100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

resume skill list ideas

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

resume skill list ideas

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.

resume skill list ideas

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.

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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 .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

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resume skill list ideas

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100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2024 (Examples for any Job)

Learn how to professionally and efficiently list your skills on a resume.

Katerina Frye

How to List Skills on a Resume 

Your skills are just as important as your work experiences. Skills show a recruiter what you can do for the company -- without taking up too much space in your resume. 

Skills can be anything from “creativity” (a soft skill) to “JavaScript” (a hard skill). It’s important to include a mix of both on your resume.

Don’t know what skills you have? Read on to learn the difference between “soft” and “hard” skills, or skim our 250+ skills for each industry to jump right into the resume writing process. 

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Sales Manager

Soft Skills vs Hard Skills

“Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable, such as leadership. These skills also cannot be learned, but  are rather a facet of your personality. Nevertheless, soft skills are still critical to have, for they demonstrate that you are personable and competent.

Top Soft Skills to include on your resume

‍ Tip: Use some of the soft skills as adjectives when writing your profile summary . For example, try “enthusiastic entrepreneur,” “empathic childcare worker,” “organized nurses’ aid,” “supportive administration assistant” or “detail-oriented sales associate.”

The resume below is for a Childcare Worker and includes many soft skills that companies look for, including Creativity and Organizational skills.

Childcare Worker

In contrast, “Hard” skills are those that are learned -- either in school or through a certification program. These skills are quantifiable and can be continuously expanded upon through further education. Today, most hard skills have to do with computer technology, such as SEO, CSS/HTML, or Microsoft Suite. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, chances are you still have a few hard skills.

Top Hard Skills to include on your resume

Tip: Be specific about your hard skills. Instead of listing “Programming Languages,” specify which ones you know -- Python, Java, C, etc. Same with photo editing software and any other platforms you are familiar with.

The resume below is for a Content Marketing Associate, and includes manyhard skills that companies in the marketing industry look for, including experience with Social Media tools. Remember, it's important to be specific in terms of defining and listing what softwares you know.

Content Marketing Associate

How to List Your Skills

Whether you’re a jack of all trades or a master of one, you absolutely must list some skills on your resume. Skills offer additional insight into what you can offer the company as an employee, and may just push your resume over the edge and into the interview pile. 

  • Only list relevant skills . If you’re applying for a position as an engineer, don’t brag about your marketing abilities. Instead, save the space to list the software and programming languages that you know. 
  • List around 5 Skills . Writing too many skills on your resume can be an overwhelming experience for the recruiter. He or she may not fully register your skills, and instead just blankly skim the long list. Conversely, listing too few skills is only selling yourself short. You definitely have more than two skills -- no matter your experience level! So shoot for around 5 skills, with a little wriggle room. 
  • Include both hard and soft skills . Even if your profession seems to rely on soft skills more than hard skills -- or vice versa -- including both makes your resume stronger. For example, if you’re applying to work as a laboratory assistant, list soft skills such as “teamwork,” “problem-solving,” “time management,” or “organization.” If you’re in a more creative field, hard skills include softwares such as “Adobe Creative Suite” and talents such as “photography,” “writing & editing,” or “videography.” 
  • Note your experience level . With each skill, specify whether you are a “beginner,” “expert,” or somewhere in between (using words like “intermediate” and “moderate”). Our resume templates have bars beneath each skill that you can toggle to reflect your expertise. 

The resume below is for a Human Resources Manager, and includes all of the above tips.

Human Resources Manager

250+ Skills for Each Industry  

Although we’ve split these skills up by industry, please note that many skills are applicable to a variety of careers. For example, someone working in marketing might find knowledge of JavaScript just as useful as someone working in the computer science field. 

Let’s jump in!

100+ Key Skills to include on your resume infographic

Office and Administrative Job Skills

  • Answering Phones
  • Bookkeeping (Excel, Turbotax)
  • Office Equipment
  • Welcoming Visitors
  • Calendar Management
  • Organization 
  • Time Management 
  • Problem Solving
  • Attention To Detail
  • Adaptability 
  • Written Communication 
  • Email Platforms (E.G., Gmail And iCloud Mail)
  • Word Processing Software (E.G., Google Docs)
  • Spreadsheet Software
  • Digital Calendars
  • Prioritization 

Sales, Retail, and Customer Service Job Skills

  • Product Knowledge
  • Lead Qualification
  • Lead Prospecting 
  • Customer Needs Analysis
  • Referral Marketing
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Self Motivation
  • Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (Clv)
  • Reducing Customer Acquisition Cost (Cac)
  • CRM Software (Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Freshsales)
  • Cashier Skills
  • Knowledge Of Products And Services 
  • Customer Service
  • Communication (More Specifically -- Verbal Communication Skills, Listening Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Written Communication Skills, Public Speaking Skills, Presentation Skills)
  • Math Skills
  • Negotiation 
  • Persuasion  
  • Diplomacy  
  • Cold Calling
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Lead Generation
  • Buyer-responsive Selling
  • Buyer Engagement

Nursing and Healthcare Job Skills

  • Patient Assessment
  • Taking Vital Signs
  • Patient Care
  • Recording Patient Medical History
  • Wound Dressing And Care
  • Urgent And Emergency Care
  • Record-keeping
  • Patient Education
  • NIH Stroke Scale Patient Assessment
  • Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
  • Medicine Administration
  • Blood Pressure Monitoring
  • Rehabilitation Therapy
  • Hygiene Assistance
  • Use Of X-ray, MRI, Cat Scans
  • Glucose Checks
  • Electronic Heart Record (EHR)
  • Decision-Making Ability 
  • Critical Thinking
  • Leadership 
  • Thorough Understanding Of HIPPA And Privacy Policies
  • Ability To Take And Record Vital Signs
  • CPR And First-Aid Certifications
  • Perform And Evaluate Diagnostic Tests
  • Maintain Patient Charts

IT Job Skills

  • Programming Languages
  • Web Development
  • Data Structures
  • Open Source Experience
  • Machine Learning
  • Front-End & Back-End Development
  • Cloud Management
  • Agile Development
  • CSS Preprocessors
  • Graphic User Interfaces (GUI)
  • Git/Version Control (Github, gitlab)
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Application Programming Interface (API)
  • Adobe Photoshop, InDesign
  • Content Management Systems (CMS)
  • Testing/Debugging
  • Responsive Design Principles
  • Mobile and Web Development (e.g. iOS, Android)

Engineering & Technical Job Skills

  • STEM Skills
  • Prototyping
  • Troubleshooting
  • Project Launch
  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Workflow Development
  • Computer Skills
  • Technical Report Writing
  • Programming Languages HTML, CSS, CRM tools

Advertising & Marketing Job Skills

  • SEO (SEMRush, WordPress, and Ahrefs)
  • SEM (i.e., Google Adwords)
  • CRO and A/B Testing
  • Social Media Marketing and Paid Social Media Advertising
  • Sales Funnel Management
  • CMS Tools (WordPress, Weebly)
  • Graphic Design Skills (Adobe Creative Suite)
  • Email Marketing (MailChimp, Constant Contact)
  • Email Automation
  • Data Visualization
  • Print Design
  • Photography and Branding
  • Communication 
  • Creativity 
  • Data Analytics (Google Analytics )
  • Web Analytics
  • Email Writing 
  • Google Adwords
  • Social Media And Mobile Marketing 
  • Paid Social Media Advertisements
  • Consumer Behavior Drivers
  • Brand Management
  • B2b Marketing
  •  Writing Advertising Copy
  • Soliciting Feedback From Customers
  • Cutting Costs
  • Leadership skills
  • Task Delegation 
  • Strategic Management
  • Proposal writing
  • Problem-solving
  • Problem solving
  • Website Management
  • Social Media Outreach
  • Video Production
  • Campaign Management
  • Photo Editing
  • Logo Creation
  • Digital Printing
  • Interactive Media Design 
  • Color Sense & Theory
  • Social Media Publishing
  • Storytelling
  • Financial Analysis
  • Consumer Research
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Videography 
  • Technical Writing 

General Management and Project Management Job Skills

  • Agile Project Management (Kanban)
  • Managing Cross-Functional Teams
  • Scrum Management
  • Performance Tracking
  • Financial Modelling
  • Ideation Leadership
  • Feature Definition
  • Forecasting
  • Profit and Loss
  • Scope Management
  • Project Lifecycle Management 
  • Meeting Facilitation
  • Risk Management 
  • Cost Management 
  • Data Analysis 
  • Collaborative 
  • Collaborative Programs (Slack, WhatsApp, Dropbox)
  • Adobe Creative Suite

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

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resume skill list ideas

The Right Way to Add Skills to Your Resume in 2023 (With 250+ Example Skills)

person working on a laptop while sitting at a table on a balcony with worn stone pillars and a plant in the background

Stripped down to the core, the most important thing to show employers in any job search is your skills.

Everything in your application and candidacy comes down to your skills: Your past experience shows how you’ve used your skills to help other employers, your interview shows you understand what skills an employer is looking for and proves you have both the hard and soft skills needed to work well as part of their company, and your skills test…well it’s right in the name. Even checking your references—that’s just asking other people to vouch for how you’ve used your skills in the past.

If you’ve heard that employers care about all your interactions throughout the hiring process—like how you’ve greeted receptionists, how you’ve answered emails, and whether or not you sent that thank you note —that’s true, and it’s because these things show off your communication , interpersonal , and other professional skills.

Skills matter. And your first encounter with most employers is going to be via your resume. So how you put skills on your resume can make or break your job search.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Hard vs. soft skills

There are two major categories of skills:

  • Hard skills are the abilities or knowledge you need to complete specific work tasks. For example writing software code, driving a specific kind of vehicle, and scheduling social media posts are all hard skills.
  • Soft skills are the traits and qualities that categorize how you work and relate to the people you work with. For example, managing your time well, motivating others, and being curious are all soft skills.

For any job, you’ll need a mix of soft and hard skills—and you’ll want to show them both on your resume. Hard skills are fairly clear cut: You either have them or you don’t. They’re also easier than soft skills to prove that you possess—and to add to a resume. Meanwhile, soft skills are a bit more open to interpretation—for example, everyone’s definition of a good leader is different. But you can still show them on your resume if you use the right techniques.

Read More:   Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What the Heck Is the Difference?

Top skills for your resume

Every resume will need skills that are specific to the job you want. For example, to be a software engineer you’ll need coding skills. But here are some of the types of skills that can be valuable for any job or industry:

1. Communication skills

Whether you’re a teacher interacting with students all day, a copywriter making sure you understand the needs of a given project, or an employee working in any other role, you’re going to need to give and receive information. Employers are always looking for those who can communicate clearly and effectively—in writing , in person, or over the phone, email, or any other platform.

Read More: Your Communication Skills Matter for Every Job—Here’s How to Use, Improve, and Show Off Yours

2. Time management skills

Time is a social construct, but unfortunately it’s one we’ve all more or less agreed on. Every job will require you to get tasks done on time, show up for scheduled meetings and events, and organize your schedule effectively. If you’re applying to a role with many different responsibilities or one where you’ll be managing or collaborating with a team, time management skills are even more vital to ensure that you’re hitting goals.

Read More: These Time Management Skills Can Make You a Better Employee—and Improve Your Work-Life Balance

3. Organizational skills

Organization is more than just making sure a physical area is well arranged and clean—though it is that too! Organization skills also encapsulate ensuring digital files are accessible, teams are well coordinated, events and projects are efficient, your work is on schedule, and a lot more. Though the type of organization you’ll be doing will vary from job to job, the need to logically arrange and plan is universal.

Read More: Your Guide to Organizational Skills on the Job—and During the Job Hunt

4. Technical skills

Technical skills are the knowledge you need to use a certain piece of technology, equipment, or technique. They’re a subset of hard skills and most jobs will require specific technical know-how to complete core tasks. However, there are also broader technical skills that are useful for all or many jobs such as the ability to use email, office suite software, and common communication programs like Zoom.

Read More: What Are Technical Skills and How Should You Include Them On Your Resume? (Plus a List of Examples)

5. Computer skills and literacy

Technology is constantly changing, and of course you can’t know how to use any new feature or piece of software immediately after it comes out. But if you can show employers that you have digital literacy, they’ll be confident in your ability to quickly adapt to new technology and troubleshoot basic computer issues.

Read More: Computer Skills You’ll Need in the Workplace—and How to Show Them Off on a Job Search

6. Management and leadership skills

You don’t need to be an executive or anyone’s boss to need management and leadership skills. These are the skills that help you plan, coordinate, motivate (both yourself and others), and complete any project or initiative. They also help you hit long-term goals and allocate resources well.

Read More: How to Improve Your Management Skills (and Show Them Off in a Job Search)

7. Analytical skills

Lots of jobs have the word “analyst” right in the title, but these skills aren’t just for them. Analytical skills cover any of the skills you need to take in or gather information, organize and synthesize it, and use it to make decisions or predictions.

Read More: No, Analytical Skills Aren’t Just for Analysts—Here’s How to Show Yours Off in a Job Search

8. Interpersonal skills

These are the skills that help you work, communicate, and build relationships with others. Employers are always looking for people with strong interpersonal skills like empathy, persuasion, and conflict resolution because it allows them to work well as part of a team. Employees with good interpersonal skills are better at resolving and avoiding issues with others, which helps keep companies working efficiently. For jobs where you’d be working with clients or customers, interpersonal skills are especially important to help drive business and uphold a company’s reputation.

Read More: How Strong Interpersonal Skills Can Help You at Work—and in Your Job Search

9. Problem-solving skills

Most roles are created to solve a problem the company is facing—whether it’s broad like “we need more business” or specific like “we need an expert in Javascript who has experience boosting page-load speed to make our web pages more appealing to the Google algorithm.” Even if a job feels like it’ll follow a set daily routine, issues are still going to pop up, and employers are more likely to hire people who can spot and identify potential or ongoing problems, communicate those problems, look for causes, brainstorm solutions, and/or implement them. 

Read More: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills (and Show Them Off in Your Job Hunt)

10. Decision-making skills

Many jobs require you to make choices all the time. For example, picking a new vendor for office supplies, making cuts to a budget, deciding to bring other people in to solve an issue, or prioritizing work tasks on your to-do list all require decision-making skills. Employers want to know you can identify options, weigh the pros and cons, and choose a path in a logical way.

Read More: You’ll Need Decision-Making Skills in Any Job—Here’s How to Get Them, Use Them, and Show Them Off

11. Other transferable skills

Broadly speaking, your transferable skills are any abilities you gained or used in one context that are also helpful in another. Some transferable skills, like the ability to communicate in a second language, pay attention to detail , or manage a project can be useful in almost any job or workplace. But others might be transferable in only certain situations.

For example, maybe you managed the budget for a club in college and now you’re applying to a position where you’d be managing a budget for freelancers. Or maybe you’ve used Excel to do data analysis in the past, but the company you’re applying to uses Excel to track project progress.

As you’re making your resume, don’t discount any of your skills just because you haven’t used them in exactly the same way and context this job opening calls for.

Read More: Transferable Skills: The Key to Landing Your Dream Job

How to list skills on a resume

Here are some tips for making sure anyone who reads your resume comes away with the right impression of what you can do for them if they hire you.

1. Identify which skills belong on your resume.

Recruiters and hiring managers don’t necessarily have a lot of time to devote to looking at your resume for the first time—about 7.4 seconds, according to the most recent data . So your resume has to make it very clear very quickly that you’re qualified for any job you apply to. The best way to do this is to tailor your resume —or change your resume for every application to match the specific requirements and language of the job description . Take a good look at any posting you’re applying to and note any mentions of skills you have. Also, think about any experience or skills you have that might be transferable to the role. These are the skills that belong on your resume.

For soft skills, you might need to read between the lines a bit. Some postings might mention that they’re looking for a skilled multitasker, but you’re not necessarily going to get an explicit list of all the qualities the employer is looking for in a hire. So think about which of your soft skills can help you accomplish the duties of the job. If there’s a lot of mentions of other teams you’ll be working with, for example, you’ll want to emphasize your collaboration abilities in your resume. Or if you’ll be giving a lot of presentations, you might want to highlight your public speaking chops.

And don’t feel like you need to include every skill you have. Scuba diving is a hard skill, but only relevant to very specific jobs. Remember, hiring managers are reviewing your resume with the job you applied for in mind, so keep your skills at least tangentially relevant to avoid a “Wait, why did they apply for this?” reaction.

