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What You Need to Know
The best skills to put on a resume are relevant to the job and backed by your actual experience.
Strong resumes include both hard skills, such as software proficiency or data analysis, and soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving.
Your skills shouldn’t appear only in a dedicated skills section. Highlight important abilities in your resume summary and work experience, too.
Different career stages call for different strengths. Entry-level candidates may emphasize transferable skills, while experienced professionals can highlight leadership and specialized expertise.
The job description is one of your best resources for determining which skills an employer values most.
Your skills tell an employer what you can contribute, but simply filling your resume with impressive-sounding abilities won’t make you a stronger candidate. The right skills connect what you do well with what a particular employer needs.
That matters for both recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS). Employers often look for skills and keywords that match the job requirements, so a targeted resume makes it easier to see why you fit the role. In this guide, you’ll find good skills to put on a resume, examples for different career levels and jobs, and tips for showing those skills effectively.
[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long.
10 Best Skills to Put on a Resume
The best skills to put on a resume are relevant to the job and supported by your experience. The right choices vary by profession, experience level, and position, but the following skills are valuable across many roles and industries.
1. Communication Skills
Being a good communicator means sharing your ideas clearly and listening to others. Strong communication skills can include writing, speaking, presenting, active listening, and communicating with customers or colleagues.
Rather than simply writing “communication” on your resume, be specific. For example, you might list client communication, presentation skills, or written and verbal communication.
2. Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills help you recognize challenges, evaluate possible solutions, and take action. They’re useful in nearly every workplace because employers need people who can respond effectively when something doesn’t go according to plan.
You can make this skill stand out on a resume by showing the result of a problem you solved. For example: “Reduced customer complaints by 25% by identifying recurring issues and creating a troubleshooting guide.”
3. Time Management Skills
Time management skills involve prioritizing tasks, planning your workload, meeting deadlines, and using your time effectively.
Instead of simply claiming you have good time management, show how you used it. Managing multiple projects simultaneously or consistently meeting tight deadlines can demonstrate this skill in action.
4. Attention to Detail
Attention to detail means noticing information, inconsistencies, or mistakes others might overlook. It’s especially valuable in jobs involving data, finances, writing, quality control, compliance, healthcare, or detailed records.
5. Analytical Thinking Skills
Analytical skills help you collect, organize, interpret, and use information. They can include data analysis, critical thinking, forecasting, research, and identifying patterns. These abilities are especially valuable when a role requires you to use information to make decisions or recommend solutions.
6. Computer Skills
Most jobs require some level of digital proficiency, but the specific tools employers value depend on the role. Examples include Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace, customer relationship management (CRM) software, database systems, coding languages, project management platforms, and industry-specific software.
Rather than listing “computer skills” on your resume, however, name the specific tools and technologies you know that are relevant to the position.
7. Language Skills
Language skills can help you communicate with customers, coworkers, vendors, or other stakeholders. If speaking another language is relevant to your target job, include the language and your proficiency level.
8. Research Skills
Research skills involve finding reliable information, evaluating sources, identifying useful insights, and applying what you learn. These abilities can support evidence-based decisions, strategic planning, writing, product development, market analysis, and many other professional responsibilities.
9. Administrative Skills
Administrative skills help workplaces stay organized and efficient. Examples include calendar management, scheduling, recordkeeping, data entry, correspondence, document management, and meeting and travel coordination.
Be specific about the administrative tasks or systems you know when they’re relevant to the job.
10. Technical Skills
Technical skills are specialized abilities needed to perform particular job duties. They may include programming languages, design software, accounting systems, laboratory procedures, equipment operation, or other industry-specific competencies.
Because technical requirements vary significantly between occupations, check the job description before deciding which ones to feature.
Hard skills are job-specific abilities, while soft skills are transferable abilities that describe how you work and interact with others. The right mix depends on the position you’re targeting, so focus on the skills that best match the job requirements.
Hard skills are teachable and measurable, making them easier to demonstrate through your experience, education, or training.
