Hard Skills: Definition & List of Best Examples for Any Resume
Hard Skills: Definition & List of Best Examples for Any Resume
Not sure what “hard” skills are? You better find out! (And learn how to use them on a resume to score interviews.) Good news? You’ve come to the right place.
It’s not about how difficult they are, it’s all about how process-oriented such abilities might be.
Hard Skills Definition:
Hard skills are abilities that let you tackle job-specific duties and responsibilities. Hard skills can be learned through courses, vocational training, and on the job. These skills are usually focused on specific tasks and processes such as the use of tools, equipment, or software.
In contrast, soft skills are your traits and abilities not unique to any job—think collaboration, time management, empathy, or leadership.
Which kind of skill set is more important? A LinkedIn study suggests that a slight majority (57% vs 43%) of employers value soft skills over hard skills.
But is this really an either/or situation?
Not really. The best way to think about it that hard skills get interviews, soft skills get jobs.
(Not to mention the thin line between definitions—how soft a skill is time management?)
Technical skills include specialized knowledge and expertise in fields such as IT, engineering, or science. Typical technical skills are abilities to use specialized software or equipment.
Here are some examples of technical hard skills:
CAD
Lean manufacturing
Multivariate analysis
Linear regression
Prototyping
Workflow development
STEM skills
Web: HTML, CSS, Javascript
Payment processing
Automated Billing Systems
CRM Platforms
Research
Troubleshooting
Now, here’s a few samples extracted from resumes:
Created MS Excel pivot tables to identify 500+ new high-traffic, low-competition keywords that pushed us to $250,000+ more annual revenue.
Efficient Mechanical Engineer with 3+ years’ combined experience as a Design Engineer. Can perform static, fatigue, and fracture analyzes for F-35 structural components of main landing gear.
Computer skills are your abilities to use software and hardware: from basic and general, to highly specialized.
On today’s job market, computer skills are a must in any industry. Be sure to include list them on your resume especially if you’re applying for office jobs and if the job ad requires specifics.
Here’s a list of some basic computer skills:
MS Office:
Word
Excel
Outlook
Powerpoint
OneNote
Access
Google Drive
Spreadsheets
Email
Presentations/Slideshows
Database Management
Quickbooks
Social media
Web
Typing
Graphics
Enterprise systems
WPM
And here you’ll see some typical programming skills:
Java
PHP
MySQL
SQL
C#
JavaScript
C++
Python
iOS/Swift
Ruby on Rails
This is how you can make them work on your resume:
Composed an app to allow voice control of lights, garage door, and home thermostat, using an Amazon Echo and Raspberry Pi.
Wrote Excel formulas to add conditional formatting to a budgeting spreadsheet.
Automated reports with Oracle Netsuite to cut reporting costs by 25%.
Marketing skills include the general knowledge of sales, advertising, and consumer research, as well as a plethora of highly technical, digital skills required for success in modern-day online marketing.
Marketing hard skills are of greatest value to candidates in media, advertising, social media, e-commerce, and product management.
Some examples include:
SEO/SEM: Ahrefs, SEMRush, SEO Power Suite, Majestic
PPC
Social media marketing and paid social media advertising
Writing
CRO and A/B testing
Email marketing and automation
HubSpot, Aritic PinPoint, ONTRAPORT, Infusionsoft
Funnel management
UX Design
Data visualization
Google Analytics and Google Search Console
AdWords, Facebook Paid Ads
The list could go on, and on, and on. But what marketing skills are most relevant today?
Wait, what? Aren’t presentation skills a soft skill?
Not exactly. Sure, you need certain soft, transferable skills to deliver a good presentation: confidence, adaptability, self-awareness, or stress management. But—
To facilitate your presentation or report, you’ll need at least a few of these hard skills:
Visual communication
Slideshows
Research
Data analysis
Reporting
Persuasion
Graphic design
And here’s how to prove you’re a savvy presenter on a resume:
Created 150+ business reports and newsletters, using data visualization to facilitate the message.
Assisted the CEO with creating slideshows in Powerpoint, Prezi, and Movavi.
In short, project management skills guarantee that things get done.
More than that, actually: done in time and within budget. If you’re skilled in project management, it will be a plus for any sort of job where you need to coordinate processes or people’s work.
Project management skills include general managerial expertise as well as proficiency in certain frameworks and software. Here are some examples of PM hard skills:
Project scheduling
Strategic planning
Project lifecycle management
Agile software
Scrum management
Financial modeling
Kanban
Forecasting
Performance tracking
Budgeting
And these samples will show you how to present your PM expertise on a resume:
Highly skilled in Agile software: employed Jira and Taiga to improve team velocity 35%.
Budgeting: saved $800,000 through a company-wide automation drive.
Implemented Lean Training project for all employees.
A solid grasp of writing techniques will give your career a boost if your job requires any sort of writing (think typing up quarterly reports, onboarding documents, presentations for clients, sales pitches, etc.).
Another somewhat obvious point on our list. But that doesn’t make it less important.
Knowing more than one language will set you apart from your competition for any job in a company that deals with international customers or stakeholders.
First of all, create a section for languages. List all foreign languages you know and indicate your proficiency level.
But you can also emphasize your multilingual skills in other parts.
Offered meticulous customer support for clients in 3 languages: English, Spanish, French.
If you’re a skilled illustrator, modern employers will fight one another for who gets to hire you. No, not only if your niche is graphic design. The ability to create polished visual materials is a great asset in all work environments.
Here are some graphic design skills examples.
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
UX/UI design
UX research
Data visualization
Color theory
Acrobat
HTML/CSS
Free Hand
Corel Draw
Sketching
Typography
Print design
Layout
Now, here’s a few samples from other resume sections:
Authored superior graphic design, print production, ads, marketing collateral, viewbooks, and logo design.
Designed logo for Nabor Gro groceries and liquor, Arondale, Connecticut.
Need more inspiration to highlight your creative powers? While we don’t have a dedicated piece on design skills, I’m sure you’ll find this one useful: How to Write a Head-Turning Graphic Design Resume
Certifications: The Best Way to Validate Your Hard Skills
If you have certifications that back up your skills, list them in a separate resume section. Include the name of the certificate and the year you received it.
Michael, a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW) is a career writer and the newsletter coordinator at Zety. Apart from sharing his own resume-writing expertise, Michael reaches out to recruitment and hiring gurus to help you learn the most effective strategies for managing your career.
How to email a resume to get more job offers? Writing a great resume might not be enough. You have to know how to send it! Check out a sample email to send with a resume, see great resume emailing hacks and get tips from HR pros. Learn the best strategy to send a resume email and start getting more interviews!