Top Resume Skills: Complete Guide with Examples by Job Title

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A study by Harvard Business School and EMSI found that 63 percent of occupations experienced a decline in degree requirements from 2017 to 2019. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, 27 percent of occupations have experienced the same decline.

What does that mean for you? Recruiters and hiring managers are now serious about identifying job-critical skills and screening for candidates who best match their skills requirements.

Now, as a job seeker, you need to prove to recruiters that you have the position-specific hard and soft skills they are looking for. You can do this by including powerful resume skills employers want for the job.

In this guide, you will learn the top resume skills employers are looking for and how to list them on your resume.

Table of Contents

• Hard skills vs. soft skills
• 9 Soft skills employers love to see
• Example resume skills by job
• How to choose skills for your resume
• How to match your resume skills to the job description
• How to list skills on a resume
• What not to do when writing skills for your resume
• Key takeaways
• Frequently asked questions

Want to check if your resume has the skills employers want for your dream job? Jobscan’s resume scanner analyzes your resume against the job description and gives you a list of skills you need to include in your resume.

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Hard skills vs. soft skills

Hard skills are the job-specific abilities and technical expertise you need to be effective in your job. These skills are usually specific to a job or an industry.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are the qualities and traits that enable you to interact effectively with others and thrive in the workplace.

For example, if you’re a customer service manager, your hard skills and soft skills will include:

You need to include hard and soft skills relevant to the position you are applying for to prove to recruiters that you have exactly what they are looking for. 

9 Soft skills employers love to see

Here are nine soft skills that employers want when looking for a new hire. You can include these in your resume and hone them for your personal development.

1. Problem-solving and analytical skills

Employers want to hire candidates with strong problem-solving skills who can analyze complex situations, ask the right questions, and use critical thinking and analytical skills to come up with solutions that work.

2. Organizational skills

More than 43 percent of employers look for organizational skills when screening for candidates. In this fast-paced world, companies want to hire candidates who are not messy and who don’t miss deadlines.

3. Communication skills

Employers want candidates who have strong interpersonal skills and communication skills. This involves an ability to persuade others, do public speaking, and actively listen to others. This also includes the ability to write clearly and concisely.

4. Leadership

Companies and organizations want to hire leaders. In fact, 73 percent of employers consider leadership skills as a key attribute they look for in a candidate. Employers want people who have influence and the ability to inspire others to take action.

5. Time management

People with time management skills are more productive because they prioritize tasks effectively and meet deadlines and targets. Employers want to hire those who can complete projects within the specified timeframe.

6. Adaptability

Adaptability means being able to hurdle challenges and navigate through change. Companies and organizations look for candidates who are able to embrace change.

7. Creativity

Employers value candidates with creativity – people who can think outside the box and innovate. Having creativity means you are able to come up with new ways to solve problems and contribute to the overall success of the company.

8. Teamwork and collaboration

Being able to collaborate and work with a team is critical to succeeding in any job. That’s why employers value candidates who can work well with others in order to achieve a common goal.

9. Work ethic

Having a strong work ethic proves to employers that you are dedicated and committed to do whatever the company asks you to do. It also means you are diligent and you hold yourself accountable for the quality of work you deliver.

Example resume skills by job

Our team analyzed over 10 million recent job descriptions and 17 million resumes to find which skills employers want the most.

You can check out the skills you need to include in your resume to increase your chances of landing interviews. 

You can also check our comprehensive library of resume skills to help you with your resume.

