure out what skills you should include on your resume, follow these three simple steps.

Step #1: Create a master list of skills

Go through each category and create a master list of the skills in your toolbox. Don’t be afraid to list things that seem obvious, like computer skills or customer service.

Although they might seem like a given in your profession, many hiring managers still want to see these skills listed.

Never include skills that you are no longer familiar with. If you write a skill on your resume, hiring managers will be expecting that you can deliver on that activity.

If you are worried that a hiring manager will over or underestimate your level of proficiency, feel free to write ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’, or ‘proficient’ next to each skill listed.

Step #2: Figure out the skills needed for the job

When applying for jobs, it is important to identify the set of skills that are needed. Picking out the needed skills will help you determine if you are a good fit for the role. It will also help you tailor your resume skills to the specific job you are applying for.

There are two main ways to determine the skills needed for a job.

The first is to dissect job descriptions and job postings that are posted on career websites and job boards. To do this, go through a job description and highlight each quality that describes the candidate the company is looking for.

For example, here is a job posting for a cashier position: 

Then create a list of all the qualities described, making sure to write each skill using the same wording that is used in the job posting.

The second way to figure out what skills are needed for a job is to search for people on LinkedIn who are already performing the role.

By searching for a certain job title in the search bar, you can find a list of professionals who are already in that job and then search through their profile to see what skills they have listed, both in their summary and experience sections.

Step #3: Match your master list with the skills needed for a job

The skills you write on your resume should be whatever overlaps between your master list and the list of skills you created from researching jobs.

By using this technique, you will be making sure that the skills you have listed on your resume are relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

A general rule of thumb is to never include skills that aren’t important for the job you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for a project manager position, there is no need to list that you know yoga or CPR.

Top 50+ Skills Hiring Managers Look For On Resumes

A lot of research has been done as to what hiring managers look for on a resume. Many of the skills they seek are job-specific, while others are transferable.

To increase your chances of getting called in for an interview, include these top skills throughout your resume.

These professional skills are divided by category to help you find the skills that are relevant to you.

Soft Skills

Basic computer skills, customer service, project management, art & design, human resources, fastest ways to obtain new skills.

Are you looking for your first job? Are you missing some of the required skills on a job posting? If so, don’t worry. There are a range of ways for you to obtain the needed skills quickly.

If you are in need of a hard skill, this task is much easier. Hard skills are learned, so you can typically find an online resource, school, or curriculum to pick up the needed skills.

If you don’t have enough time to attend class in person, there are a number of online learning platforms with courses that you can take online, in your spare time. Some examples of popular eLearning platforms include Lynda, Udemy, and Skillshare.

Learning soft skills are a little trickier. These interpersonal and personality traits are hardwired into humans, so the only way to get better at them is to practice, practice, practice.

If you can’t practice soft skills while on a job, try to find some day-to-day activities that you can practice these skills during.

For example, if you need to work on punctuality, set a goal to arrive 5 minutes early wherever you need to be, no matter if it is for class or for coffee. Or if you need to work on your professionalism, pick up a volunteer job based in a professional, office setting.

More Skill-Related Articles For Resume Writing:

• How To List Hard Skills On A Resume (50+ Technical Skill Examples)
• How to List Computer Skills on a Resume (50+ Computer Skill Examples)

100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

When you’re adding skills to a resume, you don’t just want to focus on what you’re good at. Instead, relevancy has to be part of the equation. After all, every job you’re trying to land requires a very specific skill set, one that you need to show that you have.

Choosing the skills to put on a resume when you’re applying to a role isn’t something you should do haphazardly. Instead, you want to use the job description, company mission, and company values as a guide, creating a sense of alignment.

Additionally, it never hurts to have a handy list of skills by your side, making it easier to explore your options. So, if you’re on the hunt for good skills to put on a resume, here’s what you need to know.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

There are two basic types of skillsets that a job seeker can have and include on their resume: hard skills or soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills or abilities for a resume that are easily quantifiable…that can be learned through classroom work, apprenticeships, or other forms of learning. These include things like operating tools, computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or different kinds of technical prowess.

Soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills.” Some examples of soft skills include communication, relationship building, self-awareness, and patience.

Which Skills Are More Important?

The debate rages on about which of these two types of skills is more important.

According to executive consultant and Forbes contributor Naz Beheshti , “…There is an ongoing debate about the relative importance of soft and hard skills that imply a competition between the two. However, they are both necessary and complementary to one another.”

On the one hand, job seekers with proficiency in a specific hard skill may get hired more quickly. Many employers want to hire people that can deliver value with fewer resources (ex., the need for training, etc.), making hard skills their priority.

However, we are also seeing that many hiring managers are choosing to hire candidates with highly developed soft skills.

In the end, as Indeed puts it, “soft skills are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment.” Plus, hiring managers feel that they can always train the candidate in the hard skill that is required to complete the job, but soft skills are often skills that cannot necessarily be taught.

So, what does this mean for you? Mainly that you can’t simply just pick one or the other and cross your fingers. Instead, the best strategy is to take a balanced approach and make sure that your resume contains both hard and soft skills.

How Do You Choose the Skills to List on a Resume?

Here’s the deal; there’s a good chance you know what you’re good at in a professional sense. Often, you can use your experience, duties, training, and education as a guide, giving you a strong foundation. Then, it’s about diving a bit deeper, looking at traits that could help you stand out, and comparing it all to the job description.

By using a simple process, you can make progress faster. Here’s a quick way to get started.

1. Make a List of the Skills You Know You Have

As mentioned above, the easiest way to get a grip on your current skills is to reflect on your academic and professional experiences. Consider the tasks you’ve taken on, the training you’ve completed, and the courses you had in school. In most cases, that’ll give you some solid ideas about your hard skills.

After that, it’s time for soft skills. Here, you want to think of traits or capabilities that help you engage with others and navigate professional relationships. Often, these are reflections of your personality, so use that as a jumping-off point.

2. “Mine” the Job Descriptions for Must-Have Skills

The next step is to take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills it includes. Then, compare it to your capabilities. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now, notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. There are things you can do, which we’ll dig into shortly.

If you’re dealing with a vague job description, you aren’t stuck either. Here is a link to a ton of job descriptions that can give you an idea of the skills needed.

3. Tailor Your Skills to the Company/Position

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your resume to the company and position you want to land. For an in-depth look into how to make that happen, check out our Tailoring Method article. 

If you want a quick overview, the idea is to focus on capabilities the company wants to find. Every job requires a unique skill set, and you want to show you have it. As a result, it is absolutely essential that skills from the job description make an appearance on your resume.

However, you also want to dig deeper. Spend some more time researching the company, including going through all of their various web properties, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Why? Because they will leave clues about the types of people they hire. That gives you more ideas about the best skills to put on a resume to land a job there, particularly when it comes to soft skills you may not find in a job description.

100 Resume Skills Examples

If you’re struggling with coming up with a list of skills based on your past experience, it can be easier if you have existing resume skills lists to work with. You don’t have to think up every possible skill; you can simply review the list and find the matches.

Here is a list of resume skills examples, divided into hard skills and soft skills, that you can use when applying for a job.

Hard Skills for a Resume

• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Appointment Setting
• Automotive Repair
• Cold Calling
• Computer Programming
• Conversion Testing
• Copywriting
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Service
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Cleanup
• Forklift Operating
• Graphic Design
• Heavy Machinery Operation
• Installation
• Landscaping
• Mathematics
• Medical Coding
• Paid Online Traffic
• Patient Care
• Photo Editing
• Picking and Packing
• Project Management
• Schedule Management
• Search Engine Optimization
• Server Maintenance
• Social Media
• Spanish Fluency
• Statistical Analysis
• Systems Analysis
• Technical Support
• Telecommunications Systems
• Travel Booking
• Video Editing
• Website Design
• Word Processing

Soft Skills for a Resume

• Accountability
• Active Listening
• Adaptability
• Brainstorming
• Business Etiquette
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Contextualizing
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Emotional Intelligence
• Flexibility
• Goal-Setting
• Handling Pressure
• Influencing
• Insightfulness
• Interpreting
• Negotiation
• Open-Mindedness
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building
• Reliability
• Resource Management
• Responsibility
• Self-Confidence
• Strategical Thinking
• Strong Work Ethic
• Time Management

What If I Don’t Have the Required Skill?

Whether you need to possess a specific skill depends on the job and the skill in question. Usually, here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

However, you will come across situations where what you bring to the table is close. In this case, moving forward might be okay.

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill, even if you haven’t specially done it. So, go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing something in the right ballpark.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it, and everything will be fine.

Also, many job descriptions have “nice-to-have” skills on the list. If you happen to possess them, great. But if not, don’t assume you shouldn’t apply if you have the must-have skills. In the end, those capabilities aren’t outright requirements, so don’t screen yourself out based on them.

How To List Skills on a Resume

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put (or how to list) the skills on your resume.

According to our friends over at online resume-builder Zety.com , “…skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section.” In other words, it is imperative that there are elements of your skills throughout your resume, including your resume objective/summary and experience sections.

In addition, there isn’t one right answer for where to include your skill section because that depends on the industry, company, and position you’re trying to land. For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience. Then, put the skills section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves is the most important thing. After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

What About Skills for My Job Application?

When you’re looking for skills to put on a job application, you do have to treat it a little differently than skills for a resume. Usually, you’re working with a finite amount of space on an application, not just in an overall sense but in each applicable section.

Since that’s the case, you need to lean heavily on the job description. Look for any capabilities that are listed as must-haves or that are repeated through the job ad. Then, make sure those skills are featured prominently in several areas, including in work history descriptions and skills areas.

If you have to answer essay questions, discuss those skills there, too, whenever possible. Use any other relevant capability as a supplement, treating it as supporting information instead of the primary point you’re sharing.

However, if an essay question asks about a skill that’s not in the job description, feel free to dig in a bit. It’s a capability that’s clearly on the hiring manager’s mind, so touch on it occasionally to show you shine in that area.

Putting It All Together

If you were wondering, “What are some good skills to put on a resume?” you should now have a solid answer. The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for and, more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

• Our Products
• Case Studies
• Interview Questions
• Jobs Articles
• Members Login

The Skills Section on a Resume

What skills to include, where to place them on your resume, and how to write them.

The skills you put on your resume are  vital for showing employers your knowledge  quickly. Knowing how to write one also helps incorporate vital keywords into your resume naturally and organically.

The following guide explains the  difference between hard and soft skills . It also includes tips on how to write a skills section, what to avoid, and examples of meaningful skills to include on your resume that will help you land your dream job.

Keep reading!

Example of a Skills Section in a Resume

Let’s start with the basics. Take a look at the following skills section of a resume to get an idea.

Technical Skills:

• Proficient in Python, Java, and JavaScript
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experienced in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
• Skilled in using project management tools like Trello and Asana
• Fluent in English and Spanish
• Basic proficiency in French

Soft Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication
• Team player and ability to collaborate effectively
• Proven adaptability and problem-solving abilities
• Resilient organization and time management skills
• Excellent customer service and client relations

Industry-Specific Skills: (Tailor according to the job role)

• Experience with CRM software, such as Salesforce
• Knowledge of digital marketing tools, such as Google Analytics, for marketing jobs
• Familiarity with editing software, such as Final Cut Pro
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and SketchUp

Hard skills vs. soft skills

Skills are typically categorized into two different types: soft and hard. Both categories encompass the broad range of technical or social abilities that are relevant to a working environment.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are capabilities that are either  naturally present in people  or are developed over time through relations and experience, but hey can also be learned. As stated by MIT Management, the  return on soft skill training  is roughly 250%. Don’t hesitate to get training if you need it. The payback is well worth it.

Also known as social skills, these abilities are considered personal attributes which are positive for jobseekers to bring to a professional situation.

Think of your character and choose some of your best personal traits. Consider how these attributes have either helped you to achieve something or have benefited your career in some way.

• Are you a people person?
• Have colleagues or friends described you as having great social skills?
• Are you able to mediate conflict or conversations between groups?
• Are you a natural-born leader?

Soft skills are advantageous in a wide variety of professions regardless of the industry or level of position.

Now that you have an idea of how important soft skills are, follow and  study professionals in your desired industry  to pinpoint skills they possess, or check out a similar job posting and take note of the desired or emphasized soft skills mentioned in the ad.

How to Identify Soft Skills

Soft skills are often  inherent or cultivated over time  and experiences. They are your  interpersonal skills , your ability to lead, adapt, cooperate, and communicate well with others.

To identify these, introspect about times you’ve found success in team projects, received praise for your communication skills, or leaned on your organization abilities to sail through a challenge. All these situations imply invaluable soft skills.

Hard Skills

Hard skills refer to  more technical , accumulative abilities specific to certain positions or industries. These skills are tangible and usually developed through studies, courses, or on-the-job experience. Hard skills can be qualified (or proven) via a certificate, diploma, or demonstration.

Good examples of hard skills for your resume are IT skills or the ability to speak a foreign language . Think about what skills are needed to do your job effectively and your level of proficiency for each.

• Do you have any specific computing abilities?
• Can you create a project budget or write up bidding contracts?
• Are you bilingual or proficient in a second language?

