The right skills to put on a resume can be the difference between you getting a job and not. That’s why in this post, we’re giving you our list of 30 key skills to help you find the right one for your resume.
We’ve compiled this comprehensive list of top skills to help you create a standout resume. However, to truly make your application shine, it’s crucial to understand your unique strengths. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can provide valuable insights into your natural talents, allowing you to align your skills with your innate strengths. This powerful combination of skills and strengths will ensure your resume captures the attention of job recruiters. Keep reading to discover how to leverage both your skills and strengths for career success.
What are The Best Skills to Put on a Resume?
Identifying the best skills for your resume requires a two-pronged approach: understanding the job requirements and recognizing your personal strengths. While job-specific skills like typing and office management are crucial for an administrative assistant position, your unique strengths play an equally important role. By taking the HIGH5 strengths assessment, you can uncover your innate talents, such as attention to detail or adaptability. This self-awareness allows you to highlight skills that not only match the job description but also align with your natural strengths, giving you a competitive edge in the application process.
The key is to tailor your resume to the specific requirements of each job you apply for. In general, some of the best skills to put on a resume are:
- Accurate typing ability
- Basic knowledge of word processing
- Basic skills in using the internet for research, emailing, etc.
- Computer programs, including MS Office suite
- Interpersonal and customer service skills
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Leverage your HIGH5 strengths assessment results to identify transferable skills that may not be obvious. For instance, if ‘Strategic Thinker’ is one of your top strengths, you could emphasize skills like problem-solving or project planning, even if they’re not explicitly mentioned in the job description.
30 Best Skills to Put on a Resume
- Presentation skills
- Critical thinking
- Customer service skills
- Decision-making ability
- Flexibility
- Initiative
- Leadership skills
- Motivation and energy
- Negotiation skills
- Organizational skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Research and information retrieval
- Self-management
- Stress tolerance
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Work ethics
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to make decisions and solve problems
- Computer software knowledge
- Communication skills
- Customer service skills
- Dependability and reliability
- Interpersonal skills
- People skills
- Leadership abilities
- Motivation and energy
- Planning/organizing skills
- Professionalism
- Teamwork ability
How To List and Showcase Skills on a Resume/CV, or in an Interview
The most effective approach to showcasing your skills is to create a tailored list that aligns with both the job requirements and your personal strengths. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can be an invaluable tool in this process, helping you identify and articulate your unique talents. By understanding your strengths, you can present your skills in a more compelling and authentic way. For instance, if the assessment reveals that ‘Achiever’ is one of your top strengths, you can emphasize skills related to goal-setting and productivity, explaining not just what these skills are, but why they’re important and how they’ve contributed to your past successes.
When you’re thinking about what are the best skills to put on a resume, focus on transferable skills rather than specific ones. You have to be flexible because you are not always going to list every single detail – it’s also important to be able to pick up new things quickly.
Moreover, keep in mind that employers want people with good work ethics and initiative, so should also be highlighted in any resume. And remember, your resume is not all about you so don’t be afraid to list any awards or skills that might help you get the job.
This is why it’s important to know what are the best skills to put on a resume before you apply for anything. It’s also important to know what skills are non-negotiable for the job.
For example, if you’re applying for a medical position then your resume must show that you have strong communication skills because doctors need to be able to explain things clearly to their patients.
When writing your list of the best skills to put on a resume, think about all the things mentioned here and make sure you include them all.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
When preparing for an interview, use your HIGH5 strengths as a framework to structure your responses. For each strength, prepare an example of how you’ve used it to develop or apply a skill relevant to the job. This approach will help you provide more insightful and memorable answers.
Student Skills to Put in a Resume
The best student skills to put on a resume are those which directly relate to your major. For example, if you’re studying to be a mathematician then it’ll probably look better on your resume if you can also list proficiency with Excel or other spreadsheet management programs as computer skills.
The following are 5 examples of student skills to put on your resume:
- Ability to lead a team
- Proficiency with course-related software
- Ability to prioritize tasks based on deadlines
- Strong work ethic & ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to multitask
Manager Skills to Put on a Resume
As a manager, the skills that you’ll need to put on your resume depend on the field and type of industry you’re applying for. This means that there’s no simple answer to this question as it will vary from one job opening to another.
That being said, here are 3 examples of resume skills to put down as a manager:
- Ability to lead a team
- Experience when dealing with conflict at the workplace
- Knowledge of business software & applications such as CRM, SAP, etc.
