Best Skills to Put on a Resume in 2026: 50+ Examples for Every Job

Your work experience tells employers where you’ve worked.

Your skills tell them what you can actually do.

That’s why choosing the right skills to put on a resume can make a significant difference in how clearly recruiters understand your qualifications.

But simply adding a long list of popular skills isn’t enough.

“Communication.”

“Leadership.”

“Microsoft Office.”

“Problem-solving.”

You’ve probably seen these on thousands of resumes.

The problem isn’t necessarily that these skills are bad. The problem is that a generic skills list provides little evidence that you’re particularly well suited to the position.

A stronger resume identifies the skills that matter most for the specific job and then supports those abilities through your professional experience, achievements, projects, education, or certifications.

Your skills section should therefore answer an important question:

What can I do that is relevant to this employer?

In this guide, you’ll learn how to choose resume skills, understand the difference between hard and soft skills, identify skills from a job description, organize your skills section, and use more than 50 examples across different careers.

What Are the Best Skills to Put on a Resume?

The best resume skills are the abilities that are both relevant to the position and genuinely supported by your experience.

Depending on the job, these might include:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Project management
• Leadership
• Data analysis
• Customer service
• Time management
• Microsoft Excel
• Digital marketing
• Sales
• Programming
• Research
• Teamwork
• Writing
• Negotiation

There isn’t one universal list that works for every candidate.

A software developer, accountant, salesperson, designer, and customer-service representative should not have identical skills sections.

Current resume guidance recommends reviewing the job description and prioritizing relevant skills you actually possess.

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Hard Skills vs Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?

Resume skills are commonly divided into two broad categories.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are technical or specialized abilities that can usually be learned and demonstrated.

Examples include:

• Python
• JavaScript
• Microsoft Excel
• SQL
• Financial analysis
• Google Analytics
• WordPress
• Adobe Photoshop
• Bookkeeping
• SEO

Soft Skills

Soft skills describe how you work and interact with other people.

Examples include:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Conflict resolution

Current career guidance generally recommends showing a combination of technical and workplace skills when they’re relevant to the position.

Quick Comparison

Neither category is automatically more important.

The right balance depends on the position.

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50+ Good Skills to Put on a Resume

Here are examples you can use to identify relevant skills for your own resume.

Communication Skills

• Written communication
• Verbal communication
• Presentation
• Public speaking
• Active listening
• Business writing
• Client communication
• Negotiation
• Cross-functional communication

Leadership Skills

• Team leadership
• Delegation
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Decision-making
• Conflict resolution
• Performance management
• Strategic planning

Organizational Skills

• Time management
• Scheduling
• Prioritization
• Documentation
• Workflow management
• Deadline management
• Attention to detail
• Multitasking

Analytical Skills

• Data analysis
• Research
• Critical thinking
• Reporting
• Forecasting
• Problem-solving
• Data visualization
• Statistical analysis

Customer Service Skills

• Customer relationship management
• Complaint resolution
• Customer retention
• CRM software
• Account management
• Customer onboarding
• Technical support
• Client communication

Marketing Skills

• Search engine optimization
• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Keyword research
• Copywriting
• Google Analytics
• Campaign management
• Marketing analytics

Technology Skills

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Google Workspace
• SQL
• Python
• JavaScript
• WordPress
• HTML
• CSS
• Git
• CRM platforms
• Project-management software

Project Management Skills

• Project planning
• Risk management
• Budget management
• Stakeholder communication
• Agile methodologies
• Resource allocation
• Project scheduling
• Team coordination

You should not copy all of these into one resume.

Choose only the skills that accurately reflect your abilities and match the job you’re pursuing.

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How Many Skills Should You Put on a Resume?

There is no perfect number for every candidate.

However, your skills section should be selective rather than exhaustive.

A focused list of approximately 6–10 highly relevant skills can often be more useful than a huge collection of everything you’ve ever learned. Indeed’s current guidance similarly recommends prioritizing roughly six to ten relevant skills.

Consider:

• Your profession
• Experience level
• Available resume space
• Job requirements
• Number of technical skills required

A developer may need a larger technical-skills section than someone applying for a general administrative role.