Top resume skills for account managers

See the full account manager skills report

Top resume skills for administrative assistants

See the full administrative assistant skills report

Top resume skills for baristas

See the full barista skills report

Top resume skills for business analysts

See the full business analyst skills report

Top resume skills for cashiers

See the full cashier skills report

Top resume skills for data analysts

See the full data analyst skills report

Top resume skills for data engineers

See the full data engineer skills report

Top resume skills for data scientists

See the full data science skills report

Top resume skills for dental assistants

See the full dental skills report

Top resume skills for executive assistants

See the full executive assistant skills report

Top resume skills for financial analysts

See the full financial analyst skills report

Top resume skills for graphic designers

See the full graphic design skills report

Top resume skills for medical assistants

See the full medical assistant skills report

Top resume skills for nurses

See the full nurse skills report

Top resume skills for office managers

See the full office manager skills report

Top resume skills for operations managers

See the full operations manager skills report

Top resume skills for pharmacy technicians

See the full pharmacy technician skills report

Top resume skills for product managers

See the full product manager skills report

Top resume skills for receptionists

See the full receptionist skills report

Top resume skills for servers

See the full server skills report

Top resume skills for software engineers

See the full software engineer skills report

Top resume skills for supervisors

See the full supervisor skills report

Top resume skills for teachers

See the full teacher skills report

Top resume skills for web developers

See the full web developer skills report

Use Jobscan to discover the top skills for any job

Even if you are applying to one of the jobs above, you need to match your resume skills to the desired skills listed in the job description. Use Jobscan’s resume scanner and see how well-matched you are for the position in three simple steps.

Jobscan uses the latest AI to come up with a report of the specific keywords you need to include in your resume to match the job description and increase your chances of landing the job. 

Jobscan also gives you a list of how you can further optimize your resume to stand out to recruiters.

How to choose skills for your resume

How do you know which resume skills recruiters want to see? Here’s how.

1. Take inventory of your skills

Start by listing the tasks you complete daily, weekly, or monthly. Then, walk through your process for each task and list the skills involved to complete each one. 

For example, for the task of, say, writing an article, the skills required might look like:

2. Note the skills and relevant keywords mentioned in the job description

Study the job description and mark the skills required for the job. 

Also note job-specific or industry-related keywords, especially those mentioned frequently. 

Then, match the skills in the job description with those on the list you made in the previous step.

Finally, optimize your resume by including these skills to increase your chances of landing an interview and a job offer.

How to match your resume skills to the job description

To increase your chances of standing out to recruiters, you need to make sure your skills align with the job description.

Here’s an example:

In this sample job description for an accountant, you can see the hard skills (underlined in red) and soft skills (underlined in orange) required for the job. 

You can also use Jobscan’s resume scanner to quickly and easily check how well your resume matches the job description.

The resume scanner then gives you a detailed report of the skills you need to include and some expert tips on how to better optimize your resume to position yourself as the best candidate. Here’s what it looks like.

These are the specific skills and keywords the job seeker needs to incorporate into their resume and list in their resume skills section, as these are most likely what recruiters will look for.

An optimized resume for this specific job would look like this:

In this example, Adrian incorporated the hard and soft skills found in the job description into a designated skills section in his resume. He mentioned other key skills that are not in the job ad but are necessary for a job in accounting. He also incorporated some keywords and skills in his resume summary to increase his chances of grabbing the attention of recruiters.

Pro Tip: Always customize and tailor your resume for each job you are applying for.

Keep reading to see how you can take this optimization to the next level by using these keywords in your entire resume.

How to list skills on a resume

Here are four ways to show off what you can do with a resume skills section:

1. Create a simple bullet list resume skills section

The most straightforward way is to make a list immediately following your contact information and summary statement. 

For example, a Customer Success Manager’s bullet points might look like this:

Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will make a recruiter’s ears perk up. It will also help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system, a software used by recruiters to streamline their hiring process and go through hundreds of applications. 

But don’t stop there. Just because you list these job skills on your resume doesn’t mean a corporate recruiter will believe you.

Important note: If you use this type of resume skills section, be sure to add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience. If a recruiter is excited by “Product Adoption” in your skills section, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.

The same goes for resume skills sections with rating systems. Giving yourself a 5/5 or “expert” rating on a skill doesn’t matter if you don’t communicate that expertise in other ways. Context is everything. Want to see how to incorporate a bulleted skills section? Check out our resume templates.

2. Create a skills list with expanded bullets

One way to add context is by lengthening the bullet points. 

For example, a software developer might present his resume skills this way:

This approach is more impactful than only listing the skills. However, it takes up more room at the top of your resume. 

Consider trimming down your bullet list to your most important four or five skills when using this method. Then, work your remaining skills into your work experience.

3. List additional skills after each job

If you’d like to stay closer to a reverse-chronological resume format, consider adding shorter skill lists to each work experience section. 

