Skills for Resume: 100+ Examples for 2026
Not sure which skills to put on your resume? Explore examples of hard skills, soft skills and job-specific skills — and learn how to choose the ones that fit the position you're applying for.
What skills should you put on a resume?
The best skills to put on your resume are the ones that match the job you're applying for and that you can demonstrate through your experience.
A strong resume usually includes a combination of hard skills — specific technical or professional abilities — and soft skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.
Instead of listing every skill you have, focus on the skills that are most relevant to the position.
Best skills to put on a resume.
Your resume skills section should quickly show employers what you can do and how your abilities relate to the job.
Communication Skills
- Written communication
- Verbal communication
- Presentation skills
- Active listening
- Public speaking
- Business writing
Leadership Skills
- Team leadership
- People management
- Decision making
- Delegation
- Coaching
- Conflict resolution
Organization Skills
- Time management
- Planning
- Prioritization
- Scheduling
- Multitasking
- Attention to detail
Problem-Solving Skills
- Critical thinking
- Analytical thinking
- Decision making
- Troubleshooting
- Research
- Process improvement
Hard skills for your resume.
Hard skills are specific abilities that can usually be learned, practiced and measured. The most useful ones depend heavily on your profession.
Business & Management
Data & Analytics
Marketing
Technology
Office & Administration
Sales & Customer Service
Soft skills employers often look for.
Soft skills describe how you work with people, solve problems and manage your responsibilities.
Sharing information clearly with colleagues, customers and managers.
Working effectively with others toward shared goals.
Identifying problems and finding practical solutions.
Adjusting to changing priorities, tools and situations.
Guiding people and helping teams achieve results.
Organizing work and completing priorities on schedule.
Evaluating information before making decisions.
Producing accurate work and noticing important details.
Resume skills examples for different jobs.
The right skills depend on the role. Here are examples you can use as a starting point.
Customer Service
Customer support · Communication · Conflict resolution · CRM · Active listening · Problem solving · Product knowledge
Sales
Negotiation · Lead generation · CRM · Account management · Sales presentations · Prospecting · Closing
Manager
Leadership · Team management · Strategic planning · Budgeting · Coaching · Decision making · Performance management
Administrative Assistant
Microsoft Office · Scheduling · Data entry · Calendar management · Communication · Document management · Organization
Software Developer
Programming · Git · APIs · Databases · Debugging · Testing · Problem solving · Software architecture
Marketing
SEO · Content marketing · Google Analytics · Social media · Copywriting · Email marketing · Campaign management
Warehouse Worker
Inventory management · Order picking · Shipping & receiving · Safety procedures · Stock control · Teamwork · Attention to detail
Project Manager
Project planning · Risk management · Budget management · Stakeholder communication · Scheduling · Leadership · Reporting
How to choose skills for your resume.
Read the job description
Look for skills, tools and responsibilities mentioned in the job posting.
Identify matching skills
Compare the requirements with skills you genuinely have from your work, education or projects.
Prioritize relevant skills
Put the most important and job-specific skills first instead of creating a long generic list.
Support them with experience
Whenever possible, show how you used important skills in your work experience and achievements.
What a skills section can look like.
Keep your skills section easy to scan. You don't need long explanations inside the list.
How many skills should you put on a resume?
There is no single perfect number, but a focused list of around 6–12 relevant skills is often easier to scan than a long list of everything you know.
The quality and relevance of the skills matter more than the number. A software developer, warehouse worker and sales manager will naturally need very different skills.
Start with the requirements in the job description, choose the skills that genuinely match your experience, and prioritize the most important ones.
Match your skills to the job description.
Applicant tracking systems may use information from your resume when employers search, filter or review applications.
Using relevant terminology from the job description can make your resume clearer and better aligned with the position — as long as those skills accurately describe your experience.
Learn more about ATS-friendly resumes →Resume skills questions.
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, problem solving, project management, Microsoft Excel, leadership, data analysis and job-specific technical skills.
What are hard skills on a resume?
Hard skills are specific technical or professional abilities such as Excel, SQL, project management, programming, accounting, data analysis or operating specialized equipment.
What are soft skills on a resume?
Soft skills describe how you work and interact with others. Examples include communication, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, time management and problem solving.
How many skills should I list on my resume?
A focused list of roughly 6–12 relevant skills can work well for many resumes. The exact number depends on your profession, experience and the position you're targeting.
Should I copy skills from the job description?
Use the job description to identify important skills and terminology, but only include skills that genuinely reflect your experience and abilities.
Turn your skills into a professional resume.
Add your skills, experience and education, choose a professional template and export your resume as PDF.
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