What are good skills to put on a resume?
Good resume skills show an employer what you can do and how your abilities relate to the position.
A strong skills section combines relevant job-specific abilities with transferable skills that you can demonstrate through your experience, education or projects.
A shorter list of skills that closely matches the role is usually more useful than a long list of generic abilities. Read the job description, identify the skills it actually requires and include the ones you genuinely have.
Best skills to put on a resume
There is no universal list of skills that is best for every job. The examples below are useful starting points. Choose only the skills that are relevant to your target role and accurate for you.
Written communication, verbal communication, teamwork, active listening, presentation, negotiation and cross-functional collaboration.
Time management, prioritization, project management, planning, scheduling, coordination, delegation and process improvement.
Analytical thinking, problem-solving, research, data analysis, reporting, decision-making, attention to detail and troubleshooting.
Customer service, sales, account management, stakeholder management, relationship building, conflict resolution and business communication.
Good soft skills to put on a resume
Soft skills describe how you work with people, solve problems and handle responsibilities. They can be valuable across many jobs, but simply listing them is less convincing than showing evidence.
Leadership, communication, teamwork.
Led weekly planning meetings across production, procurement and logistics teams.
The second version gives the reader evidence. You can still include “Leadership” in your skills section, but your experience should help prove that the skill is real.
Technical skills to put on a resume
Technical or hard skills are learned abilities that can often be demonstrated or measured. The right technical skills depend heavily on your profession.
Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Google Workspace, data entry, document management and calendar management.
Excel, SQL, data visualization, reporting, dashboards, statistical analysis and database management.
SEO, content writing, Google Analytics, email marketing, social media management, keyword research and CMS tools.
Programming languages, Git, APIs, databases, cloud platforms, testing, debugging and role-specific development frameworks.
“Computer skills” says very little. Naming the tools you can actually use — such as Excel, SQL, Figma or Salesforce — gives the employer more useful information.
Examples of resume skills by job type
Your strongest skills should change with the job you are targeting. These examples show how a skills section can become more specific.
Customer support, active listening, conflict resolution, CRM software, written communication and problem-solving.
Calendar management, Microsoft Office, document preparation, scheduling, data entry and organization.
Project planning, stakeholder management, budgeting, risk management, scheduling, reporting and team coordination.
Prospecting, negotiation, CRM software, account management, presentations, relationship building and sales reporting.
SEO, content marketing, analytics, campaign management, social media, email marketing and market research.
Relevant programming languages, Git, APIs, databases, testing, debugging, code review and development frameworks.
How to choose skills for your resume
Identify the abilities, tools and qualifications that appear important for the specific position.
Include abilities developed through jobs, education, projects, volunteering or other relevant experience.
Prioritize the skills that are both required by the role and genuinely part of your background.
When accurate, use the same standard terminology the employer uses instead of replacing it with vague alternatives.
Use your work experience and projects to show where you applied your strongest abilities.
Strong experience descriptions can demonstrate communication, leadership, analysis and technical skills through real work.
How many skills should you put on a resume?
There is no fixed number that works for everyone. As a practical starting point, a focused skills section with roughly 6 to 12 relevant skills is often enough to communicate your strongest qualifications without becoming difficult to scan.
The number matters less than relevance. Ten skills closely related to the position are usually more useful than twenty-five generic skills added only to make the section look full.
Include skills you can genuinely discuss and support. Repeating unrelated keywords can make the resume less useful to the person reading it.
Where should skills go on a resume?
A dedicated skills section makes important abilities easy to scan, but it should not be the only place your skills appear.
Use a concise list for relevant tools, technical abilities and important transferable skills.
Demonstrate how you used important skills to complete work, solve problems or produce results.
Highlight one or two especially important strengths when they directly support your target role.
Projects can provide evidence of technical and practical skills, especially when your work history is limited.
Common resume skills mistakes
Keep the section focused on abilities that help explain why you fit the role.
Combine transferable skills with specific tools or job-related abilities where appropriate.
Only include abilities you genuinely have and could discuss during an interview.
Prefer recognizable, specific terms such as “Excel” or “project management” when they accurately describe your skills.
Resume skills checklist
Resume skills FAQ
What are good skills to put on a resume?
Good resume skills are relevant to the job and supported by your experience. Examples include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, project management, data analysis, customer service and role-specific technical skills.
How many skills should I put on my resume?
A focused list of roughly 6 to 12 relevant skills is often enough. Prioritize skills that match the job description rather than filling the section with every skill you have.
Should I put soft skills on my resume?
Yes, when they are relevant to the role. Soft skills are stronger when your work experience also provides evidence of how you used them.
Should resume skills match the job description?
Your resume should reflect relevant skills you genuinely have. Review the job description and use accurate terminology where it matches your real experience.
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