What Are Good Skills To Put On A Resume

Ever felt like your resume is just another face in the crowd? In today's competitive job market, a generic resume simply won't cut it. Recruiters spend mere seconds scanning each application, so highlighting the right skills is crucial for grabbing their attention and showcasing your potential value to the company. Tailoring your skill set to match the specific job requirements can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview and taking the next step in your career journey.

Knowing which skills to include and how to present them effectively is paramount for making a strong first impression. A well-crafted skills section can demonstrate your abilities, knowledge, and experiences, painting a clear picture of your suitability for the role. It's about more than just listing buzzwords; it's about strategically highlighting skills that align with the employer's needs and showcasing your unique strengths. Ignoring this aspect can lead to missed opportunities and hinder your career advancement.

What skills should I feature to make my resume stand out?

Which skills impress recruiters the most on a resume?

Recruiters are consistently impressed by a combination of hard and soft skills that demonstrate your ability to perform the job duties effectively and integrate well within the company culture. Technical proficiency relevant to the role, communication skills (both written and verbal), problem-solving abilities, and leadership potential are highly valued and significantly increase your chances of landing an interview.

To elaborate, hard skills, or technical skills, are specific abilities and knowledge required to perform tasks related to a particular job. These can be anything from proficiency in specific software programs (like Adobe Creative Suite or Salesforce) and data analysis tools (like Python or SQL) to knowledge of engineering principles or accounting practices. Quantifying your hard skills with specific examples or certifications will make them even more impactful. For example, instead of saying "Proficient in Microsoft Excel," state "Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and data analysis functions; completed a DataCamp Excel certification." Beyond technical expertise, soft skills are crucial for success in any role and demonstrate how you interact with colleagues and approach challenges. Strong communication skills allow you to clearly convey ideas and collaborate effectively. Problem-solving skills showcase your ability to think critically and find solutions. Adaptability demonstrates your willingness to learn and adjust to changing circumstances. These skills are often best conveyed through action verbs and examples in your work experience section, illustrating how you've utilized them in previous roles to achieve specific outcomes.

How do I identify my most valuable skills for a resume?

Identifying your most valuable resume skills involves a combination of self-assessment, understanding the job requirements, and strategically showcasing the skills that align with both. Start by brainstorming a comprehensive list of your skills, then prioritize those most relevant to the specific jobs you're targeting based on keywords used in the job description. Finally, quantify these skills with concrete examples from your past experiences to demonstrate your proficiency.

To effectively showcase your skills, break them down into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are teachable abilities like software proficiency, data analysis, or foreign language fluency. These are best highlighted using action verbs and quantifiable results within your work experience section. Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership, are equally crucial, but require demonstration through specific examples. Instead of simply stating "strong communication skills," provide an instance where you successfully used communication to resolve a conflict, lead a project, or present complex information clearly. Consider the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that many companies use to filter resumes. Tailoring your resume to include keywords from the job description increases your chances of bypassing the ATS and being seen by a human recruiter. Analyze several job postings for roles you're interested in and note the skills that appear most frequently. These are likely skills the employer highly values. Furthermore, don't neglect industry-specific skills or certifications. If the job requires expertise in a particular software, methodology, or standard, make sure to prominently feature that skill on your resume.
Skill Category Examples
Technical Skills Programming languages (Python, Java), Data analysis (SQL, Excel), Project Management Software (Asana, Jira), Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure)
Soft Skills Communication, Teamwork, Problem-solving, Leadership, Time Management, Adaptability, Creativity
Industry-Specific Skills Marketing Automation, Financial Modeling, Clinical Trial Management, Curriculum Development

Should I list soft skills or hard skills on my resume?

You should list both hard skills and soft skills on your resume, but prioritize hard skills that are directly relevant to the job description. Hard skills demonstrate your concrete abilities to perform the specific tasks required, while soft skills highlight your personality traits and how you interact with others, indicating your ability to work effectively within a team and adapt to the company culture. A well-rounded resume showcases both technical proficiency and interpersonal competence.

The key to effectively including both types of skills lies in striking a balance. Start by carefully analyzing the job description to identify the hard skills the employer is explicitly seeking. These should be prominently featured in your skills section and potentially incorporated into your work experience descriptions as well, demonstrating how you've successfully applied them in past roles. For example, if the job description mentions "project management software," you should list specific software like "Asana," "Jira," or "Trello" under your skills and provide examples of projects where you used them.

When it comes to soft skills, avoid simply listing generic terms like "teamwork" or "communication." Instead, try to weave them into your work experience descriptions by providing specific examples of situations where you demonstrated these skills. For instance, instead of stating "Excellent communication skills," you could say, "Effectively communicated project updates to stakeholders, resulting in a 15% reduction in project delays." Quantifiable results further strengthen the impact of demonstrating soft skills. Remember to tailor your skills to each specific job application to demonstrate that you are a strong fit for the role.

