resume template highlighting skills

Top 14 Resume Skills to add on your Resume + Examples

By Biron Clark

Published: December 18, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

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), 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, how to put direct and indirect reports (and other data) on your resume, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, 11 common resume mistakes to avoid, career change resume: examples and tips from experts.

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How To Write A Skills-Based Resume (With Examples)

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It can be challenging for recent graduates and professionals making a career change to fill out a full resume, as they lack experience relevant to their new industry.

In these cases, a skills-based resume is the perfect tool to communicate to potential employers the abilities and value you’re able to provide, despite your lack of direct experience.

In this article, we’ll discuss exactly what a skills-based resume is and when to use one. We’ll also provide you with a sample template and example to help you create your own.

Key Takeaways:

A skills-based resume can be useful if you’ve had a large number of previous jobs or are making a career change, as well as if you are a recent graduate without much work experience.

To write a skills-based resume, list your skills like you would list your jobs in an ordinary resume, with bullet points underneath describing your experience with each skill.

You may also consider a hybrid resume that highlights your work experience and relevant skills equally.

What Is a Skills-Based Resume?

When to use a skills-based resume, how to write a skills-based resume, skills-based resume template, skills-based resume example, skills-based resume writing tips, frequently asked questions.

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Skills-based resumes, also called functional resumes , are a type of resume that focuses on a candidate’s general skills rather than their work history.

They differ from traditional resumes in two significant ways:

Skills section. Traditional resumes include a professional experience section that lists several of the applicant’s prior positions relevant to the target job.

Under each position, a candidate typically lists a few bullet points detailing their achievements and duties at that company.

This professional experience section is basically scraped in a skills-based resume.

Instead of listing the previous jobs they’ve held, an applicant would include major skills they possess that could provide value for the employer.

These could be specific, technical skills such as the candidate’s ability to use a specific software suite or weld machinery.

They could also be more general skills, such as one’s ability to lead teams or solve problems analytically. They could even be soft skills , such as your charisma or organizational prowess.

In either case, each stated skill should list several bullet points that cite achievements and experiences to prove the applicant’s aptitude with a given skill.

Qualifications summary. The qualifications summary is a short, bulleted list that contains three to five of the most impressive accomplishments from your career and/or education.

To win a position over candidates with more extensive job experience , you’re going to need to personalize and imprint yourself in the hiring manager ’s mind.

While it’s important to pick achievements that are relevant for the job, it’s more crucial that they’re eye-catching and clue readers into what makes you uniquely you.

Without relevant job experience that makes you competitive in your target field, there’s little sense in forcing a weak, half-empty traditional resume .

A skills-based resume may better suit your needs if any of the following applies to you:

Recent graduate. Traditional resumes are great if you already have multiple internships or previous jobs under your belt.

Job gaps. Job gaps longer than a few months are a serious red flag in the eyes of many recruiters.

If you have an impressive job history and a reasonable explanation for your resume’s gap period to give during an interview, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Multiple similar jobs. Even if you’ve worked several similar jobs back-to-back, it’s rare that you won’t have additional worthwhile achievements and experiences to cite on your resume.

Career switch. You should consider a skills-based resume if almost none of your current work experience is relevant for your target field.

A former electrician switching to a field technician position should submit a traditional resume, as the two roles share many similarities.

History of job-hopping. This greatly depends on the norms within your industry.

Retail and foodservice jobs typically have high turnover rates, so a history of job-hopping shouldn’t work against you.

However, hiring managers may automatically dismiss a software engineer candidate that quit multiple jobs after only a few months .

To write a skills-based resume, follow these steps:

Start with a header. Just like any resume, your skills-based resume needs a header. This should include your name in slightly larger print, as well as your email address, address (city and state is fine), and phone number.

Open with your qualifications summary. This is where you want to put your top credentials and/or accomplishments. The hiring manager is probably a bit wary of your light experience section, so your qualifications summary has to put them at ease about your background.

Include a relevant skills section. While a chronological resume would typically end with a short list of skills with little or no description, a skills-based resume makes them the star of the show.

Give a short work history section. While skills are the star of your show, you still have to consider ATS ( applicant tracking systems ). Most big companies use these software systems to parse through resumes before they ever reach a human reader.

If you want to get past the bots, you’ll need to include at least some information about your former employment. Plus, a human reader will also be suspicious about a resume that includes no details about where you worked and what your actual job title was.

Include an education section . If you went to college, it’s certainly worth including your degree and the name of the school at the bottom of your resume. Your GPA and relevant coursework might also come in handy if you’re fresh out of school.

End with any additional sections. If you want to include a section on volunteer experience, awards and honors, languages, published works, continuing education courses, or any other additional sections , you can wrap up your resume with one or two, maximum.

For a skills-based resume, some career advisors recommend not adding bulleted items to the previous jobs listed in your professional experience section. This is to save space and emphasize the skills section.

However, this advice only applies if your previous jobs are entirely unrelated to your target job.

Even if your previous roles are only tangentially related, we recommend you mention your duties as long as your resume isn’t already too long .

Maybe your skills section cites impressive achievements you’ve made at school and volunteer jobs , but hiring managers would still like to see how you’ve generated value for an actual company.

[Full name] [Phone number] | [Email address] | [Your address] Qualifications summary [Top relevant achievement #1] [Top relevant achievement #2] [Top relevant achievement #3] Relevant skills [Relevant skill #1] Bullet-point three results-based achievements that prove your competence and ability to generate value. [Relevant skill #2] Bullet-point three results-based achievements that prove your competence and ability to generate value. [Relevant skill #3] Bullet-point three results-based achievements that prove your competence and ability to generate value. Professional experience [ Company name #1 , city, state] [Position title] [Employment start date to end date (optional)] [ Company name #2 , city, state] [Position title] [Employment start date to end date (optional)] Education [School name, city, state] [Degree type and major, graduation date] [GPA (optional)] Additional relevant sections [Other relevant sections, such as volunteer experience, certifications, or awards]

Our skills-based resume example will be for a hypothetical retail store manager position that lists the following key duties and skills:

Meet or exceed store sales.

Adhere to annual expense budgets.

Provide leadership and coordination of staff.

Note how each bulleted item in the example qualifications summary addresses one of the above essential requirements.

The skills section is also organized to target the key abilities listed in the job posting.