2. Don’t oversell or undersell your skills.

Before you add skills to your resume, be honest with yourself (and companies you’re applying to) about your ability level. A hiring manager in the finance industry once told Muse writer Lily Zhang that he hated it when people listed skills in their resume and then added the word “basic” in parenthesis next to it. If you only have a basic understanding of something, it may not belong in your skills section. But if you’re saying your skill level is basic just to be modest, maybe don’t do that. Your future employer can’t pick up how humble you are from this document—you’ll just look less qualified than you are.

Hiring managers might also use your skills section to judge how truthful a candidate has been in their application. If a candidate lists a string of 20 programming languages, but only has done projects in one, it’s not a good look. In general, a good rule of thumb is to only include skills you’re comfortable talking about in an interview.

3. Create a skills section.

A skills section is one of the most important parts of your resume. Remember that 7.4-second initial look that you get from recruiters? That’s why the skills section exists. If you’re applying for a role where a certain skill or skill set is absolutely required for consideration, it’s not unusual for the reader to take a little shortcut and scan the skills section of all the resumes submitted to see if they’re there—and only look at those more intently.

Generally, your skills section is a list of the skills you have without any additional context. If you have a lot of skills to list, consider grouping your skills to make the section even easier to scan. For example, a web developer may have a “design skills” and a “coding skills” subheading within their skills section.

Note that your skills section is usually reserved for hard skills over soft skills.

4. Put your skills section in the right place.

Most commonly, you’ll place your skills section after your work experience section, toward the bottom of the page. But in certain situations , you may decide to put it elsewhere—most commonly near the top of the page just after your heading or your summary (if you have one). You might do this if:

  • You’re using a hybrid resume format. As opposed to the more common chronological resume , a hybrid resume puts your skills at the top of the page along with some additional context around how you’ve used your skills.
  • You’re in a career where skills sections commonly go at the top of the page. For example, product management resumes often list skills before experience. Look for example resumes for your field to see if they have any specific quirks
  • You’re changing or pivoting careers. If your previous job titles might make someone reading your resume assume you applied to the wrong position, consider putting your skills section first. Career pivots and transitions are often dependent on transferable skills or skills you’ve picked up outside of your main work experience. (For career changes, you should probably also lead with a resume summary to help clear up any confusion.)
  • You’re in any other situation where your skills boost your qualifications more than your past work experience. For example, if you’ve recently graduated, you may choose to put your skills ahead of your experience (though often after your education section) rather than have a reader comb through your internships, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars looking for what you can do.

5. Show how you’ve used your skills in your bullet points.

Anyone can list skills in a skills section. To really prove that you have them, you need to show how you’ve used your skills in the past—and that you’ve gotten results. Your skills section should actually be rather redundant. Ideally, a close read of your experience section should get across all your hard and soft skills.

Rather than just listing job duties under your past positions, phrase your bullet points as accomplishments . Then, add in the skills you used to achieve those accomplishments and what the results were. Inserting numbers when possible will also show anyone reading your resume just how much your skills have done for your past employers.

Tuck soft skills into your bullets rather than adding them to your skills section. Making the first word relate to your soft skills is particularly effective. For example, instead of, “Assisted with annual corporate retreat,” you could write, “Collaborated in a group of four to plan and facilitate annual corporate retreat for 200 employees.” While both bullets describe the same task, only the second one shows that you’re a team player. Instead of, “Attended monthly sales meetings,” you could write, “Presented product insights to 12 clients in monthly sales meetings,” to demonstrate strong communication skills.

For example, here’s a solid bullet point for your resume with the skills bolded:

  • Produced and edited three 10-minute “Day in the Life” videos for different jobs at the company; running initial brainstorming meetings for each over Zoom ; coordinating and communicating with 10+ employees for each video using Airtable, Google Calendar, email and Slack ; arranging shot composition, lighting, and sound and overseeing shoots ; editing using Final Cut Pro and Adobe Creative Suite ; and uploading to YouTube resulting in 200K views and a 10x boost in job applications for focus jobs.

All your bullet points don’t need to be this hefty, of course. But it shows just how many skills can go into one professional accomplishment.

6. Include your skills in other resume sections.

Your work experience isn’t the only place you can drop in those skills. You can also weave them into your:

  • Resume summary
  • Education section (especially if you’re a recent graduate)
  • Volunteer section
  • Activities section
  • Projects section
  • Awards section

7. Add certificates, classes, and certifications that prove your skill set.

If you’ve gotten certifications that prove you’re skilled at something, like project management, don’t forget to put that on your resume. If you’ve taken courses to further your professional development, you can add those too—particularly if you haven’t gotten the chance to use all the skills you learned in your day job yet.

8. Use the same language as the job description.

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to parse and organize candidate’s resumes. Hiring managers and recruiters will search ATSs for the most relevant resumes using skills as their search terms. So whenever possible, use the same language as a job description to describe your skills to increase your chances of landing an interview. For example, if a job listing wants experience with project management software, say “project management software” on your resume, not just “Trello.”

List of skills for different jobs

Below are some examples of specific roles you might be applying for and skills that could be appropriate to list, but remember that a job posting is always the best place to find the skills you need for a specific role. To get a more robust list for your specific industry, you can check out O*NET , a resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor that breaks down occupations by skills, tasks, and activities.

Accountant resume skills

  • Accounting software
  • ADP Workforce Now
  • Analytical software
  • Budget forecasting
  • Cash flow analysis
  • Cost accounting
  • Credit/debt management
  • Estate planning
  • Financial accounting
  • Financial compliance
  • Financial reporting
  • Forensic accounting
  • Google Sheets
  • Income tax planning
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Management accounting
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Payroll management
  • Reconciliation
  • Revenue forecasting
  • SPSS Statistics
  • Tax preparation

Administrative assistant resume skills

  • Administrative support
  • Booking travel
  • Calendaring
  • Customer service
  • Google Workspace
  • Meeting coordination
  • Meeting minutes recording
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Office support
  • Proofreading
  • Social media management
  • Video conferencing software

Back-end developer resume skills

  • Application scaling
  • Back-end framework
  • Back-end programming languages
  • Database administration
  • Front-end web technologies
  • Hosting environment
  • Load changes
  • Security compliance
  • Version control (e.g. Git)

Customer service resume skills

  • Account management
  • Chat support
  • Language skills (spoken and/or written)
  • Phone support
  • Resolutions

Data scientist resume skills

  • Apache Hadoop and Spark
  • AWS software
  • Data analysis
  • Data cleaning
  • Data modeling
  • Data sampling
  • Data structure
  • Git and GitHub
  • Key libraries
  • Scikit-learn
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • UNIX command line

Executive assistant resume skills

  • Corporate communications
  • Editing and proofreading
  • Preparing agendas
  • Report generation
  • Reviewing contracts

Financial analyst resume skills

  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Montgomery Investment Technology FinTools
  • Montgomery Investment Technology Utility XL
  • Oracle Business Intelligence
  • S&P Capital IQ
  • SAP software
  • SAS Financial Management

Front-end developer resume skills

  • Back-end data display
  • Dynamic web page design
  • Framework templates
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Software workflow
  • Styling and color design
  • Web page creation
  • Website content display
  • Website navigation optimization

Full-stack engineer resume skills

Graphic designer resume skills.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • After Effects
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Data visualization
  • Design principles
  • Dreamweaver
  • Illustrator
  • Product Design

Human resource manager resume skills

  • Applicant tracking systems (ATS)
  • Benefits administration and management
  • Benchmarking
  • Candidate screening
  • Climate surveys
  • Conducting background and reference checks
  • Conflict resolution and management
  • Contract negotiations
  • Human resource information systems (HRIS)
  • Interviewing
  • Legal and regulatory compliance
  • Organizational development
  • Orientation
  • Payroll administration and management
  • Performance improvement and management
  • Recruitment
  • Vendor negotiation
  • Writing and posting job descriptions

Marketer resume skills

  • Audience building
  • Blog writing
  • Brand management
  • Content creation
  • Content marketing
  • Conversion rate optimization
  • Customer acquisition
  • Copywriting
  • Demand generation
  • Digital marketing
  • Email marketing
  • Facebook management
  • Google Analytics
  • Instagram management
  • Lead generation
  • LinkedIn management
  • Marketing automation and technology
  • Market research
  • Marketo marketing automation
  • Power editor
  • Project management
  • Search engine marketing (SEM)
  • Social media
  • TikTok management
  • Twitter management

Office manager resume skills

  • Billing software
  • Document management
  • Executive support
  • Expense reporting
  • Facilities management
  • Inventory management
  • Office supply management
  • Payroll processing
  • Reports generation
  • Vendor management

Product designer resume skills

  • Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
  • ADA compliance
  • Crashlytics
  • Google Design Sprint Method
  • Omnigraffle
  • Story mapping
  • Style guides/Pattern libraries for React
  • Ubertesting

Product manager resume skills

  • A/B Testing
  • Beta testing
  • Customer analysis
  • Data analytics
  • Financial analysis
  • Forecasting
  • Quality assurance
  • Release management
  • Risk management
  • Roadmapping
  • Scrum management
  • SWOT analysis
  • Troubleshooting
  • User research
  • UX/UI design

Project manager resume skills

  • Change management
  • Client communication
  • Deployment management
  • Development and testing
  • Impact assessment
  • Microsoft Project
  • Process development
  • Process improvement
  • Project life cycle
  • Project management software
  • Quality control
  • Resource allocation
  • Scheduling and planning
  • Scope management
  • Stakeholder management

Sales resume skills

  • Business analysis
  • Business development
  • Cold calling
  • Consultative selling
  • Customer relations
  • Executive relationships
  • Prospecting
  • Relationship management

Teacher resume skills

  • Blended learning
  • Character education
  • Classroom management
  • Collaborative environments
  • Data-driven instruction
  • Inclusive classroom
  • Interactive classroom
  • MAP Testing
  • Mystery Math
  • Personalized learning
  • Remote instruction
  • Social-emotional learning
  • Student-guided learning

Web developer resume skills

  • Application coding
  • Command line tools
  • Google Angular
  • LAMP development
  • Object-oriented design
  • Responsive design
  • Server-Side scripting
  • Writing modules

Lily Zhang  also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

resume skill list ideas

300+ Resume Skills to Use on Your Resume in 2024

Wondering what skills to put on your resume? Dive into our list of 300+ resume skills we’ve extracted from analyzing over 1,000,000 resumes, learn how to include them in yours, and increase your chances of landing a job interview.

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Skills are great but…

Making a resume is more than just skills. Use our resume builder and let us take care of the design while you focus on your skills and experience!

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Have you considered how difficult it is to select the right skills for your resume ?

You have to curate resume skills that:

  • reveal as many details about your proficiency; without going over the two-page limit .

Writing about your skills seems daunting - like you're fighting an uphill battle.

Yet, the potential wins are worth it: from landing an interview to getting a job offer.

So, here's our explicit guide on how to write about your skills on your resume:

  • Over 150 popular niche skills for over 15 industries.

The difference between hard skills and soft skills

Recruiters look for both hard and soft skills in a job application.

Before we get into the details of what both types of skills imply, we'd like to focus on how the skills are acquired, used, demonstrated, and measured.

Skill acquisition

Hard skills are attained via on-the-job experience, education, training, or certification.

While soft skills are obtained in a more intangible manner: via life or work experience.

Skill usage

Hard skills are used directly within your role - you need them to complete specific tasks.

Soft skills are most often related to how your flexible mindset is able to adapt, communicate, and excel within a new (potentially unfamiliar) work environment.

Skill showcase

It's easy to demonstrate your hard skills through various resume sections - showing recruiters what you're capable of.

Soft skills often complement your hard skills, thus providing unique value to your professional resume.

Skill measurement

Hard skills can be quantified based on your achievements, certifications, proficiency level, etc.

While soft skills could be a bit more difficult to pinpoint and could mainly be understood via your resume highlights.

Now, for a more brief definition of the two types of skills.

Hard skills comprise of the technical know-how and capabilities you possess: they are learned through studying and can be measured based on your performance.

Some of the more popular hard skills include:

  • Foreign Languages - opening doors to more international opportunities.

Soft skills are transferable skills: characteristics and habits that are most associated with you as a person. They indicate to recruiters just how well you will adapt, perform, and grow within a new environment.

Recruiters are constantly on the lookout for these types of soft skills:

Presentation

Why listing skills is important.

Your skills are one of the most important sections, as they help your potential employers to identify whether you would be a good fit for the role.

Consider the whole recruitment process from the recruiter's point of view.

You have a thousand applications for the same role.

You’ll either briefly skim the document to identify relevant skills. Or work with an Applicant Tracker System (ATS) to identify relevant keywords .

So, including a separate skills section, gives recruiters the opportunity to familiarize themselves with:

  • the specific (or unique) potential you'll bring with your in-demand, rare, or relevant skills.

Lack of relevant skills (keywords), placed at the top of their resume, often leads to a rejection from the ATS.

To avoid this, include this separate skills section to hint that:

  • you can bring the desired skill set to the table.

The best skills to put on your resume

Building your skills section would very much depend on the role you're applying for.

For example, say you’re applying for a Cloud computing architect job. In this case, your ability to implement relevant technologies are a prerequisite for recruiters.

But if you do include instances where you've had to present information to stakeholders, this would set you apart from other candidates.

Software Development and Programming

With the rise of technologies, these will continue to be one of the most in-demand hard skills for the next decade or so.

Demonstrating your software development knowledge could be via various resume sections - as long as you've noted the outcome of your use of the particular skill.

As this is a pretty vast field that includes numerous abilities - Web and Mobile Development; Version Control; Various Frameworks and Databases; Agile Methodologies; Software Testing and more - we've listed some of the most popular technologies:

Data Analysis and Statistics

Data has become one of the most valuable assets - those with the ability to understand and interpret it will discover many opportunities ahead.

This field again includes various hard skills, from Data Manipulation and Mining to Big Data and Machine Learning.

Discover a list of some of the most popular Data technologies:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

With the rise of ChatGPT and similar platforms, one thing is evident - AI will continue to expand into uncharted territories.

And as a skill set, both AI and ML will continue to be in demand and take over multiple industries.

So, brush up on your:

Cloud Computing

Your knowledge of cloud platforms could land you the dream job in a dynamic environment.

Make sure you constantly upgrade your skill set with the most recent certificates , as this field is ever-evolving.

Meet job requirements by demonstrating your knowledge of:

  • Azure Functions
  • Cybersecurity

As a cybersecurity professional, it’s important to show on your resume not just your relevant certification, but adaptability in particular skills.

Referencing experience to project labs you’ve experimented with in your free time, can show your knowledge of the industry.

Here is a list of popular cybersecurity hard skills for your resume:

  • Digital Forensics

Project Management

Project management includes a combination of both hard and soft skills you'll need to be able to showcase via your resume.

While the end results are important, highlight instances where you've had to use any of these skills for successfully delivered projects:

  • Project Closure and Evaluation
  • Digital Marketing

Digital marketing encompasses many different roles, responsibilities, and industries.

Our advice is to highlight the skill set that would be most useful for your chosen career path.

For example, if you’re applying for a role in social media, include on your resume your experience with different channels and how your communication strategy succeeded.

Digital marketing skills may include:

  • Influencer Marketing

Graphic Design

While imagination and creativity may be at the center of the graphic designer's work, there are plenty of technologies that are important to success.

The list of graphic design skills includes:

UX/ UI Design

UX/UI design contains multiple skills from research, architecture, and wireframing to design and analysis.

Discover our top picks for your resume:

  • Accessibility Design

Financial Analysis

Plain and simple, financial analysis skills are focused on understanding data to make informed decisions.

They integrate an abundance of hard and soft skills, such as:

  • Data visualization tools

Foreign Languages

When listing foreign languages on your resume, it’s vital you explain your capabilities via your proficiencies and specializations.

It’s not enough to say you know a certain language - you need relevant certification or at least some widely-accepted reference as to your reading, comprehension, listening, and speaking skills.

Make sure to note your:

  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Communication

Perhaps your ability to communicate is one of the most important soft skills you'd need to show to recruiters - for any role.

Make sure that your communication efforts are always linked with relevant achievements.

Popular communication skills include:

  • Cultural awareness
  • Collaboration

Collaboration is your ability to participate within a team environment with the end goal of success.

While collaboration also covers various communication soft skills, here's the list of some other abilities you could list within your resume:

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving requires demonstrating your analytical abilities and shows the way you think in certain situations.

Can you take time-sensitive decisions or under pressure?

Skills that are linked with problem-solving include:

  • Systematic thinking
  • Critical Thinking

Like problem-solving, critical thinking is another must-have cognitive skill recruiters are on the lookout for.

Apart from your projects , you could also demonstrate your approach by incorporating various achievements through your resume as a result of your critical-thinking skills.