Hard skills can be quantified by your level of expertise in the subject or years of experience using a certain technique or program. It is important to use a common,  general range for measuring  your level that all employers understand such as  basic ,  intermediate , or  advanced .

Make your resume stand out by using an  online resume builder  to help you with the skills section of your resume.

How to Identify Hard Skills

They are the skills you’ve acquired and  sharpened through formal education ,  professional courses, or on-the-job experiences .

Have proficiency in a foreign language? Can you code fluently in Java or Python? Are you skilled in using Photoshop or Excel? Each of these denotes a hard skill— concrete, demonstrable, and indispensable.

Reflect on your education, past jobs, and certifications to identify these skills.

The Importance of Balance Between Hard and Soft Skills

When it comes to skills for a resume, achieving a fine balance between hard and soft skills is crucial.

In the vast professional landscape, we find that technical proficiency (hard skills) works in harmony with interpersonal aptitude (soft skills) to paint the most  holistic picture of an individual . This magical combination of know-how and know-when ensures you bring value to any role, blending technical mastery with social savvyness.

Personal Skills Vs Professional Skills

Personal skills are also referred to as “soft skills . As mentioned previously, these are generally innate or acquired through one’s experiences and include abilities such as problem-solving, adaptability, and interpersonal communication.

These skills are critical for successful interactions on a day-to-day basis, regardless of the specific professional context. They provide the groundwork for effective team collaboration in the workplace.

On the other hand,  professional skills, often called “hard skills”,  are more industry-specific and job-related. These skills are usually developed through formal training, education, and on-the-job experience.

As long as they’re relevant and can be  proven using real-life examples , most skills can be considered  work-related skills .

Examples of skills not to be included on a resume may come from hobbies or activities that are  not relevant to the sector or position  available.

On a different note,  a LinkedIn survey shows  that  nearly 80% of employers search for mostly personal skills  over more technical  professional skills .  This is especially important on  student resumes  and  entry-level resumes  and includes such skills as  leadership  and the  ability to work in a team .

The reason for this is that many applicants are likely to have the same professional skills if they’re applying for the same job and coming from similar academic or career backgrounds.

How to Present Your Skills Effectively

The skills section of a resume is more than just a list— It’s a snapshot of your talents. Presenting it effectively requires thought, precision, and a sprinkle of strategy.

Essentially, the key is to  emphasize relevance . This begins with a keen study of the job description. It’s there where you’ll find a dictionary of keywords that should resonate through your skills section.

The idea is not to echo these skills verbatim but to  filter them through your own experiences and proficiency . Each skill should reflect a facet of the job role.

The more precise your skills are, the more they resonate with employers.

How Many Skills Should I Include on My Resume?

Finding the perfect balance is key. Too few skills could appear unimpressive, while an abundance of skills might overwhelm the recruiter.

The objective is to feature your most relevant skills tailored to the job you’re targeting. For most job seekers,  listing 10-15 skills is generally adequate .

Where to List Skills on Your Resume

Listing skills on your resume strategically grants potential employers insight into your assets at the right time.

Placing the skills section after the resume summary or objective and  before the work experience section  is deemed effective. This placement ensures employers can swiftly acknowledge your skills at a glance.

If you’re just embarking on your career journey or transitioning industries, including the skills section before your work experience may emphasize your relevant skill set and also diminish the focus on the lack of directly related experience.

In addition to a dedicated skills section, weaving in your skills alongside your experiences or achievements can accentuate the practical application of these abilities.

The key is not to merely list your skills in a dedicated section but to  substantiate them through real-life examples and scenarios  throughout your experience section and professional objective or summary.

Skills for Different Job Roles

First and foremost, start by  carefully studying the job description . Chase the keywords you find there and modify your skills section to resonate with the job.

For instance, if you’re applying for a graphic design role, emphasize your proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and layout design, alongside soft skills like attention to detail and effective communication.

The secret ingredient to making your skills section shine when addressing different job roles is  specificity and relevance . For every job you apply to, let your skills section speak the language of the role, echoing its unique keywords and requirements.

What Not To Do When Writing Skills For Your Resume

Certain pitfalls must be dodged to present a stellar skills profile:

• Avoid vagueness and ambiguity : The skills section of your resume is no place for generalities or undecipherable jargon. For instance, don’t state you’re ‘good with computers.’ Specify if this means you’re proficient in a particular software or IT concept.
• Don’t present an exhaustive list of skills : Ensure the skills you list are pertinent to the job description. Keep the list concise and focused, preventing it from becoming a bloated endorsement of every single skill you’ve ever acquired.
• Keep a balance between hard skills and soft skills : While hard skills demonstrate your technical prowess, soft skills are often the deciding factor for recruiters. It’s crucial not to neglect either.

By steering clear of these, you can craft a skills section that not only accurately represents your abilities but also resonates with potential employers. Make sure you avoid errors by generating useful suggestions with our AI-powered resume builder to help you come up with the best skills for your application. 

70+ example skills to add to your resume

It is important to include a range of abilities into your resume that encompass general skills as well job-specific skills or sector-specific skills.

The following is a list of skills that are general and transferable. Use this list as inspiration to write your own skills section, but be sure to tailor your list according to your career goals and your professional experience.

IT skills or computer-based program knowledge are highly favorable among employers today and they should be listed prominently in your resume .  Examples of technical skills to include on your resume are:

• Microsoft Office
• Social media management software
• Graphic design software
• iOS / Android
• Google Drive

Also, any languages you speak, write, and read are an essential aspect to include in your resume skills section. Remember, to indicate the level or any qualifications you have to support your claim of a second language.

You can use the  ResumeCoach  online resume maker to optimize your resume and tailor it for each vacancy using examples of job-specific and general skills, as well as advice on how to complete each resume section according to your background and experience.

Struggling with Resume Writing?

Ease the process with our templates

Putting skills on a resume is a great way to show hiring managers what you can do for them, while also including relevant keywords on your resume. However, there’s one BIG mistake that I’ve seen many job seekers make with their skills section on a resume… and it can cost them the interview.

So in this article, we’re going to look at real-life examples of resume skills sections, how to write this section and come up with ideas of skills to list, and the biggest mistake to avoid if you want to get the interview.

What Skills Should you add on your resume?

Your resume is essentially your first impression to a potential employer, so it must showcase your skills in the best possible light. Hence, it’s important to understand that there are two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills . 

Hard skills are those that are specifically related to the job at hand, such as technical skills like programming or accounting.

Examples of Hard Skills: 

• Proficiencies with tools or software.
• Hands-on work experience or degrees and certifications.
• Proficiencies in languages.

Meanwhile, soft skills are more personal traits such as interpersonal skills like communication, EQ, teamwork and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, transferable skills are those that can be used across different industries and job types, such as leadership, time management, computer skills and adaptability. Usually, job postings include a bullet list of role requirements that each feature a certain skill, skill set, aptitude, or ability.

Examples of Soft Skills:

• Active listening
• Problem-solving

Essentially, the skills, competencies, or core competencies section of your resume will give hiring managers a quick-glance guide to how closely your abilities match the role requirements.

With this in-mind, let’s take a closer look at each of those hard and soft transferable skills I mentioned above, to see why they really are the best skills to put on your resume. Let’s start with the soft skills because, even if you’ve never had a job or skills training, there’s a good chance you already have many of these skills.

Best Soft Skills to add on your resume:

1. communication skills.

These skills are essential to almost all roles because they allow you to receive and share ideas effectively. These skills are applied through a range of channels and may include both soft skills (like active listening) and hard skills (like social media writing). Communication skills include listening skills, verbal skills, body-language skills, visual skills, and contextual (or versatility) skills like cross-cultural, academic, crisis, professional, and online communication skills.

2. Problem-solving skills

Most roles will see you encountering problems at some point, that’s one of the reasons work can be stressful. Some roles are all about finding and making innovative solutions to problems. Problem-solving skills may include methodologies and various hard skills, but they’re also about the soft skills of defining problems, prioritizing issues, determining causes, brainstorming solutions, considering alternatives, and implementing solutions.

3. Creativity skills

These skills come naturally to some but, in general, can be learned by simply applying yourself to creative pursuits. Aside from the artistic side, however, creativity is a thinking skill that allows you to think outside the box, innovate solutions, imagine new concepts and ideas, and generally do things in an open-minded, original way. This is highly prized by employers who are trying to set their brand apart through creative, innovative products and services.

4. Organizational skills

Organizational skills refer to your ability to manage yourself, your time, and your productivity efficiently and effectively. They’re vital to employers because they indicate that you have a systematic, goal-oriented approach to working. Unless you have the ability to manage your calendar, your time, your thoughts, and your duties in a functional and efficient manner, you will be difficult to manage or rely on, and you certainly won’t be able to manage others.

5. Leadership skills

Some simply have a natural tendency to lead, while others seem ready to follow them–this is important to employers, as few things are more costly than an ineffective leader. Leadership skills, however, can be learned over time, and include a range of other hard and soft skills like communication, critical thinking, versatility, conflict management, relationship building, decisiveness, delegation, project management, and more.

6. Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are vital to all interactive and collaborative job roles, as they allow you to work efficiently and effectively with others. Teamwork skills are very much a blend of communication and interpersonal skills, but there are specific soft skills, like collaboration, empathy, honesty, and integrity that will determine whether you can thrive in a team setting.

Best Hard Skills to add on your resume:

1. digital skills:.

In 2023 and beyond, you’d be hard-pressed to find a business that doesn’t rely largely on digital interaction and processes to get their products and services to market. So, adding digital skills means that employers will know that you can use a tablet, computer, mobile phone, and the internet to communicate, research, transact, manage tasks, and create. Examples of hard digital skills include market research, social media marketing, SEO, email marketing, digital project management, software development, and much more.

2. Design skills

Design skills start with foresight and imagination, and the ability to envision things that aren’t yet made. In that way, they are similar to creative skills. Other than that, design skills include a range of hard skills that depend on your profession, including coding abilities, branding skills, typography skills, architectural software skills, Adobe apps skills, Illustration skills, physics and engineering skills, and more. Design skills are vital to jobs that involve product innovation, marketing, and more.

3. Project management skills

Whether you’re applying for a post in marketing, product or service development, or something like events planning, project management skills are those skills that allow you to take a project (often requiring numerous employees and teams) all the way from ideation to completion. There are a range of factors involved and a number of hard and soft skills. Examples of PM skills include budgeting, scope planning, risk assessment stakeholder communication, problem-solving, team leadership, delegation, digital project management administration, and more.

4. Data analysis skills

Data analysis skills are important because they allow you to absorb, quantify, categorize, analyze, collate, and draw conclusions from data such as statistics , sales figures, customer queries and complaints, product tests, and more. Data analysis skills are essential to a range of roles and include hard and soft skills such as math, statistics , calculus, linear algebra, detail orientation, logical thought, troubleshooting, speed reading, database management, data mining, and more.

5. Customer service skills

Customer service skills are your ability to offer knowledge and support to prospective and existing customers and to act as the face of a business. As such, these are essential skills for a range of businesses. Core customer service skills include soft skills like discernment and emotional intelligence, communications skills, and persuasion skills, and hard skills like SaaS support, POS skills, FOH skills, outbound call skills, product/industry knowledge skills, and more.

6. Language skills

Language skills include proficiency in native and foreign language reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and they can be included among communication skills as well. In today’s globalized world and online marketplace, multilingual skills are in high demand. Employers are often willing to pay more for multilingual candidates, especially in fields like international business, hospitality, tourism, human resources , and more. Language skills are, however, largely made up of hard skills because language proficiency is a technical and measurable skill set. Correct use and grasp of grammar, syntax, tone, diction, vocabulary, and contextual language are essential in the professional world because they allow you to absorb and offer information in a way that is more accurate, conclusive, concise, and business-like.

7. Content writing skills

Incorporating many of the language skills mentioned above, content writing includes knowledge of formats, annotation systems, referencing skills, and tonal parameters that apply to all different types of business, sales, and marketing content. Companies value content writing skills because, using hard skills like knowledge of online content formats, research and referencing, SEO, and sales funneling, a content writer can target, engage, and convert new customers while retaining existing ones with regular, high-value content.

8. Marketing skills

Marketing is a powerful skill set that incorporates other skills like content writing, customer service, data analysis, communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Marketing allows businesses to target markets, figure out how to appeal to and reach those markets, and then effectively (and in conjunction with content writers, web designers, and other key members) funnel clients down the path to conversion. Marketing includes a broad range of highly technical hard skills as well, including UX design, CRM, CMS, CRO, marketing automation, social media and ad marketing, PPC, SEO, SEM, and more.

How Many Resume Skills Should You Put?

The number of skills to include on your resume will depend on the job you’re applying for, your industry, and your experience level. For example, an experienced software engineer may list 20 skills. However, for an entry-level job seeker, 8-10 skills are sufficient, and any more than that will be unlikely to be read by a hiring manager or recruiter .

Also, someone in a less technical field (like sales or customer service) might only need 8-10 skills on their resume, even if they have a few years of experience.

