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Top resume skills in specific areas including hard skills, soft skills, technical skills, communication, management skills, transferable skills…
Companies are in need of adding talented employees with valuable skill sets to the team roster.
The question is, is that person you?
Hiring managers will be looking out for resume skills and are keen to know about a candidate’s professional background as well as their areas of expertise. It’s a factor that contributes to your corporate value in combination with your perceived value.
In the end, your skills and expertise are what employers hire you for. Your experience and achievements are proof of that.
What Are The Good Skills to Put on a Resume
There are two main types of skills to put on a resume that every ATS and hiring manager will expect:
- Hard skills: these refer to the skills that are strictly required for the job. This relates to the professional qualities that you’ve developed through training and practice over the years.
- Soft skills: these refer to your universal skills that are applicable for multiple jobs. This relates to your personal qualities and social attributes that enable you to do your job better.
Even though there’s a distinct difference between the two, both are valuable.
Hard skills demonstrate that you can take on the main responsibilities of the job to a good standard. It proves you’re qualified enough to carry out your duties.
Whereas, soft skills are related to how well you work with other people. These show employers the other personal attributes you have that can lead to better job performance. In retrospect, it makes you a more competent candidate in the workplace.
Some skills could be keywords recruiters expect from candidates in their job applications to overcome the resume scanners.
Hard Skills to Put on a Resume
These require technical knowledge and expert training to prove you can complete your assigned tasks. Most of the time, they’re related to the resume keywords employers are expecting from your application.
We’ll look at some hard skills examples relating to the following areas:
- Marketing
- Healthcare
- Accounting and finance
- Consulting
Marketing Hard Skills
Digital marketing is becoming more important now that more businesses and companies have put themselves online. With the skills and knowledge from professional marketers, employers will want someone who knows how to increase metrics, e.g. conversion rates and organic traffic.
Some common marketing hard skills examples include:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Keyword research
- Social media marketing
- Copywriting
- Content writing
- Project management
- Research
Healthcare Hard Skills
You’ll need qualifications before being able to work as a professional in the healthcare and medical field. In this industry, it’s crucial for the company and recruiters to know you’re a qualified candidate with proven knowledge.
Some common healthcare hard skills include:
- Optometry
- Wound treatment
- Providing medicine
- Social care management
- Career training
- Conflict resolution
Accounting and Finance Hard Skills
Managing finances is important for everyone. That includes modern businesses and large enterprises.
Some common finance and accounting hard skills include:
- Accounting software
- Bookkeeping
- Data analysis
- Spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel)
- Mathematical skills
- Logic and reasoning
Consulting Hard Skills
Consultants are hired for their expertise in a specific area. They’re usually hired by clients to identify problems and solutions as well as provide expert insights and advice.
Some common consulting hard skills include:
- Conducting research and surveys
- Problem-solving
- Language skills
- Reporting
- Presentation skills
Technical Hard Skills
Technical skills can apply for a diverse range of jobs as most job positions will include administrative tasks. It’s especially prominent in the IT, tech, and software development space.
Here’s a general list of common technical hard skills to include:
- Javascript
- Coding
- HTML/CSS
- Google drive
- Microsoft office
- Web development
- UX design
Soft Skills to Put on a Resume
You know this relates to the additional abilities you have that would be beneficial for your role.
These can show what makes you a better worker and how you could do your job better than the average person.
We’ll be looking at soft skills examples in the following areas:
- Banking
- Engineering
- Retail
Banking Soft Skills
Interpersonal skills are important to cultivate a thriving team environment. Professionals in this field should be capable of working under pressure and meeting deadlines.
Common banking soft skills include:
- Collaboration
- Work ethic
- Discipline
- Attention to detail
- Time management
Engineering Soft Skills
Lots of hard skills are required for employees applying for engineering jobs. However, including soft skills can also take your resume to the next level.
Common engineering soft skills include:
- Creative thinking
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Innovation
- Communication skills
Retail Soft Skills
Anything in the retail or sales space will require strong basic communication skills. To sell a company’s products or services, you should have the ability to understand the customer’s needs.
