Technical Skills for a Resume (List with 30+ Examples)

Here’s a great list of technical skills for resumes. But—

Make it count.

Your resume technical skills list should shake the hiring manager.

Never copy-paste. That’s bogus, and employers know it.

Instead:

Pack your resume with skills the job wants.

Then prove them like a Geometric theorem.

This guide will show you:

• A great list of technical skills for resumes.
• Dozens of technical skills examples for every career.
• How to prove technical proficiency instead of simply mentioning tech.
• How to list technical skills on resumes to get the interview.

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1

What Are Technical Skills?

Technical skills are a specific type of ability and practical knowledge of processes and technology. Technical skills let you accomplish complex tasks which require expertise. They are usually the domain of science, engineering, mechanics, or statistics.

But then again, every job requires a different skill set. For some, it will be optimizing neural networks, for others sketching wireframes. For most of us it might be something like using spreadsheets to track sales:

Examples of Technical Skills

• MS Office. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote.
• Email. Filters, folders, mail merge, rules.
• Google Drive. Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides.
• Writing. WordPress, SEO, Yoast, journalism, technical writing, ghostwriting.
• Spreadsheets. Excel, Google Sheets, OpenOffice, comparative analyses, pivot tables, macros, link to database, vertical lookups.
• Social Media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, posts, giveaways, customer interaction.
• Phone skills. Voicemail, forwarding, hold, recording.
• Productivity. Trello, Slack, Asana, Todoist, Zapier, Basecamp.
• Quickbooks. Invoicing, expense tracking, accounts payable, reports, payroll, employee time tracking, cash flow management.
• Graphical. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Free Hand, Corel Draw.
• Web. HTML, CSS, Javascript, WordPress, Content Management Systems (CMS).
• Enterprise Systems. Payment Processing, Automated Billing Systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRMs like Oracle Netsuite or Salesforce), Business Continuity Planning, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs like SAP, Oracle).
• Math. Basic math, arithmetic, statistics, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus.
• Research. Source checking, intellectual property rights, networking, outreach, advanced Google search.
• Computer Skills. MS Office, Google Drive, spreadsheets, email, PowerPoint, databases, social media, web, enterprise systems.
• Programming Skills. C#, SQL, Java, C++, HTML, JavaScript, XML, C, Perl, Python, PHP, Objective-C, AJAX, ASP.NET, Ruby (with SQL, Java, and Python being the top 3 tech skills according to data).
• Troubleshooting. Assessment, system knowledge, analytical skills, testing, calm mindset, problem-solving, logic, critical thinking skills, collaboration, communication.
• Planning. Analysis, conceptual skills, brainstorming, decision-making, forecasting, logistics, problem-solving skills, cost-assessment, requirements-gathering.
• Project Management Skills. Task management, prioritization, delegation, task separation, scheduling, risk management, Scrum.
• Video Creation. Shooting, framing, writing, editing, compressing, uploading, creating engagement.
• Presenting. Public speaking, PowerPoint, Keynote.

Those are great technology skills. But—

How do you show tech skills on a resume?

Check out these hard skills examples:

Job ad wants: (1) Excel skills, (2) social media skills, and (3) SEO skills.

Your resume says:

See that?

You didn’t say, “I have technical knowledge.” You said, “I have these tech skills massively, and here’s proof in story form.”

A simple technical skills section on a resume won’t cut it.

Now let me show you job-getting hard skills examples for all the top careers in the next section.

Pro Tip: Don’t pick tech skills at random for your resume. Learn what the employer wants. See job-specific technical ability lists below.