Skills to Put on Resume for Remote Jobs
The best skills to put on a resume for remote jobs are those that demonstrate your ability to work from home.
For example, if you’re applying for a job as a newsletter writer then it’d be wise to list skills such as proficiency with Microsoft Office or related software suites, effective communication, and time management because these are all essential for this type of position.
On the other hand, let’s say that you’re applying for a position as an event planner which can be completed remotely.
In this case, then it would help boost your chances of landing the job faster if you include expertise in social media analytics & marketing, excellent planning & organizational skills, and proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite or other graphic design tools.
The following are 5 skills that are best suited to those applying for remote work:
- Proficiency with project management software
- Ability to be self-reliant
- Self-discipline when getting work done
- Strong work ethic & ability to meet deadlines
- Excellent communication skills
What Shouldn’t You Do With Skills on Your Resume?
While there are many things that you should do when it comes to listing your skills on a resume, there are also some key things that you should never do.
Let’s have a look at some of them.
Don’t lie or exaggerate on your resume
While you might think that it’s clever to put phony stuff on your resume, chances are that you won’t be able to get away with it; if it does and you get caught, then it’ll probably result in a major blow to your credibility and hurt your chances of sustaining your job long-term.
Don’t put skills on your resume unless you can back them up with real-life examples
Just having some skills is not enough because hiring managers need proof. If you have things like strong leadership skills but don’t have any experience leading others, then there’s no point in putting these down because they won’t mean anything.
Don’t mention too many skills
If your resume is flooded with so many different skills that hiring managers can’t seem to figure out what you’re good at, then they might just pass on your candidacy and go for someone else.
Don’t treat skills as a fashion trend
This means that you should avoid listing skills simply because other applicants do the same; just because it seems like the popular thing to do or any other similar reason. Do your research carefully and find those unique opportunities which will help you immensely in getting ahead of the crowd.
How to Identify and Improve Your Best Skills for Resume?
Identifying and improving your best skills for a resume is an ongoing process that requires self-reflection and strategic development. The HIGH5 strengths assessment offers a solid foundation for this journey. By understanding your innate strengths, you can more effectively pinpoint which skills to highlight and develop further. For instance, if the assessment reveals ‘Empathy’ as a top strength, you might focus on enhancing your communication and conflict resolution skills. This strengths-based approach ensures that you’re not just matching job requirements, but also leveraging your natural talents to stand out. Regularly reassessing your strengths and skills allows you to keep your resume relevant and aligned with both your personal growth and evolving job market demands.
To identify such skills, you can take a look at the job description and see which skills are mentioned the most by managers. One of the best ways to organize your resume is to create an effective ‘Skills Section’ that will showcase your top qualifications and experience.
Keeping it short is key: Don’t make this section go on for pages and pages, try to keep it brief and include only those skills that you’re 100% sure about.
Pro Tip: Use bullet points: This way you’ll be able to highlight your core abilities more appealingly compared to using large blocks of texts.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Create a personal development plan based on your HIGH5 strengths. For each strength, identify related skills that are in high demand in your industry. Set specific goals to improve these skills, and track your progress. This proactive approach will ensure your resume always reflects your most current and valuable skillset.
Differences Between Hard Skills vs Soft Skills
To explain the differences between soft skills and hard skills, we will start off with a quick definition of soft skills. Soft skills are about how you work with others and hard skills are about what you can do. In practical terms, this means that soft skills focus on how you work and hard skills focus on what tools and knowledge you have that allow you to do your job.
For example, if I am a teacher then my soft skills would include things like patience, empathy, kindness, and understanding. This is because these traits are essential for teachers who engage with students every day.
As a teacher, I’d also need good communication and listening skills so I can solve any disputes or misunderstandings without losing my temper or looking silly. But once it comes to the hard skills – the things I know – we come back to more traditional ideas of what makes someone employable: typing, data entry, working with presentations, etc.
What are Examples of Soft Skills for a Resume?
Communication skills
The ability to communicate effectively is a vital soft skill required in most jobs. Communication skills are important because they help you get your message across to other people and they also help others understand what you’re saying.
After all, no matter how good you think your ideas might be, if no one can understand them then it doesn’t do much good. As well as improving communication within teams and organizations, communication skills also benefit interpersonal relationships which means that most employers want their employees to have them too.
This is why communication skills are almost always listed in job advertisements and at the top of every resume and CV.
Teamwork skills
When working together with team members, each person needs to trust each other so they can rely on each other. Otherwise, the work becomes very difficult and stressful.