Without further ado, here is the skills-based resume example:

Adam Schneider (888) 222-4545 | [email protected] | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 28282 Qualifications summary Reduced budget overspending by 23% across four different organizations. Regularly exceeded monthly sales quotas by a minimum of 19%. Trained and led two different college clubs to win national championships. Relevant skills Leadership Organized a team of eight people at a local food bank to serve hundreds of people efficiently. Voted most helpful team member at three different jobs. Coached five new members of the college robotics club, leading to the team winning nationals. Budget management Managed all aspects of financial operations at the local food bank for three years. Created monthly budget summary reports that reduced overspending and waste by 17%. Provided budget guidance to the local church’s event planning team that reduced overspending by 9%. Sales Created pleasant merchandise displays that led to a 14% increase in monthly sales. Achieved the top-ranked sales representative position for three months in a row. Received a higher customer satisfaction rating than all previous sales representatives. Professional experience Freedom Food Bank , Bloomington, IN Team Manager May 28, 2019 – October 29, 2020 Northwest Marketing , Bloomington, IN Sales Representative July 12, 2017 – June 9, 2018 Education University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science, May 2019 GPA: 3.9

Before we provide you with a sample skills-based resume template and example, note the following critical resume-writing guidelines .

These rules should be followed, no matter what type of resume you’re writing:

Achievements should include numbers. When writing about your former jobs, don’t simply say, “I did X.”

Quantify the actual value was generated through your achievements by using numbers. “I did X, which saved the company $Y” and “I did X, which improved the process of Y by 23%” are much stronger bullet points.

If your past jobs didn’t involve quantifiable achievements like that or you didn’t have access to that data, you can also use numbers as a way of providing context . For instance, you can write about how many customers you served on an average day, or how many pounds of cargo you moved.

Informative but concise. It’s recommended that professionals just starting their careers create resumes that are no longer than a page .

Tailor your resume. Take note of the key duties and skill requirements given in the job listing so that you can customize your skills-based resume .

Does a resume have to be either skills-based or traditional?

No, a resume doesn’t have to be either skills-based or traditional There’s no rule that your resume’s format must be one or the other. You should adapt your resume to suit your particular situation and job history.

For example, consider a new graduate or career-switching professional who’s only worked one previous job in the industry. They could combine a short professional experience section on their resume with a longer-than-average skills-based section to compensate for their limited job history.

Does order matter on a resume?

Yes, order matters on a resume. In the majority of cases, job experience should be listed in reverse chronological order on a resume, with the most recent experience at the top. You can replicate this in a skills-based resume by listing the skills with which you have the most recent experience at the top of the resume.

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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10 Perfect Resume Templates To Highlight Your Skills

Your education history and work experience are obviously essential parts of your resume. However, you can sometimes make a difference by highlighting your skills in an optimal manner. Showcasing, describing and grading your abilities is certainly a way to convince recruiters. Now you just have to choose from our amazing selection of free resumes specially designed to draw attention to your skills!

When redacting our resume, we tend to focus a lot on education and experience, which is entirely logical. However, we should emphasize our personal and professional skills just as much as the other two sections. Indeed, your abilities might be what makes the difference with other candidates at the moment of landing a job interview. Remember you can include your hard skills (languages, computer and technical skills) and your soft skills (also known as people skills or social skills): integrity, empathy, creativity, leadership, active listening and communication, to name just a few.   

There are many different ways to spotlight your skills. In this selection, you will find detailed lists, donut, bar, dot and equalizer charts! We also offer you resume templates with original ways to display your abilities: a word cloud and hexagonal cells, for instance. Now use your decision skills to pick the template that will best fit your needs!

1. BACONGO: to the best of your ability

BACONGO is a classy and powerful resume template. The red color conveys passion and intensity and the clear layout makes it easy to read. Right below your ID photo in its original water drop frame, you will find the right-hand column, solely designed to highlight your professional skills. Over a white background, you can list up to 6 of them. Most importantly, you can grade them thanks to a bar chart and also describe them in detail.

2. HANNAM-DONG: raise the bar

No doubt you will stand out from the crowd with this free CV template for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Google Slides! Everything is original about it: the black and golden-brown combination of colors, the abstract decorative lines and geometric shapes, and also the bar chart for your skills. The left lower part of the page allows you to showcase 8 skills. The brown bars allow you to include the name of your skill and the percentage of mastery, which is also reflected on the length of the bar.

3. SOUSANNA: 110 percent

SOUSANNA brings you a clear layout made up of five rectangles, one for each section. The one that includes your skills stands on the right side and will catch everyone’s attention at first sight. Indeed, it has a white background and large black percentages that you can associate to the name of each one of your 8 skills. Do you wish to highlight your skills more than anything else? Then SOUSANNA is the free resume template you need!

4. EUTERPE: enter the lists

Are you looking for a fresh and elegant template that is also extremely clear and easy to read? EUTERPE offers you a white background and a stunning watercolor sidebar on the right. The top part displays your contact details and the bottom one your references. Yet the main part allows you to list your many skills. You can indeed describe in detail 8 of your professional and personal abilities. This list might make the difference when recruiters discover your many talents!

5. HAIDES: dollars to doughnuts

Let your skills shine! HAIDES offers a gray background for most parts of your CV. However, the right sidebar has a yellow background over which your skills are highlighted. The contrast is so strong that your look is instantly attracted to the donut charts that illustrate your skills. You can indeed name up to 6 skills inside the circles, that you can adapt to the percentage of proficiency of each one. With HAIDES, it’s dollars to doughnuts that you will land the job interview!

6. USIRIS: equalize your skills like a DJ

Let’s point out something rare enough to be worthy of note: USIRIS gives the same importance to your skills as to your experience. At the top of the right column , as wide as the left one, there is a beautiful bar chart that allows you to showcase up to 9 skills. Over a fancy gray background, you will find 9 lines upon which you can place a cursor to show your level of mastery in each one of the skills. It looks just like the mixer table of a DJ!

7. KLYTIE: on a cloud

Time to get creative and surprise hiring managers with a rarely seen feature: a word cloud to display your skills. This is not only fun and creative but it also enables you to show a huge number of skills: around 20! By intercrossing white and green words horizontally and vertically, you can show your true colors! You can even emphasize your greatest talents by increasing the size of the font. Reach for the clouds with KLYTIE!

8. KOLONAKI: let recruiters connect the dots

KOLONAKI strikes the eye right away thanks to its original colors, and especially the light orange backgrounds of the header and left column. This part includes your references at the bottom, but most importantly, an attractive dot chart to show your skills. You can indeed display up to 10 hard and soft skills and grade them on a scale from 1 to 8 by coloring the dots in green.