Need computer skills to put on resumes? Want to know how to list computer skills on resumes? See our guide: Resume Computer Skills Employers Want in 2020

Check out the list of basic and advanced technical IT skills companies are looking for right now—

IT Skills

• Web. HTML5, CSS, Django, Node.js. Laravel, React.
• Programming Skills. C#, Java, C++, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Objective-C, AJAX, ASP.NET, Ruby, Golang.
• Blockchain technologies, Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Monero, Litecoin.
• Cloud and Distributed Computing. Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, AWS.
• Machine Learning. TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Google Cloud ML Engine, AML.
• Operating Systems. Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux.
• Network and Information Security. OSCP, CISSP, Cisco CCNA, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA Security+.
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering. AutoCAD, MATLAB, Verilog, Simulink, Pspice, Multisim, ETAP.
• Virtualization. VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, QEMU, Oracle VM VirtualBox, XEN.
• Big Data. Statistical analysis, data mining and modeling, database management.
• eCommerce Platforms. Magento, PrestaShop, Joomla, OpenCart, WooCommerce, Shopify.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Remember not to ignore soft skills. Demand for soft skills has been on the rise since 1980, data shows. Learn how to make most of them by following up with:

• IT Skills
• Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: The Real Difference Explained
• 20+ Communication Skills
• Management Skills
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Employability Skills
• Language Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Organizational Skills

Ready to tweak your resume?

First, you'll need to make sure to list the right skills for the industry you apply to.

Most technical skills vary depending on what your niche is.

Here are some technical skills examples based on industry area:

Administration

• Calendar Management
• Travel Planning
• Event Planning
• Writing Emails and Letters
• Transcription
• Inventory Management
• Billing
• Salesforce
• Research
• Order Processing

Job ad wants: inventory management skills.

Your resume says:

Need more office technical skills? See our administrative assistant resume.

Accounting

• Account Reconciliation
• Asset Management
• Automation
• Payroll
• Profit and Loss
• Tax Returns

Business Analyst Technical Skills

• Benchmarking
• Future State Assessment
• Business Process Re-engineering
• As-is Analysis
• Defining Solutions and Scope
• Gap Analysis
• Role Change
• Wireframing, Prototyping, User Stories
• Financial Analysis/Modeling
• SWOT Analysis

Job ad wants business process re-engineering and as-is analysis skills.

Your resume says:

Need more business analyst tech skills? See our business analyst resume.

Computer Science

• Computer Hardware Engineering
• Information Systems Design
• Linear Alegebra
• Statistics

Data Analyst Technical Skills

• Statistical Methods
• Programming
• Database Design
• Excel Power User
• SAS Enterprise Miner
• SQL
• Minitab
• Data Analytics
• MS Access, Oracle
• Data Visualization

Job ad wants: statistical modeling skills.

Your resume says:

Need more technical skills for data analysts? See our data analyst resume.

Engineering

• CAD
• STEM Skills
• Prototyping
• Design
• Project Launch
• Troubleshooting
• Testing
• Workflow Development
• Lean Manufacturing
• Computer Skills

Job ad wants production design and Lean manufacturing skills.

Your resume says:

 Want more technical skills for engineering jobs? See our Engineering Resume Guide.

Graphic Designer Technical Skills

• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Acrobat
• InDesign
• Free Hand
• HTML/CSS
• Corel Draw
• Typography
• Sketching
• Layout

Job ad wants: Photoshop skills.

Your resume says:

Need more graphic design hard skills? See our graphic designer resume.

Information Technology (IT)

• Data Structures
• Web Development
• Coding
• Open Source Experience
• Machine Learning
• Security
• Java, SQL, C#, Python, iOS, PHP
• Debugging
• Problem Solving
• Logic

Job ad wants: web development skills.

Your resume says:

Need more programmer tech skills? See our programmer resume.

Management

• Basic Statistics
• Business Process Management
• Compliance
• Planning
• Project Management

Marketing

• A/B Testing
• Automation
• CRO/CRM
• CMS Tools
• Email Marketing
• PPC
• UX Design

Nursing

• Urgent Care/Emergency Care
• Monitoring Vital Signs
• Rehabilitation Therapy
• NIH Stroke Scale Patient Assessment
• Phlebotomy
• 12-Lead ECG Interpretation and Placements
• Wound Care and Dressing
• Glucose Checks
• Patient Transport
• G-Tube Feedings and Care

Job ad wants: phlebotomy skills.

Your resume says:

Want more nursing skills? See our nursing resume.