Overall, my recommendation as a recruiter is that you should have somewhere between 8 and 20 skills on your resume. You should list both hard and soft skills, but it’s more important to include hard skills. These are the skills that hiring managers look for first and foremost on your resume; soft skills are secondary.

Resume Skills Section Guide With Examples

Let’s look at some good examples of resume Skills sections (which you can also name “Core Competencies,” “Professional Skills,” etc.) Your goal when writing this resume section is to highlight your most relevant skills for the job, all in one place. So you want the list to be easy to read. I suggest one or two columns. 

And you don’t just want to list random skills. And you don’t want to list the same skills for every job! You really want to research the job and company (starting with the job description) and put the skills and keywords THEY mention. This is called “tailoring” your resume and will immediately boost the number of interviews you receive. I wrote a guide on the easiest way to do this HERE . (It’s much easier than people think).

So you really need to be looking at the specific job description for keywords.

Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to put together your Skills section. Here are some sample skills sections so you can see what it might look like:

Resume Skills Section Example #1 – Bullet Point format:

This resume skills section example is for a salesperson. You can see it contains a lot of keywords, and also highlights what this person is best at. That’s what you should aim to do.

Remember, don’t just guess which skills and keywords the employer wants. Study the job description.

Resume Skills Section Example #2:

This is another example of a simple layout for this section on your resume, this time using two columns.

Choose a format that is simple and not distracting. You want the employer’s attention to be on your skills and qualifications, not on your resume’s formatting.

If you take one idea away from these sample skill sections of a resume, it should be that the section is meant to be simple and clutter-free, and should only feature your top relevant skills for the jobs you’re pursuing now. It’s not a place to list every single skill you’ve ever used, and it shouldn’t have as much content as other, more important, sections like your resume work experience.

Resume Skills Section Example #3 – Skills Matrix Format:

Communication | Problem-Solving | Time Management | Teamwork | Technical Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills | Strong analytical and creative problem-solving abilities | Proficient in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines | Collaborative and able to work effectively in team settings | Proficient in MS Office and Google Workspace

Now, let’s look at examples of resume skills sections for popular professions:

1. Software Developer:

• Programming Languages: Java, Python, C++
• Web Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Database Management: SQL, MySQL
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and debugging skills
• Collaboration: Experienced in working in Agile development teams

2. Marketing Coordinator:

• Digital Marketing: SEO, SEM, PPC
• Social Media Management: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
• Content Creation: Copywriting, blogging, content strategy
• Analytics: Google Analytics, data analysis
• Project Management: Organizing campaigns, coordinating with stakeholders

3. Registered Nurse:

• Patient Care: Assessing, planning, and implementing patient care
• Medical Procedures: IV insertion, wound care, medication administration
• Communication: Effective patient and family communication
• Critical Thinking: Rapid decision-making in emergency situations
• Team Collaboration: Working closely with doctors and healthcare professionals

4. Sales Representative:

• Relationship Building: Cultivating and maintaining client relationships
• Negotiation: Effective in closing deals and achieving sales targets
• Presentation Skills: Delivering persuasive sales presentations
• CRM Software: Proficient in Salesforce or other CRM platforms
• Prospecting: Identifying and pursuing new sales opportunities

5. Graphic Designer:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
• Typography: Knowledge of various typefaces and layout design
• Branding: Creating visually consistent brand identities
• User Experience (UX): Designing intuitive user interfaces
• Attention to Detail: Ensuring accuracy and precision in design wor

More Ideas of Skills to Include

If you’ve read the tips above and are still thinking, “I don’t have enough key skills to put on my resume,” here are a few ideas to help you… Along with looking at the job description for the role you’re applying for, you can also look at job descriptions for roles you’ve previously held. Which skills did you use most?

Look at current or most recent work, too. What did your typical week look like? Sit down and think about which skills you used the most throughout a normal week. Remember to think about hard skills and soft skills. That should help you come up with more ideas.

You can also look at LinkedIn’s list of skills that are available for your LinkedIn profile . (LinkedIn suggests skills when you go edit this section of your profile).

You can look at peers/colleagues on LinkedIn, too, to see which skills they’ve chosen! Look at a few current coworkers, for example. Which skills are they mentioning? Those are good skills to list on your LinkedIn and your resume, too. The LinkedIn skills section is a great way to get resume ideas overall.

You can also learn something new that will make you more attractive to employers…

I recommend doing this by taking a course via LinkedIn Learning and then adding it to your resume Skills section). This is a great option if you’re job searching after being unemployed because it shows employers you’re keeping your skills current and staying active.

You can learn soft skills like body language (this could help you if you’re in sales, customer service, etc.) or hard skills like front-end web development, social media management, and more.

Tip: Employers Want to See Where You Used Each Skill, Too

In general, employers want to see where and when you used each skill (especially for hard skills). So don’t just rely on a Skills section. You should put equal (or more) time into writing your work experience section and your resume bullets ).

Also, put effort into your resume summary paragraph.

I typically read those sections first as a recruiter. That’s where I can see which key skills you’ve used most in your career. In fact, even if you put your skills section very high up on a resume, I usually skip it and only return to read it AFTER I check out your recent work experience and bullets!

The bottom line is: Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to see a big list of skills with no reference to where each skill was used… at least not at first. And they especially do not want to see a long list of soft skills. They’re mostly looking for hard skills and key skills from the job posting when they first glance at your resume.

So keep this in mind when writing your skills list. The hiring manager might skip it and look for your experience section first.

This resume section still has value – as a secondary place to show off your abilities and core competencies, and as a place to fill your resume with great keywords so you can get past the ATS (applicant tracking system). But the biggest mistake I see job seekers making is relying on the skills section too much to get interviews or get the employer’s attention.

Be Prepared to Answer Interview Questions About the Skills You’ve Listed

If you say you’re an expert in Phone Sales, Digital Marketing , Social Media Marketing, Customer Service, or any other hard skill… you need to be ready to defend this in an interview. If you say you’ve done a lot of time management, be prepared with examples. If you say problem-solving is one of your strengths , be ready to back it up with a success story!

They will want to know where you used that skill and details about how you used it and what results you got in recent jobs. And if you say you’re an “expert” at something, they might ask what makes you an expert. So if you’re not an expert or highly proficient, don’t say you are. You can still list the skill, but don’t exaggerate and go overboard by saying “expert.”

I made this mistake early in my career, costing me the job! I said the word “expert” when describing my Microsoft Excel skills, and they asked me about it in an interview and I completely crumbled. I wasn’t an expert and I wasn’t ready to defend why I had said that on my skills list.

Also, don’t list skills you’ve never used. Even if they do hire you, you could immediately be fired if they discover you lied about your skills in your interview. Lying in your job search is usually not a good tactic. So be honest when listing skills on your resume, and review your own resume as you prepare for the interview so you’re not caught off-guard by the interview questions they ask .

You should be ready to answer questions related to any or all skills mentioned in your resume skills section – both soft and hard skills.

What Not to Include in Your Resume Skills Section

Quality over quantity always wins, and this applies while listing resume skills. Highlighting the most relevant skills in your resume is important. Otherwise, your resume may look disorganized and unfocused. Therefore, avoid listing every skill you possess, and follow these tips to ensure your skills align with the job posting. 

1. Irrelevant Skills : Only include skills directly related to the job you’re applying for. Avoid listing unrelated or outdated skills, as they can take up valuable space on your resume and distract from your qualifications.

2. Generic Skills : Avoid using overly broad or generic skills that are not specific or actionable. Instead, highlight skills specific to the job and industry you’re targeting.

3. Obvious Skills : Skip listing skills considered basic or commonly expected in the industry. For example, including “proficient in Microsoft Office Suite” may not be necessary, as it is generally expected in most professional roles.

4. False or Exaggerated Skills : Be honest about your skills and avoid exaggerating or fabricating information. Employers may verify your skills during hiring, and misrepresenting your abilities can have negative consequences.

Recap: Putting the Right Skills in a Resume

• Choose 8-20 skills, depending on your industry and level of experience
• Put mostly hard skills and skills that relate directly to the employer’s job
• Avoid putting too many soft skills; employers will judge this primarily in the interview and aren’t looking for soft skills as much on your resume
• Whenever listing a hard skill, make sure also to mention it on your work experience; employers want to see where you used each skill, too, and this is how to show them
• Use the job description to identify important skills for this position
• Include exact phrases from the job description to improve your chances of getting past automated job application systems
• If you need more ideas for which skills to put, review past jobs you’ve held and/or look at peers on LinkedIn to see skills they’ve chosen
• Use one or two columns and simple formatting to make your Skills section easy to read
• Never put your Skills section before your Employment History section on your resume
• If you’re an entry-level job seeker, never put your Skills section before your Education section
• Be prepared to answer interview questions about any skills listed on your resume
• Avoid including irrelevant or generic skills, obvious skills, and false or exaggerated skills in the skills section. 

If you read the tips above, you now know how to write a great skills section of a resume, including examples of what it should look like.

You also know the other important pieces to focus on, like your resume work experience . If you follow these guidelines that I shared, you’ll get more interviews and get noticed by better employers in your job search.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), how artificial intelligence (ai) is changing resume writing, 22 resume bullet point examples that get interviews, are resume writers worth it, finding a job after self employment: tips for resumes, interviews and more, career change interview tips, resume tips and more, how much does a resume writer cost (average price and ranges), walk me through your resume: answer examples, applying for jobs out of state this resume tip can help, how long should a resume be.

Writing a Resume Skills Section: Top Skills to Include & Examples

3 key takeaways

• A resume Skills section breakdown, including what it is and why it's important
• How to determine the right number of resume skills for your experience
• The best way to build a resume Skills section with Teal’s free AI Resume Builder

There's an art to creating an impactful resume Skills section that grabs attention and helps you stand out.

TL; DR? A great Skills section should focus on specific abilities tailored to the job you're applying for. Think: technical capabilities, tools, software, or specialized training relevant to the position. This approach is more effective than listing all your skills because it demonstrates how your qualifications align with a job's requirements.

So, where do you start? And how do you simplify this process to save time and maximize impact?

Ready to build a free resume Skills section in minutes? Try Teal now !

Anatomy of a resume Skills section

The Skills section of your resume is a dedicated place to list soft and hard skills relevant to the role you're applying for. 

Hard skills refer to specific technical skills or measurable abilities learned through on-the-job experience or education. Things like:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting

In contrast, resume soft skills are more subjective and relate to personal attributes around how you interact with others. For example:

• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Cross-functional collaboration

The importance of a  skills section on your resume

While you should always incorporate both types of skills in every section of your resume, a dedicated resume Skills section will help you:

• Clarify experience,  making it easy for prospective employers to see your qualifications quickly.
• Optimize for ATS searches  by including relevant keywords.
• Complement your work history  with   a detailed view of the skills that underpin your professional experiences and achievements.
• Improve readability,  breaking up text with a clear, easy-to-read resume section.
• Highlight technical proficiency  by   showcasing   your expertise in relevant software, tools, or methodologies.
• Differentiate yourself  from other job seekers who have similar experiences but may not showcase their skills as effectively.

Classifying skills on a resume

Before you begin writing resume Skills sections, it's key to understand a few skill types you may have.

Why? Because a variety of skills can help differentiate you from the competition. 

Pro Tip:  Use the free Teal AI Resume Builder to store all of your skills in one place. With Teal you can categorize each skill by type (and toggle them on and off or add new skills whenever you need to!). ‍

Four types of skills for your resume 

Beyond the hard and soft skills, there are other types to consider. Remember, the goal is to present a balanced view of your experience.

Including a range of skills that align with the job description helps to show your qualifications comprehensively.

Soft skills

Hard skills, transferable skills, industry-specific skills.

Soft skills are also called interpersonal skills or people skills. These non-technical abilities relate to how you interact with others and approach work.

Interpersonal skills examples

• Leadership skills: delegation, empathy, mentoring
• Communication skills: conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, active listening
• Organizational skills: time management, goal setting, attention to detail

Hard skills on a resume are quantifiable and teachable abilities you've gained through formal education, training, or certifications. (Things like data analysis, social media marketing, proficiency in a foreign language, or computer programming.) 

Hard skills examples

• Data analysis: data visualization, forecasting, statistics
• Social media management: TikTok, Google Analytics, community management
• Product management: market research, technical writing, UX analysis

Industry-specific skills are those required for a particular field. For instance, Java, Phlebotomy, and Quickbooks fall into this category. 

Examples of industry-specific skills

• Tech software development : debugging, cloud computing, API integration\
• Retail management : merchandise planning, sales forecasting, customer relationship management
• Cybersecurity : threat analysis, network security, encryption techniques

Transferable skills are those that can be applied across various industries and jobs. Often, they're things you learned in one specific role that prepare you for success in another position. (Think verbal communication, customer service skills, active listening, and time management.) Many transferable skills are also considered soft skills. 

Some of the most common transferable skills are business skills. Business skills encompass a wide range of valuable abilities across industries—particularly in roles that involve decision-making, strategy, and interaction with clients or stakeholders.