Showcase some of these skills to further prove your critical-thinking abilities:

  • Effective Communication

Adaptability

Within the past three plus years, it has become more and more evident that individuals who can navigate through dynamic environments (and thrive) become the most sought-out professionals.

Showcase you can adapt to new challenges on your resume via these skills:

Effective leaders are able to enable their teams to progress while creating a work environment with a vision.

While your leadership approach may be more evident during the interview stage of your application process, it's a good idea to note cases where you've shown some of the following skills:

  • Fostering a culture of growth

Organization

If you're apt at maintaining an organization's efficiency, definitely list your skills within your resume.

Organization skills hint at your abilities as a manager, but also, include:

  • Adaptation to technology
  • Negotiation

Navigating complex discussions, reaching agreements, and building relationships - that's what the ultimate outcome of your negotiation skills is.

Include as many of these relevant soft skills to highlight your negotiation abilities further:

  • Relationship building

The ability to think outside the box, while driving forward-facing initiatives, is surely impressive.

Highlight innovation on your resume with these soft skills:

  • Growth mindset

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills help you to build positive relationships with others: whether those be third-party vendors, stakeholders, or team members.

Demonstrate your interpersonal skills via these abilities:

  • Valuing contributions

The ability to deliver information in a manner that's informative, engaging, and persuasive is one that leaves a lasting impression on recruiters.

Hone your presentation abilities with these soft skills:

  • Visual and verbal communication alignment

Within the next section of this guide, discover more practical advice to writing your resume skills.

How to list skills on your resume

To list skills on your resume, consider what works in light of the job requirements and will match your authentic skill set (and voice).

We've discovered six best practices that highlight strategy, space, and thought process, so you could make the most of your resume skills.

Find skills the company is looking for

First, read the advert job description.

It is most often the case that recruiters include all relevant keywords under the requirements or qualifications section.

As a final step to your research process, check out the company's website for even more gold nuggets related to what the company is all about.

This way, you'll be able to identify if you'll be a good match for the company culture (and vice versa - if it'll match your expectations).

What if the job advert you have doesn't provide enough information?

Search on other popular recruitment platforms for the job advert. The missing link is out there somewhere - you just need to find it.

Another option, in this case, will be to reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn - ask them just a few questions about the desired, specific skill set.

Match your skill set with the company's ideal profile

The ugly truth is that when every single company is hiring, they have an ideal candidate profile in mind. They might make a couple of compromises for an "out of the blue" Cinderella, but...

... practice goes to show that skill alignment is no fairy tale.

Here's where you have to learn to read between the lines of the advert.

Not just because you have to consider the technical capabilities as described, but also because you have to look deeper into the tone of voice, soft skills, and preferred culture.

Aim to synthesize this information for yourself, so you can better understand what is it that the company needs from the specific candidate:

  • A nod to the future - what would my potential be in the job?

Ultimately, your application shouldn't be set to just fill in a tangible (or not) vacancy but it should answer your and the company's expectations.

Here's an example with a job description for a UX Copywriter. We've highlighted the hard skills in green, while the soft skills are in blue. This exercise should help you better understand the preferable skill set of the ideal candidate.

  • Collaborate with Product Managers, UX Designers, UX Program Managers, and other key stakeholders to develop online device setup instructions and engagement pieces.
  • Maintain brand voice and alignment with packaging through copyediting.
  • Create and maintain editorial style guides and master copy documents.
  • Ensure the highest standards of style and writing (e.g., grammar, spelling, syntax, diction, punctuation, brand alignment).
  • Help improve processes for how content is created, delivered, and maintained.
  • Proofread all final documents before print.
  • Work closely with the subject matter experts, advocating for product and documentation innovation on behalf of the customer.
  • Pursue automated content development.
  • Create and maintain standards/guidance for localized translations.
  • 3 years of design experience.
  • An available online portfolio.
  • Degree in English, Technical Writing.
  • Experience in writing and editing technical documentation.
  • Strong written and verbal communications skills.
  • Ability to earn trust, engage, and influence people and teams at every level in the organization.
  • Experience with content management systems and project management tools.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Want to make your resume stand out even further? Always match each skill with precise role accomplishments.

This would give social proof that you're adept at the skill and that your application is as close to the ideal candidate profile as it can be.

Use the STAR methodology to talk about your skills and experiences

The STAR method is one of the recruiters' favorite tools during behavioral-based interviews.

The acronym stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result(s).

Apart from the interview stage, you can also use the S-T-A-R methodology to describe specific achievements which really stand out.

  • Results or final outcomes: highlight precisely what “fruit” did your efforts bring in? BONUS: if you can add numbers and data to the results stage, then this will make quite an impression on recruiters.

Here are six more reasons why recruiters are huge fans of the STAR method.

These types of responses:

  • show how you'd handle similar situations.

The STAR method also brushes up on your reflection skills - as any professional should be able to look back on their work and highlight what worked.

So, even when writing your resume, it's helpful to think about various situations or projects where you can apply the STAR method .

The outcome should be strong, evidence-based answers that highlight your suitability for the position. Check out this example:

Situation : a DevOps engineer for a finance website

Task : eliminate poor website performance during peak hours (stock opening hours)

Activity : migrated the existing website's database to a more optimal noSQL solution

Result : reduced complaints rate to 3% and 100% website uptime during peak visit hours

Communicate your skills proficiency

Which one sounds more professional to you, when listing your language skills - "French C2" or "French"?

Adding your level of proficiency helps employers better understand just how good you are at using that particular skill.

  • Building trust with the organization from the get-go with transparency and honesty about your unique skill set.

But how can you - all by yourself - evaluate your skill set proficiency?

A popular framework that's used is the National Institutes of Health one; here's how it classifies the different experience levels:

  • Expert - with unparalleled knowledge that surpasses that of most professionals, you're recognized as a thought leader in the industry. With experience that spans years (or decades) on end, you've mastered various challenges and situations to always achieve an outcome. You're able to mentor others to achieve even higher peaks in their skill set.

There are many ways to map your skill proficiency. Our practice has shown us that some of the best ways include visual level bars and charts, used in more creative resumes , and simple labels, used in most modern resumes .

Make a separate resume skills section

A separate skills section serves to improve your score with the ATS - and also helps recruiters understand whether you have the expertise they're searching for.

First, consider the skills that are listed closer to the top of the advert. Those will be most vital for the role.

Next, reflect upon your skill strengths - those should also be listed within the dedicated skills section with more prominence.

Don't forget about including a couple of soft skills - this will help you align your profile even further with the ATS.

If you want to take this activity a step further, create a separate, niche skills section. One that could list, for example, your technology proficiency or specific soft skills.

Back up your skills in other sections of your resume

The more you can integrate skill keywords within your whole resume, the better you’d meet recruiters’ requirements. Here are five other sections that could include your skill set.

  • List accomplishments and skills in the experience section of your resume

Your experience bullets are the perfect opportunity to provide recruiters with some proof of your skill capabilities.

By quantifying your expertise with achievements (and possibly data), you'll provide them with the necessary background to better understand your skill set.

The more impressive your achievements were, the closer they should be to the top of your list (under each experience item).

Also, do consider what the requirements are for the job and use those to qualify your experience and skill set.

For example, if the role requires you to be able to apt in community management, your resume could list that you:

"Implemented communication strategies to attain a feeling of closeness amongst community members to attain a 107% growth and 65% more structured community management"

Let's take a look at a well-structured experience section that communicates the relevant skills of the applicant.

  • • Significantly reduced past due receivables from $7M to $5M within four months, accelerating cash flow
  • • Reduced company costs 50% through centralized purchasing
  • • Trained and supervised more than 4 summer interns each for a period of 3 weeks

Write a summary of qualifications

Going back to the top one-third of your resume, we have the summary and headline .

The resume summary - those brief three-to-five sentences - is the best chance you'd get to integrate your skills.

Once again, go back to the advert at hand and select up to five skills that you feel most confident in (that are important for the job). Use those to structure your resume summary.

Here's an example from our practice:

With your resume headline, you could also make a lasting impression.

Even though it should be short and simple, while matching the job requirements, the headline could integrate one-to-three skills.

Both of these sections provide you with an opportunity to further "stuff" your resume with skill keywords. But you don't want to go over the top with that.

Use the limited space you have wisely to demonstrate your highlights, achievements, and unique skill set.

Use certifications and courses

The hidden gem of the certifications and courses resume sections is that they allow you to further expand on your skill set. They are also a must in certain industries, such as cybersecurity.

Including a certification section on your resume will:

  • showcase your professional recognition.

A courses section is recommended for entry-level roles, where certifications (or more experience) are yet to be attained.

The courses could once again highlight the skills you've learned via your education or in your free time.

Showcase your transferable skills if you’re switching between career fields

Transferrable skills are universal skills you can easily apply from one role or responsibility to another.

They are basically what makes your experience unique and show that you can thrive within any work environment.

150+ Must-Have Skills (for Every Field)

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Soft resume skills

Including this category of skills within your resume showcases the transferable skills and unique value you’d bring about as an applicant.

  • Work Under Pressure
  • Flexibility
  • Independent
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Collaborative
  • Strong Work Ethic
  • Decision Making
  • Detail Oriented
  • Organizational
  • Problem Solving
  • Responsibility
  • Interpersonal
  • Team Leadership
  • Time Management
  • Coordinating
  • Reliability
  • Multi-Tasking
  • Creative Thinking
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Dealing with Ambiguity
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Active Listening
  • Transferable
  • Fast Learner
  • Public Speaking
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Willingness to Learn
  • Dealing with Objection
  • Creating Good Rapport
  • Resource Allocation
  • Goal-Oriented
  • Remote Work Skills

How to List Soft Skills On Your Resume icon

Computer skills for your resume

Computer skills are your technical competencies - basically, your ability to use various computer software and applications.

  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Database management (e.g., SQL, Oracle, MySQL)
  • Programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, C++)
  • Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
  • Front-end frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js)
  • Back-end frameworks (e.g., Node.js, Django, Laravel)
  • Cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
  • Networking protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP)
  • Cybersecurity principles and best practices
  • Virtualization and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
  • Machine learning and data mining
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) concepts and frameworks
  • Natural language processing (NLP)
  • Big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Spark)
  • Statistical analysis software (e.g., R, SAS, SPSS)

How to List Computer Skills On Your Resume icon

Design resume skills

With design skills, you have to be able to showcase to recruiters that you’re able to use an array of technology (and/or software), yet also have a creative vision.

Perhaps the strongest asset you have that demonstrates your graphic design skills are your past projects and portfolio. Make those easily discoverable by recruiters with links within the resume header .

  • Videography
  • Graphic design
  • User interface (UI) design
  • User experience (UX) design
  • Branding and identity design
  • Print design
  • Mobile app design
  • Layout design
  • Illustration
  • Icon design
  • Logo design
  • Visual communication
  • Color theory
  • Composition
  • Motion graphics
  • Video editing
  • 3D modeling and rendering
  • Infographic design
  • Data visualization
  • Art direction
  • Photo editing and retouching
  • Virtual reality (VR) design
  • Augmented reality (AR) design
  • Game design
  • Brand guidelines
  • Style guides

How to List Design Skills On Your Resume icon

Business and management resume skills

Show that you’re the top candidate by featuring the right skills on your resume. Explore a list of the most popular business and management skills in 2022 below.

  • Client Relations
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Team Management
  • People Management
  • Procurement
  • Contract Management
  • Implementation
  • Fundraising
  • Sustainability
  • Client Management
  • Crisis Management
  • Manufacturing
  • Performance Management
  • Quality Management
  • Microsoft Project
  • Event Management
  • Report Writing
  • Inventory Management
  • Relationship Management
  • Risk Management
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • Process Improvement
  • Quality Assurance
  • Faciliation
  • Vendor Management
  • Financial Modeling
  • Asset Management
  • Customer relationship management
  • Supply chain management
  • Key performance indicator (KPI) tracking

How to List Management Skills On Your Resume icon

Accounting and finance resume skills

Accounting and finance skills could open your doors to opportunities within various sectors. Your proficiency and technological capabilities would be a definite must for some roles.

These are also transferable skills, as they focus further on growing your analytical thinking and the ability to back up your decisions via data.

The more numbers that pinpoint results you could integrate (e.g. that show how your financial decisions have brought about a 56% increase in ROI), the better you’d be able to demonstrate your success.

  • Budget Management
  • Financial analysis
  • Financial reporting
  • Financial modeling
  • Tax preparation and planning
  • Risk management
  • Cost accounting
  • Managerial accounting
  • Financial statement analysis
  • Cash flow management
  • Revenue recognition
  • Accounts payable
  • Accounts receivable
  • General ledger management
  • Financial planning and analysis (FP&A)
  • Internal controls
  • Financial systems and software (e.g., QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle)
  • Compliance and regulatory knowledge (e.g., GAAP, IFRS)
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Variance analysis
  • Investment analysis
  • Capital budgeting
  • Treasury management
  • Financial risk assessment
  • Cash management
  • Financial operations management
  • Cost control and reduction
  • Financial reconciliation
  • Financial statement consolidation
  • Financial data analysis and interpretation
  • Microsoft Excel proficiency (advanced functions, pivot tables, macros)
  • Financial forecasting and planning
  • Inventory management and costing
  • Financial controls and procedures
  • Debt management and financing
  • Forecasting

How to List Accounting Skills On Your Resume icon

Engineering resume skills

Engineering skills encompass various fields - from mechanical and chemical engineering to aerospace and civil engineering. It's no surprise that there's an array of skills that you could demonstrate across your resume.

Once more, remember to select the ones that are most relevant for the job you're applying for. In this industry, it'll be very often that your technical competencies would serve as your base for getting the job.

Soft skills are also a very good at showing not only your people skills but that you're adaptable to growth.

  • Prototyping
  • Technical drawing and drafting
  • Engineering design and analysis
  • Mathematical modeling and simulation
  • Technical documentation and reporting
  • Risk assessment and management
  • Quality control and assurance
  • Materials selection and testing
  • Manufacturing processes and techniques
  • Electrical circuit design and analysis
  • Mechanical design and analysis
  • Structural analysis and design
  • Thermodynamics and heat transfer
  • Fluid mechanics and hydraulics
  • Control systems and automation
  • Systems engineering
  • Environmental sustainability in engineering
  • Engineering ethics and professionalism
  • Root cause analysis
  • Failure analysis and prevention
  • Statistical analysis
  • Geotechnical engineering principles
  • Engineering

How to List Engineering Skills On Your Resume icon

Marketing resume skills

Marketing encompasses many different activities (e.g. social media, content creation, PPC strategies) all aiming to bring brands closer to audiences.

It's an ever-evolving sector that presents opportunities for professionals with different levels of proficiency.

One of the best things you could do, if you're looking to grow into the field, is to get as much hands-on experience as possible and always stay up to date with relevant technologies.

  • Lead Generation
  • Content Management
  • Storytelling
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Social Media Management (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)
  • Content Marketing
  • Email Marketing
  • Online Advertising
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Video Marketing
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
  • Google Analytics
  • Social Media Analytics
  • Marketing Automation
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Marketing Campaign Management
  • Market Research
  • Competitor Analysis
  • Consumer Insights
  • Brand Development
  • Brand Positioning
  • Brand Messaging
  • Brand Management
  • Copywriting
  • Content Creation
  • Website Copy
  • Community Management
  • Public Relations (PR)
  • Event Planning
  • Customer Acquisition
  • Customer Retention
  • Customer Segmentation
  • Customer Experience (CX)
  • A/B Testing
  • User Experience (UX)
  • Landing Page Optimization
  • Marketing Analytics
  • Data Analysis

How to List Marketing Skills On Your Resume icon

Sales resume skills

Demonstrate your sales skills with the actual achievements of your role, like maintaining a 95% positive customer feedback score or the number of units you've sold.

Your resume should also showcase the technology you feel comfortable using (e.g. Salesforce) and put a particular focus on your communication skills.

As in the words of Jeff Gitomer, "Great salespeople are relationship builders..."

  • Telecommunications
  • Cold Calling
  • Product Knowledge
  • Customer Service
  • Prospecting
  • Sales Process Knowledge
  • CRM Software
  • Territory Management
  • Sales Forecasting
  • Team Collaboration
  • Goal Orientation
  • Consultative Selling
  • Rapport Building
  • Objection Handling
  • Value Proposition Development
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Strategic Account Management
  • Cross-Selling
  • Solution Selling
  • Qualifying Leads
  • Pipeline Management
  • Relationship Development
  • Relationship Marketing
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Sales Presentations
  • Sales Funnel Management
  • Closing Techniques
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Sales Analytics
  • Relationship Building
  • Business Development
  • Customer Engagement
  • Sales Training
  • Key Account Management
  • Territory Planning
  • CRM Administration

How to List Sales Skills On Your Resume icon

IT and Data management resume skills

Data has become the most valuable asset across our digital-driven world. That's why professionals with expertise in data management and information technology will be presented with a multitude of chances for professional growth.