9. DAMOKLES: green highlight

Clean, stylish and fresh with its white background and green font, DAMOKLES is a great modern option for your CV. The whole page is white , with a single exception: the green vertical shape in the middle of the right sidebar. The objective of this design is clear: highlight your skills. Moreover, you can rate each of your 8 skills on a 5-point/dot scale. So don’t hesitate to give the green light to DAMOKLES!

10. ROBIN: a different ball of wax

ROBIN is certainly one of our brightest and most original designs. The different shades of yellow project a positive image. Moreover, the most visible feature is a combination of 9 hexagonal cells at the top of the page, that remind us of a honeycomb. Inside each one of the cells, you can showcase your skills with acronyms, initials or the full name. With ROBIN, you can show that you are the queen of the hive, that is the best candidate for the job!

We hope you like our selection of the 10 Perfect Resume Templates to Highlight your Skills . Your feedback is very important to us. Share with us what is your preferred resume template in this selection.

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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 .

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Game-Changing Resume Soft Skills: How to Highlight Yours Effectively (With 200+ Examples)

3 key takeaways

• What are resume soft skills 
• How to add soft skills to your resume with the free Teal AI Resume Builder
• 200+ examples of game-changing soft skills to get your resume noticed 

You are more than a list of hard skills and professional experiences.

As a talented, emotional, and capable human being, you also bring unique soft skills to the table that have the power to set you apart—from people and technology. Your resume soft skills are your game changer.

As the digital revolution in a crowded job market continues and machine learning becomes a greater part of the work landscape, your human abilities, your soft skills, become even more valuable. 

This is where you shine.

Understanding soft skills

So, what are soft skills? Soft skills are those non-technical skills that enable you to navigate a professional environment, work well with others, and achieve your goals with complementing hard skills. 

Sometimes called transferable skills , they're less about your qualifications and more about your personal attributes and how you interact with others; often, they're transferrable and applicable across most jobs and careers. (What is an example of a soft skill that’s also easily transferable? Well, if you have a knack for communicating across departments, that cross-functional collaboration skill is relevant in education, marketing, software, sales, customer success, and more.)

Soft skills vs. hard skills 

In contrast to soft skills, hard skills are more specific abilities that can be defined and measured. Sometimes called technical skills, they often refer to technical knowledge or training necessary to perform particular jobs in particular industries. (For example, Google Suite, Salesforce, Python, data analysis, or accounting.) 

Why are soft skills important?

While the right technical skills and expertise indicate the tangible way you get from point A to point B, your work ethic, attitude, communication skills, emotional intelligence skills, and a whole host of other, more personal attributes drive your success and impact in the workplace.

Soft skills enable you to navigate the complexities of interpersonal relationships, guide teams toward achieving their goals, and contribute effectively to your organization's bottom line.

And for the most part? It doesn't matter what field, industry, or career you're in. Soft skills count. 

For instance, strong leadership and negotiation skills can propel projects forward in software development, while problem-solving skills can lead to innovations in science. Communication skills aid in effective collaboration for educators, and adaptability help administrative assistants respond swiftly to ever-changing responsibilities. Good time management can boost the productivity of project managers, and integrity can build trust within a marketing team. 

Breakdown of soft skills categories

Understanding how soft skills break down into different groups can help you identify the types of skills you already have and where you have opportunities for growth. 

Communication skills

Communication skills are integral in nearly every professional setting. They facilitate a clear and effective exchange of information, ideas, and emotions. 

• Verbal communication is used to relay information or share your point of view.
• Non-Verbal communication involves body language, facial expressions, and other forms of physical presentation to complement verbal communication. 
• Written communication is how you craft words to deliver information—crucial for persuasive copy, effective emails, reports, proposals, and more.

Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills refer to approaching difficulties or complications and finding effective solutions. 

These core skills involve critical thinking, analysis, creativity, resilience, and decision-making. And they're valuable because they allow you to successfully tackle obstacles and find solutions to complete projects and tasks.

Leadership and management skills

Leadership and management skills involve guiding, directing, and influencing others toward a common goal. 

Leaders need a mix of soft skills to inspire trust, motivate teams, delegate tasks, and make strategic decisions. Key leadership skills include emotional intelligence (EQ), conflict resolution, coaching, and strong communication skills. 

Teamwork and collaboration skills

Can you work effectively and peacefully with others? If so, your strong teamwork and collaboration skills can bring people together to achieve shared goals. In fact, there are few professional settings that don't require some semblance of cooperative dynamics. 

So what does that look like?

Teamwork and collaboration skills involve active listening, communicating clearly, cooperation, being open to feedback, and successfully managing conflicts. 

Creativity and innovation skills

Creativity and innovation skills involve the ability to think outside the box, come up with new ideas, and approach problems from different angles.

And while these skills are valuable for traditionally 'creative' roles, such as graphic designers or copywriters—they're also becoming increasingly important in many roles and industries as companies strive to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Soft skills examples in different professions

Ultimately, soft skills are vital in just about every job and in every sector. And much like resume strengths , they can complement your biggest career wins.

So let’s take a look at some top soft skills examples from across professions and industries that impact relationships, work ethic, productivity, performance, and success.

Customer Service

• Active listening
• Adaptability
• Conflict resolution
• Cultural sensitivity
• Dependability
• Emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal skills
• Multitasking
• Persuasiveness
• Responsiveness
• Stress management
• Analytical skills 
• Assertiveness
• Attention to detail
• Decision making
• Medical ethics
• Physical stamina
• Problem sensitivity
• Quick thinking 
• Reliability

Digital Marketing

• Adaptability to Change
• Audience understanding (specific to your industry or target audience)
• Branding expertise
• Conceptual thinking
• Critical thinking
• Consumer behavior understanding
• Data-driven decision making
• Digital media
• Experimentation
• Market knowledge (specific to your market)
• Organizational skills
• Project management
• Risk-taking
• Storytelling
• Strategic thinking
• Trend awareness
• Active listening skills
• Business acumen
• Change management
• Financial literacy
• Goal-setting or goal-oriented 
• Leadership skills
• Organization
• Performance management
• Resource management
• Risk identification
• Strategic planning
• Talent management
• Team building
• Assessment skills (educational and personal)
• Classroom management
• Counseling skills
• Curriculum development
• Effective knowledge sharing
• Instructional design
• Lifelong learning
• Presentation skills
• Public speaking
• Record keeping
• Research skills
• Student engagement
• Time management
• Writing skills
• Closing skills
• Cold calling
• Customer retention
• Direct sales
• Lead generation
• Negotiation
• Objection handling
• Problem-solving
• Relationship building
• Sales cycle management
• Self-motivated 
• Social selling 
• Strategic market insight
• Strategic prospecting
• Territory management
• Aesthetic sense
• Artistic expression
• Brand identity
• Collaborative product development
• Color theory application
• Concept development
• Creative skills
• Graphic design
• Industrial design
• Intuitive user interface design
• Spatial reasoning
• User-centric design thinking
• User-centric web design
• User-centered problem solving
• User-centered prototyping
• Visualization
• Visual communication
• Visual ideation
• Confidentiality
• Critical analysis
• Ethical conduct
• Financial leadership
• Forecasting
• Insightful data interpretation
• Organizational proficiency
• Regulation awareness
• Resource optimization
• Spreadsheet proficiency
• Strategic tax guidance
• Transparent financial reporting
• Treasury knowledge
• Trust building