Teamwork is necessary for workplaces because groups of people can often get more things done than individuals working alone all the time. Also, some jobs just wouldn’t be possible without team effort which means that most employers highly value this soft skill.
Problem-Solving & Decision-Making Abilities
Problem-solving abilities allow you to think your way out of a tough situation while decision-making skills help you choose between several different options when faced with a new challenge or problem.
For employees to feel confident, employers need them to know how to make decisions so they trust the people they’ve hired to act responsibly. No matter what you do or what your job is, it’s likely that problem-solving and decision-making skills are important for success in any position.
If not, then employers should still want their employees to have these soft skills because both of them help everyone feel better about themselves and more capable overall.
Flexibility
Flexibility means being able to adapt easily when things change unexpectedly. Chances are that most jobs require a certain amount of flexibility from employees since situations arise all the time which demand new strategies and actions.
This is why employers value this skill so highly because if their staff can’t handle unexpected changes then none of them are prepared for the future.
Leadership Abilities
Being able to lead other people is an important skill in most workplaces because it enables you to guide others towards a common goal or solve problems together as a team.
People who are good at leading others usually earn respect from their peers and that makes them valuable assets within companies, departments, and teams. Employers value this soft skill so highly because everyone knows how difficult it can be to manage other people effectively.
Even if you don’t plan on managing anyone else, chances are that your input will be sought out by someone throughout your career; this means having leadership skills might result in more opportunities, incentives, and rewards compared to those that don’t have such skills.
What are Examples of Technical or Hard Skills to Put on Your Resume?
Proficiency with Microsoft Office
Having a good working knowledge of popular programs like MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is always nice to have since most people use them daily. This means that if you can do the basics (as well as some advanced stuff) then you’ll stand out from those who have no idea how to handle these types of programs.
Proficiency with basic computer applications is one of those job skills that employers usually look for as soon as they post the position online so it’s better to be prepared.
Proficiency with Accounting & Spreadsheets
If you have a financial background or if you’ve worked with any type of spreadsheet program before then you’re probably fine but for those who haven’t had any formal training, proficiency with accounting and spreadsheets will help separate you from the crowd.
This is why it’s important to familiarize yourself with this type of software because chances are that it’ll come in handy at some point during your career. This means not only should you study these types of programs extensively but also make sure to highlight them on your resume whenever possible.
Proficiency with Database Management Systems (DM)
Some employers like to ask applicants questions related to database management systems (DM) and other types of applications that track data. It gives them an idea about your work ethic and your attention to detail.
Applications like these can help you keep track of things more efficiently and they’re also pretty popular in most corporations today so it’s a good idea to learn how to use them.
Proficiency with Mobile Technologies & Applications
Being able to manage mobile devices properly is essential because chances are that you’ll have one or two at some point during your career. As such, it’s best to get familiar with them sooner than later.
This means you should get an understanding of new technologies because this is another skill that employers usually look for on resumes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Key Skills to put in a CV
What are Computer Skills to put on a Resume?
Computer skills are very important because most job advertisements stipulate them as requirements. They include anything related to the use of computer hardware and software, programming, web development, fixing computers, or using them for any other purpose (e.g., social media management).
How Do You List Skills on a Resume?
Keeping the following in mind will allow you to avoid most errors that are commonly made when writing skills on a resume. Remember to use action verbs when describing your skills. Also, don’t be vague and only list the most important ones if there are more than two of them.
What Are Skills To Put On A Resume For Retail?
When applying for a retail job, the skills you should put down on your resume are those related to dealing with people.
These can include anything from sales, customer service, and cashiering to merchandising, inventory control, and hiring.
What Are Skills To Put On a Resume With No Experience?
If you don’t have any real-world experience, the skills that you should put down on a resume are those that don’t require such experience, such as online skills, and academic grades. Online skills should be the ones related to social media because nowadays they’re very important for any type of job.
Additionally, you can add relevant coursework and projects to demonstrate your ability to conduct research and come up with creative solutions respectively.
Overall Conclusion
In conclusion, listing skills on a resume is one of the best ways to let hiring managers know what you’ve got to offer. If done correctly, it will show them that you’re qualified for this particular position and how the job requirements relate to the skills mentioned.
This way they’ll be able to understand why you’re the right person for the job even if your experience is lacking some aspects. By using the examples above as a guide, there won’t be any more confusion about how you will use your skills in your new position – these examples will make everything crystal clear.