IT careers allow professionals to experience versatile industries with ever so many rising challenges that require a new, more adaptive skill set for creative problem-solving and innovation.

But, as a starting point, make sure you can demonstrate how you can use your knowledge in the real world with projects , experience items , and technical skills .

  • Active Directory
  • Database Management
  • Data Management
  • Penetration Testing
  • Data Warehouse
  • Technical Support
  • Mathematics
  • Machine Learning
  • Integration
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Software Testing
  • Data Modelling
  • Data Collection
  • Data Center
  • Statistical Analysis
  • artificial intelligence
  • data center
  • data collection
  • data management
  • data modelling
  • machine learning
  • microsoft access
  • penetration testing
  • software testing
  • data warehouse
  • microsoft office
  • statistical analysis

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Office resume skills

These skills are indispensable in any industry (or sphere) as they prove your ability to communicate and how you handle some office software.

If you're looking to find an admin role, definitely showcase your office skills, supported by relevant strengths, within your resume.

This particular skill set is also a nice-to-have for more entry-level candidates and candidates with less ( or no ) professional experience.

  • Documentation
  • Administrative
  • Data Entry and Management
  • Office Equipment Operation
  • File Management
  • Record Keeping
  • Calendar Management
  • Office Supply Management
  • Office Space Planning
  • Office Decorum and Etiquette
  • Document Sharing and Collaboration Tools (e.g., SharePoint, Google Drive)
  • Presentation Software (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote)
  • Task Management Tools (e.g., Trello, Asana)
  • Web Conferencing Platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
  • Customer Complaint Resolution
  • Risk Assessment
  • Performance Tracking
  • Data Reporting
  • Workplace Ergonomics
  • Employee Relations
  • Knowledge of Labor Laws and Regulations
  • Benefits Administration Support
  • Recruitment and Onboarding Coordination
  • Workplace Culture Enhancement
  • Employee Engagement Initiatives
  • Employee Recognition Programs
  • Workplace Wellness Initiatives
  • Diversity and Inclusion Support
  • Business Correspondence Etiquette

How to List Office Skills On Your Resume icon

Food service resume skills

Bring your A-game to the table with your previous experience and food service skills.

The food and beverage industry allows professionals to grow a multitude of unique (and transferable) skills, from customer service to system operations and creativity.

On a side note, your patience and active listening skills should be at a superior level.

  • Food Safety and Sanitation
  • Menu Knowledge
  • Order Taking
  • Food Preparation
  • Food Presentation
  • Cash Handling
  • POS Systems
  • Menu Specials Promotion
  • Food Handling Equipment
  • Cleanliness and Organization
  • Knowledge of Dietary Restrictions
  • Menu Planning
  • Inventory Ordering and Management
  • Quality Control
  • Culinary Skills
  • Recipe Development
  • Food Cost Analysis
  • Portion Control
  • Knife Skills
  • Food Sourcing and Procurement
  • Food Plating Techniques
  • Food Styling
  • Beverage Service
  • Wine and Beer Knowledge
  • Coffee Brewing Techniques
  • Cash Register Operation
  • Cross-selling
  • Table Setting
  • Dining Etiquette
  • Special Event Catering
  • Buffet Setup and Management
  • Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions
  • Safe Food Handling and Storage
  • Menu Engineering
  • Health and Safety Regulations
  • Food Service

How to List Food Service Skills On Your Resume icon

Medical and healthcare resume skills

From patient care to managing various software, creating a separate resume section to showcase your medical and healthcare skills is always a good idea.

Take the time to consider which medical skills would be most relevant for the job and align those with your experience .

Also, include your healthcare skills within various parts of your resume. This should also be done to showcase your commitment to the industry and the steps you've taken to ensure that you're the most up-to-date with recent R&D.

  • Patient Assessment
  • Administering Injections
  • Patient Care
  • Taking Vital Signs
  • Medical Administration
  • Recording Patient Medical History
  • TB Test Clearance
  • Teamwork Abilities
  • Medical Procedures
  • Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
  • Medical Terminology
  • Diagnostic Testing
  • Infection Control
  • Surgical Assistance
  • Medical Equipment Operation
  • Clinical Documentation
  • HIPAA Compliance
  • Medical Ethics
  • Emergency Response
  • Patient Education
  • Quality Improvement
  • Cultural Competence
  • Healthcare Regulations
  • Patient Advocacy

How to List Medical Skills On Your Resume icon

Legal resume skills

All rise for the honorable legal resume skills!

While the skills may encompass various roles within the legal system, the field of regulatory compliance has been gaining more traction in the past decade or so.

The best way to highlight your legal capabilities (apart from the dedicated skills section ) is also to boost your relevant legal certification and trial/ jury/ job success.

  • Contract Law
  • Civil Litigation
  • Legal Writing
  • Legal Research
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Criminal Law
  • Legal Analysis
  • Case Management
  • Contract Review and Negotiation
  • Litigation Support
  • Legal Document Preparation
  • Legal Terminology
  • Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility
  • Oral Advocacy
  • Legal Citations
  • Client Counseling
  • Legal Due Diligence
  • Legal Compliance
  • Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Legal Software and Technology
  • Courtroom Procedures
  • Document Drafting and Editing
  • Contract Drafting
  • Deposition Preparation
  • Legal Brief Writing
  • Trial Preparation
  • Mediation Techniques
  • Legal Research Methodologies
  • Legal Research Databases (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis)
  • Discovery Process

How to List Legal Skills On Your Resume icon

Customer service resume skills

Anyone who's ever had a customer-facing role, can let you know one thing - the experience teaches you so many personal skills in handling communications.

It's all about taking the time to understand the party opposing you, to find ways to show them both empathy and compassion, and - in the end - have a tangible outcome.

The STAR methodology could be a great way to showcase your customer service skills on your resume within the projects section .

Another good idea would be to create a supplementary experience section that focuses more on your soft and customer service skills.

  • Dispute Management
  • Oral Communication
  • CRM Systems
  • Technical Expertise
  • Knowledge of Policies and Procedures
  • Complaint Handling
  • Follow-Up and Resolution
  • Telephone Etiquette
  • Customer Feedback Analysis
  • Customer Service Training
  • Problem Escalation and Resolution
  • Customer Retention Strategies
  • Upselling Techniques
  • Customer Satisfaction Enhancement
  • Customer Needs Assessment
  • Service Recovery
  • Social Media Customer Service
  • Customer Service in Multilingual Environments
  • Professional Phone Etiquette
  • Knowledge of Industry Regulations
  • Customer Education and Training
  • Product Demonstrations
  • Technical Troubleshooting
  • Knowledge Base Creation and Management
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Customer Success Management
  • Voice of Customer Analysis
  • Service Recovery Strategies

How to List Customer Service Skills On Your Resume icon

Warehouse resume skills

There's an array of warehouse resume skills that entangle various aspects of operations. Those include third-party vendor communications and logistics to operating equipment and workplace health and safety procedures.

Your resume allows for a multitude of opportunities to list these skills - so don't miss your chances to include them, for example within your headline . Thus, optimizing it for the ATS and recruiters.

Look no further for inspiration as to your warehouse resume skills.

  • Cleaning Equipment
  • Forklift Operation
  • Loading and Unloading Trucks
  • Record-Keeping
  • Lifting Heavy Items
  • Warehouse Operations
  • Order Fulfillment
  • Shipping and Receiving
  • Warehouse Organization
  • Safety Compliance
  • Physical Stamina
  • Problem Identification
  • Vendor Coordination
  • RF Scanner Usage
  • Warehouse Safety Training
  • Lean Principles
  • Warehouse Software Proficiency
  • Cycle Counting
  • Stock Replenishment
  • Hazardous Materials Handling
  • Inventory Auditing
  • Cross-Docking
  • Shrinkage Prevention
  • Material Handling
  • Workflow Optimization
  • Reverse Logistics
  • Space Utilization
  • Stock Rotation
  • Returns Processing
  • Freight Management
  • Customs Compliance
  • Container Unpacking and Consolidation
  • Inventory Forecasting
  • Routing and Scheduling
  • Warehouse Layout Design
  • Supplier Negotiation
  • Supply Chain Management

How to List Warehouse Skills On Your Resume icon

Human Resources (HR) resume skills

If you're apt at working with people and supporting the acquisition functions (or funnel) of an organization - this next list is especially for you.

Demonstrate your abilities to support one of the most crucial areas of the business - that is talent management - with an array of hard and soft skills that support your understanding.

Have you implemented any changes that have improved the lives of individuals or perhaps increased interest in the organization? Make sure you dedicate a special section to those, and also quantify the impact your decisions have made.

  • Human Resource Management (HRM)
  • Applicant Screening
  • HR Strategy Creation
  • Career Coaching
  • HR Reporting
  • Recruitment and Selection
  • Employee Onboarding
  • HR Policies and Procedures
  • Training and Development
  • Compensation and Benefits
  • Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) HR Systems
  • Employee Engagement
  • Labor Law Compliance
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Employee Performance Improvement
  • Employment Law Knowledge
  • Compliance Reporting
  • Ethics and Confidentiality
  • Employee Wellness Programs
  • Employee Performance Evaluation
  • Succession Planning
  • Employee Benefits Administration
  • Organizational Development
  • Employee Engagement Surveys
  • Employee Coaching and Development
  • HR Policy Development
  • Workforce Planning
  • Compensation Analysis and Benchmarking
  • HR Training and Facilitation
  • Talent Acquisition and Retention
  • Human Resources

How to List Human Resources Skills On Your Resume icon

Technical resume skills

Technical skills have to do with the specific technologies that are a must to complete a job.

The best way to showcase your technical expertise, of course, is by showing the skills' practical side with on-the-job experience, projects, and relevant certification.

The more results of your technical skills you can include, the better it'd be for recruiters to understand precisely your understanding of the given technology.

Speaking of which - in some cases - it could be good to also note your proficiency level.

  • Lean Manufacturing
  • Payment Processing
  • Linear Regression
  • Programming Languages (e.g., Python, Java, C++, Ruby)
  • Web Development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
  • Database Management (SQL, Oracle, MySQL)
  • Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
  • Version Control Systems (Git, SVN)
  • Agile/Scrum Methodologies
  • Network Administration
  • System Administration (Windows, Linux)
  • IT Troubleshooting
  • Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
  • DevOps Tools (Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins)
  • Scripting Languages (Shell Scripting, PowerShell)
  • Big Data Technologies (Hadoop, Apache Spark)
  • Data Analysis and Visualization (Excel, Tableau, Power BI)
  • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  • Data Mining
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Mobile App Development (Android, iOS)
  • User Interface (UI) Design
  • User Experience (UX) Design
  • Web Frameworks (React, Angular, Django)
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
  • Test Automation (Selenium, JUnit)
  • Quality Assurance (QA) Testing
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Data Warehousing
  • Mathematical Modeling
  • Embedded Systems
  • Computer Vision
  • Operating Systems (Windows, Linux, macOS)

How to List Technical Skills On Your Resume icon

Hospitality resume skills

In spite of the global pandemic, the hospitality sector continues to thrive and be an indispensable part of people's lives.

With that being said, perhaps one of the most important skills within hospitality is the ability to adapt (and accept) change.

By managing customers' expectations and experiences of the given hospitality service, you've surely also attained a variety of other soft, transferrable skills.

Even if a certain skill doesn't seem that important to you, yet it's a must-have on the job advert, and you have relevant, result-driven experience of it - make sure you dedicate some resume space to quantify your experience.

  • Hotel Management and Operations
  • Maintenance and Cleaning
  • Staff Management
  • Central Reservation System “CRS”
  • Event Planning and Coordination
  • Front Desk Operations
  • Property Management Systems (PMS)
  • Sales and Marketing Knowledge
  • Housekeeping Coordination
  • Concierge Services
  • Wine and Beverage Service
  • Event Setup and Breakdown
  • Venue Management
  • Guest Satisfaction Enhancement
  • Time-sensitive Issue Management
  • Venue and Room Management
  • Staff Training and Development
  • Revenue Management
  • Hospitality

How to List Hospitality Skills On Your Resume icon

Key Takeaways

Frequently asked questions about resume skills, what are the top skills to list on your resume.

There are no "top" skills, but rather ones that answer two-part criteria.

The first is the job requirements, and the second - is your capability and practical knowledge of using particular skills.

Now, both criteria could be met by both:

  • soft skills - transferrable, personal traits that showcase the unique value of working with you as a professional.

How many skills should I list on my resume?

It's not a question of how many, but rather which skills showcase you as the best fit for the role and also prove your unique expertise and knowledge.

Asses what are the key skills for the job advert (select between five and ten) and align those with the five to ten skills you're best at.

Remember to strike a balance between hard and soft skills, and to make use of every section of your resume to demonstrate your achievements.

Can I list soft skills on my resume?

Of course - soft skills are hints of how you'd adapt and grow within new work dynamics and environments.

Soft skills support your experience and tell a further narrative: that you've grown up both as a professional and a person.

They make a fantastic first impression on more experienced recruiters who are on the lookout for more than just the check-box-fitting candidate.

Should I tailor my skills to the job description?

This is perhaps the best strategy out there for creating your professional resume. First, take notice of what skills are important to the role, recruiters, and subsequently the organization.

If from the get-go you take the time to target your skills section to the advert at hand, this would go to show that you're ready to take the next steps and subsequently - are more than prepared for the role.

As you know, the whole job application process is one of meeting expectations and aligning visions.

How do I showcase my skills on my resume?

Make use of all the resume space (or real estate) you have to highlight your versatile skill set.

What this means is that you shouldn't just limit this to a dedicated skills section. You could also talk about these capacities within your resume:

  • niche/specific skills section.

It's entirely up to you to choose which sections of your resume would best fit your skill set.

When talking about your hard and soft skills, remember to also quantify your achievements.

Instead of saying you're apt at using "AutoCAD", note that you've "created 65+ full building plans in AutoCAD that have helped make the design 35% more understandable and efficient for contractors".

You could also use the STAR methodology (situation, task, action, result), when talking about your skills.

Can I include skills I learned outside of work?

If those skills are relevant to the job you're applying for and fully support your application, there isn't a reason why you shouldn't include them.

For example, you could further build your education, certifications, or hobbies section to detail those specific skills.

Test labs that you've done in your free time or side-projects that have taught you a specific skill could also work in showcasing your capabilities.

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150 Top Skills for Your Resume + How to List Skills in 2024

Stephen Greet

  • Best General Skills

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

  • How to Include Skills on Your Resume
  • Job-Specific Skills
  • Skills FAQs

When it comes to your resume skills, the more specific you can get, the better. That’s why we broke down the  most in-demand job skills by career type .

Still, it can be helpful to start by looking at the skills employers generally might be wanting right now.

We analyzed countless job descriptions across all careers and identified 150 of the most sought-after and widely applicable skills you can put on your resume (like this one) in 2024.

Software Engineer Resume

or download as PDF

Software engineer resume example with 12 years experience

20 Good Skills to Put on a Resume

Young man in front of his laptop reading his resume

While we’re going to give you plenty of job-specific resume skills you can add to your AI cover letter and resume, there are some that work across just about any field. These can add value for candidates who either lack work history or are creating an  entry-level resume .

  • Data Analysis
  • Problem-solving
  • Collaborative
  • Detail-oriented
  • Written Communication
  • Public Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Multi-tasking
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Time Management
  • Accountable
  • Results-oriented
  • Project Management
  • Compassionate/ Empathetic

A PC monitor and laptop showing well written resumes.

Before we jump into which skills to put on your resume, we need to get some definitions out of the way:

  • Hard skills  are the tools and software you use to get your job done. Excel and QuickBooks are examples of hard skills.
  • Soft skills  are those that are hard to measure or prove expertise in. “Communication” is a textbook example of a soft skill.

Quickly distinguish between hard and soft skills by asking, “Is there a specific tool or software associated with the skill?” If “yes,” you’re likely dealing with a hard skill. If not, you’re talking about a soft skill.

As we explained earlier, companies often use an ATS to filter out job applicants based on whether they include the right skills on their resumes.

The ATS filters are looking primarily for hard skills; they want to be sure the people they end up hiring know the right tools and software needed to succeed.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you should exclude soft skills from your resume. Why? After the ATS approves your resume, it’s passed on to the human hiring manager. They’ll likely want to see soft skills depending on the kind of industry and role you’re applying to.