Business Analytics

• Cognitive flexibility
• Communication
• Conceptualization
• Documentation
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Influence and persuasion
• Pattern recognition
• Quantitative research
• Regression analysis
• Stakeholder management
• Statistical analysis
• Systems analysis
• Systems thinking

Web Development

• Adaptive design thinking
• Aesthetic harmony
• Collaboration
• Cybersecurity awareness
• Design gamification
• Digital story weaving
• Ethical user persuasion
• Flow state attainment
• Growth mindset
• Intuitive design sensibility
• Open-mindedness
• Technological intuition
• User empowerment
• Web performance artistry

How to demonstrate soft skills in a resume

Demonstrating soft skills on your resume throughout various sections offers a more holistic view of your capabilities and strengths. Dispersing them adds richness and depth that helps paint a more complete picture of your professional profile and showcases your well-rounded skillset. 

So what sections should have examples of your soft skills? 

Professional Summary 

Incorporate soft skills in your professional summary, or short professional bio , to enrich your most notable accomplishments. 

For example, if you're detail-oriented and highly organized, one sentence of your professional summary could look like this: "Detail-oriented and highly organized project manager with 15+ years of experience orchestrating successful projects and delivering them within strict timelines and budgets, resulting in an average cost savings of 10% per project."

Work Experience

Include them in your work experience achievements to complement your hard skills to illustrate how you effectively achieved impressive impact in your day-to-day activities. 

So, let's say, If you increased conversions by 3x through A/B testing design, including a soft skill like exceptional problem-solving abilities could help illustrate how you effectively identified and implemented data-driven solutions, resulting in significant improvements in conversion rates. As a resume accomplishment , that would look like: 

"Achieved a 3x increase in conversions through meticulous A/B testing, effectively utilizing data analysis to identify and implement data-driven solutions that optimized website performance and user experience."

Create a dedicated "Skills" section to highlight hard and soft skills related to those in the job description in a stand-out way. 

A list, whether using bullet points or skills separated by commas, draws attention to your diverse range of abilities and highlights the unique qualities you bring to the table as a professional. A dedication section emphasizes your well-roundedness, showcasing that you have technical expertise and essential communication and interpersonal skills that are valuable in various work environments. 

A partial "Skills" section for a senior copywriter could look like:

• Cross-functional collaboration
• Data analysis
• Google Analytics 
• Relational leadership

Highlighting soft skills with Teal's Resume Builder

The best practice for adding soft skills to your resume is to incorporate them in each section to elevate your entire professional profile—and you can do this with the free Teal AI Resume Builder. 

Step 1: Sign up for a free Teal account if you haven't yet, or simply log in to your account .

Step 2: Click the "Resume Builder" icon in the left navigation panel. Then, from here, you can choose an existing resume or click the "New Resume" button at the top right.

Step 3: To add soft skills to your professional summary, scroll to Professional Summaries, click the drop-down button, then click "Add Professional Summary." Create one from scratch, or click the "Generate With AI" Button. 

Pro Tip: Teal's AI functionality pulls keywords for resume (like technical skills, soft skills, and other important language) from the job description of any role you've saved in your Job Application Tracker and from details in your work history and other professional experience. 

Why is this important? Because it helps you tailor your resume for any role you're applying to. As a bonus, you can edit the content to add any other soft skills you want to highlight.

Step 4:  To add soft skills to your work experience achievements, from the Resume Builder, scroll to Work Experience. Then, click the drop-down button. Click "Add Work Experience" to create a new section or "Add an Achievement" in an existing work history.

Step 5: To add soft skills to your "Skills" section in the Resume Builder, scroll to Skills, click the drop-down button, then "Add Skills." Here you can list your skills individually in addition to incorporating them into a paragraph or achievements. 

How to tailor soft skills to specific jobs

Tailoring soft skills to a specific job involves understanding what the hiring manager or recruiter is looking for and then presenting your relevant soft skills in a way that matches these needs. 

So what are the best ways to tailor your soft skills to the role you're applying for?

Read the job description thoroughly: The job description often offers insight into what soft skills are required, or character traits are preferred. Look for words or phrases that indicate behaviors or personal qualities, like "team player," "good communicator," "self-starter," "proactive," "detail-oriented," "problem-solver," etc.

Research the company culture: Understanding a company's culture can also give you an idea of what soft skills they value. For example, if the company values innovation, they'll likely appreciate soft skills like creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Match your skills to the job: Once you've identified the key soft skills required for the job, you should match these with your own. But remember, honesty is critical, so only incorporate the skills you actually have. 

Quantify when possible: Finally, while it can be challenging to quantify soft skills, if you have concrete examples of your results (like "Improved team productivity by 20% through effective communication and conflict resolution"), this offers insight into how you used those soft skills to have an impact. 

Following these guidelines and tailoring your soft skills for each application ensures your resume aligns with the role's qualifications as much as possible—helping you stand out as a capable and qualified applicant. 

Top 10 soft skills for resumes in 2023

In today’s market, some soft skills make all the difference in your qualifications and fit for a role. So what are the top in-demand soft skills for resumes employers are looking for in 2023? 

• Adaptability: The rapid pace of change in many industries means that employees must adapt to new situations and changes in direction quickly and efficiently.
• Communication: Good communication ensures that you can express ideas clearly and understand the perspectives of others— which is vital for team collaboration.
• Creativity: With increasing automation, creativity has become a highly sought-after and differentiating skill. It's essential for problem-solving and developing new ideas or strategies.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): In the same vein, with increases in automation and technology, EQ is a differentiating skill because the technology simply doesn't have it. EQ involves recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions and identifying and acknowledging those of others. It's key to fostering productive and positive workplace relationships.
• Critical Thinking Skills: The ability to analyze situations, consider multiple solutions, and make sound decisions is invaluable in many roles, particularly as most markets face increasingly complex challenges.
• Leadership Skills: Even if you're not applying for a management role, the ability to inspire and motivate others, take initiative, and provide direction is a valued skill.
• Collaboration: In the modern workplace, projects often involve cross-functional teams, so the ability to work effectively with others is crucial.
• Problem-solving: The ability to identify issues and develop effective solutions is a core skill that shows employers you can add value in any situation.
• Resilience: Being able to bounce back from setbacks and keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity is an attractive quality for employers dealing with fast-paced, high-stress environments.
• Time Management Skills: This involves the ability to prioritize tasks, work efficiently, and meet deadlines, which is critical in virtually all roles.