How can I tailor my skills section to a specific job?

To tailor your skills section effectively, meticulously analyze the job description, identify the keywords describing required abilities and knowledge, and then prioritize listing skills that directly align with those requirements using the same language or synonyms. Focus on both hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills, showcasing your proficiency through specific examples and measurable achievements wherever possible.

The key to tailoring is relevance. Generic skill lists are ineffective. Instead, think of your skills section as a carefully curated collection of qualifications that demonstrates you possess the exact capabilities the employer is seeking. For instance, if a job description emphasizes "data analysis," ensure your skills section reflects your proficiency with specific data analysis tools (e.g., Python, SQL, Tableau) and techniques (e.g., regression analysis, statistical modeling). Mention relevant projects or accomplishments where you applied these skills, quantifying your impact whenever feasible (e.g., "Improved data processing efficiency by 15% using SQL").

Don't underestimate the importance of soft skills. Employers often value skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. However, tailor these to the role as well. If the job requires client interaction, highlight your communication and interpersonal skills. If it involves leading a team, showcase your leadership and delegation abilities. Again, provide context and evidence of how you've demonstrated these skills in the past. For example, instead of just saying "Teamwork," you could say "Collaborated with a cross-functional team of five to deliver a project within budget and ahead of schedule." By strategically tailoring your skills section, you increase your chances of capturing the recruiter's attention and securing an interview.

What are some examples of in-demand resume skills?

In-demand resume skills generally fall into two categories: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are technical abilities specific to a role, while soft skills are interpersonal and character-related attributes. Currently, top hard skills include data analysis, cloud computing, cybersecurity, project management, and software development. Highly sought-after soft skills are communication, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, and adaptability.

Expanding on hard skills, it's crucial to tailor these to the specific job you're applying for. Instead of just listing "data analysis," specify which tools you're proficient in, such as SQL, Python (with libraries like Pandas and NumPy), or Tableau. For cloud computing, mention specific platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Similarly, for cybersecurity, list relevant certifications (like CISSP or CompTIA Security+) or experience with specific security tools. Being specific demonstrates the depth of your knowledge and helps recruiters quickly assess your qualifications. Regarding soft skills, avoid generic statements like "good communicator." Instead, provide examples of how you've demonstrated these skills. For instance, under teamwork, you could describe a successful project where you collaborated effectively with a diverse team to achieve a common goal. Under problem-solving, outline a situation where you identified a critical issue, analyzed the root cause, and implemented a solution that resulted in measurable improvements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples and showcase the impact of your skills.

How many skills should I include on my resume?

Aim to include 5-10 skills on your resume, prioritizing those most relevant to the specific jobs you're applying for. Focus on quality over quantity, ensuring each skill listed is backed by concrete examples within your work experience or education sections.

The ideal number of skills isn't fixed, but rather depends on your experience level and the roles you are targeting. Entry-level candidates might lean towards the higher end of the range to showcase versatility, while experienced professionals can be more selective, highlighting only their core competencies and skills directly aligned with senior-level responsibilities. A lengthy, unfocused list of skills can dilute your profile and make it harder for recruiters to quickly identify your key strengths. Remember to tailor your skills section for each job application. Carefully review the job description and identify the skills explicitly mentioned or implied by the required duties. Incorporate those skills into your resume, using similar wording to increase the likelihood of your application passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Think of your resume as a targeted marketing document, and your skills section as a key element in showcasing your value proposition to potential employers. Here are some good skills to put on a resume based on hard and soft skills:

Where does the skills section best fit on a resume?

The skills section generally fits best either at the top of your resume, immediately after your contact information and summary/objective, or towards the bottom, after your experience and education sections. The optimal placement depends on your experience level and the specific role you're applying for.

If you're a recent graduate or changing careers and possess highly relevant skills but limited direct experience, placing the skills section at the top is advantageous. This immediately highlights your qualifications to the recruiter, showcasing your abilities upfront. For candidates with substantial experience, the skills section often works well at the bottom. In this case, your experience section will be the primary focus, and the skills section serves to reinforce your capabilities and add keywords that may be missed in your job descriptions. It can also serve as a quick reference for recruiters seeking specific competencies. Regardless of where you place it, ensure your skills section is easy to read and clearly organized. Use concise language and group related skills together. Consider using bullet points or columns to improve readability. Prioritize skills that are most relevant to the target job description and tailor the section to each application.

So there you have it! Hopefully, this gives you a good starting point for beefing up your resume with some awesome skills. Remember to tailor them to the job you're applying for, and good luck! Thanks for reading, and feel free to pop back any time for more tips and tricks.