Try out this quick guide to determine whether to put soft skills on your resume:

Should I include soft skills on my resume?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should likely include soft skills on your resume (we’ll detail how in the next section). 

  • Technical roles are those primarily dominated by hard skills (software engineering, data science, accounting, etc.)
  • Just listing soft skills on your resume isn’t as impactful as  showing how you used them to do your job .
  • For example, if you’re in sales or customer service, you need the ability to communicate persuasively with customers!

Examples of hard skills according to industry

  • Predictive Modeling (Finance)
  • eQUEST (Energy)
  • Crop Rotation (Agriculture)
  • eZee Frontdesk (Hospitality)
  • Google Classroom (Education)
  • X-ray Diagnostics (Healthcare)
  • Mailchimp (Marketing)
  • AutoCAD (Engineering)

Examples of soft skills

  • Self-starter
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Attentive to Details

How to List Skills on Your Resume

Young man sitting behind his computer screen happily typing away.

Now that you know whether you should put hard skills, soft skills, or a combination on your resume, how do you actually include them?

  • When it comes to your resume skills, the presentation can matter just as much as the content! 
  • Before we get to structure,  a word of warning :

Don’t list too many skills  in your skills section! While it’s all right to dump all sorts of skills into your  resume outline , it’s a big red flag to the hiring manager if they see a resume where an applicant lists 15+ skills.

First, it might mean the applicant is exaggerating their skillset (a big no-no). Second, a hiring manager would rather hire someone who’s a master of a few skills than a novice in many.

Different  resume formats  may display your skills in various ways, but regardless of the layout you choose,  there are three places you should mention your most important skills : 

  • In your resume objective or resume summary (if you include this section)
  • In a dedicated “skills” section on your resume
  • In your work experience or projects ( show how you used your skills to do your job)

Your resume objective should only be two to three sentences , so you should include your top one to two skills most relevant to the job you’re applying for here. In addition to our objective sample below, we’ve got plenty more great examples of how to mention your best skills in your  resume objective  or  resume summary .

Organized, considerate administrative assistant with a history of remaining cool under high-pressure situations where multiple priorities are managed. Genoa Telepsychiatry is doing invaluable work for underserved housing populations, and I would be an asset in enabling Ms. Garcia to focus on that mission by alleviating her organizational burden.

resume skill list ideas

How to organize skills on your resume

When it comes to skills for a resume, there are a couple of ways you can structure them:

  • By skill category (technology type, soft skills vs. hard skills)
  • Experience level

These kinds of breakdowns aren’t mandatory. You can just list all of your skills in your skills section, provided you keep the number to under 10.

First,  you can break up your skills by category . This is most appropriate if you’re applying for a technical role since you can group different technologies you use by type.

For example, as a data analyst, you might want to divide your skills by the different facets of your job (programming, modeling, and data visualization).

Data analyst skills be different facets

This breakdown of your skills can also work well if soft skills are your biggest strength. For example, you can chunk your soft skills into categories like leadership, customer service, communication, etc.

Another way to classify your skills on your resume is by your experience level . Convey your expertise either in terms of years of expertise with that skill or by a rating you choose (beginner, intermediate, expert, for instance).

Here’s an example of this skills breakdown in action:

Resume skills organized by proficiency

And again, you can also just list all of your skills without categories like the example below if there are fewer than 10:

Resume skills without categories

Let your work experience vouch for your job skills

Now that you’ve got your top one to two skills in your resume objective and a dedicated skills section, it’s time to talk about how you’ve used your skills in your previous roles and projects.

This is especially important for soft skills.  Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager .

Does seeing that someone described themselves as “attentive to detail” in their skills section mean much without seeing that skill in action?

It’s much more valuable if you highlight a time you were attentive to detail in a previous job. So, if you’re an administrative assistant, you might say you “re-organized thousands of customer contacts in HubSpot without losing any customer data.”

Remember, it’s one thing to say you have a skill, but  showing your knowledge of that skill in a work or personal project carries far more weight  in the eyes of the hiring manager.

Let’s make this practical with an example: This software engineer lists NodeJS and Django in her resume skills list.

Software engineer resume skills example

This won’t be the last we see of these skills, though. Take a look at this job seeker’s work experience at MarketSmart. For instance, see how she weaves NodeJS into improving CTR? And even her intern experience shows how Django played a role in increasing reporting speed.

Software engineer skills in resume work experience

Pro tip: Try starting with specific work experience and then work backward to determine which skills you used instead of the other way around.

Regarding technical skills, try to be specific about what you did with the tool/ software you’re describing. Microsoft Excel is a program that can be used for many different applications, for example. Discuss specifically which functionality you used to accomplish your task (pivot tables, vlookups, etc.).

resume skill list ideas

Match your resume skills to the job description

How can you identify the most common skills for the industry or role you’re applying for? The best way is to look at job ads for positions that grab your attention.

Try this two-step process to list skills on your resume:

  • Look across 5-10 different job descriptions for roles you’re interested in and identify the 10-15 most common skills in those job listings.
  • For each specific role you apply to, choose the 5-7 skills from your list that are most relevant to that job .

Yup, this means you’ll have to  customize your resume  for each role. Customizing your skills section, however, will vault you into the top five percent of applicants and is the quickest way to increase the number of interviews you get!

Let’s walk through an example of how to customize your skills for a specific job.

Say you’re looking for a position as a digital marketer, and after looking at some job descriptions, you notice the most common skills employers are looking for are the following:

  • CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive
  • Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap
  • General Tools: Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint, Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides
  • Optimization: A/B testing, customer segmentation, attribution modeling
  • Paid Ads: Facebook, AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, retargeting
  • Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
  • Email Marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Drip
  • SEO: Content creation, keyword research, backlink building

Now, you’re specifically interested in a digital marketing role at Barnes and Noble with the following job description:

Digital marketing manager

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Develop and execute data-driven marketing strategies and campaigns with a strong focus on driving acquisition, engagement, and retention across multiple channels (e.g., SMS, mobile, email, social media, etc.) on time and on budget.
  • Aim to generate revenue and deliver on key business objectives, ROI, and KPI targets.
  • Own, measure, deliver, and optimize key metrics and reporting on marketing activities across channels and platforms.
  • Identify trends and insights, optimize segments, spend, and performance based on data.
  • Utilize strong analytical ability to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple channels and customer touchpoints and work cross-functionally to drive qualified traffic, improve conversion, and identify new opportunities to boost user engagement and retention through A/B and multivariate testing.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Minimum 5-7 years of digital marketing experience with a minimum of 3 years demonstrated success in mobile, email, social media, PPC, and SEM marketing from concept to completion with a proven track record of success.
  • Results-driven mentality with exceptional detail orientation and knowledge of metrics, A/B testing, and ROI analysis.
  • Experience with testing and optimization platforms.
  • Strong track record of distilling actionable insights from data to improve multi-channel marketing strategies.
  • In-depth familiarity with email service providers and knowledge of marketing automation platforms.
  • Solid understanding of website analytics tools (Google Analytics, Amplitude, Appsflyer), email systems (Sailthru, Salesforce Marketing Cloud), and ad-serving tools (Adroll, Facebook.)

Finally, we cross-reference our list of 10-15 skills with the skills this specific job is looking for (underlined above). This leaves us with the remaining five key skills:

  • Optimization: A/B Testing, Segmentation
  • CRM: Salesforce
  • Web Analytics: Google Analytics
  • Paid Ads: Facebook
  • Social Media: Email Marketing

There you have it! These skills are what will make up your skills list for this specific role. Don’t forget to include the seemingly most essential skills in your resume objective (for this position, we’d say those are optimization and A/B testing) and mention relevant work experience where you used some of these skills.

Remember, it’s important to be truthful about which skills you know and which you don’t. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable being interviewed about a skill. If the answer is “yes,” then include it. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it off your resume. 

And for the grand finale to this digital marketing example: Check out how this resume integrates key skills into the career objective, skills section, and work experience.

Digital Marketing Manager Resume

Digital marketing manager resume with 8 years experience

Why this resume works

  • Starting with the most obvious section—the skills section—Giselle lists skills important to Barnes & Noble, grouping them in easy-to-read categories.
  • Don’t be deterred, even if you lack experience in an area or two! Demonstrating a willingness to learn is highly valuable.
  • The work experience section is a prime opportunity to showcase skills in action. Like Giselle, start with active verbs to show how you used skills, software, and tools to impact the company positively. 

Job-Specific Resume Skills

Job specific resume skills.

We promised an extensive list of resume skills, organized by profession, and we’re not ones to break our promises!

Below, you’ll find countless role-related skills you can put on your resume, along with informational tidbits for each profession.

Remember that honesty is critical when you  build a resume , so we stand behind a shorter list of genuine skills rather than a slew of half-truths you’ll blush over later in an interview.

resume skill list ideas

Web developer skills for your resume

Web developers build the web apps we interact with in our everyday lives. From banking to transportation to Netflix, it’s hard to find a facet of life that isn’t touched by web development.

We did an  extensive analysis of the top web developer skills  employers are looking for in 2024, and below are the results in order of those most in demand.

Open URL icon

Top web developer skills

  • JavaScript (React, Angular, Vue)
  • SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle)
  • Cloud Storage (GCP, AWS, Azure)

Data analyst skills for resume

Companies are currently swimming in large pools of data. Marketing, product, engineering, and executive teams all rely on data to make the most effective decisions in the face of uncertainty.

That’s where data analysts come in. To be a successful data analyst, you need the right skills to clean, organize, visualize, and make actionable recommendations from data.

We analyzed over 100 job openings and determined the  most in-demand data analyst skills  needed to get a data analyst position in 2024. Below are the results in order of the most popular skills.

Top data analyst skills

  • Business Intelligence Tools (Tableau, PowerBI, Qlik, Looker)
  • Excel/ Google Sheets
  • Python (Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, Numpy)
  • R (Dplyr, ggplot2)

resume skill list ideas

Marketing skills for resume

No matter how great a product or website—unless a successful marketing campaign drives customers to that product, it won’t succeed.

Marketers must strike a balance between creativity and science to reach the right people at the right time to make them customers.

To do this successfully, marketers need a wide range of skills.

Top marketing skills

  • CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Pipedrive, HubSpot
  • Web Analytics: Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap, Google Analytics
  • General Tools: Google Sheets/ Docs/ Slides, Microsoft Excel/ Word/ PowerPoint
  • Optimization: Customer Segmentation, Attribution Modeling, A/B Testing
  • Paid Ads: AdWords, LinkedIn, Google Display Network, Retargeting, Facebook
  • Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
  • Email Marketing: ConvertKit, Drip, Mailchimp
  • SEO: Keyword Research, Backlink Building, Content Creation
  • Direct Mail

resume skill list ideas

Customer service skills for resume

When a customer has a problem or a question, they need to get a prompt and accurate answer to ensure they remain a customer.

More than that, a strong customer service representative will build relationships with customers to help identify potential new features or directions to take a product.

To do this successfully, you need a potent blend of people skills while also knowing the tools of the trade.

Top customer service skills

  • Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills
  • Curious, Empathetic, and Professional
  • Willing to Learn
  • Goal-oriented
  • Enterprise Software
  • Experience with Business Processes
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Zendesk, HubSpot, Helpscout

resume skill list ideas

Management skills for resume

No matter how effective a person is as an individual contributor, management is an entirely different job that requires an altogether different skill set.

To be an effective manager, you must first understand and relate to your employees while ensuring company initiatives are hit on time. To get this done, you need a mix of different skills.

Top management skills

  • Financial Analysis
  • Self-motivation
  • Conflict Resolution & Management
  • Managing Career Growth
  • Performance Reviews
  • Ability to Motivate
  • Foster Team Environment
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Result-driven

resume skill list ideas

Accounting skills for resume

Accountants are the unsung heroes of any well-oiled company. A company is only as successful as it can demonstrate through its financial reports.

Accountants need to be wizards with reporting and data while maintaining a culture of rigorous organization. Accounting is a field that requires knowledge of particular hard skills.

Top accounting skills

  • Financial Reporting
  • General Ledger Accounting
  • Quarterly Close Processes
  • Quarterly Financial Statements
  • Tax Accounting
  • GAAP Accounting Principles
  • Expense Reporting
  • Accounts Payable & Receivable
  • Account Reconciliation

resume skill list ideas

Project manager skills for resume

Project managers keep the trains on the rails. To be a successful project manager, you must know how to ensure deadlines are met on time and on budget.

In this role, you’ll need the ability to communicate with diverse teams and technical knowledge to help engineers remove roadblocks they encounter that will prevent them from getting their job done.

Top project manager skills

  • Project Management Software (Jira, Trello)
  • Microsoft Office/Google Suite (Excel/Google Sheets, PowerPoint/Slides)
  • Project Management Frameworks and Methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban)
  • Programming Languages and Frameworks (JavaScript, Node.js, Python, Django)
  • CRM Experience (HubSpot, Salesforce)
  • Digital Marketing

resume skill list ideas

Sales skills for resume

An effective salesperson can form meaningful relationships with new sales prospects very quickly.

To be able to sell a new customer on your product or tool, you first need to intimately understand their pain points and what they’re trying to solve.

In addition to solid soft skills, you need to know the technical tools to track and manage prospects through the sales pipeline.

Top sales skills

  • Strong Communication
  • Negotiation
  • CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)
  • Presentation Skills
  • Lead Generation (LinkedIn, Email)
  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

resume skill list ideas

Administrative assistant skills for resume

When it comes to a career as an administrative assistant, there’s no skill more valuable than organization. How can you help others be at their best without ensuring all ducks are in a row?

Of course, other skills are needed to succeed as an administrative assistant, and we’ve analyzed numerous administrative assistant job openings to determine the most in-demand skills for this career.

Top administrative assistant skills

  • Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets
  • Microsoft Word/Google Docs
  • Microsoft PowerPoint/Google Slides
  • Scheduling (Microsoft Outlook/Google Calendar)
  • Words per Minute you Type
  • Languages you Speak
  • Database Management
  • CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
  • Personable and Welcoming

resume skill list ideas

Nursing skills for resume

The value of nurses in our society has never been more apparent than during the COVID-19 crisis.

A good nurse must have a rigorous understanding of the medical procedures and documentation they need to complete while also maintaining the soft skills necessary to build trust and understanding with patients.

It’s a very tricky balance to strike. To help you pursue a new job in nursing, we compiled the most popular skills employers are looking for across a wide range of nursing disciplines.

Top nursing skills

  • EMR Systems
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Emergency Care
  • CPR Certified
  • Best Practices
  • Long-term Patient Care
  • Compassionate
  • Organized & Reliable
  • Infant & Child Care
  • Medical Documentation

resume skill list ideas

Teacher skills for resume

With the shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the skills required to be an effective teacher from afar are also changing.

Teachers now need to be more in tune with the technologies used for remote learning to reach students.

Still, there are some skills required to be a great teacher that haven’t changed. Based on our analysis, here are the top skills schools want when they hire teachers.

Top teacher skills

  • Lesson Planning
  • Blackboard/Moodle
  • Google Apps (Gmail, Sheets, Slides)
  • SMART Boards
  • Remote Teaching (Zoom)
  • Safe, Supportive Classrooms
  • Accountability
  • Communication with Parents and Students
  • Organization
  • Focused on Student Performance

Software engineer skills for resume

Software engineer is a broad, all-encompassing term. There are hundreds of specific disciplines within this umbrella that require different skills.

Still, there are fundamental and common skills that all developers must have. First and foremost, you need to be able to program! 

We collected the most in-demand skills for software developers to help you make the best resume possible.

Top software engineer skills

  • Python (Django)
  • Java (Spring)
  • Ruby (Ruby on Rails)
  • PHP (Laravel)
  • JavaScript (Node, React, Vue, jQuery)
  • SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, NoSQL)
  • AWS, GCS, Azure

Business analyst (BA) skills for resume

Business analysts combine skills from many areas to help drive outcomes that materially improve a customer’s core metrics.

A BA is a great communicator, a robust data analyst, and an effective project manager. After a project is complete, the BA then has to be able to communicate the outcomes to the executive team.

Top business analyst skills

  • SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server)
  • Excel, Google Sheets
  • PowerPoint, Google Slides
  • Tableau, Looker, Chartio
  • Salesforce, NetSuite, HubSpot, Pipedrive
  • A/B testing, Linear Regression, Logistic Regression
  • Project Management (JIRA, Trello)

Student skills for resume

When you’re a student, it can be challenging to know which of your skills you should highlight when applying for your first job or internship.

It varies depending on the position, but at this point in your career, hiring managers don’t expect you to be an expert in all the tools you’ll need for the job.

The key is to mention which skills you have some familiarity with and express an openness to learning on the job.

