Skills sections can make or break your resume—they're what ATS systems scan and what recruiters look for first. Here are answers to 15 frequently asked questions about resume skills.
Key Takeaways
TL;DR
Craft a strategic skills section that aligns precisely with job requirements by balancing hard and soft skills. Prioritize industry-specific keywords and focus on demonstrable abilities that can be validated during an interview. Quantify your expertise by highlighting specific tools, certifications, and measurable achievements that set you apart from other candidates. Tailor your skills to each application, emphasizing unique professional value and technical proficiencies.
- Match skills to the job posting. Include keywords from the job description.
- Balance hard and soft skills. Technical abilities plus interpersonal competencies.
- Be specific and honest. Only list skills you can demonstrate in an interview.
What are some general skills questions about resumes?
What skills should I put on my resume?
Focus on skills directly matching the job description, balancing hard technical skills and soft interpersonal capabilities. Prioritize quantifiable abilities like specific software (Tableau, Python), industry certifications, and measurable achievements. Target 4-6 skills that demonstrate your unique professional value and align precisely with employer requirements.
Include skills that directly match the job requirements. Start with the job posting—identify required and preferred skills, then list those you genuinely possess. Combine technical/hard skills (software, tools, certifications) with soft skills (communication, leadership, problem-solving). Prioritize skills mentioned most frequently in the posting.
How many skills should I list on my resume?
List 6-8 core skills that directly match the job description, prioritizing hard skills over soft skills. Focus on technical abilities, certifications, and measurable expertise recruiters can quickly validate. Tailor your skills section to each application, using keywords from the specific job posting to maximize ATS compatibility.
List 8-15 skills in a dedicated skills section. Quality matters more than quantity—every skill should be relevant to your target role. If using a skills-based resume format, you might highlight 5-6 skill categories with supporting evidence for each.
What's the difference between hard and soft skills?
Hard skills are technical, measurable abilities learned through training, while soft skills are interpersonal traits that define workplace interactions. Technical skills like coding or accounting are quantifiable, whereas soft skills like communication and leadership are more nuanced and transferable across roles.
Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities: programming languages, software proficiency, certifications, foreign languages, technical expertise. Soft skills are interpersonal qualities: communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, leadership. Most roles require both—hard skills get you considered, soft skills get you hired.
Should I include soft skills on my resume?
Soft skills should be strategically integrated through concrete achievements, not listed as generic traits. Highlight collaboration, communication, and leadership by showcasing specific outcomes, like "Led cross-functional team that reduced project timelines by 22%" or "Mediated client negotiations resulting in $150K contract retention."
Yes, but demonstrate rather than just list them. Instead of listing "leadership," include a bullet point like "Led team of 8 engineers to deliver project 2 weeks early." Soft skills shown through accomplishments are more credible than soft skills merely claimed.
How do I list skills I'm still learning?
List skills you're learning in a dedicated "In Progress" or "Developing" section with specific proficiency levels. Include relevant coursework, online certifications, or training programs. Demonstrate commitment by naming the learning platform (Coursera, edX) and expected completion date.
Use honest proficiency indicators: "Proficient in Python; Learning JavaScript" or group by competency level (Advanced/Intermediate/Beginner). Only include skills you can discuss in an interview. For in-progress certifications, note "Expected completion: [date]."
What Specific Skills Questions Should I Ask?
Should I include Microsoft Office on my resume?
Microsoft Office skills are now considered baseline proficiency, not a distinctive resume differentiator. Instead, highlight advanced technical skills specific to your industry, such as data analysis in Excel, complex PowerPoint presentations, or professional-level Word document formatting. Focus on unique digital competencies that set you apart.
For most professional roles, basic Microsoft Office proficiency is assumed—listing it can seem dated. Exception: if the job specifically requires Excel expertise, list your level: "Advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros)" rather than generic "Microsoft Office." Include specialized software relevant to your field instead.
What computer skills should I put on my resume?
List computer skills directly relevant to your target job, prioritizing industry-standard software and technical proficiencies. Highlight specific tools like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Adobe Creative Suite, or coding languages (Python, JavaScript) that match job descriptions. Quantify skill levels as beginner, intermediate, or expert when possible.
Include software specific to your industry: for marketing, list analytics platforms (Google Analytics, HubSpot); for design, list creative tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma); for data roles, list analysis tools (SQL, Python, Tableau). General computer literacy is assumed—focus on specialized tools.