But, it’s easier when you’ve established trust and built a relationship with them. This can be achieved through effective communication (we’ll look at this in more detail very shortly!).
Common retail soft skills include:
- Emotional intelligence
- Customer service
- Quick learner
- Negotiation skills
What Are Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills that are useful across different job positions, careers, and industries.
Here are a few good examples:
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
- Numeracy
- Team management
Hard skills and soft skills can be looked at further into the specifics. As you narrow down the different types of skills, you’ll find that there are crossovers between them.
Communication Skills For Resume
It’s not a bad idea to include the term communication in your resume. But, it’s a broad word that covers several different things.
Here are a few communication skills examples:
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Writing
- Networking
- Presenting
A good workplace culture includes a positive attitude and a growth mindset determined to thrive.
As interpersonal skills are applicable to everyday life, good communication means you’re able to work as a team and build strong relationships. In the workforce, that could mean liaising with customers, stakeholders, and colleagues effectively. Which is something hiring managers find valuable.
Computer Skills For Resume
It’s become a necessity for businesses to use computers to perform the most basic tasks.
Software and computer skills are important as modern companies operate using technology for higher efficiency.
Having a good knowledge of tech can give you a competitive advantage over other job seekers. It gives you a head start since you’re able to do things without extensive instruction or supervision.
Here are some examples of computer skills to include in your resume:
- Accounting software
- Communication tools (e.g. Slack and Zoom)
- Editorial calendars
- Social media
- Presentation software
- Spreadsheets
Management Skills For Resume
According to Google, the definition of management is the following:
It goes without saying, management skills are necessary for management roles.
To show you can carry out your assigned duties, it’s important to list your abilities that prove you’re capable of managing different things or people. More specifically, the internal workflow of a company.
Here are a few management skills examples:
- Coaching
- Decision-making
- Mentoring
- Planning
- Staffing
How Many Skills Should Be on a Resume?
There’s no limit. You’re free to list as many skills as you’d like. The more you have, the better as it shows more competence.
However, it only looks nice if what you’re including is relevant to the job position you’re applying for. Don’t list down everything you possibly can for the sake of it – quality means more than quantity. So, only list what’s most important and relevant.
With that in mind, don’t exceed the one-page resume limit and take up space over other valuable pieces of information, e.g. work history.
Jacob Jacquet, CEO of Rezi who has helped 120,000+ job seekers found that:
“The more competent applicants have more relevant skills and they tend to have a higher chance of success in landing their dream career”
Besides including what’s most important, make sure you’re actually confident and skilled in what you’re listing or describing. There’s no point lying in your resume because it’ll always unfold during the interview.
Examples for Students
When you’re writing a resume with no experience, we’ve mentioned that your skills section is one of the most important sections to focus on.
And for this scenario, the skills-based resume format works best.
If you don’t have the ideal employment background, focus on highlighting your skills. Not just by listing them out in the skills section using the job description. But by talking about them in your work experience section too, e.g. describing how you developed your leadership skills at your previous job.
Here are some common student resume skills to consider:
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure
- Curious
- Cooperative
- Communication
- Initiative
- Organization
Another piece of advice is to send a cover letter. This helps tailor your application further by giving you the opportunity to write a document where you offer your professional value and provide personalized descriptions behind what you’ve included in your resume.
Resume Skills Section Examples
Like anything, the more experience you get the better you’ll become. It starts when you discover your areas of interest and niche down to specialize in a specific area.
To find what skills you should put on your resume, check the company’s job board description. Chances are, it’ll include a bullet point list summary of things that they’re looking for in a candidate.
Customer Service Example
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This is a proven example that got one of Rezi’s users to land an interview at Apple. Needless to say, it was a competitive job posting.
All skills listed on the customer service representative template are essential. They’ve also included other beneficial soft skills such as relationship building to show employers their ability to communicate.
Plus, they’ve categorized this section to make it easier to read through, i.e. industry knowledge and technical skills.