Top student skills

  • Microsoft Outlook/Gmail
  • Hard-working
  • Social Media
  • Collaboration

Data scientist skills for resume

Data scientists are hybrid programmers and statisticians. It can be tough to figure out which of your technical skill sets should be the focus of your resume.

Touch on your primary programming language and put context around the modeling techniques you use regularly.

After studying over 100 data scientist job openings, here are the top skills employers are looking for in these roles.

Top data scientist skills

  • Python (Numpy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, Keras, Flask)
  • R (Dplyr, Shiny)
  • SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle)
  • AWS (Redshift)
  • Supervised Learning (Linear and Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, Recommendation Engines)
  • Unsupervised Learning (K-Means Clustering, Principal Component Analysis)
  • Customer Segmentation, Price Optimization

Human resources (HR) skills for resume

When it comes to the skills you need to get your next job as a human resources manager, it’s important to demonstrate a combination of people skills (it’s in the job title, after all), but you also have to show command of the tools needed to get the job done.

You should demonstrate which phases of HR you have experience in. Whether that’s recruiting, benefits, compensation, or a combination thereof, these should be clear.

Top human resources skills

  • ATS (Workday, Jobvite, Greenhouse)
  • Compensation & Benefits
  • Performance Management
  • Recruiting (Sourcing & Interviewing)
  • Employee Onboarding
  • Benefits Planning & Administration
  • Employee Coaching
  • LOA, FMLA, PLOA, Disability
  • Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint
  • Recruiting Coordination
  • Compliance (OFFCP, FLSA, Unemployment)
  • Employee Retention
  • Organizational Strategy
  • Labor Relations
  • Succession Planning
  • HR Analytics

Product manager skills for resume

Product managers help steer the direction of a company by working to understand new features and products customers are looking for.

A successful PM should have the technical skills to communicate fluently with engineers. They also need strong data analysis skills to determine whether new feature launches are working.

Top product manager skills

  • Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel
  • Google Tag Manager
  • A/B Testing
  • Optimizely, Google Optimize
  • Basic Python scripting, APIs
  • Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kaban
  • Jira, Github, Confluence
  • Google Analytics, Microsoft Excel

Recruiter skills for resume

Since recruiters are the first people prospective employees interact with in a company, they must have strong people skills.

Outside of that, a recruiter needs to be familiar with using an ATS to keep track of candidates as they go through the application funnel.

In addition, they need to know various tools to effectively source prospective candidates for a job opening.

Top recruiter skills

  • Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word
  • HR Information Systems (Workday, Oracle HCM, Zoho, SAP)
  • ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, Workable, Breezy HR, BambooHR)
  • Sourcing Tools (LinkedIn Recruiter, TalentNest, Connectifier)
  • Full Cycle Recruiting, Intakes, Sourcing, Screening, Evaluating Talent
  • CRM (HubSpot, Marketo, Hootsuite)

Scrum Master skills for resume

As a Scrum Master, it’s vital you demonstrate which project management frameworks you have experience in on your resume.

Scrum Masters help ensure project deadlines are hit by establishing and monitoring incremental goals along the way.

Communication and management skills are must-haves, in addition to a few technical tools.

Top Scrum Master skills

  • Agile Development & Best Practices
  • Agile Frameworks—Scrum, Kanban, XP
  • JIRA & JIRA Portfolio
  • Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio
  • User Stories, ATDD, TDD, Continuous Integration, Automated Testing
  • Project Planning & Scoping

resume skill list ideas

Social media manager skills for resume

As the name implies, a social media manager must show prospective employers they can use social media to drive customers toward a business.

It’s not enough, however, to demonstrate experience with various social media platforms. You must also clearly understand data and analytics to prove that your campaigns can and will work for a business.

Top social media manager skills

  • Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok
  • Sprout Social, Hootsuite
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Docs/Microsoft Word
  • Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel
  • Paid Social Media Advertising
  • Data Analytics

IT manager skills for resume

IT managers need to possess razor-sharp technical skills while demonstrating the ability to mentor and guide employees under their leadership.

Since the number of potential technical skills an IT manager can have is vast, you must demonstrate a firm command of at least a few skills.

On your resume, it’s much better to demonstrate expertise in a few skills than a weak command of a large number of tools.

Top IT manager skills

  • Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
  • Agile/Lean Methodologies
  • Network Infrastructure (DNS, DHCP, SSL)
  • Linux/ Unix

resume skill list ideas

Design skills for resume

As you might imagine, designers need to convince the hiring manager reviewing their resume of their creative ability. This is usually done via a portfolio.

Outside of your creativity, you also need to quickly and effectively communicate which tools you use to complete your design work. One of the first things a prospective employer will check is whether you have the technical skills they’re looking for in a designer.

Top design skills

  • Design Principles
  • Color Theory
  • Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
  • Storytelling
  • Canva, Vectr
  • Print Design
  • Photography

Your skills should directly correlate with the job you’re applying for so recruiters can tell what makes you special at a glance. Refer to the job description for keywords or mission statements that show what the organization values and what the job role emphasizes. Prioritize skills that relate directly to your profession over those that could enhance your qualifications for other fields.

Try to limit your array of abilities to just 6 to 10 skills per resume. If you have more to choose from, choose to meet the optimal resume skill range with abilities that specifically answer the call of the job description. You don’t want a skills list that looks too “hodgepodge,” so hone your skills to a trade-specific edge that demonstrates your expertise.

Soft skills are the tools you use to socially function with grace and efficiency. They refer to your interpersonal abilities like negotiation, communication, and team delegation (just to name a few!). Keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo your skills list and appear disorganized, so select only the most relevant soft skills to list. You can use them as context for your professional experiences.

Technical skills, or hard skills, can refer to anything from software proficiency to specialized actions or tasks you can perform that relate to your job. Physical technology or machinery, digital meeting programs, and the ability to interpret industry-specific data all count! These important skills show off your specialties and highlight your unique candidacy for the job role.

Every skills list should be technical, but yours especially so: This is your opportunity to demonstrate your expertise instantly. By naming precisely which software programs you use (think: Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Salesforce to name a few) instead of generalizing, you effectively spotlight your skills ahead of time. Recruiters often skim the skills list first since they move fast, so seize the chance to align yourself with the job!

Honestly, that depends on you! Which of your resume sections is the strongest: skills, experience, internships, or stuff like your degree and academic achievements? Resume layouts with a side column can put your skills list in a highly visible space. If your experiences are super strong, you can also list your skills at the bottom of the page. Just make sure your best qualities are the most eye-catching!

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Unique skills for resumes to attract attention

woman-reviewing-resume-with-laptop-on-her-side-unique-skills-on-resume

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13 skills examples for resumes that grab recruiters’ attention

What skills should you put on your resume.

Write a resume as unique as you

You have a distinctive and impressive skillset that sets you apart from other candidates, making you the best fit for a new role. But how can you effectively showcase your exceptional abilities and capture the attention of recruiters?

If you’re ready to make a career move, it’s time to dust off your resume. And when you’re adding your latest professional experience, you should also highlight your innate talents and special skills — these attributes make your application exciting and memorable. 

Of course, crafting a compelling resume can be challenging. The stakes are high, and resumes follow a fairly strict format, meaning you don’t have much creative (or spatial) leeway.

Deciding on the right unique skills for your resume can make or break the success of an application. Sit down, open your laptop, and seize this opportunity to stand out in the job market.

The best skills to put on a resume are the ones that best describe you. Don’t stretch the truth — keep descriptions accurate. But don’t be shy to show off what makes you an unbeatable fit for the role. 

If you’re struggling to brainstorm, we can help. Check out these 13 attention-grabbing hard and soft skills:

Hard skills

Hard skills are learned abilities, often technical or creative. These are key skills to put on a resume because they demonstrate how well you’ll be able to meet and exceed the granular, day-to-day expectations of a position. 

If you’re applying for a UX position and have graphic design skills, adding this tidbit to your resume tips off a hiring manager and tells them you would bring a keen visual eye to the role. Similarly, highlighting strong editing skills for a marketing job could be a plus, as you’ll likely have to produce snappy copy. 

Here are a few essential hard skills to consider adding to your resume: 

Writing: Most roles, particularly ones that involve client interactions, demand excellent writing skills. Whether you expect to craft perfect emails to customers or generate blurbs for social media, having a solid understanding of style and grammar is worth highlighting on your resume.

woman-writing-with-pen-on-notebook-at-home-unique-skills-on-resume

If you’re applying for a writing-forward position, such as SEO content generation, advertising your skills in this area is a must. Include what type of content you’ve generated, the publications or companies you’ve worked with, and any relevant metrics that demonstrate the content’s success.

Project management: While it’s obvious that a project manager needs to highlight this skill, any person applying for a leadership or tech role should include this point on their resume.

Consider a software developer: they may spend most of their time coding but likely also participate in Agile sprints or similar project management structures. And working knowledge of project management methodologies is a resume booster across various industries and niches.

Data analysis: Aspiring data analysts should itemize technical skills. (You could even list them in a spreadsheet.) Be sure to use search-browser-friendly terms that align with those hiring managers seek for data analysis roles, such as SQL, data modeling, and business intelligence.

Graphic design: Anyone in a design-focused career — including marketers, content creators, and developers — should highlight graphic design skills. If you’re applying for a design-based role, you might get more specific and call out unique knowledge or qualifications, such as the specific applications you’re proficient in.

Language skills: In the age of remote work, language skills are a plus — and sometimes a must. Many tech companies, for example, have cross-cultural teams. Speaking a second language that promotes better understanding between you and your coworkers in another part of the world makes you a more versatile, empathetic candidate. 

woman-talking-to-coworker-at-desk-unique-skills-on-resume

Soft skills

Soft skills define a person’s character. Some socially-oriented abilities are inherent, but you accumulate or perfect others in your professional and personal relationships. Everyone communicates, but it takes work to become an expert listener or great at public speaking .

Not everyone has the same soft abilities — that’s what makes them stand out as special skills for your resumes. Some people are natural-born leaders, while others prefer collaborative work in a team setting. There’s room for everyone’s soft skills at most companies, and many recruiters — 93% of them, to be exact — want to see them. Here are a few in-demand soft skills worth listing on your resume:  

Communication: Are you excellent at active listening ? Do you have the patience to facilitate difficult conversations?Briefly describe what’s unique about your interpersonal skills instead of simply stating that communication is a strong suit.

Problem-solving: Conflict and obstacles are inevitable in any workplace. Being able to think critically about issues, draft potential solutions, and select the correct route forward is a valuable skill. Highlighting the skill implies you can face a roadblock with a clear head, which is what employers want to hear.

Leadership: Anyone in a workplace can be a leader , no matter their position or seniority. A team member who steps up because they have specific knowledge that can help a project is a leader. A relatively new employee who shows an even newer one the ropes is a leader, too. Listing this soft skill tells a recruiter you can motivate, guide, and support others.

colleagues-discussing-something-at-meeting-with-manager-unique-skills-on-resume

Highlight this skill and let the work experience on your resume do the rest. Perhaps one of the bullet points under your last job is that you “Led a team of five developers to complete an app development project successfully” or “Took the initiative to introduce an innovative planning method.” These anecdotes demonstrate leadership and back up your skills section.

Time management: This top skill for resumes is important because virtually all employees must possess it. Whether you’re coordinating a project for a team or ensuring you finish your tasks on time, you must prioritize and schedule work and respect others’ expectations in order to mesh with a team.

Ability to work on a team (and independently): Hiring managers want to know how you’ll fit into the team. Highlight your ability to collaborate with others and take initiative on solo work by listing specific and relevant skills, such as conflict resolution and the ability to perform research.

Adaptability: In the workplace, you have to shift to meet changing project landscapes and circumvent roadblocks. Show — don’t tell — your ability to do so by listing various unique tasks and projects in which you’ve been involved. Tailor the list to the needs of the role: for example, if you’re applying to a development job, include some of the most out-of-the-box pieces of software you’ve worked on.

Self-motivation: Show hiring managers that you take the initiative to learn and grow by highlighting your ability to self-motivate. Cite a specific occasion when you taught yourself a new skill, vied for a promotion, or devised a new way of working. 

Customer service skills: Relating to clients is a communication skill that not everyone has — if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Someone needs to handle client-facing work, so if you excel at explaining concepts to others, selling products or services, or representing a company well, let potential employers know. 

Your resume is a powerful marketing tool — use it to showcase your unique abilities and align with the specific requirements of each job you apply for. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to selecting the perfect skills for your potential employer, here are some tips to help your application stand out :

  • Customize for the role: Tailor your resume to each role by thoroughly analyzing the job description. Extract essential keywords and phrases like "takes initiative" or "knowledge of InDesign" and incorporate them into your resume using the same language. This approach allows recruiters to quickly identify key qualifications that align with their needs.

manager-looking-at-resume-on-computer-and-taking-notes-unique-skills-on-resume

  • Avoid excessive lists: Be selective and intentional with the skills you include. If you're applying for an advanced developer role, there's no need to state basic skills like using Microsoft Office (recruiters will assume you know this). Focus on relevant assets that add clear value to the specific role you're applying for.
  • Create a balanced resume: While customizing your resume to match the job description is important, don't forget to make it stand out. Strike a balance between showcasing the skills recruiters are looking for and emphasizing what makes you special.
  • Expand on your talents: Consider creating a dedicated skills section to list languages, software proficiency, and other abilities that don’t require elaboration. However, ensure your experience section also highlights your talents with specific examples of professional growth and successful initiatives.

Write a resume as unique as you 

You’re the only person in the world with your blend of talents, experience, and skills. A resume is your opportunity to prove this to potential employers.

Editing your resume to fit every role you apply to can be tedious work, but it’s worthwhile. Your resume may be your first and only chance to present yourself to a recruiter. Put your best foot forward and include the most impactful and unique skills on your resume.  

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

17 Best skills to put on your resume to stand out

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30-Second Resume Rule | Transform Your Job Hunt in 2024

Background Image

No matter how long it takes to perfect your resume, you only have a moment to convince the hiring manager to interview you.

And that moment is about 30 seconds long.

It sounds intimidating but it's the truth.

Even if you're the most well-qualified candidate, if your resume doesn't clearly reflect that, you don't stand a chance.

But there's no need to stress out over it!

Thirty seconds might not seem like much, but if you know the ins and outs of the 30-second resume rule, you can make that window of opportunity count.

In this article, we're going to cover:

What Is the 30-Second Resume Rule?

  • 30-Second Vs. 10-Second Resume Rule
  • 8 Steps to Applying the 30-Second Resume Rule

...and more!

Let's jump right in.

The 30-second resume rule is a concept you've probably never heard of before, but it's crucial for your job search .

Here's the deal: hiring managers decide if you're worth interviewing within the first 30 seconds of reading your resume.

Sounds harsh, right? But the numbers don't lie.

According to resume statistics , 1 out of 5 recruiters will reject a candidate in under 60 seconds without even finishing their resume.

And it gets worse - a further 25% of hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds reviewing an applicant's resume.

That means that you have less than a minute to convince the hiring manager that you’re the right person for the job and that they should call you in for an interview.

30-Second vs 10-Second Resume Rule

The 30-second resume rule isn’t all that different from the 10-second resume rule that we’ve also covered.

Both tell us that hiring managers don't spend a lot of time looking at each individual's resume.

So why are they in such a rush with hiring decisions?

Mainly, that’s because hiring managers are basically drowning in resumes these days. We're talking about hundreds of applicants per single job opening.

They just don't have the time to read every word of every application.

Instead, they quickly skim through each resume, and they skim fast.

If a resume catches their eye within the first few seconds of glancing at it , it’s that much closer to making it to the job interview stage.

And if they keep reading it and like what they see, the next 30 seconds determine if you make it to the interview stage or not.

Let’s break it down like this:

  • 10-second resume rule. The hiring manager skims over your resume and decides if it’s worth reading at all. Crucial elements here are the resume’s length , adding an eye-catching resume headline, and using a professional resume template.
  • 30-second resume rule. The hiring manager actually starts reading your resume and decides if you’re a good candidate for the job. The contents of your resume do the heavy lifting here, such as your work experience, skills, and your resume’s formatting.

8 Steps to Apply the 30-Second Resume Rule

Now that you understand what the 30-second resume rule is all about, let's dive into how you can make it work for you.

We've broken down the process into several steps to help you along the way.

Ready to make every second count? Let's go!

#1. Approach It from the Reader’s Point of View

When making your resume , it's easy to get caught up in your own perspective.

But if you want to apply the 30-second rule, you need to step into the hiring manager's shoes.

Think about it. You’re sifting through piles of resumes, looking for someone just right for the job. What do you want to see?