Pro Tip: To learn more about personal skills that can help you land a job and grow your career, read up on interpersonal skills for a resume .

Harness your soft skills for success 

In today's job market, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever, and your strong soft skills can be a differentiating factor. They reflect your personality traits, adaptability, emotional intelligence, ability to collaborate, and much more. They make you human in a digital world and provide a unique value that technology can't replicate.

Teal's AI Resume Builder is designed to help you put these all-important soft skills front and center. With Teal's suite of tools, you can weave your best soft skills into your resume in a compelling and professional manner—truly reflecting your abilities and potential.

Sign up for Teal today and start building a standout resume that showcases your best skills in a way that resonates with employers and positions you for success.

But remember, your development doesn't stop once your resume is finished. Like any other skills, your soft skills need to be continually honed and developed as your professional journey continues. Take every opportunity to nurture your skills to unlock your full potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are soft skills, and why are they important.

Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioral abilities that facilitate effective work and collaboration, and they are important because they contribute to a productive and positive work environment.

What is the difference between soft skills and hard skills?

The difference between soft skills and hard skills is that soft skills are about how you work, such as your great communication skills or teamwork, while hard skills are technical or specific abilities, like data analysis or coding.

What are the best practices for how to list soft skills on a resume?

To list soft skills on a resume, include them throughout your resume sections, along with providing specific examples of how you've applied them in your work.

What are the best practices for how to enhance soft skills for career growth?

Enhance soft skills for career growth by seeking out opportunities to practice them, like taking on leadership roles or participating in team projects, and consider professional development or coaching if needed.

Can soft skills be learned or improved?

Yes, soft skills can be learned and improved through practice, self-reflection, and sometimes through training or coaching.

Kayte Grady

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35 Examples: How To Highlight Work Experience on a Resume

By Status.net Editorial Team on January 17, 2024 — 10 minutes to read

When crafting your resume, it’s important to emphasize your work experience strategically: this not only grabs the attention of hiring managers but also showcases your qualifications and skills effectively.

Highlighting work experience demonstrates relevance to the job you are applying for. Instead of just listing your past job titles and general tasks, you can focus on achievements and responsibilities that directly relate to the position at hand.

Identifying Key Achievements

Quantifying success.

When you want to showcase your work experience on your resume, try to provide measurable results. Employers appreciate seeing concrete numbers, because it gives them a clearer understanding of your capabilities. To do this successfully, convert your duties into specific achievements that are quantifiable.

For instance, instead of merely stating “Managed a marketing campaign,” you can include the percentage by which revenue increased as a result of your efforts. A better example would be: “Managed a marketing campaign that increased revenue by 35% within six months.” (By providing tangible results, you’ll be able to better present your skills and expertise.)

Highlighting Career Progression

Employers want to see growth and progress in your career. To demonstrate your professional development, you can mention increased responsibilities or newly acquired skills.

Structuring Your Resume

Chronological format.

The chronological format focuses on your work history, listing your experiences in reverse chronological order. This format is perfect for showcasing a steady career progression or if you’re applying for a job that requires specific work experience. For example:

• Company A : Software Engineer (Jan 2021 – Present)
• Company B : Junior Software Engineer (May 2018 – Dec 2020)
• Company C : Web Developer Intern (Jun 2017 – Aug 2017)

Start by listing your most recent position and work your way back. Include your job title, company name, and the duration of your employment for each entry.

Functional Format

A functional format prioritizes your skills and achievements, grouping them into relevant categories. This format works well if you have limited work experience, are changing careers, or have gaps in your employment history. Start by listing 2-3 skill sets, followed by specific examples of your achievements in each area. For example:

• Coordinated a team of 6 developers to complete a software project 2 weeks ahead of schedule.
• Successfully managed a budget of $50,000 for a marketing campaign.
• Developed a web application using Python and Django, reducing user response time by 35%.
• Implemented a new feature in Java, increasing user satisfaction by 20%.

Combination Format

The combination format blends the chronological and functional formats, splitting your resume into two sections. Begin with a functional section highlighting your skills and accomplishments, and follow it with a chronological listing of your work history. This format showcases your skills while addressing your employment history, making it ideal for those with diverse backgrounds or a mix of experiences. For example:

Key Skills and Achievements:

• Improved customer satisfaction scores by 15% by implementing new training methods.
• Recognized as Employee of the Month twice for excellent customer service.
• Consistently exceeded sales targets by 10% or more each quarter.
• Ranked in the top 5 salespeople in the company for three consecutive years.

Work History:

• Company A : Customer Support Specialist (Feb 2021 – Present)
• Company B : Retail Sales Associate (Oct 2018 – Jan 2021)
• Company C : Sales Intern (May 2018 – Aug 2018)

You can tailor your resume format to your unique experiences and the job you’re applying for, showcasing your most relevant skills, achievements, and experiences to catch the employer’s attention.

Tailoring Experience to the Job Description

Using job-relevant keywords.

When you want to highlight your work experience on a resume, it’s important to tailor it to the job description. Start by identifying relevant keywords from the job posting, and use them throughout your resume. These keywords can include specific hard skills (like programming languages or software proficiencies) and soft skills (like teamwork or communication).

For example, suppose you’re applying to a project management role and the job description mentions “Agile methodologies” and “team collaboration.” In that case, you should include those phrases when describing your experience, such as:

• “Led a team of six developers using Agile methodologies to deliver software updates on time.”
• “Facilitated team collaboration through weekly meetings and by implementing project management tools.”

By incorporating these job-relevant keywords, you make it easier for hiring managers to see that your experience aligns with their needs.

Matching Skills and Experiences

Another crucial aspect of tailoring your resume is matching your skills and experiences with the job requirements. Start by making a list of your relevant skills, then clearly demonstrate how they align with the job description.