Transferable skills examples:

• Leadership skills: team motivation, strategic decision-making, conflict resolution
• Communication skills : active listening, presentation, non-verbal communication
• Sales and negotiation skills : market analysis, client acquisition, deal closure
• Project management skills: resource allocation, timeline management, risk assessment

How to include transferable skills on a resume

Once you clearly understand which transferable skills align with your experience, you can incorporate them by showcasing how you used them to create impact.

For example, let's say you're transitioning from growth marketing to product marketing; you could highlight an achievement like this:

Drove a 40% increase in product sign-ups by optimizing marketing funnels and leveraging data analytics, improving product engagement 3x through market understanding.

Unique skills for your resume

In addition to the four primary types of skills, there are also unique skills. Unique skills are even more distinctive. They're more specialized or rare and aren't commonly found in the job market.

Including unique but important skills on your resume can have a significant impact (if they're relevant to the role) because they capture the attention of hiring managers—making you a more memorable candidate.

Whether it's expertise in a niche technology, a rare language, or a specific artistic talent, including these unique skills can increase your chances of landing an interview as long as they're relevant to the job.

How to identify what skills to put in your resume skills section

Determining which skills to include on your resume can be challenging because even with minimal work experience, you've gained a diverse range of skills across different areas. 

Knowing how to choose the best skills for your resume comes down to 3 basic steps. 

Step 1: Brainstorm your skill set 

Before you refine your resume, you should identify all the skills you've gained over your professional journey (Or, if you're a recent graduate, during your academic experience).  

• Review past roles, projects, and impact
• Think about your hobbies and interests
• Consider your education
• Ask for feedback 
• Take an online skills or personality assessment 

Pro Tip: Uncover what skills you actually like to use and where your strengths are by taking Teal's Work Style Assessment , a free career personality quiz, to discover what energizes and drains you.

Step 2: Eliminate irrelevant skills

Once you've brainstormed your skills, the next step is to carefully evaluate and eliminate any skills irrelevant to the job or industry you want.

While some skills (like your ability to fly a drone or your deep knowledge of the coonhound psyche) might be impressive, if they don't directly contribute to the type of role you're seeking, it's best to leave them out. 

Step 3: Align your skills with job descriptions

Finally, once you have a refined list of skills, save them all in one central location. (Teal's free AI Resume Builder is a great place to do this.) Then, it's time to tailor them to each role you're applying for. 

While specific skills for each job are going to vary, it can be helpful to see a few examples of how they're listed in a job description:

• Marketing: execute marketing campaigns, increase brand awareness, generate leads
• Software: design and maintain software applications, meet user needs
• Data science: develop machine-learning algorithms, support strategic initiatives

To tailor your skills the right way, you’re going to have to:

• Examine the job description of the position you're interested in. What are the top skills the hiring manager or recruiter is looking for? Organization skills? Airtable? Miro? Written communication skills? Critical thinking skills?
• Look for important keywords and phrases. For example, words like Python, writing skills, critical thinking, analytical skills, data analysis, problem-solving, adaptability, SEO, etc.
• Compare these keywords with the key skills you've identified, and make sure you incorporate them throughout each section to demonstrate impact (how you used them) and in your dedicated Skills section. (And you’re going to do this for every application!) 

The Teal AI Resume Builder compares the skills from the job description to the skill set in your resume with a Match Score tool. Match Score grades your content so you're never left guessing about how your skills stack up against a job. 

You want your resume score to be as close to 80% as possible. (You can incorporate more skills and keywords from a job description into your content to improve your score.)

How to create the skills section on a resume

Now that you understand how to identify your relevant skills, let's get into how to write a resume Skills section with some best practices and tips for layout, formatting, and how many skills to list on a resume (like, actually). 

• Choose the right skills : Select skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Review the job description carefully and match your skills to the requirements outlined by the employer.
• Categorize your skills : Group similar skills together to make the section more organized and easier for the reader to scan. For example, you can categorize skills into software, certifications, or tools.
• Be specific:  Instead of listing generic skills like "communication tools," list the tool name, ie. "Loom, Zoom, Slack."
• Use keywords from the job description : Incorporate keywords from the job description that show your skills align with what the employer is looking for.
• Limit the number of skills : Aim to balance showcasing a wide range of skills and keeping your list concise.

How to format skills on a resume

To build a dedicated Skills section for a chronological resume, you should incorporate it near the bottom. (A chronological resume format presents your work experience in reverse chronological order—listing your work history, starting with your most recent position and moving backward.)

Your resume sections should look something like this: 

• Contact Information
• Target Title
• Professional Summary 
• Work Experience
• Certifications
• Optional – Projects – Awards and Scholarships – Volunteering and Leadership – Publications

If you want to create a Skills section for a functional resume (only recommended if you're transitioning careers or industries or if you've been out of the workforce for some time), incorporate your Skills section as your work experience.

How many skills to list on a resume

Striking the right balance between showcasing relevant skills and avoiding a lengthy list can seem tricky; Teal Director of Talent Mike Peditto says:

"While there isn't a magic number of skills, a long list can become overwhelming and take focus away from the top skills needed for a job. Focus on the skills that appear early and often throughout the job description. Here, you'll likely find the top 5-8 skills the job is asking for, above all else."

How to describe skills on a resume

Even with a dedicated Skills section on your resume, providing concrete examples of how those skills were instrumental in your success is what makes your claims credible. 

When it comes to describing those top 5-8 skills Peditto highlights:

"These 5-8 skills are the ones you want to highlight not only in a Skills section but in other sections, too, by showing how you've used them. Specific examples offer recruiters and hiring managers concrete proof of what you can do, which is much more effective than simply listing them in the Skills section."

Skills in a professional summary

In your professional summary, you could highlight your communication skills in combination with your hard project management skills by saying something like:

 "As a highly motivated and results-oriented marketing generalist, I have a proven track record in project management, delivering a 20% increase in team productivity through effective communication strategies and streamlined task allocation."

Skills in work experience

In your Work Experience section, you should write resume bullet points that highlight specific hard skills. Let's say you have skills in MySQL and performance optimization and you used them in tandem with your soft skills like team leadership. A resume bullet point could look like this:

"Led a team of 3 to implement an optimized database schema using MySQL and performance optimization, reducing query response times by 40%."

In either situation, use strong action verbs on your resume to convey a sense of movement and impact.

Example of a resume skills section

In your resume's skills section, organizing skills by type improves readability.

For example, categorize your skills into groups like "Technical Proficiency," "Communication Tools," or "Tech Stack." Under each category, use bullets or list relevant skills.

This layout not only highlights your strengths in a structured manner but also allows recruiters to identify your key competencies in specific areas quickly.

Resume Skills section best practices

Now that you know how to create a resume Skills section, here are some best practices for getting it right every time.

• Relevance is key: Ensure that the hard and soft skills you include are directly relevant to the job you are applying for. 
• Be specific and honest: Only provide accurate information about your key skills and avoid exaggeration. 
• Use keywords : Incorporate relevant keywords from the job description in your Skills section and other resume sections. 

Your resume Skills section and honesty

Even though you want to list skills that are relevant and align with a job description as closely as possible, sometimes, you might fall short. And that's okay.

Here's the thing: you only want to apply for roles where you meet at least 70% of the qualifications. Why? Because you want to be capable, competent, and successful in the position you land. 

Exaggerating or lying about skills on your resume can have severe consequences, like being disqualified from consideration. Or, if you claim to have skills you don't, you may find yourself in a position where you can't perform.

Create your Skills section with Teal

Strategically writing a resume Skills section with a variety of abilities is vital to your job search.

Incorporating a mix throughout your resume and in a dedicated Skills section will give a prospective employer a clear and holistic view of your qualifications. 

But creating this section doesn’t have to be time-consuming. 

With the free Teal AI Resume Builder , you can save all of your skills and then add and remove specific ones based on the role you’re applying for. (You can also move your Skills section to any position in your resume with a drag-and-drop editor.) 

Then, leverage tools like Job Description Keywords and Match Score to see how your entire resume compares to the language of the job description!

Sign up for Teal for free today to get started .

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best skills to put on a resume.

The best skills to include on a resume are those specific to the job you're applying for, including both hard and soft skills that align with the job description. Focus on skills that demonstrate your qualifications for the position. Want to find the top skills for any job? Try Teal's Job Description Keyword Finder .

How can I describe my skills on a resume?

Describe your skills on a resume by giving concrete examples of how you've applied them in past roles or projects, showcasing the impact and value they brought to your work.

How many skills should I list on my resume?

There isn't a definitive number of skills to list on a resume, but it's recommended to focus on the top 5-8 skills that are most relevant and frequently mentioned in the job description to avoid overwhelming the reader.

What skills should I not put on my resume?

Avoid listing skills on your resume that are irrelevant to the job you're applying for or that don't contribute to the type of role you're seeking. Keep your skills list focused and relevant to the job.

Do employers want to see soft skills on a resume?

Yes, employers value soft skills on a resume, as they show how you interact and work with others. Include a mix of hard and soft skills along side metrics and impact to present a balanced view of your capabilities in relation to the role.

If you need help identifying which soft skills to include, Teal's Job Description Keyword Finder can help you tailor the right soft skills for every role.

Kayte Grady

Related articles.

How to Choose a Career in 4 Steps [Tips + Tools]

How to Find a Job You Love [Tips + Template]

Enhancv Review: Ratings & User Feedback

Reference Letter vs Recommendation Letter: What’s the Difference? [Examples]

We help you find the career dream.

The 12 Best Skills to Put on Your Resume (Plus Examples)

S kills can make or break your resume. They should match the jobs you're applying for and show recruiters that you can succeed at their companies.

Sometimes companies will use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that automatically scan resumes and forward the best matches to hiring managers. Whether a human or a computer is looking over your resume, it pays to have a robust set of skills.

Below, we'll cover some skills to put on your resume, the difference between soft and hard skills and the best ways to highlight skills when communicating about your work experience:

The 12 Best Skills to Put on a Resume

Putting the right skills on your resume signals your readiness for the jobs you apply for. Almost anyone can develop these, regardless of professional background—they're huge green flags for recruiters.

1. Adaptability

Change is the only constant in business, according to Mark Cuban . The skills you develop when you start a job may not be relevant in five years, even if you're still in the same position.

Companies want employees who can adapt to changing times. Demonstrating that on your resume shows employers that you're a good long-term investment.

2. Attention to Detail

Anyone can do sloppy work. Having attention to detail means spotting the little mistakes before they become big problems.

Calling out your attention to detail on your resume sets you apart as someone who will sweat the small stuff and pursue excellence in every part of your job.

3. Communication

Virtually every job involves some amount of communication . Are you a software engineer who just wants to code? You still have to talk to clients about their needs.

Eyeballing a management role ? You'll need to successfully communicate with direct reports to give feedback and achieve team goals.

Talking about your communication skills on your resume, including listening, presentation and writing skills, shows you know how to work with others. You can also mention your communication style to make sure you're a good fit for a company's culture.

4. Creativity

The best employees are not just cogs in a machine. They stand out by thinking outside the box and offering creative new solutions to their company's problems.

But creativity doesn't necessarily mean you're artistic. If you're an analyst, it could mean drawing novel conclusions from data. If you're a manager, it could mean finding interesting new ways to engage your team.

Including creativity as a skill on your resume shows employers that you can offer value beyond the job description.

5. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is your ability to find solutions beyond the obvious. Good critical thinkers can get to the "why" behind a problem, anticipate future problems and elevate the quality of work their teams produce.

Putting critical thinking on your resume takes your skills to the next level. It also speaks to your independence—you come up with solutions on your own, rather than relying on others.

6. Customer Service

Many jobs require some sort of customer service element. Salespeople or project managers talk to customers, helping them get exactly what they're looking for. Other workers, like copywriters or data engineers, may still meet with customers to speak to their area of expertise and demonstrate the viability of their company's work.

Don't take customer service skills for granted. They're valuable in almost any position.

7. Digital Skills

Most office jobs require basic computer literacy. Employers expect employees to know how to open computer and phone applications, send emails and sometimes use video call tools like Teams or Zoom . Being digitally literate can mean knowing when to send a quick chat vs. a long email .

These skills are absolutely worth listing on your resume, especially if you have experience with specific software or tools common in your industry.

8. Leadership

Leadership is your ability to get your team to work together toward a shared goal. It's not just important for managers—individual contributors can communicate better if they have strong leadership skills. ICs can also use leadership skills to take charge when their teams are confused and get the job done.

Putting leadership skills on your resume identifies you as someone who can bring order to a complicated workplace. It also sets you up as potential management material —someone worthy of future internal promotions at a company.

9. Organization

Many jobs require you to juggle several tasks. Organization is your ability to keep everything together, even when you have multiple deadlines or you're working for clients with very different expectations.

Highlighting your organizational skills puts you forward as a candidate who can perform the full range of job responsibilities without getting lost.

10. Problem-Solving

Good problem solvers can take projects from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. They can also spot solutions that aren't obvious, making them invaluable to their employers.

Setting yourself up as a problem-solver makes you an excellent candidate for almost any job since this skill is so widely used.

11. Teamwork

Teamwork is your ability to function well with your immediate coworkers, but also with other teams you may encounter. It's more than just good communication; it includes good social skills and compassion for others.