Here are three things you’d likely consider:

  • Resume format. Hiring managers want to find what they're looking for easily and this is where your resume’s format comes in. Stick to a reverse-chronological resume format since it’s the most popular format worldwide and it’s what hiring managers tend to expect.
  • Work experience. This is often the first thing hiring managers read in depth. List your job roles in reverse chronological order and focus on achievements instead of responsibilities whenever possible.
  • Relevant skills. Your skills show the hiring manager what you can do and how much training you might need, so, naturally, they read this section very carefully.

#2. Start Strong

You want your resume to give the hiring manager the most important information right away.

Like with the 10-second resume rule, start by writing a great resume summary or resume objective .

This is a brief paragraph that tells the hiring manager who you are, what you’re good at, and why you’re great for the role.

A resume summary is perfect if you've got some work experience already - it's a brief overview of your professional journey and top achievements. For example:

"Marketing professional with 5+ years of experience driving client ROI, specializing in digital campaigns and brand strategy."

A resume objective, on the other hand, is better for recent graduates or candidates looking for a career change . It should state your career goals and what you bring to the table. Like this:

"Recent marketing graduate seeking to leverage strong analytical and creative skills to drive growth for the innovative team at XYZ Startup."

Next, it’s time to dive into the most crucial sections of your resume.

For most, that's work experience .

List your roles in reverse chronological order and make sure to emphasize your achievements over daily tasks. Hiring managers already know what your responsibilities are, so they’d rather read about how you can bring results as part of their team.

Keep in mind that if you're in a skills-based field like tech, you should consider putting your skills section first, then follow it with your work experience.

#3. Customize It

Your resume should perfectly match the job you’re applying for.

Instead of sending out the same generic document for every job opening out there, you should create a tailored resume for each application.

Start by carefully reading the job description. Look for any keywords and specific qualifications the employer is looking for in a candidate. Then, adjust your resume to highlight the qualities you have that match their requirements.

Make sure to tailor every section of your resume this way. For example, in your skills section, you should focus on the skills that matter most for the job, not all your skills.

tailor resume to the job ad

#4. Be Specific

When it comes to applying the 30-second resume rule, vague statements won't cut it.

Hiring managers want concrete details that show exactly what you can do. This is why listing your impressive achievements does a lot more than mentioning your responsibilities.

But don’t just say how you "improved sales” – give specific numbers.

Did you increase sales by 20% or by 0.1%? Did you bring in five or 55 new clients in a quarter? These numbers paint a completely different picture.

So, quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. If you managed a team, how many people were on it? If you worked on projects, what was their value? If you saved the company money, how much?

For example, instead of "Managed social media accounts," try "Grew Instagram following from 5,000 to 50,000 in 6 months, increasing engagement by 300%."

Being specific doesn't just apply to numbers either.

Make sure you use precise job titles, software names, and industry-specific terminology. This shows you know your field and helps your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS).

#5. List Transferable Skills

The 30-second resume rule is less about piquing the hiring manager’s curiosity and more about showing them that you've got what it takes to excel in the role.

One way you can do this is by showing off your transferable skills .

These are skills you can use across various jobs and industries. They're especially important if you're changing careers or you’re a graduate with no work experience .

Most of the time, your transferable skills are likely to be soft skills instead of hard skills. These include:

  • Communication
  • Problem-solving
  • Adaptability
  • Time management

Make sure to list the ones that apply to you in your resume. But don't write long descriptions about how you have “ effective communication skills that lead to tangible outcomes” - just keep it short and simple. Listing the name of the skill is more than enough for the hiring manager.

#6. Include Only the Relevant Content

Every word counts if you want the hiring manager to choose you in under a minute.

This means your resume isn't supposed to be your full life story - it's a targeted document showcasing why you're perfect for this specific job.

So, focus on including information that directly relates to the position you're applying for. This includes carefully selecting which experiences, skills, and achievements to highlight.

When it comes to your work experience, stick to what's relevant. Highlight your most recent and related experiences, typically from the last 10-15 years at most. For each role, emphasize the achievements and responsibilities that align best with the job you're targeting.

If you have an extensive work history, you can probably omit older or irrelevant positions, so long as they aren’t directly related to the role you're applying for. No one’s going to mind that you skipped over your part-time job as a teenager .

The same goes for other resume sections , such as your skills, education, and personal projects.

Only include degrees, certifications, and skills that are relevant to the job. If you have multiple degrees, focus on the most relevant one and skip generic information like where you went to high school .

#7. Answer Their Possible Questions

Your resume should be more than a list of experiences and skills.

Consider it a strategic way to present yourself so that you anticipate and address the hiring manager's concerns immediately.

What might make them hesitate about your application? Are there potential red flags you can proactively explain? Your goal is to clear up any doubts before they become obstacles.

For example, if the job requires a specific degree, make sure it's listed in your education section . If you took any classes that are relevant to the industry or job, make sure to mention them.

Also, never leave employment gaps unexplained. If you took time off, whether to further your education or to care for a family member, briefly address it. This prevents the hiring manager from filling in the blanks with possible worst-case scenarios.

If you're changing careers, explain why and how you’re a good fit. To make your case, highlight any transferable skills, relevant training, or volunteer work you've done.

By taking the time to proactively answer the questions hiring managers are most likely to have, you’re making it easy for them to see you as a strong candidate and invite you for an interview.

how to write a resume 30 seconds rule

In those crucial 30 seconds, hiring managers are likely to toss your resume aside if it’s a messy, cluttered document. That’s no matter how impressive your qualifications are.

So, here are some tips to prevent that:

  • Use white space. Don't try to cram everything onto one page if it means sacrificing readability.
  • Set the page margins. Use margins of 1.0 inch on all sides to make sure your document is neat.
  • Opt for bullet points over paragraphs. This goes double for your work experience section. Bullet points are easier to skim over and help break up dense text.
  • Choose a professional font. Stick to something stylish but professional like Lora, Roboto, or Ubuntu. Your font size should be between 10 and 12 points for body text, with headers going from 14 to 16 pt.
  • Use consistent formatting throughout. If you bold the job titles, do it for all of them. Keep your line spacing consistent too - between 1 and 1.15 is usually ideal.
  • Add clear section headers. Use bold or slightly larger font to make section headers stand out and organize the sections in your resume. If you choose a resume template from an online resume builder, you can do this automatically and save time.
  • Maximize space. A multi-column resume layout might be the best choice if you want to maximize space, but don't overdo it - two columns are usually enough.
  • Proofread carefully. Some of the biggest no-gos for hiring managers are typos and grammatical errors, so make sure you run your resume through a grammar-checking tool and read it carefully before sending it.

Key Takeaways

Hurray! You’ve made it to the end of our article!

Now you know how to make your resume shine in just under 30 seconds.

Before you go, let’s recap the main points we covered:

  • Start strong and customize your content according to the job application. Tailor your entire resume to match what the employer is looking for.
  • Be specific and focus on relevant information. Quantify your achievements whenever possible and include only the most relevant skills and experiences you have.
  • Highlight any transferable skills and answer potential questions the hiring manager might have about you, such as about your abilities to perform the job, your education, or any employment gaps on your resume.
  • Make sure your resume is easy to read. Use clear formatting, appropriate fonts, and enough white space. Stick to bullet points over paragraphs to make information easy to skim and keep your resume concise.

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How to showcase your social media skills on your resume

With billions of people currently using social media, businesses that want to grow need to build a presence on major platforms to connect with a wider audience. As a job seeker, you should showcase how you can help businesses accomplish that goal. Learning how to highlight social media skills like paid advertising and customer care can help you show your value as a candidate and stand out to potential employers.

Understanding social media skills 

Social media skills are a specific set of capabilities that allow people to successfully engage with and market to an audience across social media platforms. Because of the broad nature of social media skills, they can typically fall under the categories of hard and soft skills. 

For example, social media marketing involves data analytics, which is considered a technical skill. However, it also involves communication, which is a soft skill.

Both technical and soft social media skills are important for landing a job because they show employers that you know how to use updated technology and engage with a target audience. Some key skills that many employers value and look for in candidates include:

  • Creating organic content for social media feeds
  • Writing captions that capture the audience’s attention
  • Setting KPIs and reporting on analytics data
  • Managing social media communities
  • Answering inquiries and providing customer service
  • Executing paid advertising strategies to increase sales

When they feature social media skills, resumes for marketing, public relations, and customer service jobs can stand out as particularly competitive . However, these skills can also be highly relevant in a number of other industries — such as human resources, hospitality, and retail — because they signal an ability to attract customers and connect with an audience.

Identifying your social media skills 

Before you can showcase social media skills on your resume , you must be able to identify what skills you have. Conduct a self-assessment of your own skills based on your past professional experience. For example, if you’re an experienced customer service agent, you may be great at engaging customers via direct messages or responding to queries in the comments. 

If business analysis is more your speed, you may be excellent at evaluating social media analytics and understanding how KPIs are affecting business outcomes. Those in the marketing and public relations industry may deeply understand how to create attractive content that brands the business and attracts engagement and sales.

Once you understand what social media skills you already have, it’s time to gather evidence of those skills so you can share this information in your cover letter and resume. You might include case studies of successful social media campaigns, analytics reports that show how social media activity positively impacted the business, or a portfolio of content that drew lots of likes and engagement.

Expert Tip:

If you have already built a social media following of your own, you can add this information to your resume. Consider adding the profile page URL to showcase your content as well as some information about the results you have achieved on each platform.

How to list social media skills on your resume

If you want to bring attention to your social media skills, resumes are the best place to do it. However, the way you list social media skills on your application will depend on the resume format you use. 

If you’re using a reverse chronological format with a separate skills section, you can easily place them there. You can use terms like social engagement, content creation, social media analytics, online community management, social media branding, or paid social advertising. 

Still, when you are highlighting expertise in social media, resume skills sections aren’t the only place you can put this information. You might also want to incorporate it into your work experience section using bullet points under the positions in which you used those skills.

When considering how to put social media skills on resumes, try altering the bullet points on your resume sample using the X-Y-Z method . Touted by former Google executives as the easiest way to land an interview at the tech giant, this method follows a simple formula: “Accomplished [X], as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]. (1) For example:

  • Grew followers by 25% this year by launching user-generated content campaigns that encouraged fans to create and share Duet videos on their TikTok profiles
  • Improved engagement with 32% more likes and comments using “sneak peek” posts and giveaways during new product launches
  • Increased brand awareness as measured by a 14% rise in branded search volume and a 22% rise in the share of voice by incorporating lifestyle imagery in paid social ads

This method highlights the importance of quantifying achievements when sharing social media skills on resumes. Being able to discuss your accomplishments with concrete numbers truly shows that you are aware of how your skills contribute to business outcomes. This is what will help you stand out from the pack, get interviews, and eventually land the job you want.

"Social media skills are important for landing a job because they show employers that you know how to use updated technology and engage with a target audience."

Tailoring your social media skills for the job

Any resume or cover letter templates you use should always be customized for the job you’re applying for. One simple way to do this is to read the job description. When listing social media skills, resumes should use the same terms listed by the company. This will help you customize your document, and it may also help you get past electronic ATS resume systems that are looking for those keywords.

You can also tailor your social media skills for the job by researching the job title and considering how social media skills can contribute to success in the role. 

For example, if you’re looking for a job in sales, how have you used social media to increase conversions? If the role is in human resources, how have you tracked and increased candidate engagement that led to more qualified hires?

Customizing your resume this way ensures that your application materials include only relevant information. It also makes it easier for the recruiter or hiring manager to see why you’re the right person for the job.

Enhancing your LinkedIn profile with social media skills

The use of LinkedIn is increasingly becoming a hot topic in resume articles as more people are recognizing the power of social media in the job search process. Because more recruiters are on LinkedIn looking for their next hire and the platform makes it so easy to electronically apply for jobs, it’s a good idea for you to be ready with a full profile and details about your past experience and skills.

Fortunately, LinkedIn has several ways for you to show off your social media skills. The first is optimizing your profile, which is like your LinkedIn resume . It’s best to highlight your social media skills in your Headline, “About” section, and “Experience” section using the same language you used for the bullet points on your resume. Make sure to enhance these sections with relevant keywords that make your profile easy to find.

Additionally, LinkedIn allows you to add a list of skills to your profile and have your connections endorse your possession of those skills. The platform also allows others to write recommendations for you. 

These endorsements and recommendations can make your profile more attractive. For example, if you list social media manager skills, resume recommendations on LinkedIn can show a recruiter that the content and engagement strategies you employ have gotten tangible results for others and can do the same for their business.

Gain recruiters’ attention with standout social media skills

Showcasing social media skills like content creation, analytics, customer service, and paid advertising on your resume helps you stand out as someone who understands modern technology and can use it to grow the business. 

When highlighting social media skills, resumes (including those on LinkedIn) should include quantified results and use keywords similar to those on the job description.

Because the world of social media moves fast, regularly update your application materials with new skills and achievements to stay competitive. Using resume and cover letter examples and templates as a starting point can make this process a breeze. With some simple tweaking, you can show off your skills in a way that grabs attention and helps you move your career forward.

(1) Inc. Magazine: Google Recruiters Say Using the X-Y-Z Formula on Your Resume Will Improve Your Odds of Getting Hired at Google

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More From Forbes

5 data entry skills to put on your resume in 2024.

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Communication and presentation skills remains the most essential skill set needed by knowledge ... [+] workers, especially in remote settings

Data entry professionals, and word processors and typists are ranked among the fastest declining occupations in 2024, plummeting by 38% and 25% respectively, according to data by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics .

So do we still need data entry skills? And if so, why?

The answer is yes—but not in the way you might have imagined. Although data entry jobs are disappearing per se, the skills needed for them are essential foundations for most white-collar jobs. Additionally, some of the data-focused jobs that have emerged as in-demand in the past couple of years, such as data scientists and data analysts, require skills that, if included within your resume, would set you apart from other candidates and improve your chances of landing your desired role.

For example, adding a technical skill such as Python or Tableau to your resume demonstrates to employers that you are committed to ongoing professional development, as these go beyond the everyday typing skills that office workers are all familiar with.

This also increases the likelihood of your employer putting you forward for promotions, transferring to a new department or role for career progression, or even, in some instances, creating an entirely new position for you, relevant to the skills you have gained.

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Trump vs. harris 2024 polls: harris leads by 2 points in latest survey, mega millions jackpot hits $740 million—here’s how much a winner could take home after taxes, data entry skills to include on your resume.

So, the question is, what data entry skills which are relevant and needed by employers today, should you put on your resume?

1. Communication And Presentation Skills

Out of all the skills in demand within the workforce today and especially amongst white-collar professionals, communication and presentation skills are one of the most essential. In fact, LinkedIn listed communication skills as being the number one needed skill in the workplace in its In-Demand Skills 2024 report .

Especially if you are aspiring towards leadership or management roles, you should highlight your ability to communicate information clearly and concisely, convey critical data and liaise effectively with stakeholders at multiple organizational levels, and also include any experience delivering reports and presentations in meetings.

Any experience you have in remote working will also prove advantageous because you can use this to demonstrate your skills in collaborating and sharing data with teams and clients using remote collaboration software.

2. CRM Skills

Another critical data entry skill to include in your resume is your familiarity and expertise level with CRM software. It could be a software that is industry-specific, (for example, Oracle Hospitality OPERA for hotels), or it could be Salesforce or another CRM. Gaining appropriate certifications in these software tools (for example, Salesforce Administrator) can boost your resume and you can add these to your skills and/or certificates section.

Add certifications for industry-specific software and CRMs to your resume

3. Data Analysis Skills

Data analysis is one of the most in-demand skills of 2024, being ranked as the number one most-needed technical skill by Springboard in their 2024 State of The Workforce Skills Gap report . Analytics was also included in LinkedIn's round-up of in-demand skills for this year.

Whether you work or desire to work directly in data analytics or not, it helps to have this listed on your resume, as data analysis skills can be an asset in several roles, such as:

  • Digital marketing manager
  • Social media marketing manager
  • Social media marketing coordinator
  • Sales manager/director
  • UX/UI designer

4. Advanced Excel Skills

Whether your organization uses Google Sheets or Excel, having an advanced knowledge of Excel can be helpful to your career and align you with more job opportunities of listed on your resume. You can also include any advanced training or Microsoft Excel certifications you have received in your resume's certifications section as well.

With advanced Excel skills, you can take tables of data from a CRM and analyze them, create tables or other visual representations for report-writing and presentation purposes, and undertake analysis to recognize patterns, trends, and themes.