Project Management

• Budgeting
• Work Scheduling
• Project Evaluation
• Technical Reports
• Risk Management
• Scrum
• Agile
• Staffing
• Record Keeping
• Cost Management

Job ad wants: Scrum skills.

Your resume says:

Need more hard skills for project managers? See this project manager resume.

Teaching

• Classroom Management
• Assessment
• Curriculum Development
• State Standards
• Early Childhood and Learning Concepts
• Age-Appropriate Activities
• Safety and Sanitation Policies
• Departmental Planning
• Mentoring
• Special Education

Job ad wants: state standards skills.

Your resume says:

Need more teaching technological skills? Or a breakdown of writing skills? See our teacher resume.

Sales

• Product Knowledge
• Social Media
• General Marketing Skills
• Relationship Building
• Presentation
• Prospecting
• Customer Needs Analysis
• Product Demo
• Objection Handling
• Closing Sales
• Lead Qualification

Job ad wants closing sales skills and customer needs analysis.

Your resume says:

Need more sales hard skills? See our sales associate resume.

Writing

• Ghostwriting
• Grant Writing
• Journalism
• Scientific Writing
• SEO
• Technical Writing
• WordPress
• Yoast

Pro Tip: Not sure which of those technological skills to use? Scour the job ad. The right technology skills are listed in it.

Need a list of all the resume skills? See our guide: 30+ Best Examples of Skills and Abilities to Put on a Resume

Want the best technical skills for computer science, IT, marketing, or accounting?

Find job-ready tech skills in these resume guides:

• Computer Science Resume and Skills List
• IT (Information Technology) Resume Guide and Skills List
• Marketing Resume and Skills List
• Accounting Resume and Skills List
• Technical Resume and Skills List
• Data Scientist Resume and Skills List
• Software Engineer Resume and Skills List
• Cashier Resume and Skills List
• Receptionist Resume and Skills List
• Desktop Support Resume and Skills List

Technical Skills Lists for Every Profession

Didn’t see a list of technical resume skills for your career? See our resume guides: Resume Examples for Every Profession

Next I’ll show how to prove hard skills on a resume.

Pro Tip: Can’t find the right technical ability—even in the job ad? Call and ask, or reach out to a company employee on LinkedIn.

What soft skills in management should you put on a resume? See our guide: Soft Skills: Definition & Examples for Your Resume

Catastrophe.

You emailed 200+ resumes and—crickets.

The problem?

You have the right tech skills. But you’re showing them wrong.

To get hired:

1. Know what technical skills to put on a resume.
2. Prove them with accomplishments.
3. Include %, $, and other numbers for scale.

Why Technical Skills Lists Don’t Help (And What to Do Instead)

Most job resumes parrot the same list of technical skills. Hiring managers hate it.

So—

Read the job ad like it’s got the winning lottery number it. (It does!)

The perfect technology skills are right in there.

This One Technical Strengths Hack Can Get You Hired

This trick is tech skills gold.

Show accomplishments like these technical skills examples:

Why’s that magic?

It says you’ve got technical skills. But—

It shows how those hard skills helped the company. It shows how much, with numbers like 150+, 100%, 20%, and 48%.

Those are quantified accomplishments, and they’ll teleport you to the working world.

Pro Tip: As technical abilities can be verified easily, don’t lie on your resume. You will get fired once your fibs are revealed and damage your reputation.

How do you turn technical competencies into resume keywords? See our guide: Resume Keywords To Use: Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a recap of how to list technical skills on a resume:

• Use the technical skills list above. Don’t copy-paste from it. Read the job ad and highlight the few tech skills it mentions.
• Don’t make a technical ability list. Write bullet points crammed with achievements that prove your technical competency.
• Use numbers. Dollar figures, percentages, and other metrics show how effective your technological aptitude is.
• For career-specific hard skills examples, see our resume guides for every profession. Each one has a dedicated list of tech skills.

Do you have questions on how to list technological skills on a resume? Not sure how to describe your achievements? Give us a shout in the comments! We’d be happy to reply.