Listing teamwork as a skill on your resume shows that you're ready to work in a bustling company where you're one part of a bigger whole.

12. Time Management

Many employers want things done yesterday. That's not always possible, but good time managers offer the next best thing: work that's done well and finished as soon as possible.

Introducing yourself as a good time manager shows that you'll finish tasks before they're due. That's something hiring managers love to see.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills on Your Resume

Hard skills are what you do. Soft skills are how you get it done. Good resumes include both.

Soft Skills for Your Resume

Soft skills are non-technical aspects of work, like being a good communicator or managing your time wisely. They're relevant everywhere.

According to data from LinkedIn, 92 percent of professionals say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills.

"Soft skills are often what set one candidate apart from another with similar technical qualifications," Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, told Newsweek . "Employers look for candidates who not only have the required hard skills but also possess the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work well with others and fit into the company culture."

The introduction of artificial intelligence in the workplace may only improve the value of soft skills.

"While AI will automate certain tasks and change the nature of work, it will also place a premium on soft skills that are uniquely human," Schawbel said. "Soft skills related to creativity, emotional intelligence, ethics, collaboration, and adaptability will continue to be highly valuable in the AI-augmented workplace, enabling individuals to work alongside AI systems effectively and ethically."

Hard Skills for Your Resume

Hard skills refer to technical knowledge that you can spend months or even years developing. These are the things you learn in specialized degree programs and job training. Connecting a website to a database, operating a complex piece of machinery and balancing a quarterly budget are all hard skills.

Most jobs require certain hard skills. You wouldn't apply to be a video editor without some knowledge of editing software and techniques.

Companies may teach some hard skills on the job. For example, teaching new salespeople how to use their unique customer relationship management (CRM) software. However, most careers require hard skills that you learn elsewhere, either in school, training or an entry-level job .

How to List Skills on Your Resume

There are two sides to listing skills on your resume: the skills you include and how you express them.

Schawbel recommends creating a dedicated "Skills" section on your resume. List hard and soft skills there.

Next, Schawbel says to back up your soft skills with specific examples from your work experience. Did you demonstrate leadership when you took command of a flailing project at your last job? Write that down, using keywords that highlight those skills like "leadership" or "teamwork." Your work experience is evidence of your skills.

Remember that recruiters and hiring managers read hundreds of resumes. You want to present your highlights without going on and on about yourself. Schawbel recommends starting each bullet point in your resume with action verbs to quickly demonstrate your skills to an employer. Use language like:

• "Collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to deliver budget analyses."
• "Wrote marketing emails that increased product engagement by 130 percent over six months."
• "Managed construction projects across multiple sites with 15 direct reports."

Stand out by presenting a different version of your resume for each new job you apply for. Tailor your skill list for each new position by looking at the job's duties and responsibilities.

If you're applying for a management position, include your leadership skills and the times you used them. Otherwise, consider leaving those off the resume and highlighting other skills.

Skills Section Examples by Job Type

Here are some examples of possible skill sections for jobs in multiple industries and experience levels. Use these as starting points to think about skills on your resume. However, you should always look at job descriptions to see exactly what skills to include.

Copywriters write content for videos, emails and other marketing collateral. They try to persuade readers or listeners to buy the product or service they're highlighting.

Hard Skills:

• Copywriting
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing

Soft Skills:

• Attention to detail

Data Scientist

Data scientists explore massive data sets with advanced mathematics and computer models. They work with business managers to produce actionable insights from raw data.

• Data analysis
• Data visualization
• Machine learning
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Organization

Nurses perform a range of tasks in hospitals and other health care settings. The exact skills they need depend on their medical subfield and the type of institution they work for.

• Medical knowledge
• Medical technology
• Nursing ethics
• Patient education
• Workplace safety
• Adaptability
• Time management

Project Manager

Project managers organize work across multiple teams. They often bridge the gap between individual contributors and clients or other stakeholders. They keep projects on time and within budget.

• Negotiation
• Project management
• Technical writing

Retail Sales Associate

Retail sales associates sell items, maintain the sales floor and assist customers. This is an entry-level position, but it can be an excellent opportunity to build skills.

• Basic mathematics
• CRM or point of sale (POS) software
• Inventory management
• Customer service

Frequently Asked Questions

Still not sure what skills to put on your resume? Here we tackle some common questions.

How Many Skills Should I Put on My Resume?

You want enough skills on your resume to impress recruiters without wasting their time.

"Aim for a list of 5 to 10 key skills. This allows you to emphasize your most critical qualifications without overwhelming the reader," Schawbel says.

Should I Format My Resume for an ATS?

Don't try to write your resume for a computer. It's a myth that most applications are rejected by automated systems—HR workers read most resumes and make decisions based on their merits.

Make things easier for recruiters by organizing information well on your resume. Include a dedicated skills section and describe your work experience directly and efficiently, with callouts to the skills you've listed.

Should I Change the Skills Section for Each Job Application?

Yes. It's a good idea to write a resume draft and then modify that draft slightly for each new job application.

Be sure to mention skills that appear in the job description. Cut mentions of skills that aren't relevant to the position, so that you don't waste recruiters' time.

What Skills Should I List if I Have No Work Experience?

Without work experience, you still have life and school. Draw up a list of transferable skills you've developed throughout your life and use those on your resume.

You should have several soft skills. If you had a leadership position in school, for example, list leadership, communication and teamwork skills.

Transferable soft skills aren't always obvious, but if you put some thought into your activities you should come up with a good list. For example, practicing a musical instrument alongside school demonstrates good time management, attention to detail and creativity.

Should I Add Certifications or Trainings?

Yes. Certifications and training are outside proof of your competence in skills. They can set you apart from other candidates who don't have that kind of evidence on their resumes.

Can I List Skills That I'm Still Learning?

Yes. Feel free to list skills where you're a beginner.

Some professionals label skills with their experience level, such as "beginner," "intermediate" or "advanced."

You can also describe your experience level in your work experience. For example:

• "Learned the core functions of our company's CRM system."
• "Wrote advanced web applications with JavaScript for five years."

Once you have your resume in good condition, you can start thinking about cover letters . Then you can learn more about finding your next opportunity with our review of the best job search apps .

Related Articles

• Job Applicant's 20-Word Resume Stuns Internet: 'Straight to the Point'
• Most Commonly Misspelled Words on American CVs Revealed
• Recruitment Expert Shares 'Tip' Guaranteed To Land Grads Their Dream Job

Start your unlimited Newsweek trial

10 Essential Resume Sections in 2024 [W/ Layout Tips]

Have you ever thought of what one can do in 7 seconds? Probably not much, right? That’s not even enough for an elevator ride!

Well, turns out that’s exactly how much time recruiters spend skimming over a resume before deciding if the applicant’s to be considered or not. 

In those 7 seconds, you have to convince the recruiter that your resume is relevant and they should read the rest of it.

So - how can you make that happen?

Well, you need to use the right resume sections, and fill in the contents the best way possible.

And in this article, we’re going to teach you all about how to do that! 

• What are the essential resume sections and categories
• How to order resume sections according to your career level
• How to best structure each section and section entry
• 5+ Resume structure tips (to help you along the way!)

There’s a lot to learn, so let’s get started right away!

What to Include In Your Resume - 10 Essential Resume Sections

Some resume sections you really can’t argue on & there’s a place for them on every single resume out there:

Your resume should and must include the following:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary/Objective
• Work Experience

After you’ve made sure you have all of the above, depending on your professional level or job position, you can include any of the following optional sections :

• Extracurricular Activities

Volunteering Experience

Hobbies & interests.

Since (in most cases) your resume should not go over one page, you want to be strategic about which optional sections to include.

Typically, you should go for the ones that are most relevant to the position you are applying for. E.g. If you're applying for a role in customer support, a languages section would be the most helpful.

How to Order Your Resume Sections

Depending on your level of work experience, you’d want to order your resume sections differently.

If you’re a recent graduate, for example, you’d want to put more emphasis on your education and skills than work experience.

In this section, we’re going to teach you how to correctly order your resume structure , starting with:

#1. Reverse-Chronological Resume Structure

The reverse-chronological resume format is the most popular resume structure in 2024.

It emphasizes the applicant’s work experience and skills, so it’s the go-to for most professionals. 

The entries are listed in reverse-chronological order - hence the name - which makes it easy for recruiters to follow. 

If you’re using this structure, you’d list the sections in this order:

• Resume Summary or Objective
• Optional Sections

Which usually looks like this:

#2. Recent Graduate Resume Structure

As a recent graduate , you usually don’t have an extensive work experience history. 

Instead, your skills and extracurriculars will be the main focus of your resume. 

This calls for a totally different structure from the reverse-chronological one, with the sections being ordered as follows:

• Work Experience (if applicable)

Which looks like this on a resume: 

#3. Career Change Resume Structure

Career change resume structure is a bit more complicated. 

While you do have work experience, it’s not actually relevant for the jobs you’re applying for.

So, what does that mean in terms of resume structure?

We recommend structuring your resume as follows: 

• Optional Sections/Education
• Education/Optional Sections 

Which looks like:

How to Fill In Your Resume Sections - Our X+ Top Tips

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s deep-dive into each of these sections and teach you how to get them right!

Starting with:

#1. Contact Information

Starting off your resume, right at the top of the page is the Contact Information section . 

Despite the positioning, you’d think the section is at the bottom of the list of important sections. Wrong!

Sure, the education and work experience sections are the stars of the resume, but what happens if you’ve given the wrong contact information and the recruiter can’t contact you? 

You see the importance of the section now, right?

It’s crucial that you double - no, triple-check everything. 

It’s also important that you are professional about what you’re writing down in the contacts section. 

If your email address looks something like [email protected] well… you better create a new one along the lines of [email protected] .

Moving onto the content of the section, here’s what you should mention:

• First & Last Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Location - city and country only
• Job Title/Professional Title
• LinkedIn Profile (Optional)
• Social Media (Optional)

Only include social media profiles if they are relevant to the position you are applying for. 

For example, as a developer, you can link to your GitHub or StackOverflow to show off your projects. 

Or as a writer, you can link to your personal blog or portfolio.

If you’re debating on whether to include a photo or not, your location and industry should be taken into consideration. Before making a decision, read all about it in our article on including photos in a resume or CV . 

#2. Resume Summary or Objective 

Part of a resume’s header, right under the contact information section, goes your resume summary or objective. 

First things first, let’s talk about what a summary and objective is and when it’s best to use one or the other. 

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence rundown of your professional career that highlights your top achievements and skills. It’s typically used by professionals with plenty of relevant work experience in the field they are applying to work in. 

• “Digital marketing professional with 5+ years of experience. Managed over 20 Google Ads accounts for small to medium-sized business, with a total budget of over $200,000 per month. ”

Struggling with writing your own resume summary? Just use our tried-and-tested formula! 

[Years of Experience] + [Profession/Field] . [Top Skills and Experiences] . [Top 1-2 Professional Achievements]

A resume objective on the other hand is a 2-4 sentence introduction to your skills and career goals (as opposed to work experience) and aims to explain why you’re a good candidate for the position. 

The resume objective is usually used by recent graduates or career changers, as it has more focus on skills rather than experiences.

Over the last few years, resume objectives are being used less and less. If you do choose to include one, however, here’s what it should look like:

• “Accounting and Finance B.A. graduate with experience in financial data analysis and auditing from an internship in one of the “Big Four” firms. Looking for an entry-level Financial Analyst position to expand my skill set kickstart my career in corporate finance.”

How to get such a resume objective structure? Simply follow this formula:

[Your Background] + [Desired Position] . [Top Job-Relevant Skills] . [Other Work Experiences]

#3. Work Experience

It’s time to talk about the #1 section recruiters refer to when evaluating your application - the work experience section.

As far as its positioning on a resume, the section typically comes right after the contact information section and resume objective/summary. 

This changes for applicants with no work experience who’d substitute the section with something else altogether. 

Moving onto the structure, each entry for your work experience resume section should look like the following:

• Job Title and Position
• Company Name (include a brief description of the company if it’s foreign or not well-known)
• Dates of Employment
• Achievements or Responsibilities

Once filled out, here’s what the section should look like:

Lastly, content-wise, the most important tip to keep in mind is to talk about achievements instead of responsibilities . 

Why? Well, the tasks for a specific job position are generally the same among companies.

An accountant at Company A has the same duties as an accountant at Company B. Their achievements, however, probably differ a lot. 

For example, instead of writing something generic like:

• “Prepared financial reports”

You’ll have more success with specific achievements like:

• “Spotted and fixed tax-reporting errors, saving the company over $150,000. ”

A crucial thing to remember when it comes to selecting work experiences is picking the ones relevant to the job position. 

Not only that, but you also need to be mindful of the wording you use. Everything should hint at you being the right fit for the job.

To help you tailor your resume to the job position, go over the job posting itself, find what requirements they are looking for, and implement those into your resume using the same keywords and expressions. 

You can check out all the details on how to do that effectively in our article on the work experience section . 

#4. Education

Typically right after the work experience section comes education.

