Your skills are just as important as your work experiences. Skills show a recruiter what you can do for the company -- without taking up too much space in your resume.
Skills can be anything from “creativity” (a soft skill) to “JavaScript” (a hard skill). It’s important to include a mix of both on your resume.
Don’t know what skills you have? Read on to learn the difference between “soft” and “hard” skills, or skim our 250+ skills for each industry to jump right into the resume writing process.
“Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable, such as leadership. These skills also cannot be learned, but are rather a facet of your personality. Nevertheless, soft skills are still critical to have, for they demonstrate that you are personable and competent.
Tip: Use some of the soft skills as adjectives when writing your profile summary. For example, try “enthusiastic entrepreneur,” “empathic childcare worker,” “organized nurses’ aid,” “supportive administration assistant” or “detail-oriented sales associate.”
The resume below is for a Childcare Worker and includes many soft skills that companies look for, including Creativity and Organizational skills.
In contrast, “Hard” skills are those that are learned -- either in school or through a certification program. These skills are quantifiable and can be continuously expanded upon through further education. Today, most hard skills have to do with computer technology, such as SEO, CSS/HTML, or Microsoft Suite. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, chances are you still have a few hard skills.
Tip: Be specific about your hard skills. Instead of listing “Programming Languages,” specify which ones you know -- Python, Java, C, etc. Same with photo editing software and any other platforms you are familiar with.
The resume below is for a Content Marketing Associate, and includes manyhard skills that companies in the marketing industry look for, including experience with Social Media tools. Remember, it's important to be specific in terms of defining and listing what softwares you know.
Whether you’re a jack of all trades or a master of one, you absolutely must list some skills on your resume. Skills offer additional insight into what you can offer the company as an employee, and may just push your resume over the edge and into the interview pile.
Only list relevant skills. If you’re applying for a position as an engineer, don’t brag about your marketing abilities. Instead, save the space to list the software and programming languages that you know.
List around 5 Skills. Writing too many skills on your resume can be an overwhelming experience for the recruiter. He or she may not fully register your skills, and instead just blankly skim the long list. Conversely, listing too few skills is only selling yourself short. You definitely have more than two skills -- no matter your experience level! So shoot for around 5 skills, with a little wriggle room.
Include both hard and soft skills. Even if your profession seems to rely on soft skills more than hard skills -- or vice versa -- including both makes your resume stronger. For example, if you’re applying to work as a laboratory assistant, list soft skills such as “teamwork,” “problem-solving,” “time management,” or “organization.” If you’re in a more creative field, hard skills include softwares such as “Adobe Creative Suite” and talents such as “photography,” “writing & editing,” or “videography.”
Note your experience level. With each skill, specify whether you are a “beginner,” “expert,” or somewhere in between (using words like “intermediate” and “moderate”). Our resume templates have bars beneath each skill that you can toggle to reflect your expertise.
The resume below is for a Human Resources Manager, and includes all of the above tips.
Although we’ve split these skills up by industry, please note that many skills are applicable to a variety of careers. For example, someone working in marketing might find knowledge of JavaScript just as useful as someone working in the computer science field.
Communication (More Specifically -- Verbal Communication Skills, Listening Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Written Communication Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Presentation Skills)
Math Skills
Organization
Time Management
Negotiation
Persuasion
Patience
Diplomacy
Cold Calling
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Lead Generation
Buyer-responsive Selling
Buyer Engagement
Teamwork
Nursing and Healthcare Job Skills
Patient Assessment
Taking Vital Signs
Patient Care
Recording Patient Medical History
Wound Dressing And Care
Urgent And Emergency Care
Record-keeping
Patient Education
NIH Stroke Scale Patient Assessment
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
Medicine Administration
Blood Pressure Monitoring
Phlebotomy
Rehabilitation Therapy
Hygiene Assistance
Use Of X-ray, MRI, Cat Scans
Meditech
Glucose Checks
Electronic Heart Record (EHR)
Time Management
Prioritization
Decision-Making Ability
Critical Thinking
Leadership
Thorough Understanding Of HIPPA And Privacy Policies
Ability To Take And Record Vital Signs
CPR And First-Aid Certifications
Perform And Evaluate Diagnostic Tests
Maintain Patient Charts
IT Job Skills
Programming Languages
Web Development
Data Structures
Open Source Experience
Security
Machine Learning
Debugging
UX/UI
Front-End & Back-End Development
Cloud Management
Agile Development
HTML/CSS
CSS Preprocessors
Javascript
Wordpress
Graphic User Interfaces (GUI)
Git/Version Control (Github, gitlab)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Application Programming Interface (API)
Adobe Photoshop, InDesign
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Testing/Debugging
Responsive Design Principles
Mobile and Web Development (e.g. iOS, Android)
Engineering & Technical Job Skills
STEM Skills
CAD
Design
Prototyping
Testing
Troubleshooting
Project Launch
Lean Manufacturing
Workflow Development
Computer Skills
SolidWorks
Budgeting
Technical Report Writing
Programming Languages HTML, CSS, CRM tools
Advertising & Marketing Job Skills
SEO (SEMRush, WordPress, and Ahrefs)
SEM (i.e., Google Adwords)
PPC
CRO and A/B Testing
Social Media Marketing and Paid Social Media Advertising
Sales Funnel Management
CMS Tools (WordPress, Weebly)
Graphic Design Skills (Adobe Creative Suite)
Email Marketing (MailChimp, Constant Contact)
Email Automation
Data Visualization
CPC
Typography
Print Design
Photography and Branding
Communication
Creativity
Data Analytics (Google Analytics )
Web Analytics
Adaptability
Organized
Email Writing
Google Adwords
Social Media And Mobile Marketing
Paid Social Media Advertisements
Consumer Behavior Drivers
Brand Management
B2b Marketing
Writing Advertising Copy
Soliciting Feedback From Customers
Cutting Costs
Leadership skills
Task Delegation
Strategic Management
Negotiation
Planning
Proposal writing
Problem-solving
Innovation
Charisma
Problem solving
Personable
Website Management
Social Media Outreach
Video Production
Data Visualization
Campaign Management
Photo Editing
Editing
Typography
Logo Creation
Digital Printing
Interactive Media Design
Color Sense & Theory
Ad Design
Social Media Publishing
UX Design
Storytelling
Financial Analysis
Consumer Research
Statistical Analysis
Drawing
Design
Videography
Technical Writing
Mobile and Web Development (e.g. iOS, Android)
General Management and Project Management Job Skills
Agile Project Management (Kanban)
Managing Cross-Functional Teams
Scrum Management
Performance Tracking
Financial Modelling
Ideation Leadership
Feature Definition
Forecasting
Profit and Loss
Scope Management
Project Lifecycle Management
Meeting Facilitation
Leadership
Communication
Critical Thinking
Time Management
Mentoring
Risk Management
Negotiation
Cost Management
Data Analysis
Collaborative
Collaborative Programs (Slack, WhatsApp, Dropbox)
Wordpress
Adobe Creative Suite
Performance Tracking
Katerina is a junior studying English and Marketing at Johns Hopkins University. She has experience in social media, science writing, and fiction. When she isn't writing, she's hitting the gym, playing with her cats, or eating chocolate.
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