Best Skills to Add in Your CV (Hard and Soft Skills)

The skills section is one of the first places recruiters and ATS software look. A well-chosen list shows you are a match, while a vague or bloated one wastes space.

Hard skills vs soft skills

Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities, such as using Excel, writing code or running audits. Soft skills describe how you work with people and handle situations, such as communication and problem solving. A strong CV shows both.

Examples of hard skills

• Data analysis and spreadsheets
• Project management tools such as Jira or Trello
• Programming languages and software
• Digital marketing, SEO and content writing
• Accounting, bookkeeping and financial reporting
• Foreign languages

Examples of soft skills

• Communication and active listening
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Time management and organization
• Adaptability and willingness to learn
• Problem solving and critical thinking
• Leadership and initiative

How to choose the right skills

• Read the job description and note repeated keywords
• Pick skills you genuinely have
• Prioritize the most relevant six to ten
• Use the same wording as the posting, for example Customer Relationship Management if that is the phrase used

Show skills, do not just list them

Listing teamwork has little impact. Show it in your experience section: Collaborated with a team of five designers and developers to launch a mobile app two weeks early. Your skills list says what you can do, and your bullet points prove it.

Where to put the skills section

If you are experienced, place it after your summary or below experience. If you are a student or changing careers, place it near the top.

Skills to avoid listing

• Basic skills everyone has, like Microsoft Word for most roles or using the internet
• Rating bars or percentages, which are subjective and not ATS friendly
• Skills that are irrelevant to the role