In reverse-chronological order, list your education and format each entry according to this structure:

• Program Name
• University Name
• Years Attended
• GPA (Optional)
• Honors (Optional)
• Academic Achievements (Optional)
• Minor (Optional)

On a resume, that would look as follows:

And here are some of our top tips on making your education resume section as compelling as possible:

• First, you should consider mentioning your GPA only if it’s very impressive (3.5 and above). Keep in mind, though, that this section is optional for a reason. Recruiters don’t really care about GPAs, as they’re not a good indicator of career success. A senior vice president of people operations at Google even claimed that GPAs are “ worthless as criteria for hiring ”.
• Don’t include your high school diploma if you’ve already mentioned your university education - the recruiter doesn’t care where you studied for high school if you have higher education.
• If there are any interesting papers you’ve written or advanced courses related to the field, feel free to mention them.

If you’re looking for some more tips and tricks on this section, have a look at our article on how to list education on a resume .

The skills section easily makes it into the top 3 most important sections in your resume and is usually positioned before or after the education section. 

By going over a concise list of skills, the recruiter can quickly get a glimpse of what you can do. 

You can also provide your level of expertise next to each skill by using the following scale:

• Beginner - You have some knowledge and experience with the skill.
• Intermediate - You have a good level of understanding of the skill and have previously used it in a work environment.
• Advanced - You’re fully competent in the skill, have used it extensively at work, and can coach other employees on it as well.
• Expert - You’ve used this skill on plenty of occasions in different projects and organizations. Your coworkers and even other professionals in the field can go to you for advice on the skill.

As you probably guessed, your skills should be tailored to the position and industry you are applying in. 

If you’re applying for a job in finance, for example, the recruiter won’t really care about your skills in Adobe Illustrator.

One thing we do recommend doing despite the industry, however, is including more hard skills than soft skills . 

Hard skills are those gained through work experience or education. They’re technical knowledge that directly helps you do your job. Think software skills, coding languages, accounting, etc. 

Soft skills , on the other hand, are attributes that mostly refer to behavior, communication, and how you work. They’re gained from life experiences and apply to your job indirectly. They can be skills like creativity, teamwork, or problem-solving.

While companies prefer their employees to have people-oriented soft skills, they don’t actually expect to see these skills on a resume.

See, every other job-seeker lists skills like “teamwork,” “critical thinking,” and the like on their resume (regardless of whether they have the skill or not).

This completely devalues the skill, and recruiters don’t even pay any attention to them.

If you’re struggling with finding the right combination of skills to mention on your resume, you can look for inspiration in our list of 101+ essential skills .

#6. Optional Sections

Depending on the job position and, of course, if you have enough space left in your resume, you can add any of the following optional sections. 

Are they game-changers? Not really, no one’s going to hire you as a senior developer because you know French, or as a creative writer because you play Dungeons & Dragons.

These resume sections, however, allow you to stand out from other qualified candidates. 

The recruiter is more likely to hire someone, for example, who has a lot of hobbies than someone with no interests.

So, without further ado, the optional resume sections are as follows:

You never know when someone with language knowledge might come in handy at the office, so employers are very much interested in applicants with diverse language skills. 

An extra language gives you an advantage over other applicants with a similar background so if you have one or more, do include them in your resume.  

Hobbies and interests can say a lot about you, so if you’re going to mention them in your resume, carefully select ones that put you in the best light.

These would be hobbies that are relevant to the job position and emphasize your interest and skills in the field. For example, if you’re applying for a copywriting gig, you could mention an interest in D&D as it shows creativity.

Alternatively, you can simply include the section to fill up the remaining space in your resume. 

While these hobbies won’t get you hired, you might find out you have something in common with your potential team leader!

Volunteer work is always an impressive experience to add to your resume, especially if the company where you’re applying has “giving” as an important part of their company culture.

They show that you’re passionate about your beliefs and are willing to take action to pursue them. 

Quite often, they can also count as work experience and help you stand out if you’re a recent graduate with no work experience.

Structure-wise, each entry should follow this logic:

• Name of the organization
• Time period
• Relevant tasks and achievements

Certifications & Awards

A little flex can never hurt your resume, so if you have any certifications or awards that testify to your skills, this is the right section to put them under. 

For each entry provide:

• Name of Award/Certification

You can even provide a very short description of what the certification or award is about or what it represents in the industry.

Do you have any practical projects you worked on during college? Maybe your thesis?

Or maybe a side project that you work on in your free time, like a game or a blog?

If yes, you should include a “projects” section to make sure they’re noticed and appreciated! 

This will add valuable points to your application as it shows you’re a naturally curious individual and a self-starter. 

On top of leaving a good impression and showing off your skills, recruiters sometimes also consider your experience with a project as work experience.

Meaning, this can really help you stand out if you’re a recent graduate.

For your projects section, format each entry like you would with your work experiences and include a bulleted list with the project’s key features. More specifically:

• Project name
• Project type
• Related organization
• Relevant responsibilities and achievements

Extracurricular Activities 

If you’re a recent graduate, this section can be one of your main selling points.

Extracurricular activities, like participation in university clubs and societies, show the recruiter you’re an active and engaged person that went beyond their academics. 

It can also emphasize your skill-set. E.g. If you've organized events or conferences for a university club, it means that you can work in a team and are organized.

As with work experiences, you should write down your position, the name of the club/organization you worked for, and a shortlist of your achievements. 

5+ Resume Structure Tips

Now you know what the must-have and optional sections for a resume are, what to write in each of them, and how to order them to your advantage. 

You almost have it all. 

There are a few more tips you need to know for a 5-star resume structure and we’re going to tell you just what they are. 

Take notes and remember to:

• Stick to one page . Unless you’re a senior professional with decades of relevant work experience, there’s no excuse for you to have a longer resume. If you’re struggling with keeping at one page, use one of our one-page resume templates .
• Tailor everything to the job position. From the sections you choose to the achievements listed in your work experience, everything should be relevant and help convince the recruiter that you fit right into the job.
• Separate your sections with blank spaces or lines to make sure they are distinguishable. This also gives your resume a clean and organized look that helps the recruiter easily go over everything.
• Use easy-to-read fonts and keep them concise throughout the resume. This means formatting all the section headings uniformly and doing the same with the text under them.
• To give yourself some more space , you can narrow down the page margins. Be mindful to not overdo it, however. You risk ending up with an awkward-looking resume.
• The same warning applies to font size . Choose one small enough to give you space, but big enough to be easily readable.

Want to avoid all the hassles of formatting your resume & working on the structure? Use an online resume builder! All you have to do is pick a resume template & the builder will take care of the rest. 

Key Takeaways

And that was it on resume sections and structure!

At this point, you should know everything you need to create a compelling resume & land the job. 

Now, to make sure everything sticks, let’s do a quick recap of the most important learning points:

• The must-have resume sections are: Contact Information, Resume Summary or Objective, Work Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Based on your profile and job position, you can pick between these optional sections : Languages, Hobbies and Interests, Volunteering Experience, Certifications and Awards, Projects, or Extracurricular Activities.
• Different career levels need to give priority to different sections and order their resume accordingly . Students with little to no experience should place skills and extracurricular activities first. Professionals should emphasize work experience and skills. Career changers should give priority to skills, and then talk about previous experiences.
• Make sure all sections and the information in them are tailored to the position you’re applying for.
• Keep things concise and relevant so you don’t go past the one-page length limit .

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

Protect your data

This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.

• Resume and Cover Letter
• 7 best time management skills...

7 best time management skills on a resume (with examples)

10 min read · Updated on April 22, 2024

Show hiring managers you're the reliable professional they're seeking

Are you the sort of employee who feels in control, knowing that your deadlines will be met, your desk will be cleared at the end of the day, and your records are always up to date? Or are you the type to panic at the last minute, thriving under the pressure of getting things done but usually running late and leaving your colleagues wondering if your part of the project will ever be completed? 

Yes, we're talking about the importance of time management skills here. In this post, we'll look at why time management skills on your resume are important to employers and which are most in demand. We'll also share how to include time management skills on your own resume and provide some examples so that you can get it right. Let's dive in.

Why are time management skills important on a resume?

Employers want staff who can work efficiently and complete their tasks on time, every time. Whether you're applying for the sort of role that demands the ability to meet major project deadlines or the sort of role that requires you to stay on top of a busy workload, you need to show you're up to the job. That means showing off your time management skills on your resume, so that employers know from the start that you're a reliable employee who can keep up with the demands of the role. 

What are the best time management skills on a resume? 

If you think it's as easy as scribbling “time management” into a skills list on your resume, think again. Let's take a look at some of the most desirable examples of time management skills for your resume and examine how you can incorporate these professional skills  into your own job search document. 

1. Prioritization

Are you the kind of person who can't see the wood for the trees? If you have a to-do list as long as your arm, it's easy to get bogged down carrying out less-important tasks at the expense of the more critical ones. Rather than starting at the top of the list and working down, the employee with strong prioritization skills has the clarity to identify what needs to be done now and what can be saved for later.

2. Planning

Being able to plan ahead and schedule work is a valued and valuable skill. Rather than leaving everything to the last minute and rushing tasks in a panic, a planner breaks down tasks into manageable chunks and schedules in the time necessary to complete them to a high standard by the allocated deadline. Whether you're doing this for your personal workload or coordinating tasks across a whole team, this is a great skill to showcase on your resume. 

3. Delegation

Delegation may not seem like a time management skill, but it is! No-one can do everything. Being able to delegate to junior staff, or even to a peer with more expertise in a particular area, means that you can use your time more productively. When everyone can focus on their own contribution, things happen more efficiently and smoothly. 

4. Using technology

There is a vast amount of technology available these days to help us manage our time better. Whether you collaborate with colleagues on Slack, track the time you spend on tasks using Toggl, plan projects in Asana, or use one of the myriad other technologies available, it's worth calling out this tech on your resume. 

5. Meeting deadlines

This is one of the most critical time management skills for your resume. Employees that miss deadlines create work for their colleagues and let down customers. Whether your role depends on meeting regular deadlines, such as in project management , or you just need to submit your expense claims by a certain time each month, it's worth highlighting your ability to succeed here. 

Are you easily distracted? Or worse, does your distraction distract others from their work? If you can zoom in on your task and maintain concentration, that's a highly desirable skill. While everyone needs a break from time to time, employers are looking for someone who can maintain the focus needed to be productive. 

7. Organization

No list of time management skills would be complete without mentioning organization. Rather than trailing chaos in their wake, the organized employee brings together skills in planning, prioritization, and focus to stay in control of their workload and is recognized as a reliable member of the team. 

Where to put time management skills on your resume 

While you don't need to litter your resume with every time management skill we've listed, you'll want to prove that you're a reliable professional who stays in control by using some of the qualities we've mentioned. A scattering of these skills throughout your resume will help to build a positive image of you in the hiring manager's mind, so here's where you can use them:

In the Profile section

The profile is your elevator pitch, that should position you as a candidate of choice in the reader's eyes. That means it needs to show off your best, and most relevant, attributes for the role. If you're an experienced professional, well into your career, time management may not be one of your key selling points - you can mention it later in your resume instead. But for students and recent graduates, soft skills such as time management are likely to be the focus of their resume. In that case for you, feel free to mention one or more of the skills we've mentioned in your profile. 

In the Key Skills section 

The Key Skills (or Core Competencies) section is an obvious place to list some time management skills on your resume. It's wise to include the skills requested in the job posting in this section, so take a moment to scour the advert for keywords you can mirror. Make sure that any skills you list in this section are evidenced elsewhere on your resume. 

In your Professional Experience section 

Your work history is the ideal place to throw in your aptitude for time management, as you'll have the space and flexibility to add some detail. Remember the mantra: show, don't tell! That means proving that you have the skills you claim, by telling a story and quantifying the outcomes, rather than just saying, “Yep, I can do that.” We've got some examples of this below. 

Examples of time management skills on your resume 

Now you know which time management skills are great to include on your resume, and you know where to include them. But some examples would probably help, so that you can understand what's expected and how to include these skills naturally in your Professional Experience section. We aim to please! We've pulled together some time management skills examples for your resume, that you can adapt and use as inspiration. 

Examples of time management skills for students

Consistently handed in assignments ahead of deadlines, while balancing the competing demands of studies and a part-time job

Maintained a 100% record of punctuality and attendance

Examples of time management skills for a Project Manager resume

Took over a stalled project and achieved delivery by the original deadline, having re-planned timelines and re-energised the project team

Delivered a complex app development project 2 weeks ahead of schedule by delegating tasks fairly across the team and resolving problems collaboratively 

Examples of time management skills for an Administrator resume 

Developed a logical new filing system that enabled faster retrieval of client documents

Completed monthly reporting on time and with zero errors, due to a natural aptitude for focus and attention to detail 

Examples of time management tasks for an Event Manager resume

Prioritized tasks and set deadlines with suppliers to organize a successful team building event for 100+ delegates 

Built a delivery schedule for a major conference and monitored progress, with positive feedback received from senior executives and speakers

Examples of time management skills for a Content Writer resume

Collaborated with a remote team via Slack to ensure that all required content was produced in line with the monthly schedule

Consistently achieved handover deadlines by taking an organized approach and planning a demanding personal workload 

Examples of time management skills for a Warehouse Manager resume

Improved average despatch time by 35% by creating a more efficient floor layout 

Motivated staff to achieve KPI targets by providing one-to-one training on time management

Examples of time management skills for a Retail Assistant resume

Completed stock takes within the agreed timeframes by taking an organized and logical approach

Increased sales and revenue by prioritizing replenishment of high-margin, fast-selling products

How to explain time management skills in an interview

When it comes to an interview, the same mantra of “show, don't tell” applies. Use the STAR technique to tell the interviewer about a time when you used your time management skills to achieve a positive outcome for the team or the business. Remember the 7 examples of time management we've listed above to identify a particular scenario to discuss. You can find out more about the STAR technique in this post: How to use the STAR approach in a job interview .

