The skills section is a quick summary of what you can do. It helps a recruiter scan your resume, and it helps you match the terms an applicant tracking system may be searching for.
Hard skills and soft skills
Hard skills are teachable and easy to check: software, languages, equipment, licenses and methods. Soft skills describe how you work, such as communication or leadership. Your skills list should lean toward hard skills, because soft skills are better proved in your experience bullets.
How to choose the right skills
- Read the job posting and underline every skill it mentions.
- Keep the ones you can honestly discuss in an interview.
- Use the employer’s exact wording when it is accurate.
- Add other skills that are standard for the role.
How many to list
Six to twelve is a good range for most people. A longer list starts to look like padding, and it hides the skills that matter most. Put the most relevant skills first.
Examples by field
- Office and admin: Microsoft Excel, scheduling, data entry, QuickBooks, customer service
- Healthcare: patient care, vital signs, charting, EMR systems, infection control
- Sales and marketing: CRM tools, lead generation, email marketing, Google Analytics, copywriting
- Tech: SQL, Python, cloud platforms, data visualization, version control
- Trades: blueprint reading, equipment operation, safety compliance, estimating
Back it up elsewhere
A skill means more when it also shows up in your experience. If you list “budgeting,” a bullet like “Managed a $150,000 department budget” proves it.
What to leave out
Skip outdated tools, skills everyone is expected to have, and rating bars or percentages. “Excel: 80%” tells a recruiter nothing, and graphics may not be readable by an ATS.