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Get my free resume reviewKey takeaways
- The best skills to put on a resume are the hard and soft skills named in the job posting that you can honestly back up with experience.
- Hard skills are teachable and measurable, such as software and certifications. Soft skills are work habits, such as communication and adaptability. Use both.
- List eight to twelve skills in a skills section, then repeat the same keywords in your summary and bullets as proof.
- ATS software matches resume text to the posting, so check your keyword match with our free ATS resume checker.
The skills to put on a resume are the ones named in the job posting that you can honestly back up: a balanced mix of hard skills and soft skills, placed where recruiters and ATS software will find them.
This guide explains the difference between hard and soft skills, lists 105 resume skills across seven categories, and shows where to place them. You will also learn how skills affect ATS keyword matching and which ones to leave off.
Start here: 105 skills to put on a resume, sorted by field
The best skills to put on a resume are the ones named in the job posting that you can honestly back up with experience. Start with the lists below, then keep only the skills that match your target job.
| Category | Skills to consider |
|---|---|
| Universal soft skills Useful in almost every job |
Communication, Teamwork, Problem solving, Adaptability, Time management, Leadership, Critical thinking, Attention to detail, Dependability, Conflict resolution, Creativity, Organization, Active listening, Decision making, Emotional intelligence |
| Technology Hard skills for developers and IT |
Python, JavaScript, SQL, Java, Git and version control, Cloud computing, API development, Linux, Cybersecurity, Agile and Scrum, CI/CD pipelines, Data analysis, Debugging, Technical documentation, Database design |
| Healthcare Hard skills for clinical and patient care roles |
Patient assessment, Electronic health records, Triage, Medication administration, Infection control, HIPAA compliance, Vital signs monitoring, CPR and BLS certification, Patient education, Wound care, Medical terminology, Charting accuracy, IV therapy, Care planning, Phlebotomy |
| Administrative Hard skills for office and support roles |
Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Calendar management, Data entry, Scheduling, Document management, Records and filing, Typing speed, Bookkeeping basics, Travel coordination, Meeting minutes, Vendor coordination, Office administration, Email management, Invoice processing |
| Sales and marketing Hard skills for revenue roles |
Lead generation, Prospecting, Cold calling, CRM software, Salesforce, HubSpot, Negotiation, Closing deals, Pipeline management, Account management, Product demos, Sales forecasting, Objection handling, Upselling, Relationship building |
| Skilled trades Hard skills for hands-on technical work |
Blueprint reading, Power tools, Welding, Electrical wiring, Plumbing, HVAC repair, OSHA safety compliance, Equipment maintenance, Troubleshooting, Measuring and estimating, Carpentry, Preventive maintenance, Forklift operation, Building code knowledge, Mechanical repair |
| Customer service Hard and soft skills for support roles |
De-escalation, Complaint resolution, Zendesk, Ticketing systems, Phone etiquette, Multitasking, Product knowledge, Empathy, Live chat support, Order processing, POS systems, Cash handling, Written communication, Patience, Customer retention |
To see skills placed inside finished resumes, open our customer service resume sample or software engineer resume sample.
Once you have your list, where does each skill go?
Put skills in three places: a dedicated skills section, your professional summary, and your work experience bullets. Repeating key skills in context proves them and gives ATS software more than one place to match them.
| Location | What to include | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Skills section | Eight to twelve targeted hard and soft skills, grouped by type | Gives recruiters and ATS a fast keyword scan |
| Professional summary | Your two or three strongest skills | Puts your best match in the first lines |
| Experience bullets | Each key skill in action, with a result | Proves the skill instead of claiming it |
| Certifications section | Licenses and certificates tied to a skill | Backs up hard skills with a credential |
For the full layout, see our guide on how to write a resume.
From posting to proof: how to pick the skills that make the cut
Choose skills by highlighting the posting’s requirements, matching them to what you can honestly do, separating hard from soft skills, listing the best eight to twelve, and proving your top skills in bullets.
Highlight the skills in the job posting
Read the posting and mark every skill, tool, and certification it names. Required skills come first, and nice-to-haves come second.