For example:

Fitting all the skills into the bigger text block might make it awkward for the recruiter to read, but removing them all would make the descriptions overly vague. 

By working some hard skills right into the work experience and listing others afterward, you can make your experience easier to read while still covering all your bases.

4. Break resume skills sections into categories

If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skill set and your work history lends itself to it, consider categorizing your skills into multiple lists.

This often works best for people transitioning into management roles where they need to prove that they can work with people from multiple disciplines. 

For example, someone applying for a role as a Product Manager might benefit from segmenting their skill lists as follows:

This approach can also be used to show off both technical know-how and softer leadership skills. Some even advocate for having a dedicated soft skills section on your resume.

You can also combine bullet points into a single section to better categorize skills. For example:

What not to do when writing skills for your resume

Here are three things to avoid when writing your resume skills section:

Don’t list the entire dictionary

Do not overwhelm recruiters and hiring managers with your list. Stick to your most important skills and those specifically noted in the job description. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a 5-page resume that will never even be read. 

Don’t lie

Stick to the facts, and resist the urge to over embellish or, even worse – lie about your qualifications.

But don’t undersell yourself, either

Being too humble can actually hurt you when applying for jobs. They don’t know what your experience is if you don’t share facts about your achievements and knowledge with them! Don’t be afraid to let the hiring manager know that you are the right candidate for the role.

Key takeaways

Listing down your skills in your resume is necessary to prove to recruiters and hiring managers that you have the proven experience, skill set, and abilities to perform the job well and add value to the company. Here are a few things to remember:

• Your resume skills can either be hard skills or soft skills. Make sure the skills you include are relevant to the job you are applying for.
• The key is to note the specific skills and keywords that are found in the job description. Try incorporating these skills into your resume to increase your chances of getting noticed by recruiters.
• Companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter candidates based on what’s found in their resumes, such as skills and job-specific keywords.
• When applying for multiple jobs, tailor your resume to each job application.

Save your time by using Jobscan’s resume scanner to check whether your resume has all the relevant skills found in the job description.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of soft skills for a resume?

Here are some examples of soft skills:

• Communication skills
• Collaboration
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict resolution
• Time management

What are examples of hard skills for a resume?

Hard skills vary depending on your job or industry. Examples of hard skills include:

• Programming languages (Python, Java, C++)
• Tech (Virtual reality, blockchain, cloud computing)
• Microsoft Suite (Microsoft excel, Microsoft Word)
• Search engine optimization
• Data analysis
• Project management skills
• Graphic design

What are examples of transferable skills?

Transferable skills are abilities you can “transfer” or use in any job in any field or industry.

For example, if you are a sales agent, you probably have good communication skills.

You can then use your communication skills for a job in management, HR, teaching, or public relations.

Check out our guide here: Top 10 Transferable Skills to Put on Your Resume to Get More Interviews in 2023

Why do you need to include skills in your resume?

It is critical that you mention skills in your resume because doing this will:

What are the most important skills you should have on your resume?

You need to list skills that align with the job description. This includes either hard skills or soft skills that are relevant to the job.

How do you know which resume skills to include?

To identify which skills to include in your resume (and even in your cover letter), you need to carefully read the job description. Then you need to highlight important keywords and skills and incorporate them in your resume.

Want to know which skills to include in your resume? Try Jobscan’s resume scanner for free!

How do you organize skills on a resume?

You can organize your skills in the following ways:

1. Write skills in a bullet list.
2. Use an expanded bullet list where you explain about every skill.
3. List skills under your work experience section.
4. Outline skills under different skill categories.

What skills should you list if you have no work experience?

If you have no work experience, you can draw from any transferable skills you have like communication skills or leadership. You can also use any relevant experience outside of work.

Here are some examples:

• Academic achievements
• School projects
• Volunteer experience
• Internships
• Trainings
• Conferences and workshops

What are technical skills in a resume?

Technical skills include your abilities in using technology and any other software or tool.

Here are some examples.

• Database management (MySQL, Oracle)
• Data analysis (Excel, SQL, Tableau)
• Mobile App (iOS, Android)
• Web development (PHP, CSS, HTML)

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