The Best Job Skills to Include on Your Resume

What are the best job skills to include on your resume? Which skill set will help you get hired? Do you know the difference between hard skills and soft skills? How can you share your skills, expertise, and accomplishments with prospective employers?

As well as providing a history of your experience, your resume is the perfect place to highlight your skills, strengths, and abilities.

Types of Skills to Include on a Resume

When you're adding skills to your resume or reviewing the skills required for a job you're interested in, two types of skills are relevant. 

• Soft skills are the skills that apply to every job. These are your people skills—interpersonal skills, communication skills, and other qualities that enable you to be successful in the workplace.
• Hard skills are the qualifications required to do the job. For example, computer skills, administrative skills, or customer service skills. Find out more about the difference between hard and soft skills.

Best Job Skills to Put on Your Resume

Here are examples of the top skills employers look for when evaluating job applicants, as well as recommendations about the best skills you should put on your own unique resume to help you get hired.

Skills Listed by Type

Review these comprehensive lists that include both hard and soft skills for each category.

Thought Processes

Thought processes are the soft skills that enable you to think, reason, and problem-solve. These are skills that are in high demand across all industry sections.

• Analytical
• Conceptual
• Creative Thinking
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Logical Thinking
• Problem-Solving

Administrative, Business, and Finance

Administrative, business, and finance skills keep offices and businesses running efficiently and effectively at all types of companies, from small businesses to large corporations.

• Clerical
• Accounting
• Administrative
• Business Intelligence
• Business
• Business Storytelling
• Customer Service
• Finance
• Microsoft Office Skills
• Negotiations
• QuickBooks

Communication and Interpersonal

The ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, is a job requirement for most positions. Employers seek applicants with the ability to communicate well with others, regardless of their role at the organization.

• Active Listening
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Editing
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal
• Listening
• Nonverbal Communication
• Presentation
• Public Speaking
• Social Skills
• Verbal Communication
• Writing

Leadership and Management

These are the skills that enable you to be an effective manager and lead a team or run a company.

• Decision Making
• Delegation
• Entrepreneurial
• Leadership
• Management
• Motivational
• Negotiation 
• Strategic Planning

Personal Skills

Personal skills are the attributes that uniquely qualify you as a candidate for a job. An individual's skill set is comprised of a variety of personal skills that they have acquired through education and employment.

• Interviewing
• Life Skills
• Multitasking
• Organizational
• Personal
• Social
• Time Management

Sales and Marketing

You'll need a variety of skills to be successful in a sales role, and you will need to be able to demonstrate those skills to prospective employers.

• Sales
• Digital Marketing
• Essential Sales Skills
• Marketing
• Persuasive

Teamwork

Teamwork skills, the ability to work as part of a team, are a requirement in almost every industry and job. 

• Collaboration
• Conflict Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Team Building
• Teamwork

Technology

Employers seek candidates with strong technical skills, even when hiring for non-tech roles. 

• Computer
• Information Technology
• Tech Skills Listed by Job
• Technical

General Skills

• Behavioral
• Consulting
• Employability
• General
• High School Student Skills
• Soft Skills
• Transferable

Skills Listed by Job

As well as highlighting the general skills you'll need for most jobs, it's important to show employers that you have the job-specific skills required for success in the workplace.

Top In-Demand Skills

Some skills apply to almost every job and type of company. If you've got these general skills, you'll enhance your marketability. Review these lists of the most in-demand skills employers seek.

• Top 10 Communication Skills
• Top 10 Leadership Skills
• Top 7 Professional Skills
• Top 7 Soft Skills
• Top 7 Skills Employers Seek in Job Applicants
• General Skills for Resumes

Match Your Skills to the Job

Taking the time to make a match will show the hiring manager why you're qualified for a job and worth interviewing. Employers want to see that you have what it takes to succeed in the job. They’ll use the skills you list on your resume to rank your qualifications for the job against those of your competition. 

The better a match you are for the job, the better chance you will have of being chosen for an interview. Depending on the job for which you're applying, there are some skills you don't need to include. Here's a list of skills you shouldn't put on your resume.

How to Include Skills on a Resume

For every role you apply to, tailor the skills section of your resume so that the information included matches the skills mentioned in the job description.

You can also weave in your skills in the experience section, as you describe the tasks and responsibilities of roles you've held in the past. 

The “keyword” skills that you include in your resume and cover letters will help your job application materials get selected by the automated parsing systems employers often use to select applicants to interview. You should also be prepared to mention your most relevant skills during job interviews.

Resume Example With Skills

This resume example focuses on the skills, competencies, and certifications that qualify the applicant for the job. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), or read the example below.