Imagine you’re a customer service representative. Your hard skills might be:
CRM software (e.g., Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot)
Product knowledge
Data entry
Soft skills influence how you communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and approach your work.
For example, these would be your customer service representative’s soft skills:
Adaptability
Communication
Multitasking
On resumes, hard skills show what you can do, while soft skills demonstrate how you work.
As the examples above show, hard skills can range from technical and computer skills to research, project management, writing, and design. Soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability.
The best skills to put on your resume usually include a targeted mix of both, tailored to the job’s requirements.
Best Resume Skills by Career Level
The most valuable skills on your resume can change as your career develops. Your goal isn’t to list every ability you have—it’s to emphasize the skills that best demonstrate your readiness for the position you’re targeting.
Entry-Level Resume Skills
If you have limited professional experience, draw from school, internships, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and part-time jobs.
Good skills to highlight may include:
Adaptability
Communication
Customer service
Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
Relevant technical or academic skills
Research
Teamwork and collaboration
Time management
Projects and coursework can also provide evidence of skills you haven’t yet had the opportunity to use in a full-time position.
Mid-Career Resume Skills
At the mid-career level, focus more heavily on skills you’ve demonstrated through measurable results and increased responsibility.
Depending on your profession, these might include:
Budgeting
Data analysis
Process improvement
Project management
Stakeholder communication
Team leadership
Technical expertise
Training and mentoring
Whenever possible, connect these skills to accomplishments that show how your responsibilities and impact have grown.
Experienced & Executive Resume Skills
Experienced professionals and executives should generally prioritize strategic and leadership abilities alongside advanced industry expertise.
Relevant skills may include:
Business development
Change management
Decision-making
Executive communication
Negotiation
Risk management
Strategic planning
Team leadership
At this stage, results matter. Connect these skills to accomplishments that demonstrate their impact on teams, operations, revenue, growth, or other organizational goals.
Career Change Resume Skills
For a career change, focus on transferable skills that apply in both your previous field and your target profession.
Strong transferable skills may include:
Analytical thinking
Communication
Customer service
Leadership
Problem-solving
Project management
Research
Teamwork
Pair those abilities with any new technical skills, certifications, coursework, or projects that demonstrate your preparation for the new field.
Resume Skills Examples by Job Title
Below you’ll find five popular job roles with their key resume skills to guide you when creating your own.
CRM software, data entry, product knowledge, order processing, troubleshooting
Active listening, conflict resolution, patience, multitasking, emotional intelligence
How to List Skills on a Resume
List your most relevant skills in your summary, work experience, and dedicated skills section, and tailor them to the job posting. Here are four effective ways to include skills when writing your resume:
1. Tailor Your Skills to the Job Posting
Read the job description carefully and identify the skills, tools, qualifications, and responsibilities the employer emphasizes. Compare those requirements with your own experience. Include skills you genuinely possess and prioritize those that overlap with the job posting.
Tailoring your resume to the job posting this way can help your resume perform better in ATS scans and highlight your fit for recruiters. Avoid copying every keyword from the advertisement. Your resume should reflect your actual qualifications.
Tailoring your skill set to match the employer’s needs not only showcases your qualifications but also increases your resume’s chances of passing through applicant tracking systems (ATS). Also, make sure to regularly update your skills section to reflect new competencies and trends in your industry. This ensures your resume stays relevant and shows employers you are committed to continuous professional development.
Your resume summary or objective statement appears near the top of your resume, making it a useful place for two or three of your strongest job-relevant skills.
For example:
Professional Summary
Personable customer service representative with strong communication, problem-solving, and multitasking skills. Experienced with CRM software and resolving customer concerns in high-volume environments while consistently meeting customer needs.
This approach gives employers an immediate snapshot of what you bring to the role.
Customer Service Representative ABC Solutions, Orlando, FL June 2024–May 2026
Maintained a 98% customer satisfaction score over 12 months by consistently resolving issues on the first contact and providing clear follow-up communication.