How to improve your time management skills 

If you struggle with your time management, it's not the end of the world. There are things you can do to improve this vital soft skill so that you can showcase it proudly on your resume. 

Swallow the frog

This may be a revolting expression, but it boils down to tackling the most unpleasant task first. Once you've done that, you have the rest of the day to work productively on much easier tasks, without the prospect of a difficult or challenging issue hanging over your head to face later. 

Schedule 

One of the most helpful things you can do for your time management is to set a schedule – and stick to it. By prioritizing what needs to be done each day, allocating a reasonable amount of time to it, and checking back in regularly, you'll find yourself flying through your to-do list faster than ever.

Embrace technology 

There's a plethora of apps out there designed to help with time management, it's just a case of finding the one that works for you. A bit of time spent on research now could save you hours in the future. 

Take a break

It may seem counterintuitive, but stopping work can actually make you more productive. Scheduling regular short breaks means that you'll return to the task refreshed and with a clearer mind, meaning you'll finish the work sooner and to a higher standard than if you'd just plowed on through. 

Don't write a to-do list 

Rather than writing a to-do list, write a priority list instead. It will be shorter and more manageable, and crossing items off your priority list will leave you with a sense of accomplishment that will power you through some odd tasks on your nice-to-do-but-not-a-priority list. 

Save time when writing your resume

As we mentioned, delegation is a great time management skill for your resume. Did you know that you can delegate that task too? TopResume has a team of expert writers available to make sure you're putting your best foot forward when you start your job search. 

If you've been organized enough to complete the task yourself, why not send your resume for a free review to make sure you've ticked all the boxes? 

Recommended reading: 

• 10 Ways to Build Awesome Time Management Skills
• The 10 Secrets of Effective Team Management
• 11 Best Administrative Skills for Your Resume (With Examples)

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

Career Advice Newsletter

Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.

Thanks! Career advice is on its way.

Share this article:

Let's stay in touch.

Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.

Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

• Copyright Information

Protect your data

This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.

• Resume and Cover Letter
• 8 best teamwork skills for...

8 best teamwork skills for your resume (with examples)

10 min read · Updated on April 22, 2024

Prove you're the right fit for the team

When hiring managers are looking for the next new member of their team, they're not just looking for someone who can carry out the day-to-day tasks associated with the role. No, they're also looking for someone who will fit well into their team and contribute as a valued part of that unit. 

With that in mind, it will help your job search efforts if you can show on your resume that you know how to be a good team player. In this post, we'll identify the top 8 teamwork skills to put on your resume and look at how and where to include them. We've got some examples, too, so you can understand the best way to show off this important skill. 

The essential skills for teamwork on your resume

Adding teamwork to your resume isn't as simple as throwing in the line “works well independently and in a team.” In fact, we'd strongly recommend you avoid that line! It's generic, overused, and doesn't show how you add value. Instead, try adding some of these skills to show how you can excel in a team environment:

1. Conflict resolution

Unfortunately, conflict is a fact of life - even more so in a work environment, where you're thrown together for hours on end with people you may not choose to associate with otherwise. It's equally true that conflict doesn't make for a very happy or productive team. If you're the type that can step in to diffuse conflict or prevent it from escalating, that's well worth showcasing on your resume. 

2. Giving and receiving feedback

As companies seek continuous improvement in every aspect of their operation, change is necessary. That could mean change on a company, team, or personal level. But once the need for change is identified, it needs to be communicated. Whether you're the person giving or receiving feedback to enable this change, it's important that it's done graciously, fairly, and non-confrontationally. If that's a skill you have in your arsenal, why not weaponize it on your resume?

3. Communication

Communication  is one of the most vital teamworking skills of all! It encompasses a host of other skills, the main ones being speaking, writing and listening. If you can engage with others, convey information articulately, and understand the concerns of colleagues, you can put some very in-demand teamwork skills on your resume. 

4. Delegation

No one can do everything and knowing when to ask for help is a superpower. If you can recognize that someone else in the team may be better placed than you to complete a certain task, it's time to activate your delegation skills. When you can do this, you're well on your way to mastering a key leadership attribute and working your way further up the career ladder. That's not to say it's OK to offload all your work onto others though - that's likely to lead to bad feeling and rapidly crash team morale .

While you may not always agree with your colleagues, showing respect is non-negotiable for team cohesion. The ability to value others' perspectives and treat other people as you'd like to be treated yourself is hugely important in a team environment. If you can successfully work with the quirks of different personalities without provoking conflict, it could be worth letting your future employers know by showcasing it on your resume. 

6. Collaboration

Collaboration is at the heart of teamwork. Being able to work harmoniously with others is a vital teamwork skill for your resume, so make sure you show how you've achieved strong outcomes by working collaboratively either with your team, with other teams across the business, or even with suppliers and partners. 

7. Positivity

There's nothing quite like a moaner for sucking the lifeblood out of a team. You know the type – always on hand with some salacious gossip, a complaint, or a generally negative attitude. They sow discontent, which leads to low morale and is often accompanied by a decrease in productivity. Prove you're not that person by showing off your positive, can-do attitude on your resume.

8. Relationship building

Some people seem to naturally strike up a rapport with others, while some people find it a bit trickier. If you're the type that can make a friend of anyone, you have a great teamwork skill for your resume. Building positive relationships not only improves team harmony, it's also valuable for engaging wider teams such as suppliers, customers and colleagues from other functions. It's easy to see why it's a great teamwork skill on your resume!

Where to show professional teamwork skills on your resume

Now you know which specific teamwork skills are in demand, but how can you show them off on your resume? There are several places where you could consider adding them. 

In the Profile section 

The Profile is the elevator pitch at the top of your resume. In this short paragraph, the aim is to convince the reader that you have the skills and experience required for the vacant role and that it's worth reading your resume in greater depth. Depending on the role, it may be worth highlighting a couple of teamwork skills here. Make sure the skills you select are the ones most relevant to the vacancy and, if possible, frame them as a success that has directly benefited the business. 

In the Key Skills section 

The Key Skills section seems like the ideal place to add teamwork skills, doesn't it? Not so fast! Ideally, this section will be weighted in favor of hard skills - they're the job-specific skills you've acquired throughout your career. While it's OK to include some soft skills here too, remember that a long list isn't particularly engaging to read and limit yourself to keywords that you find in the job advert. 

In the Professional Experience section 

Now we get to the meat of the matter. In the Professional Experience section, you can really show off and emphasize all those amazing teamwork skills on your resume to position yourself as a fantastic addition to any team. You have a bit more space here to give detail and context, so that you're doing more than just saying “I'm a great team player” - you're actually proving it. 

In the Education or Professional Development section 

These sections aren't traditionally used to show off specific skills but, if you're light on work experience, you can expand this section to demonstrate skills you've gained while studying. Perhaps you were part of a team project at university or completed a course in conflict resolution that you could highlight here. 

In the Hobbies and Interests section 

While the Hobbies and Interests section is by no means obligatory, you can use it to show off skills you've developed outside of work. This is particularly handy if you're struggling to add teamwork skills elsewhere on your resume. Sports teamwork skills are great on a resume for students, for example.

How to add teamwork skills on your resume

As with any skill on your resume, the best way to add it is by showing, rather than telling. That means providing concrete examples of when you've used a particular skill - ideally with a positive outcome that benefited the business or the team. Below you'll find some teamwork skills examples, so that you can fully understand how to incorporate them and use them as inspiration for your own document.

Example of teamwork in the Profile section 

A positive and customer-focused Customer Service Assistant, with an extensive knowledge of the railway network. Confident handling delays, cancellations, and security and takes a calm, professional approach to resolving incidents and complaints. Communicates respectfully with colleagues and customers alike to quickly build a rapport. Possesses an in-depth understanding of health and safety requirements and prioritizes customer welfare. 

Example of teamwork in the Key Skills section 

Product Management   |   Stakeholder Communications   |   Conflict Management   |   Analysis   |   Project Management   |   Strategic Thinking   |   Agile Methodology

Examples of teamwork in the Professional Experience section 

Mediated between a Junior Developer and the Team Manager to resolve conflict over processes, listening to both sides and proposing a solution accepted by both parties 

Conducted performance reviews, provided constructive feedback on areas for improvement and offered support and development opportunities to address them

Liaised with teams across the business, communicating persuasively to win their buy-in to new projects and delivering confident presentations to large audiences

Turned around a delayed project by reviewing plans and delegating tasks fairly across the team, achieving delivery 2 days ahead of the original deadline

Led by example to build a cohesive and productive team that respected and valued each other despite having very different personalities

Negotiated a $10,000 cost reduction with a supplier, having collaborated with them to identify and address inefficiencies in the current supply process

Motivated colleagues to complete a complex project on time by adopting a positive, can-do attitude to overcoming challenges

Increased team output by 15% by instilling a sense of common purpose through team-building exercises and optional team social events

Example of teamwork skills in the Education section 

Course: Conflict Management and Resolution, 2024

BSc degree: French and English Literature, University of Alabama, 2023

Gained skills in collaboration and delegation as leader of a group project

Example of teamwork skills in the Hobbies and Interests section 

Soccer player:  Contributed significantly to the team that won the Alabama Youth Cup

PTA member:   Collaborated with other parents to raise $10,000 for the school 

Other words for team working

Of course, you don't want to repeat “teamwork” and “team working” multiple times throughout your resume. Switch up the vocabulary to ensure you're presenting a compelling and engaging read. Try these ideas: 

Collaborating

Communicating

Cooperating

Supporting 

Working together

How to improve your teamwork skills 

Not everyone was born a natural collaborator and not everyone has had the opportunity to contribute to a team before they first hit the job market. If you're looking to develop or improve your teamwork skills, there are plenty of ways to do so.

Understand your role

By fully understanding your role in the team and the role of the team in the wider business, you'll be equipped to fulfill your responsibilities and support others in fulfilling theirs. Hold yourself accountable for completing all your tasks, as they will likely impact other members of the team. 

Stay open minded

Actively seek feedback and act on it. Listen to what others are saying and try to look at issues from their perspective. Accept differences rather than taking a negative attitude. 

Get organized

An organized team member is a reliable team member, so plan, schedule, use apps, and set yourself deadlines to ensure you're not letting anyone down. 

Push yourself

Ask if there are opportunities to contribute to teams beyond your day-to-day role - if a project is looming, you may get the chance to work as part of a different team, with different objectives and different perspectives. Take the opportunity to learn from others and push yourself beyond your comfort zone. 

Teamwork skills on a resume are essential!

Whichever role or industry you're aiming for, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be part of a team – small or large, on-site or remote, traditional or matrix. Therefore, it makes sense that you dedicate a corner of your resume to proving your skills in this area. With our advice, you're now well-placed to make sure your resume demonstrates your excellence in this area. 

If you'd like an expert eye on your resume before you send it out to recruiters and hiring managers, why not submit it for a free, no obligation resume review ?

Recommended reading:

The 10 Secrets of Effective Team Management

11 Best Administrative Skills for Your Resume (With Examples)

How to Create an Effective STAR Method Resume (With Examples)

Related Articles:

How to Add Dean's List on Your Resume + Examples

Past vs. Present Tense on Resumes: Best Practices

How to Add an Internship on a Resume + Examples

See how your resume stacks up.

Career Advice Newsletter

Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.

Thanks! Career advice is on its way.

Share this article:

Let's stay in touch.

Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.

Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

Government agencies communicate via .gov.sg websites (e.g. go.gov.sg/open). Trusted websites Trusted websites

Look for a lock ( ) or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

5 minute read

25 Soft Skills That Will Make Your Resume Stand Out

Are you trying to beef up your resume and showcase the skills that make you the ideal candidate well, look no further here’s a list of over 100 skills for your resume that will make sure potential employers take notice. .

Hard skills like computer programming or data analysis, as well as softer skills such as communication and problem-solving, are all essential components of any professional in today’s job market. We know creating resumes can be difficult and time consuming, so we’ve put together this valuable resource just for you.

Read on to learn more about what makes each skill important, giving you a better understanding of how they’ll help build an impressive resume.

How does your skills play a part in your resume?

Skills are a crucial component of any standout resume, as they significantly showcase your qualifications to potential employers. They highlight your abilities, expertise, and experience in a concise and easy-to-understand way. Employers are constantly looking for candidates with specific skills that match their job requirements. A solid skills list that aligns with the job description can make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to identify your relevant abilities, making you a prime candidate for the position.

