Guide

The best skills to put on a resume, with examples by field and how to list them

7 min read · updated 16 October 2026

The skills section is the most mis-written part of most resumes: either a wall of forty comma-separated words or a list of soft skills nobody can verify. Applicant tracking systems read it as a keyword source, and recruiters scan it for the three or four things the job requires. This guide explains which skills to put on a resume, how to organise them, and gives resume skills examples for ten common fields.

Hard skills, soft skills and where each goes

Hard skills are learnable and testable: software, languages, tools, methods, certifications, licenses. They belong in the skills section and in the bullets. Soft skills are how you work: communication, leadership, problem solving. They belong only inside experience bullets where a result proves them; listed bare, they are claims and the ATS mostly ignores them anyway.

Which skills employers actually look for

The ones in the job posting, in the posting's words. Collect five to ten postings for the role you want and list the skills that recur; those are the ones recruiters search for in the ATS database and the ones the ranking weights. Everything else on your list is at best neutral and at worst dilutes the match.

How to build the section

Ten to fifteen items. More is a wall, fewer looks thin.
Group by type so a human can scan: Languages, Tools, Methods, Certifications, or whatever fits your field.
Order by the target job's priorities: the must-haves from the posting first.
Spell each the way postings spell it: "Google Analytics 4" not "GA", "PostgreSQL" not "Postgres" if that is what they wrote.
No proficiency bars or star ratings: parsers cannot read them and they invite doubt.
Mark anything in progress honestly: "Python (learning, 2026 course)".

Resume skills examples by field

Software engineering: Languages: Python, Go, TypeScript · Frameworks: React, Django · Cloud: AWS (EC2, Lambda, RDS), Terraform · Practices: CI/CD, TDD, code review · Data: PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka
Data analysis: SQL (advanced), Python (pandas), dbt, Tableau, Looker, A/B testing, statistical modelling, Excel (pivot, Power Query), GA4
Product management: Roadmapping, user research, A/B testing, SQL, Jira, Figma, Amplitude, PRD writing, go-to-market planning
Project management: PMP, Agile/Scrum, waterfall, MS Project, Jira, budgeting, risk management, stakeholder reporting, vendor management
Marketing: Google Ads, Meta Ads, SEO (Ahrefs, Search Console), GA4, HubSpot, Klaviyo, copywriting, marketing attribution, CRO
Sales: Salesforce, HubSpot, MEDDIC, Outreach, prospecting, pipeline forecasting, enterprise procurement, contract negotiation
Nursing: BLS, ACLS, PALS, Epic, med-surg, IV therapy, patient education, charge-nurse experience, wound care
Finance and accounting: GAAP, month-end close, FP&A, financial modelling, NetSuite, QuickBooks, SAP, advanced Excel, CPA
Human resources: Workday, Greenhouse, employee relations, onboarding, benefits administration, SHRM-CP, HRIS, compliance (FMLA, ADA)
Customer success: Gainsight, Salesforce, QBRs, renewal forecasting, onboarding, churn analysis, upsell, NPS programs

Skills with no experience, or changing careers

List what you can evidence: coursework tools, certifications, projects, volunteer work. A single completed project in the target field's tools ("Built a sales dashboard in Tableau from public data; link in Projects") outweighs a long list of untested names. The no-experience and career-change guides go further.

Skills to leave off

Microsoft Word, email, internet research: assumed for any office role.
Soft skills as bare words: team player, hard-working, detail-oriented.
Anything you would fail a basic interview question on.
Tools you used once, years ago, that are not in the posting.
Languages at a level below conversational, unless the role needs them.

Frequently asked questions

How many skills should I put on a resume?

Ten to fifteen, grouped, with the job posting's must-haves first. A longer list dilutes the keyword match and reads as padding.

Should I include soft skills on a resume?

Not in the skills section. Show them inside experience bullets with results: "Led a 6-person team..." proves leadership better than the word does.

Where should the skills section go?

After the summary for technical roles and career changers, where the skills make the case; after experience for most other roles. Either way, keep it a labelled section the ATS can find.

Can I list a skill I am still learning?

Yes, if you label it: "Python (in progress, course completed Nov 2026)". Listing it unlabelled and then struggling in the interview is worse than leaving it off.