Should I include languages on my resume?
Include languages on your resume if they directly enhance your professional value for the target role. Bilingual or multilingual skills are particularly valuable in global companies, customer-facing positions, and industries like international business, translation, and diplomacy. Specify proficiency levels using standard frameworks like CEFR.
Yes, if you have professional proficiency. Use standard levels: Native, Fluent, Proficient, Conversational, Basic. Only include languages you could use professionally—claiming "Basic Spanish" from high school classes isn't valuable. Multiple languages are especially valuable for global companies and customer-facing roles.
How do I list certifications and skills?
Place certifications and skills in a dedicated section, prioritizing relevance to the specific job description. List industry-recognized credentials first, using official abbreviations and full names. Align skills with job requirements, emphasizing those directly matching the role's technical and soft skill needs.
Certifications can go in a dedicated "Certifications" section or within your Skills section. Format consistently: "PMP® (Project Management Institute, 2024)" or "AWS Solutions Architect – Associate." List the most relevant certifications prominently, and include credential IDs if applicable.
Should I include typing speed on my resume?
Exclude typing speed from your resume unless you're applying for administrative, data entry, or transcription roles. For most positions, employers prioritize substantive skills and achievements over mechanical metrics. Focus instead on demonstrating communication, software proficiency, and quantifiable workplace contributions.
Only for roles where typing speed matters: data entry, transcription, administrative assistant positions. If relevant, include specific metrics: "80 WPM with 98% accuracy." For most professional roles, typing speed is irrelevant and shouldn't be included.
How Should I Format Skills on My Resume?
Where should the skills section go on my resume?
Place your skills section strategically after your professional summary and before work experience. Modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan skills early, so positioning matters. Prioritize hard skills directly matching the job description, using exact keywords from the original posting.
For most candidates: after Professional Summary, before Work Experience. This placement ensures skills are visible immediately. Career changers and recent graduates may place Skills more prominently. Technical roles often benefit from a skills section near the top where keywords are immediately visible to ATS.
Should I use skill bars or ratings?
Avoid skill bars and ratings on professional resumes - they're subjective and lack credibility. Recruiters interpret self-assessed skills as unreliable. Instead, demonstrate proficiency through concrete achievements, specific tools mastered, and quantifiable results that objectively showcase your expertise.
Avoid visual skill ratings (bars, stars, percentages)—they're subjective and ATS systems can't read them. Instead, use text-based proficiency indicators if needed: "Advanced," "Proficient," "Familiar." Better yet, let your experience demonstrate your skill level.
How should I organize my skills section?
Organize skills by relevance to the target job, grouping technical skills, soft skills, and language proficiencies into distinct, scannable subsections. Prioritize the most critical skills for your industry near the top, using keywords directly from the job description. Aim for 6-9 total skills that precisely match employer needs.
Group skills by category for readability: "Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau | Project Management: Agile, Scrum, Jira | Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Fluent)." This helps recruiters quickly find what they're looking for and helps ATS properly categorize your abilities.
Should I customize my skills section for each job?
Absolutely customize your skills section for each job application to maximize ATS match rates and recruiter interest. Align your skills precisely with the job description, using exact keywords from the posting. This targeted approach increases your resume's relevance and signals you're a strategic, attentive candidate.
Yes. Prioritize skills that appear in the job posting—move them to the top of your list. Use the exact terminology from the job description (if they say "Microsoft Excel," don't write "MS Excel"). This customization improves ATS matching and shows recruiters you're a fit.
What skills should I NOT include on my resume?
Avoid listing generic soft skills like "communication" or basic computer skills like Microsoft Office on your professional resume. Instead, focus on role-specific technical skills, measurable achievements, and specialized certifications that directly demonstrate your professional capabilities and differentiate you from other candidates.
Avoid: outdated skills (Lotus Notes, Windows XP), obvious ones ("email," "internet"), soft skills listed without evidence, skills you can't demonstrate, and anything not relevant to the role. Each skill should strengthen your candidacy—irrelevant skills dilute your message.
Need help identifying your most marketable skills? Resume Geni's AI-powered builder analyzes job postings to suggest relevant skills.
What Related Resume Resources Should I Check?
- ATS Resume Formatting Guide
- Quantifying Resume Achievements
- Resume Keywords Optimization
- Professional Summary Examples
- Cover Letter Guide