5. Critical Thinking Skills

Finally, adding critical thinking is another must-have skill to add to your resume. After all, being able to manage and input data is not enough if you don't know how to act on your analysis. Forming conclusions and making data-backed decisions from the array of data you have available, takes data entry skills to an entirely new level, and enables you to not only make sense of the data, but actually put it to good use and transform business operations—a skill needed in leadership and management roles.

Learning advanced Excel skills is useful, even if you use Sheets

If you can do all three—arrange and enter data, compare and analyze it, and form conclusions based on the data findings presented—you will be an asset to any employer. Including the above five skills on your resume, alongside examples of them in practice, will help you to secure your dream job.

Rachel Wells

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How to List Fraternity or Sorority Experience on Your Resume

You gained a lot of great skills from Greek life, and you want to reap all of the benefits. Listing your fraternity or sorority in resumes tells an employer a lot – it showcases leadership, teamwork, community involvement, and work ethic. In this guide, learn why providing fraternity and sorority experience is important for jobseekers and how to list it properly.

Why include sorority experience on your resume?

Does Phi Theta Kappa look good on a resume? Of course – you learn a lot in Greek organizations, and that hard work communicates a lot to potential employers.

Listing your sorority or fraternity on resumes displays many vital workplace qualities, including collaboration, event planning, organization, and time management. It also shows a dedication to continuous learning and extra activities outside your regular education.

Discussing your Greek Life also helps you stand out from the crowd and may catch the hiring manager’s eye – especially if they were in a sorority or fraternity during their college days.

This strategy is especially important for recent graduates who have little to no work experience. Recruiters seek a related work history more than any other qualification, and if you’re straight out of school, it’s likely you’ve never worked or only have a few internships under your belt. Providing your sorority or fraternity gives you more ways to describe your qualifications and back up your skills without the need for work experience.

Expert tip:

Don’t expect the hiring manager or recruiter to connect your experience to their open role. Make it obvious to employers how your Greek Life applies to the job by using related terminology and discussing skills listed in their job description.

How to put Greek Life on resumes: 4 steps

Let’s take a look at how to put a sorority on a resume (or a fraternity!). Follow our four steps, but remember to flex them to your situation and needs.

Create a list of achievements

Start by building a list of the most important things you did at your sorority or fraternity. Many organizations have a strict list of requirements, so this is a good place to start. Did you have to maintain a high GPA, attend mandatory meetings, or commit a certain amount of your week to community service? These are excellent experiences to jot down.

Identify skills and competencies

Create a list of any and all skills you honed during Greek Life. Review your achievements to discover specific competencies each one requires. For example, weekly meetings use public speaking, collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking.

Decide where to list your experience

Determine your placement. Typically, sororities and fraternities go in the Education section, but they fit equally well in Volunteer Work or Projects . These sections are optional and won’t be on every application, but you can include them easily if you use the right resume template .

Write out relevant examples

Now, list out your experience in a tidy bullet list, using action verbs and quantifiable achievements to make them more impactful. This is a great way to show the hiring manager your relevance to the role – using metrics and action verbs draws a direct correlation to work experience.

“Listing your sorority or fraternity on resumes displays many vital workplace qualities, including collaboration, event planning, organization, and time management.”

Examples of listing sorority experience

Now let’s take a look at some realistic examples for including fraternity and sorority experience on a resume. These entries are not only excellent inspiration, but they also serve as a quick template – just copy and paste these into a resume maker and change the details to suit your history.

Our first example is how to put Phi Theta Kappa on resumes:

Bachelor of Communications, Public Relations 2016 – 2020 GPA 3.8 Member of Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society

  • Raised $5,000 dollars in a school fundraising event, discussing issues with peers and giving public speeches.

And here’s a sample of how to put Phi Beta Kappa on resumes:

Bachelor of Technology, Computer Science September 2019 – May 2023 GPA: 4.0 Phi Beta Kappa

  • Collaborated and debated with sorority members daily, leading to insightful conversations about liberal arts and sciences.

There are a variety of ways, so pick what suits you best. Just ensure it’s professional, tidy, and conveys your experience in a clear way, so try to avoid technical jargon.

Key skills to highlight from sorority experience

Need some inspiration on the specific skills you earned during Greek Life? No worries, we have you covered. 

Here are the top competencies you build in sororities and fraternities:

  • Leadership : Many professionals earn leadership skills from directing committees and organizing events. Greek leaders may even help recruit new members and welcome them to the group, which looks great on HR resumes.
  • Teamwork : Sororities and fraternities center on collaboration and group projects. Many members also learn conflict resolution and openness to other perspectives.
  • Communication: Public speaking and fundraising are common during these experiences and give you strong communication skills . Speeches also often involve personal stories and anecdotes, building up your charisma.
  • Time Management: Fraternity and sorority life is hectic, and balancing your Greek duties with academic responsibilities requires keen time management and organization.
  • Event Planning: Organizing and scheduling charitable events closely mimics professional project management, requiring you to maintain budgets, manage attendees, and keep track of a complex calendar.
  • Relationship management: The relationships you build and maintain within your Greek organization gave you excellent interpersonal skills, including empathy, patience, and rapport-building.
  • Mentorship: Did you help initiate new members? Coaching is an essential skill that helps you discover people’s strengths and weaknesses and provide expert guidance.

Best practices and mistakes to avoid

Let’s check out the top do’s and don’ts so you can list your sorority like a pro. Keep these tips in your back pocket and build a powerful, standout resume:

  • Don’t be vague : Listing your sorority responsibilities like a to-do list won’t give the recruiter enough information. Be specific and ensure you tie your experience to the open role.
  • Quantify achievements : Measurable metrics and statistics give the hiring manager tangible numbers to work with. Don’t just say you raised money for a children’s hospital; say you raised $10,000 to show your impact.
  • Don’t add unnecessary details : Only mention what’s strictly essential. Adding irrelevant details will distract the recruiter, and they might pass over important information.
  • Don’t sell yourself short : You accomplished great things during Greek Life, practicing leadership, teamwork, and philanthropy. Don’t be shy and proudly discuss your achievements.

Check out our realistic resume examples to see these best practices in action so you can put them to use.

Debunking misconceptions

Have you heard that sororities and fraternities don’t belong on resumes? It simply isn’t true.

Greek organizations provide people with vital professional skills like any other project or activity, such as internships and personal projects. Working with teams, planning events, and raising money for charity gives you vital skills and competencies.

We encourage you to add these activities to your resume alongside any other life accomplishment or honor. These experiences made you who you are today and gave you amazing, valuable skills.

Showcase your sorority or fraternity with pride

Showing your public speaking, planning, and conflict resolution is an excellent way to make your resume stand out to employers. Display your Greek organization on job applications using our tips:

  • Use quantified achievements to show the impact of your work
  • Don’t sell yourself short, and be proud of your skills
  • Dig into your experience and discover all the competencies you learned
  • Read the job description to ensure you make your achievements as relevant as possible

Put these tips to use today with CVwizard’s resume maker . Our flexible, drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create a custom resume that’s uniquely yours.

Make an impression with your resume

Create and download a professional resume quickly and easily.

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How to list Google skills on resume?

How to List Google Skills on Resume?

As a Google professional, having the right skills on your resume is crucial to stand out in a competitive job market. Google is a behemoth in the tech industry, and possessing Google-specific skills can be a significant advantage when applying for jobs. In this article, we’ll guide you on how to list Google skills on your resume, making it more attractive to potential employers.

Why is it important to list Google skills on your resume?

Before we dive into the how, it’s essential to understand why listing Google skills is important. Here are some reasons:

• Increased visibility : Listing Google skills on your resume increases the chances of your resume being noticed by employers who are specifically looking for Google-specific skills. • Improved relevance : By highlighting your Google skills, you can demonstrate your relevance to the job requirements, which can lead to more interview invitations. • Competitive advantage : In a job market where many professionals are vying for the same positions, showcasing Google skills can be a game-changer.

How to list Google skills on your resume?

Now that we’ve covered the importance of listing Google skills, let’s dive into the how. Here are some steps to follow:

Table of Contents

Keyword optimization

Step 1: Research Google-specific keywords

Start by researching Google-specific keywords that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. You can do this by:

• Reading job descriptions : Study job descriptions on websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, or Glassdoor. Look for keywords and phrases that are repeated consistently. • Using Google search : Conduct a Google search using keywords like "Google Analytics skills," "Google AdWords experience," or "Google Cloud certification." • Utilizing online resources : Visit websites like Google’s official blog, Google Developer Blog, or Google Cloud Blog for more information on Google-specific skills.

Step 2: Incorporate keywords

Once you have a list of relevant keywords, incorporate them into your resume by:

• Using the exact phrase : Use the exact keyword phrases in your resume, especially in your summary, skills section, and job descriptions. • Variations : Use variations of the keywords in your resume, such as synonyms or related concepts. • Context : Use the keywords in context, rather than just listing them. For example, instead of "Google Analytics," use "analysed website traffic using Google Analytics."

Formatting and layout

Step 2: Format your Google skills section

To make your Google skills stand out, use a separate section for them on your resume. You can title it " Google Skills " or " Google Competencies ."

• Use a table or bullet points : Use a table or bullet points to format your Google skills section, making it easy to scan. • Group similar skills together : Group similar Google skills together, such as "Google Analytics," "Google AdWords," and "Google Cloud." • Highlight your proficiency : Use bold or italic text to highlight your proficiency in specific Google skills.

Here’s an example of a Google skills section:

Google Skills

Analyzing website traffic and user behavior
Managing and optimizing Google Ads campaigns
Hosting and managing cloud-based applications

Example templates

Here are some example templates to get you started:

Example 1: Skills section

• Google Analytics : +2 years experience • Google AdWords : Certified in Google Ads Management • Google Cloud : Experienced in Google Cloud Platform development

Example 2: Table format

Google Analytics Analyze website traffic and user behavior
Google AdWords Manage and optimize Google Ads campaigns
Google Cloud Hosting and managing cloud-based applications

Listing Google skills on your resume is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and increase your visibility to potential employers. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can effectively highlight your Google skills and increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers. Remember to research and incorporate relevant keywords, format your section correctly, and provide a brief description of your skills. Good luck!

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Python Project Ideas to Improve Your Résumé

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Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Every project is an opportunity to learn new skills, solve problems, and showcase your abilities. As a Python developer, working on projects can improve not only your coding skills but also your résumé – which can increase your chances of landing your dream job.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore ideas for Python projects that you can highlight on your résumé to demonstrate your expertise to potential employers.

Why Showcase Python Projects on Your Résumé

Listing Python projects on your résumé shows hiring managers concrete examples of your technical abilities and skills. Some specific benefits include:

Demonstrates hands-on Python coding experience : Rather than just listing "Python" as a skill on your résumé, showcasing projects proves you have applied Python to build functional applications.

Shows ability to solve real-world problems : Creating tools and applications to address common issues exhibits your problem-solving capabilities.

Highlights specialized knowledge : Projects focused on particular domains like data analysis, machine learning, or web scraping illustrate in-depth understanding.

Displays soft skills : Documenting and sharing your Python code on GitHub or personal websites conveys other strengths like communication, collaboration, and passion for coding.

Quantifies achievements : Metrics like number of users, downloads, performance improvements, or cost savings add measurable results.

Customizes résumé : Projects enable you to tailor your résumé and stand out from other applicants.

In short, Python projects make your résumé more convincing and help you put your best foot forward to impress recruiters and hiring managers.

10 Impactful Python Project Ideas

Here are 10 project ideas that you can add to your résumé to showcase your Python skills:

1. Web Scraping and Data Collection Tool

Description : Build a script or application that gathers and extracts data from websites. Good for collecting product info, article metadata, social media data, and more.

Key Skills : Web scraping libraries like BeautifulSoup, Selenium, Requests, REST APIs, data cleaning.

2. Automated Test Suite

Description : Create reusable test cases and scripts to thoroughly validate an application‘s functionality and benchmarks. Includes UI, API, unit testing.

Key Skills : Pytest, Selenium, unittest, CI/CD pipelines, software QA processes.

3. Machine Learning Model

Description : Develop a machine learning application that trains on datasets to power predictions and insights. Domains include classification, regression, clustering, recommendations.

Key Skills : NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, model evaluation metrics.

4. Data Analysis and Visualization Dashboard

Description : Build an interactive dashboard that enables dynamic queries and data exploration. Integrate statistical summaries and visualizations like charts and graphs.

Key Skills : Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly Dash, data analysis, APIs, database integration.

5. Automated Trading Bot

Description : Create an algorithmic trading program that fetches market data, analyzes trends, and automatically executes trades via brokerage APIs.

Key Skills : Financial analysis, NumPy, SciPy, machine learning, portfolio optimization.

6. Image Recognition Application

Description : Develop a deep learning model that can classify images into different categories or detect objects within images.

Key Skills : OpenCV, TensorFlow, Keras, neural networks, model deployment.

7. Chatbot or Digital Assistant

Description : Build an intelligent chatbot that can understand natural language questions and provide helpful answers or recommendations.

Key Skills : NLP libraries like NLTK, dialogue systems, REST APIs, UI development.

8. Cryptocurrency Price Tracker

Description : Create an app that retrieves and displays live prices, market data, and notifications for major cryptocurrencies.

Key Skills : Web APIs, data visualization, SQLite/Postgres/ MongoDB integration.

9. Python Game

Description : Develop an fun, interactive game with game physics, scores, animations, sound effects and more.

Key Skills : PyGame, PyOpenGL, UI design, software design patterns.

10. Automated Scripts & Bots

Description : Program scripts to automatically carry out repetitive tasks like form filling, file transfers, email campaigns, and more.

Key Skills : GUI automation, web APIs, keyboard/mouse control.

How to Effectively List Python Projects

Follow these best practices when adding your Python projects to your résumé:

Highlight 3-5 Relevant Projects : Choose your strongest projects showcasing skills needed for the positions you are applying for. Avoid listing too many unfocused projects.

Summarize Key Details : For each project, briefly describe objectives, technologies used, your contributions, and outcomes. Use bullets, numbers, captions, links, and visuals to highlight details.

Include Metrics & Examples : Quantify your projects with concrete numbers and examples around users, performance improvements, languages supported or other measurable impact.

Link to Project Artifacts : Reference code repositories, live demos, documentation, slides, blogs or publications. This allows hirers to review your work in more depth.

Tailor Projects Relevant to Job : Evaluate each job description and identify important required or desired skills. Ensure your project list hits on those key areas.

List Most Impactful Projects First : Order projects from most impressive and advanced to simpler. Showcase passion projects and public repositories first.

Final Tips for Advancing Your Skills

Contribute to open source Python projects on GitHub to gain experience collaborating and to show demonstrated coding abilities.

Create an online portfolio to showcase Python programs as shareable demos to complement your résumé.

Practice mock Python coding interviews to better explain and discuss your projects. Be able to summarize objectives, technologies, processes and results.

Build passion projects that align to your interests and the type of developer roles you are targeting. Develop niche domain knowledge in key areas.

Follow Python newsletters, blogs and influencers to learn about new libraries, applications and project ideas you can add to your résumé.

Earn Python certifications through programs like PCEP to communicate your commitment to advancing your Python skills.

Ready to boost your résumé with some awesome Python projects? Pick an idea that excites you and start coding today!

' data-src=

Dr. Alex Mitchell is a dedicated coding instructor with a deep passion for teaching and a wealth of experience in computer science education. As a university professor, Dr. Mitchell has played a pivotal role in shaping the coding skills of countless students, helping them navigate the intricate world of programming languages and software development.

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Mitchell is an active contributor to the freeCodeCamp community, where he regularly shares his expertise through tutorials, code examples, and practical insights. His teaching repertoire includes a wide range of languages and frameworks, such as Python, JavaScript, Next.js, and React, which he presents in an accessible and engaging manner.

Dr. Mitchell’s approach to teaching blends academic rigor with real-world applications, ensuring that his students not only understand the theory but also how to apply it effectively. His commitment to education and his ability to simplify complex topics have made him a respected figure in both the university and online learning communities.

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  27. How to List Sorority Experience on Your Resume

    Identify skills and competencies. Create a list of any and all skills you honed during Greek Life. Review your achievements to discover specific competencies each one requires. For example, weekly meetings use public speaking, collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking. Decide where to list your experience. Determine your placement.

  28. How to list Google skills on resume?

    Conclusion. Listing Google skills on your resume is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and increase your visibility to potential employers.

  29. Python Project Ideas to Improve Your Résumé

    Highlight 3-5 Relevant Projects: Choose your strongest projects showcasing skills needed for the positions you are applying for.Avoid listing too many unfocused projects. Summarize Key Details: For each project, briefly describe objectives, technologies used, your contributions, and outcomes.Use bullets, numbers, captions, links, and visuals to highlight details.

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