For instance, suppose the job posting requires experience in “data analytics” and “presenting findings to stakeholders.” You can then include bullet points under relevant work experiences, like:

• “Analyzed complex data sets to identify growth opportunities, increasing revenue by 15% over six months.”
• “Presented data-driven recommendations to senior executives, resulting in streamlined business processes and reduced operational costs.”

If possible, use concrete numbers and achievements to showcase your skills and experiences. Remember to keep it brief, focusing on the most impactful and job-relevant accomplishments.

Writing Effective Bullet Points: 35 Example Action Verbs for a Resume

To make your resume stand out and effectively convey your work experience, you can start your bullet points with strong action verbs. Using action verbs helps illustrate your accomplishments and responsibilities more vividly.

• Implemented
• Coordinated
• Streamlined
• Transformed
• Facilitated
• Constructed
• Accelerated
• Revitalized
• Outperformed
• Restructured
• Collaborated

Incorporating Soft Skills and Technical Skills

When highlighting your work experience on your resume, it’s important to showcase both your soft skills and technical skills. This can help employers understand how well-rounded you are as a potential candidate.

To include your soft skills, try to incorporate them into your job descriptions or demonstrate them by providing examples of accomplishments that highlight these abilities. For example, if you have excellent communication skills, you might mention how you effectively collaborated with cross-functional teams and how that led to a project’s success. Some common soft skills to highlight are:

• Communication skills
• Leadership ability
• Problem-solving skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Time management

Related: What Are Soft Skills? (and How to Showcase Them)

Showcasing your technical skills on your resume can help set you apart. When listing your technical skills, try to use bullet points for better organization. For example:

• Adobe Creative Suite

By incorporating both soft skills and technical skills in your resume, you can present yourself as a well-rounded and capable candidate – one who can not only perform the technical aspects of a job but can also work well in diverse teams and adapt to the company culture.

Related: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills (with Examples)

Including Additional Sections

Including additional sections in your resume can help you showcase your work experience more effectively. While the standard sections, such as work history, education, and skills, are necessary, adding tailored sections can make your resume stand out.

For instance, you can include a Projects section if you’ve worked on any significant projects that display your expertise and creativity. Be sure to mention the project’s name, your role, and the skills you utilized.

• Project 1 : Orchestrated a comprehensive social media campaign for a new product launch, which boosted brand engagement by 50% and resulted in a 20% uplift in pre-orders.
• Project 2 : Led a cross-functional team to revamp the corporate website with a focus on user experience, leading to a 40% decrease in bounce rate and a 25% increase in average session duration.

Adding a Certifications section can demonstrate your commitment to professional development. List any relevant certifications, the certifying organization, and the completion date.

• Certified Digital Marketing Professional, Digital Marketing Institute, August 2022
• Google Analytics Individual Qualification, Google, June 2021
• Professional Certified Marketer, American Marketing Association, March 2020
• Facebook Certified Planning Professional, Facebook Blueprint, July 2019

Related: How To List Certifications on a Resume (Examples)

If you have international experiences or language skills, you can add a Languages section. Specify your proficiency level, such as “fluent” or “conversational.” This can be particularly valuable for positions that require communication with diverse clienteles or involve global stakeholders.

• Spanish: Fluent
• French: Conversational

Related: How to Include Language Skills on Your Resume (Examples)

To emphasize your technical proficiencies, you can create a Technical Skills section. This allows potential employers to quickly identify your specific abilities. You can use a simple list format or categorize them by area of expertise.

Technical Skills

Digital Advertising – Google Ads – Facebook Ads Manager – LinkedIn Advertising – Programmatic Advertising Platforms

Data Analysis & Reporting – Google Analytics – Adobe Analytics – Microsoft Excel – Data Studio

Graphic Design & Video Editing – Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro) – Canva – Final Cut Pro

By categorizing the skills, you make it easier for the employer to quickly assess your expertise in various areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective ways to showcase my work experience on my resume.

To showcase your work experience effectively, consider the following tips:

• Use bullet points to clearly list your roles, responsibilities, and achievements at each position.
• Tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for by highlighting skills and experiences related to the requirements.
• Quantify your achievements by providing numbers, percentages, or other metrics.
• Focus on your most recent and relevant work experience, and emphasize any transferable skills to the position you’re applying for.

Can you provide examples of how to describe work experience for entry-level positions?

When describing work experience for entry-level positions, consider the following examples:

• Use strong action verbs to start your bullet points. Instead of “was responsible for,” try “managed,” “led,” or “organized.”
• Include transferable skills and experiences from internships, volunteer work, school clubs, or extracurricular activities.
• Discuss academic projects, coursework, or certifications that may be relevant to the job.
• Emphasize any soft skills or personal qualities that are valuable for the position, like teamwork, problem-solving, or adaptability.

Related: How to Write a Resume With No Experience (Examples)

How can students with limited work experience highlight their skills on a resume?

Students with limited work experience can highlight their skills on a resume by:

• Adding a skills section to showcase relevant abilities, such as computer skills, language proficiencies, or data analysis.
• Including unpaid positions, internships, or volunteer work experiences that demonstrate transferable skills.
• Detailing academic projects or coursework that showcase your skills and achievements.
• Emphasizing soft skills, like teamwork, communication, or critical thinking, that are valuable in any workplace.

Related: Impressive Resume with No Work Experience (for Students)

What should I include when listing my career highlights and achievements?

When listing your career highlights and achievements, make sure to:

• Focus on quantifiable results or improvements you contributed to, such as increased sales, decreased costs, or improved productivity.
• Mention any awards or recognitions you received for your work.
• Highlight major projects or initiatives you led or played a significant role in.
• Include promotions, additional responsibilities, or notable clients you worked with.

In what manner can I best present my work history to appeal to potential employers?

To present your work history in an appealing way for potential employers, consider the following strategies:

• Use a clear, easy-to-read format with consistent styling throughout your resume.
• Include a brief, compelling summary at the top of your resume to quickly convey your most relevant skills and experiences.
• Prioritize your work history by placing your most recent and relevant positions first, followed by less relevant roles or older positions.
• Keep your resume concise, focusing on concrete achievements and experiences instead of vague descriptions or buzzwords.

What strategies are recommended for emphasizing relevant job experience in my field?