Do: “Highlight ‘Salesforce,’ ‘pipeline reporting,’ and ‘negotiation'” · Not: “Guess which skills they want”
Match them to skills you truly have
Keep only the skills you could discuss in an interview. Honesty protects you, because skills get tested in screenings and on the job.
Do: “List Excel pivot tables if you use them weekly” · Not: “List Python after one online lesson”
Separate hard skills from soft skills
Put tools, methods, and credentials in your skills section. Show soft skills inside your summary and bullets, where results back them up.
Do: “Skills: SQL, Tableau, budgeting” · Not: “Skills: hard-working, passionate, motivated”
Add a focused skills section
List eight to twelve skills in one tidy block, using the posting’s exact terms. Pull two or three of them into your resume summary too.
Do: “Group them: Software | Methods | Languages” · Not: “A cloud of 40 unrelated skills”
Prove your top skills in your bullets
Show each strong skill in action. Open the bullet with a verb from our action verbs for resume guide and end with a result.
Do: “Forecasted sales in Excel, improving accuracy by 12%” · Not: “Skilled in Excel”
“A skill with no proof is just an adjective. List it in your skills section, then show it in a bullet with a tool, a task, and a result.”
ResumeCroc resume team
Skills are the part of your resume that both software and recruiters search for, so it pays to choose them carefully.
Why the software cares about the exact words you use
Applicant tracking systems read the text of your resume, and recruiters often search or filter it by skills, so the closer your wording matches the posting, the easier you are to find.
Software cannot credit a skill you leave out, so mirror the posting’s exact terms wherever they are true. Write acronyms both ways once, such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Want to see your own match? Our free ATS resume checker compares your resume with any job description and lists the keywords you are missing.
Hard skills versus soft skills: a quick way to tell them apart
Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities such as software, languages, and technical methods, while soft skills are people and work habits such as communication, adaptability, and problem solving. A strong resume shows both.
| Feature | Hard skills | Soft skills |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Teachable, measurable abilities | Interpersonal and work habits |
| Examples | Excel, Python, bookkeeping, patient charting, Spanish | Communication, adaptability, teamwork, time management |
| How to show them | List them in your skills section, then prove them in bullets | Show them through results, not adjectives |
| Where recruiters look | Skills section and job titles | Summary and experience bullets |
Which kind of skill pulls the most weight?
Role-specific hard skills usually help most, because they match the keywords in the posting and show you can do the work. Soft skills help when your bullets prove them.
How much weight each kind of skill carries (illustrative)
Longer bars mean more value to a recruiter. Each label says how to handle that kind of skill. The scale is directional, not measured.
Illustrative editorial ranking by the ResumeCroc resume team, not a measured statistic.
Cut these from your skills section before you apply
Leave off vague adjectives, skills you cannot back up, basics every employer assumes, and skill ratings such as bars or stars. Each one adds clutter without adding proof.
- Vague adjectives. “Hard worker” and “go-getter” prove nothing.
- Assumed basics. Sending email or using the internet adds no value for most roles.
- Skill bars and star ratings. They are subjective, and ATS software cannot read graphics.
- Skills you cannot back up. Expect interview questions on every skill you list.
Not sure which skills to feature for your target job? Our resume writing service matches your experience to the posting for you.
Do your skills match the job posting?
Paste your resume and a job description into our free checker for an instant ATS score, the keywords you are missing, and prioritized fixes, all in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How many skills should I put on a resume?
List eight to twelve skills in your skills section, chosen to match the job posting. Quality beats quantity, because a focused list is easier to scan and easier to defend in an interview.
Should I list hard skills or soft skills?
List both, but weigh them differently. Put hard skills such as software, methods, and certifications in your skills section. Show soft skills inside your summary and bullets, where results prove them.
Where should I list skills on a resume?
Add a dedicated skills section, mention your top two or three in your summary, and prove each one in your experience bullets. Credentials belong in a separate certifications section.
Do skills help with ATS?
Yes. ATS software reads your resume text, and recruiters often search by skill keywords, so skills that match the posting make you easier to find. Test your match with our free ATS resume checker.
What skills can I put on a resume with no experience?
Use transferable skills from school, volunteering, part-time work, and projects: communication, teamwork, time management, software you have used, and languages you speak. Back each one with a short, real example.
Want an expert to choose your skills?
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