Reduced average call resolution time by 22% by developing a personal knowledge base of product FAQs and solutions.
Trained and mentored five new team members, improving onboarding efficiency and reducing training time by 30%.
4. Create a Focused Skills Section
Your dedicated skills section gives recruiters a quick way to scan your qualifications, so choose a resume template with a clear, easy-to-read layout.
Rather than using vague terms, choose specific skills relevant to the position. For a customer service resume, that could look like:
Skills
Written and verbal communication
CRM software
Conflict resolution
Time management
Data entry and documentation
Product knowledge
Technical support
If proficiency levels are meaningful for a particular skill, you can also indicate whether your proficiency is basic, intermediate, or advanced.
Top 5 Resume Skill Mistakes to Avoid
Even strong qualifications can lose their impact when they’re presented poorly. Watch for these common mistakes when choosing key skills to put on a resume.
Mistakes
Listing every skill you can think of: More isn’t automatically better. A long, unfocused list makes it harder for recruiters to identify your most relevant strengths. Prioritize skills that relate directly to the position you want.
Copying skills you don’t actually have: Job descriptions can help you identify useful keywords, but they aren’t a checklist to copy into your resume. Only claim a skill if you could comfortably discuss or demonstrate it during an interview.
Using skills that are too vague: Terms such as “computer skills” and “people skills” don’t tell an employer much, so be more precise. For example, replace “computer skills” with Microsoft Excel, Salesforce CRM, or Adobe Photoshop, depending on your experience and the job.
Putting skills only in the skills section: A skills list tells employers what you say you can do. Your experience section can provide evidence. Naturally repeat your most important skills in accomplishment bullets, your summary, and other relevant resume sections.
Forgetting to update your skills for each application: Different employers may prioritize different abilities, even when the job titles are similar. Review the posting before you apply and adjust the emphasis of your resume accordingly. You don’t need to rewrite the entire document, but your most relevant qualifications should be easy to find.
Key Takeaways
When you’re ready to add skills to your resume:
Identify the hard and soft skills the employer wants that match your experience.
Choose relevant skills over impressive-sounding ones. A targeted list is more useful than a long, generic one.
Put your strongest skills in multiple places. Use your summary, work experience, and skills section strategically.
Show evidence whenever possible. Accomplishments, numbers, projects, and results make your skills more credible.
Update your resume for each application. Adjust your skills and keywords to reflect the requirements of the position you’re pursuing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the seven soft skills?
Seven valuable soft skills are communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, time management, critical thinking, and leadership. These skills can apply across many jobs because they influence how you work with others, respond to challenges, and manage responsibilities. The best soft skills for your resume, however, are the ones relevant to your target job that you can support with real examples.
What are the top 10 skills employers want?
Some of the top skills employers want include communication, problem-solving, time management, attention to detail, analytical thinking, administrative skills, computer skills, language skills, research skills, and technical skills. Other valuable skills include adaptability, leadership, teamwork, and other transferable abilities.
Employers’ priorities vary by occupation, so use the job description to identify which abilities matter most for a specific position rather than adding the same 10 skills to every resume.
What skills are most in demand?
In-demand skills vary by industry and occupation, but employers commonly value a combination of technical expertise and transferable soft skills. Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, analytical thinking, adaptability, leadership, and digital skills can apply across many fields. For the most relevant answer, review several current job postings for your target role and note which skills appear repeatedly.
How many skills should you put on a resume?
Aim for 5–10 highly relevant skills in your dedicated resume skills section. The exact number depends on your experience, industry, and available space. You can demonstrate additional skills in your resume summary and work experience rather than trying to fit every ability into one list.
What skills look best on a resume?
The skills that look best on a resume are specific, relevant to the job, and supported by evidence. For example, “Microsoft Excel” is more informative than “computer skills,” while a work accomplishment showing how you used Excel is even stronger. Prioritize abilities mentioned in the job description that you genuinely possess, and demonstrate important skills throughout your resume.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety’s editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don’t stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.
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