Where can you include your skills on your resume?

When crafting your resume, it’s important to showcase your skills clearly and organised. There are several ways to do this – one popular method is to create a dedicated “Skills” section near the top of your resume, where you can list key qualifications relevant to the job you’re applying for. This section can be further organised into categories, such as “Technical Skills” or “Language Proficiency,” depending on what makes the most sense for your industry and field. Additionally, you can integrate your skills into your work experience descriptions, highlighting specific tasks and projects where you utilised those skills.

Take the guesswork out of your career planning with CareersFinder on MyCareersFuture. Gain personalised jobs and skills recommendations tailored to your profile. Try it now!

For recent graduates or those with limited work experience, you can include a section listing relevant coursework and educational achievements to showcase the skills you developed through your studies. Remember to tailor your skills section to each job application and use specific achievements to quantify your skills when possible. By presenting your skills clearly and organised, you increase your chances of catching the hiring manager’s eye and landing your dream job!

What is the difference between soft and hard skills?

There are two main categories of job skills: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are specific abilities that can be taught and measured, often relating to technical proficiency in a specific field. Soft skills, on the other hand, are personal attributes that relate to how you interact with others and navigate a job’s social and emotional aspects.

While hard skills are critical for getting hired, soft skills are just as important for career success and advancement. Soft skills encompass a wide range of personal qualities, such as effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Ultimately, hard and soft skills are important for a well-rounded and successful career. Employers want candidates who not only have the technical qualifications but also possess strong interpersonal and personal qualities that contribute to a positive work environment and the organisation’s overall success.

Soft skills list

Soft skills have become increasingly important in the job market. Below is a comprehensive list of essential soft skills that you can highlight on your resume:

1. Communication

Communication skills refer to an individual’s ability to convey information verbally and in writing clearly. It also involves listening actively, asking questions for clarification, and adapting communication style depending on the audience. Effective communication is essential in the workplace, as it can help build productive relationships, resolve conflicts, and improve teamwork. Good communication skills are particularly vital in customer service and client-facing roles, where positive interactions with clients can impact the business’s success.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork involves the ability to work collaboratively with others towards a common goal. It requires active participation, contribution to group discussions, and a willingness to respect other team members. Effective teamwork skills are crucial to achieving the best workplace results. In a team, individuals with diverse skills and perspectives can collaborate to solve complex problems, share knowledge and ideas, and leverage the strengths of each team member.

3. Adaptability

Adaptability refers to the ability to adjust to changes, unexpected events, and diverse work environments. It involves being open-minded, flexible, and willing to learn new things, even in uncertain and rapidly changing situations. Adaptability is an essential skill in the modern workplace, where business structures and processes are continually evolving. Employers highly value adaptable employees who can work under pressure, quickly adapt to new technologies and environments, and remain productive in fast-paced environments.

Going through career changes? Register for a complimentary session with WSG’s Career Matching Services for some helpful guidance today.

4. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving refers to the ability to identify, analyse, and devise solutions to complex business problems. It involves critical thinking, creativity, and data-driven decision-making. Problem-solving skills are in high demand across many different industries as organisations seek innovative ways to streamline processes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. In today’s technological and competitive business environment, individuals with strong problem-solving skills can help organisations stay ahead of the curve.

5. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves evaluating information from different sources, analysing it, and making informed decisions. This skill involves recognizing patterns and trends and being able to deduce logical conclusions based on evidence. Critical thinking is essential in the workplace, as decision-making is a crucial aspect of many job roles. Employers value workers who can contribute solutions that are based on data and not just on assumptions or opinions.

6. Creativity

Creativity involves the ability to come up with new and innovative ideas, think outside the box, and improve existing processes. This skill is particularly important in creative industries, such as advertising, marketing, and design. However, creativity is also valuable in any job where finding unique solutions to complex problems can make a difference. Organisations value creative employees who can contribute fresh perspectives and drive innovation.

7. Time Management

Time management refers to an individual’s ability to prioritise tasks effectively and use their time efficiently. It involves setting achievable goals, completing tasks in a timely manner, and delivering work on time. Time management skills are vital in any job where deadlines are a factor, as it helps individuals remain organised and focused while reducing stress levels. Employers appreciate employees who can manage their time effectively as this is a sign of productivity and reliability.

8. Leadership Skills

Leadership skills include the ability to lead and motivate a team, set goals, and make decisions. It involves delegating tasks effectively, communicating clearly, and inspiring others to follow your lead. Effective leadership is essential in any workplace setting, as it can impact team performance and productivity. Great leaders can model and instil values such as responsibility, accountability, and professionalism.

9. Stress Management

Stress management refers to an individual’s ability to manage their emotions, remain calm under pressure, and maintain focus. This skill is especially important in high-pressure job roles such as healthcare, emergency services, or law enforcement. Time pressures, tight deadlines, and last-minute changes can also lead to stress in any job. It is important to learn techniques for managing stress so that you can remain productive and focused on the job.

Use these soft skills in your next job application! Explore over 100,000 jobs available on MyCareersFuture now.

10. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution refers to the ability to address and resolve disagreements in a constructive and professional manner. It involves listening actively, identifying underlying issues, and negotiating mutually beneficial solutions. Conflict resolution skills are necessary in any job where you work with other people, as conflicts can arise, and differences of opinion can occur. A good conflict resolution strategy can prevent misunderstandings from escalating into larger problems, leading to a harmonious and productive working environment.

11. Empathy

Empathy is understanding and relating to other people’s feelings and perspectives. In the workplace, possessing empathy is essential as it helps to build strong relationships and provide exceptional customer service. By being able to put yourself in your client’s or customer’s shoes, you can anticipate and understand their needs and expectations, thereby delivering better service. Empathy also helps to create a positive workplace culture by fostering a sense of understanding and rapport among colleagues.

12. Customer Service

Customer service is the ability to put the customer first and go above and beyond to meet their needs. This skill is essential in any customer-facing role, such as retail, hospitality, or call centre positions. A strong customer service mindset enables you to identify customer needs, resolve issues, and anticipate potential concerns before they arise. This ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, and increased revenue for the business.

13. Networking

Networking skills are essential in building and maintaining professional relationships to expand opportunities. Networking is key in any job where you need to make connections and build rapport with others, such as in sales, marketing, and business development roles. It’s important to build a strong network of professional contacts, attend industry events, and seek mentorship opportunities to expand your skillset and explore new career paths. Having a robust professional network can open up new opportunities and help you achieve career growth.

14. Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills refer to effective communication and interaction with others in diverse environments. In the workplace, possessing strong interpersonal skills is essential to building successful relationships and collaboration. Being able to communicate effectively, actively listening to others’ concerns, and working towards mutual understanding can help to improve teamwork and productivity. People who possess strong interpersonal skills are often successful in job interviews, promotions and generally viewed as valuable team members.

15. Negotiation

The ability to negotiate involves reaching mutually beneficial agreements and resolving differences in a positive and constructive manner. In any job where you need to work with others to reach a common goal, such as sales or business management, negotiation skills are essential. Strong negotiation skills can help to resolve conflicts effectively, improve communication and collaboration, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for all parties involved. Being able to negotiate well can also help you in everyday life, such as when dealing with vendors, contracts, or clients.

16. Decision-Making

Decision-making skills are essential in any workplace where you need to make informed choices based on available information and industry trends. This skill involves strategic thinking, data analysis, and risk assessment. As a result, possessing strong decision-making skills will enable you to make sound judgments that lead to successful outcomes for your team or organization. In a competitive work environment, the ability to make quick, decisive decisions can give you a competitive edge over others and demonstrate your leadership potential.

Seeking some quick career advisory? Connect with our officers virtually on your job search queries here.

17. Conflict Management

Working with others is a crucial part of many jobs, which makes conflict management skills crucial in any workplace. These skills involve preventing, addressing, and resolving conflicts within a team or organization. By mastering conflict management techniques, you can help maintain a positive work environment, improve communication and collaboration, and ultimately boost productivity. Additionally, skilled conflict resolution can reduce turnover rates and increase job satisfaction.

18. Cultural Sensitivity

Diversity and inclusivity are increasingly important in today’s workplace, making it essential to possess cultural sensitivity skills. Cultural sensitivity involves being aware of and respectful towards different cultures and backgrounds. By demonstrating sensitivity to diverse perspectives, you can help to create a more inclusive work environment. Additionally, possessing cultural sensitivity skills can communicate your commitment to understanding and respecting others’ unique values, behaviours, and beliefs, leading to better collaboration and mutual understanding within the team.

19. Self-Motivation

In today’s fast-paced work environment, self-motivation skills are key to success. This skill involves setting and pursuing your own goals and staying motivated despite challenges and obstacles. By demonstrating self-motivation abilities, you demonstrate your ability to take ownership of your work, which is essential in collaborative settings. Moreover, self-motivation is an essential quality for any aspiring team leader, demonstrating a can-do attitude that is sure to inspire confidence and respect in colleagues.

20. Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is crucial in roles requiring precision and accuracy, ensuring efficient and effective work processes. Possessing this skill means that you have a sharp eye for detail and are meticulous in reviewing your work. For instance, you might review projects to ensure that there are no errors or inaccuracies. This skill is also crucial in industries where errors can have severe consequences, such as healthcare or finance. By possessing attention to detail skills, you demonstrate your ability to produce high-quality work, enhancing your reputation within the organization.

21. Team Building

Team building is the process of encouraging and strengthening collaborative efforts among team members. It involves creating a work environment where co-workers can cooperate and communicate effectively, in order to achieve a common goal. Possessing team building skills is essential in the workplace, as it leads to improved productivity, better decision-making, and a more positive work environment. Employers value team players who can motivate and support team members to reach their full potential and work together as a cohesive unit.

22. Innovation

Innovation is the ability to come up with new and creative ideas that can bring about positive change. This skill is fundamental in the workplace as it leads to progress and growth. Employers look for candidates who can offer fresh and unique perspectives and are unafraid to think outside the box. Creative solutions and innovative processes can lead to improved productivity, increased efficiency, and reduced costs, which can benefit both the organization and its stakeholders.

23. Conflict Avoidance

Conflict avoidance is the capability to prevent or de-escalate conflicts should they arise. It involves effective communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate difficult situations. This skill is essential in the workplace as it leads to a more collaborative and harmonious work environment. The ability to diffuse conflicts before they escalate can lead to increased productivity, better team relationships, and a more positive work culture.

24. Positive Attitude

A positive attitude is a mindset that focuses on possibilities and opportunities, even in challenging or stressful situations. This skill is crucial in the workplace as it brings the team motivation, enthusiasm, and resilience. Possessing a positive attitude can help individuals adapt to change, overcome obstacles, and keep their teammates motivated. Employers look for candidates who can maintain a positive outlook, even in tough times, as it can lead to a more productive and supportive work environment.

25. Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the process of managing customer interactions and relationships to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Possessing this skill is essential in the workplace, especially in sales, marketing, or customer service roles. Effective CRM involves understanding customer needs, developing strong communication strategies, and identifying opportunities to upsell or retain customers. Employers look for candidates who can build and maintain strong customer relationships, as it leads to increased revenue, improved reputation, and a more positive brand image.

By emphasising your soft skills on your resume, you can take it to the next level. After reading this blog, you now have a list of 25 essential soft skills to choose from to make your resume stand out . Take the time to think about which ones apply best to you, and be honest and genuine when highlighting them. These soft skills are just some qualities that hiring managers may look for when evaluating potential candidates. Not only can they overwhelm a lot of other applicants who have hard skills, but they also demonstrate a certain calibre of character. Showcase what makes you unique as an applicant today and get the job or opportunity you’re after!

Related topics:

Non-STEM Qualifications Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Join Singapore’s Tech Companies. Learn How She Did It!

4 minute read

Is Your Job Being Redesigned? Learn How This Singaporean Managed Change and Reskilling

Quick share

Enjoyed reading this? View other related articles below:

Tips for new entrants joining the workforce

First Time Looking for Jobs? Read This Beginner’s Guide

2 minute read

Honesty in Interviews: Here’s Why it Matters

3 minute read

Feedback: Why You Should Ask for It

Advice for managing your mid-career development

3 Things Not to Say When Negotiating Salary for a Mid-Career Switch

Worried About Reaching Your Career Goals? Here Are Some Tips for Singapore’s Broad Middle Workers (PODCAST)

4 Positive Work Habits for Your Mental Well-being

Insights for mature workers to stay relevant

Career Confessions: What Retirement? He Chose to Embark on a Career Switch in His 60s!

14 minute read

Jobs to Consider in the Second Half of Your Career for Mature Workers, and the Skills You’ll Need

Knowledge Sharing: How and Why Guiding Younger Colleagues Benefits Your Career

Home / 25 Soft Skills That Will Make Your Resume Stand Out

Find more jobs like these at MyCareersFuture Job Portal

An initiative by Workforce Singapore

Whether you are a fresh graduate searching for a new entry-level job or a seasoned veteran considering a career switch, Workipedia by MyCareersFuture is the one-stop website for all your job application needs.