Some of these would also be applicable in other industries and areas e.g. customer support.
Data Analyst Example
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You’ll find that each example is simple, minimal, and categorized into specific groups.
For a data analyst position, professionals will require technical proficiency. Therefore, the applicant includes the appropriate jargon for their job application. To reinforce their passion in the career they’re pursuing, they’ve integrated their areas of interest.
Database Administrator Example
Next, we have the database admin resume example. The person who used this was hired at Georgia Tech, one of the top research universities in the US.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, there’s no limit to how many skills you can list as long as it’s relevant. All of the things included are quality skills for the job application. Unlike the previous examples until now, you’ll notice there is a more diverse range of abilities included such as:
- Technical skills
- Soft skills
- Fields of interest
- Spoken languages
Student Example
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In this fourth year student resume example, the candidate has narrowed it down to 2 areas: technical skills and interests.
It’s a subtle difference compared to other resumes but they’ve integrated their hobbies and interests into their skills section. This is effective for tailoring your application and making yourself more distinguishable by showing how your personal background aligns with the position you’re applying for.
As there’s a positive correlation, your profile comes off as a good match for the job and company values.
We’ve covered more CVs for students and how they secured an interview even with no work experience. A key component is playing to your strengths and tailoring your application to the job description.
Front End Developer Example
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It’s good for job seekers to include technical skills and industry knowledge. The front end developer resume template takes a simple and basic approach. Only include what’s necessary but if you have space, feel free to add more.
Graphic Designer Example
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Like the previous example, the graphic designer resume gets straight to the point and includes the most relevant skills for the job. Don’t feel obliged to complete this section by including everything you can. Instead, prioritize what’s most important.
Assistant Manager Example
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The assistant manager resume example highlights their expertise by emphasizing their industry knowledge.
Subtle changes in your resume like narrowing down your skills section is a good way to stand out. It doesn’t need to be too complicated.
The objective is to list down the relevant and compulsory skills the company needs. Be sure you’re referring back to the company’s job description too so you’re not missing out on any of the keywords.
Teacher Example
In the teacher resume template, they’ve included all the relevant skills. There’s a range of hard, soft, and transferable skills. It’s more than enough to show recruiters that they know what they’re doing.
If you didn’t find your job position on our list, you can browse through Rezi’s collection of resume samples. It’s customizable and ready to use for job seekers at all levels.
How Rezi Can Help
There are two tools by Rezi that support you in finding the resume skills for a specific job. These are:
- Keyword targeting tool
- AI skills explorer
Keyword Targeting Tool
You won’t bypass the applicant tracking system if you don’t have any of the keywords hiring managers are expecting.
With Rezi, it’s super simple. Follow the 5 steps below:
- Sign up for a free account
- Inside the dashboard, head over to the “finish up” tab
- Enter your job title
- Copy and paste the job description into our AI keyword targeting feature
- Press the “save job description” button
And just like that, you’ll be given a list of all the words your employers are looking for in your resume.
Watch the video below for a live demonstration!
AI Skills Explorer
Inside the Rezi dashboard, head over to the “skills” tab as shown below.
Next, do the following:
- Select the category of skills you want to browse
- Enter your field of profession
- Click on the “AI skills explorer” button
Here’s an example of this for the accounting profession:
On top of using the keyword targeting feature, it’s difficult to not know what to include for your skills section.
When building an application with Rezi, you’re given access to features that will help you secure an interview. We’ve helped users land a career in companies including Amazon, Facebook, and Spotify.
If you haven’t already, you can get started now by signing up for a free account below!
Final Note
The more competent candidates are the ones with the more relevant skills.
Apart from your education and work experience, your abilities are another way to highlight your strengths.
But, it’s easier to find what’s in demand by using the tools provided by our ATS resume builder. Signing up is free, and we give you all the resources you need for a higher job application success rate.
Explore Rezi 🔥 Comes with 5,000 AI Credits, and is free forever, no credit card required.