To emphasize relevant job experience in your field, try these strategies:

• Tailor your resume to the specific job opening by emphasizing the skills, experiences, and education that relate most closely to the position’s requirements.
• Use relevant industry keywords and terminology throughout your resume to demonstrate your familiarity with the field.
• Showcase your expertise by mentioning any professional certifications, licenses, memberships, or publications you have in the field.
• Highlight any specialized training or education you have received related to the industry, such as specific courses, workshops, or conferences.
• How to Write a Resume With No Experience (Examples)
• Impressive Resume with No Work Experience (for Students)
• 50 Inspiring Examples for 7 Communication Skills for a Resume
• List of 21 Important Technical Skills (with Examples)
• Technical Skills Examples for Resume
• Administrative Assistant Resume (Detailed Examples)

Most Wanted CV Communication Skills for 2024: 50+ Skills and Examples

What are communication skills

Why are communication skills wanted by recruiters on your cv, what skills, activities and accomplishments help you highlight your communication skills, communication skills: key takeaways for your cv.

Workplace success is a chain reaction. Happy customers need high-quality final products (or services), which most often depend on the team.

The team's efficiency and productivity depend on their relationships, which are built, nurtured, and sustained thanks to communication skills.

So, next time you see a job advert that lists "excellent communication skills", don't underestimate this requirement.

Nowadays, every industry needs good communicators. That's why employers are always on the lookout for candidates, who excel in verbal, non-verbal, and various types of communication.

In this Enhancv guide, we'll answer some of the most urgent questions you have about your CV communication skills.

• The many faces of communications: why are candidates with this skill set 124% more likely to get hired?
• The art of creating a communications-focused CV;
• Top 50 skills your CV needs to detail how you communicate and listen to ideas;
• How to describe your communication skills without diving into clichés (e.g. "I'm a good communicator")?
• CV sections to help you stand out  as the most qualified candidate for the role.

Communication skills are an umbrella term that depicts your abilities to:

• present ideas, thoughts, opinions, or feelings;
• listen intently, respond, provide, or receive feedback;
• share and exchange information, concepts, or instructions.

Communication skills are soft or interpersonal skills . You've developed them thanks to your whole life experience.

It may be a bit more difficult to quantify your communication skills across your CV, as how do you measure that you're a good communicator?

We'll get into more tips and tricks on how, in the next part of this guide, but for now, remember the four main types of communication skills:

• Verbal communication skills - or the spoken word;
• Non-verbal communication skills - body language, eye contact, etc.;
• Written communication skills;
• Visual communication skills - a picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

Communication skills are a must for any employer, as they are a huge asset to the organisation.

For starters, communication skills:

• Drive effective collaboration and foster teamwork  - excellent communicators can work with other people and departments to reach organisational targets.
• Create innovation and growth  - the way you express your ideas and stay open to new lines of thought is what ultimately creates change with a positive impact all around.
• Resolve conflicts and enhance decision-making  - effective communication and listening of both sides of the argument allows for solutions that benefit all.
• Promote leadership  - to lead, you need to clearly state your vision, motivate and inspire others, and mediate and guide others along the way. In the end, everyone has to understand what's expected of them to reach the organisational objectives.
• Improve client relationships  - customer satisfaction depends on professionals' abilities to build trust and address timely customer concerns. Communication skills would allow you to carry out better sales pitches and presentations, or be a more successful negotiator.

Your communication skills would also have an impact on the big picture and the brand image. This particular skill set is crucial to:

• establishing the operational principles (e.g. management command chain and objectives);
• maintaining a healthy workflow (e.g. sharing information and task delegation);
• sustaining a healthy work environment (e.g. boosting employee morale and preventing conflict).

Verbal communication skills

• Clear and concise speech  - you've probably noticed how when you take the time to articulate your ideas (even if they are quite complex), people tend to listen. Being a confident speaker is all about those small details: from your tone and pitch to the pacing and the words you use. Within your CV, pinpoint specific examples of when your direct communication skills have contributed to business success .
• Public speaking and presentation skills  - speaking in front of any audience can be tough, we know. That's why recruiters are keen on having candidates with such experience. Quantify any public speaking engagements you've had (e.g. workshops or seminars) and/or awards for your oratory skills. Make sure to mention the topics you presented and the actual impact your speech has had on your audience.
• Persuasion and negotiation  - it’s how you present convincing arguments to win over others so that everyone is on the same page. Understanding different viewpoints, managing expectations, and staying patient all play a crucial role in the negotiation process. Within your CV experience section, list instances  where you have had to influence clients, stakeholders, or your team to accept your solutions.
• Assertiveness and confidence  - it's the way you talk that can sometimes impact the team dynamics. Staying confident in yourself and your team's abilities would help you reach 99% more shared goals. On your CV, you can describe cases where you've stood up for your team or shared your ideas freely.
• Feedback  - involves your ability to both give constructive feedback (by staying objective and sensitive to individual needs) and receive feedback (professionally and aiming to make the most out of it).
• Active listening - your ability to carefully listen to others' perspectives, reflect on what has been said, and respond thoughtfully. Active listening is about staying engaged in the conversation by asking questions. When you give the speaker your full attention, you're ultimately helping them feel heard and appreciated. Pinpoint on your CV how your active listening skills have helped you prevent a potential conflict. Remember that being a great communicator starts with learning how to listen.

17 more verbal communication skills (some are outside the box)

• Conference presentations
• Conversational skills
• Improvisation
• Interviewing
• Motivational speaking
• Online communication tools
• Relationship building
• Social skills
• Storytelling
• Vocabulary proficiency
• Video Calls
• Virtual meeting etiquette

Interpersonal Communication

Your abilities to work with other people are mostly thanks to the soft skills you have as a communicator, like

• Adaptability and flexibility  - adjusting your communication style based on different audiences or changing environments. Describe within the projects section of your CV, situations where you've had to communicate across change management. What did you do to ensure your communication was received and accepted?
• Teamwork and collaboration  - think of instances where you've worked with colleagues with different perspectives, but, in the end, reached a shared goal or objective. Brownie points for showcasing how you've streamlined your work digitally and coordinated remote tasks.
• Conflict management and problem-solvin g - it's how you've resolved disagreements or disputes (using logic, creativity, mediation, etc.) to come up with a mutually beneficial solution. Summarise on your CV the strategies you've used to resolve problems and how this has benefited the company (e.g. by boosting morale, improving overall job satisfaction, etc.).
• Leadership  - involves an array of skills like delegation and feedback, coaching and mentoring, counselling and decision-making. Great leaders have a vision and strategy in mind, which they communicate and achieve, by motivating others. Personal leadership skills include approachability, reliability, persistence, etc. List on your CV cases where you've had to manage a team, project, or specific program. Make sure to include tangible metrics of your success as a leader - this could sometimes be a high retention rate of colleagues.
• Empathy  - understanding, sharing, and valuing the perspectives and feelings of another person. Hinting at your emotional intelligence, this skill set also remarks how you actively listen to respond: with sensitivity and compassion. For example, you could quantify your empathy skills by showcasing situations of how you've guided coworkers through difficult times.
• Friendliness  - many underestimate the power of a positive attitude in nurturing a healthy (and effective) work environment. In reality, friendly colleagues build a sense of trust and respect, and aim to make everyone feel celebrated. Your positive demeanour can be best demonstrated during the interview stage, only if relevant to the job or industry you're applying for.
• Honesty  - this particular skill set also hints at your values as a professional, like authenticity, responsibility, accountability, reliability, transparency, etc.

