Resume Skills Guide

Best Skills to Put on a Resume

The complete list of resume skills — technical, soft skills, and computer skills — with tips on which to include and how to list them.

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What Skills Should You Put on Your Resume?

The skills section is one of the most scanned parts of a resume — by both applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers. The right skills signal you're qualified before anyone reads a single bullet point. The wrong skills (or no skills section at all) mean your resume gets filtered out before a human ever sees it.

Resume skills fall into three categories: technical skills (hard skills specific to your field), soft skills (interpersonal and cognitive strengths), and computer skills (software and tools you're proficient in). Most resumes need all three — weighted toward technical and computer skills for the specific role.

Technical Skills for a Resume

Technical skills are the hard skills that prove you can do the job. These vary by industry — here are the most in-demand technical skill categories with specific examples.

Programming Languages

PythonJavaScriptTypeScriptJavaSQLRC++GoRubySwift

Data & Analytics

ExcelTableauPower BIGoogle AnalyticsLookerSnowflakeBigQuerydbtPandasNumPy

Cloud & DevOps

AWSGoogle CloudAzureDockerKubernetesTerraformCI/CDJenkinsGitHub ActionsLinux

Design & Creative

FigmaAdobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorSketchCanvaInDesignAfter EffectsPremiere ProWebflowFramer

Marketing & Growth

SEOGoogle AdsMeta AdsHubSpotSalesforceMarketoMailchimpA/B TestingCopywritingContent Strategy

Project Management

JiraAsanaMonday.comNotionConfluenceAgile / ScrumKanbanMS ProjectSmartsheetTrello

Soft Skills for a Resume

Soft skills are increasingly valued — especially at senior levels where technical competency is assumed. List the most relevant ones, then prove them in your work experience bullets.

Communication
Clearly convey ideas verbally and in writing to diverse audiences.
Leadership
Guide teams toward goals, make decisions, and take ownership of outcomes.
Problem-solving
Analyze complex issues and develop practical, effective solutions.
Collaboration
Work effectively across teams and functions to achieve shared goals.
Adaptability
Thrive in changing environments and embrace new challenges quickly.
Time management
Prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage competing demands efficiently.
Critical thinking
Evaluate information objectively to make sound judgments and decisions.
Attention to detail
Produce high-quality work with accuracy and thoroughness.
Emotional intelligence
Understand and manage emotions to build strong working relationships.
Creativity
Generate original ideas and find innovative approaches to challenges.

Computer Skills for a Resume

Computer skills are expected for most office roles. Be specific — naming the exact tool and your proficiency level (e.g., "Excel — advanced: pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros") is far more credible than a generic "Microsoft Office."

Microsoft Office

Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, macros)WordPowerPointOutlookTeamsSharePoint

Google Workspace

Google SheetsGoogle DocsGoogle SlidesGmailGoogle MeetGoogle Drive

Communication Tools

SlackZoomMicrosoft TeamsNotionLoomAsana

CRM & Sales

SalesforceHubSpot CRMPipedriveZendeskIntercomGong

How to List Skills on a Resume

1
Match the job description
Read the posting carefully and mirror the exact skill terms they use. If the job says "data analysis" and you say "analytics," ATS may not make the connection.
2
Create a dedicated Skills section
Place it near the top of your resume — below your summary and above work experience. Group skills by category (Technical Skills, Tools, Languages) for easy scanning.
3
Be specific, not vague
"Python (pandas, scikit-learn, FastAPI)" beats "Python." Specificity builds credibility and gives interviewers something concrete to ask about.
4
Prove skills in your bullets
List a skill in your skills section, then demonstrate it in at least one bullet point under a job. "Built ETL pipelines in Python reducing data processing time by 60%" proves Python better than listing it alone.
5
Cut filler skills
Remove skills that every applicant lists and add no signal — "Microsoft Word," "email," "fast learner." Use that space for differentiated, role-specific skills.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This guide covers the best skills for a resume — also called resume skills, job skills for a resume, skills for a resume list, and skills to put on a resume. Whether you're looking for computer skills for a resume, technical skills for a resume, or soft skills for a resume, this page covers all categories with real examples. Hayven's AI resume builder can analyze your current skills section and tell you exactly what's missing, what to cut, and how to rewrite it to pass ATS screening and impress hiring managers.