5 more personality traits for better communication

• Attention-to-detail
• Imagination
• Open-mindedness
• Proactivity
• Quick thinking

One more thing, before we move on to the next type of communication skills. We’ve prepared the top customer service abilities, so your application always stands out.

13 customer service skills for your CV

• Client relationship management
• Client acquisition
• Customer inquiries
• Customer retention
• Complaint handling
• Consumer engagement
• Maintaining a positive attitude
• Outbound calls
• Outreach campaigns
• Phone Skills
• Technical support

Written communication skills

• Spelling and grammar  - your ability to produce error-free, concise writing. You've mastered the art of syntax, structures, and tone of voice. The best way to demonstrate your writing skills is via your grammatically correct CV , which uses a professional tone, and links to various samples of your writing (e.g. company newsletters, social media posts, articles, etc.).
• Report and proposal writing  - this involves various types of documents, like business analysis, financial reports, pitch decks, etc. If it's possible - include links to sample documents  you've written, alongside the crucial business projects they've impacted.
• Technical writing  - it's all about presenting and explaining complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Think back on all the documents and user manuals you've created, how did you go about breaking down those complex ideas in layman's terms?

20+ samples of your written communication

• Advertising copy
• Business correspondence etiquette
• Content writing
• Copywriting
• Creative writing
• Editing and proofreading
• Email writing
• Investigative writing
• Legal writing
• Marketing copy
• Presentation writing
• Playwriting
• Poetry writing
• Press release writing
• Screenwriting
• Social media writing
• Speech writing
• Summarising
• Translation

Non-verbal communication skills

It's a bit impractical to show your non-verbal communication skills on your CV, as these abilities involve:

• Body language
• Cultural awareness
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Professional appearance
• Spacial awareness
• Tone of voice

Show, don't tell! The best way to showcase your non-verbal communication skills is during your interview.

Your non-verbal communication skills would help recruiters to feel more comfortable around you, so they can better understand your expertise.

Visual communication skills

Your skill to visually communicate your ideas involves using design principles to create:

• Animations and presentations;
• Graphics and infographics;
• Graphs and charts;
• Icons and symbols.

Within your CV header, feature links to any visual communication elements (e.g. presentations and animations) you’ve created.

How did they help your organisation win projects or new clients?

How to demonstrate communication skills on your CV

• Take the time to assess job requirements to match specific advert communication keywords  (e.g. certifications, degrees, job titles) with your experience.
• Quantify your communication skills with your achievements. Use concrete metrics to show your success and accomplishments, when possible.
• Your CV is an excellent instrument to demonstrate your written communication skills. Make sure your expertise is precise and easy to understand. Double-check your CV for spelling or punctuation mistakes, and ensure you are using proper grammar and a professional tone.
• Don't include an endless list of your communication talents in the skills section . Instead, focus on the ones that are most impressive for the role you're applying to and scatter them all through your CV.
• Be honest about how you've used your communication skills to share ideas and collaborate, solve problems, and reach organisational goals.

Example 1: Demonstrate communication skills in the experience section

The experience section should showcase how you use your communication skills to succeed in the workplace.

Make sure to start each experience bullet with a strong action verb , followed by your achievements. Quantify those with a tangible metric, when possible, as in the example below:

• • Executed +30 communication campaigns within a year, resulting in a 65% increase in brand awareness
• • Spearheaded a social media communication campaign that drove sales of 15 products to soar by 150%
• • Orchestrated crisis communication efforts, collaborating closely with the media to swiftly transform audience perceptions from negative to neutral in less than 24 hours
• • Cultivated trust and rapport with six new clients, leading to my promotion to the role of Key Account Manager

Example 2: Demonstrate communication skills in the CV summary section

Prioritise the most critical communication skills towards the top of your CV, in your summary .

The CV summary is those three to five sentences that highlight your most impressive and relevant skills and experience.

Best practices point out that you should avoid lengthy paragraphs and long sentences when writing your summary.

Instead, clearly and concisely emphasise your achievements, thanks to your excellent communication skills.

Example 3: Show your communication skills in your achievements sections

Within the achievements section, highlight accomplishments that are linked with your communication skills.

The achievements section is also the one within which you could shine a light on your transferrable skills - or those talents that could be relevant to any role, no matter the industry.

Make sure to answer how these skills could be beneficial to your new employers.

In the example below, the business development professional has highlighted these communication skills:

• sales and pitching;
• verbal communication and empathy;
• networking and relationship building.

Example 4: Demonstrate the skill through other sections of your resume

​​If you happen to have less professional experience or would like to showcase diversity in your communication skills, include some of these CV sections:

• Education and certifications  - show your dedication to becoming a better communicator with any relevant coursework and training  you have had.
• Language skills  - showcasing your multilingual proficiencies and hinting at your cross-communication skills. Always remember to include what level you are at, whether it's by including a certificate from an accredited institution or via self-assessment.
• Volunteer work  - make sure to detail the roles and responsibilities you've had and how they've developed your communication skills.

Example 5: Use a separate skills section

As you may have heard, your skills section should best include all the technologies you're apt at using  (or hard skills). That doesn't mean you should leave out your communication skills from it.

Instead, feature any digital communication and virtual meeting tools  (e.g. Slack, Zoom, Trello, etc.) you feel comfortable using and are relevant to the role.

The technical skills section could also be an excellent space for communication professionals, like in the example below.

• Communication skills help your application stand out, that’s why you should select the most relevant ones to the role or industry you’re applying for and scatter them all through your CV.
• Recruiters care about seeing the actual impact of your communication skills, so make sure to quantify them via achievements and tangible metrics (when possible).
• There are various types of communication skills you could feature on your CV: remember to select the ones which would be the most impressive and beneficial to your potential employers.
•  Use the skills section to list any communication technologies you’re apt at using, while featuring more of your soft skills in the achievements section.
• Don’t just say you have great communication skills, instead use your CV, interview, and any further communication (via the phone or digitally) with recruiters to highlight your aptitude.

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