The key principle is relevance over quantity.

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How to Choose Skills for Your Resume in 7 Steps

1. Read the Job Description

Don’t start with your resume.

Start with the vacancy.

Identify skills appearing in:

• Responsibilities
• Requirements
• Preferred qualifications
• Tools and technologies
• Company expectations

Suppose a job advertisement repeatedly mentions:

• Project management
• Client communication
• Excel
• Reporting
• Budget management

Those skills are probably important.

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2. Create Your Master Skills List

Now create a separate list containing everything you can genuinely do.

For example:

Technical

• Excel
• WordPress
• Google Analytics
• SEO
• HTML
• CSS

Professional

• Project management
• Customer service
• Reporting
• Content management

Interpersonal

• Communication
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Negotiation

This is your master list—not necessarily what you’ll put on every resume.

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3. Find the Overlap

Compare:

What the employer needs

with:

What you genuinely know

The overlap contains your strongest resume skills.

For example:

This prevents you from blindly copying job-description keywords.

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4. Prioritize the Most Important Skills

Don’t bury the strongest qualification at the bottom.

If the employer repeatedly asks for SQL and you have strong SQL experience, make it easy to find.

The same principle applies to:

• Languages
• Software
• Certifications
• Industry knowledge
• Management abilities

Recruiters shouldn’t have to search your entire resume to determine whether you possess a core requirement.

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5. Use Specific Skill Names

Avoid:

Computer skills

Use:

Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Google Workspace

Avoid:

Programming

Use:

JavaScript, Python, PHP

Avoid:

Design software

Use:

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma

Specificity makes your abilities easier to understand. Current resume guidance similarly recommends replacing broad labels with the exact tools or competencies you know.

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6. Use Accurate Job-Description Keywords

Suppose a vacancy repeatedly uses the phrase:

Project Management

and your resume says:

Coordinating Projects

If project management accurately describes your experience, using the employer’s terminology can improve clarity.

This is also useful for ATS processing because relevant keywords help systems and recruiters identify alignment between the application and vacancy.

But never manipulate your resume by adding skills you don’t possess.

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7. Support Skills With Evidence

A skills section says:

Project Management

Your experience should ideally prove it:

Coordinated eight simultaneous client projects and maintained a 96% on-time delivery rate.

The second statement makes the first more credible.

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Where Should Skills Go on a Resume?

Your skills can appear in several places.

Dedicated Skills Section

Example:

Core Skills

• Project Management
• Microsoft Excel
• Data Analysis
• Reporting
• Stakeholder Communication
• Budget Management

Professional Summary

Example:

Project coordinator with four years of experience in project planning, client communication, reporting, and cross-functional team coordination.

Work Experience

Example:

Built automated Excel reporting dashboards that reduced monthly reporting preparation time by six hours.

Projects

Projects can demonstrate technical skills particularly well.

For example:

Built a WordPress e-commerce website using WooCommerce, custom CSS, and payment-gateway integrations.

Skills are often strongest when they’re demonstrated across the resume rather than isolated in one list.

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Best Soft Skills to Put on a Resume

Soft skills are useful, but simply listing them can be weak.

Consider these common examples:

Communication

Useful for roles involving:

• Clients
• Teams
• Sales
• Management
• Presentations

Problem-Solving

Valuable across almost every profession.

Leadership

Important for managers, supervisors, project leads, and professionals taking ownership.

Adaptability

Useful in changing environments.

Teamwork

Important when work depends on collaboration.

Time Management

Particularly useful for deadline-driven positions.

Critical Thinking

Relevant for analytical and decision-making roles.

Attention to Detail

Important in areas such as finance, administration, quality assurance, and data work.

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How to Prove Soft Skills

Instead of only writing:

Leadership

show:

Led a six-person team responsible for delivering three simultaneous client projects.

Instead of:

Communication

show:

Presented monthly performance reports to senior management and client stakeholders.

Instead of:

Problem-solving

show:

Identified and corrected a workflow bottleneck that reduced average processing time by 22%.

Evidence turns a generic skill into a professional achievement.

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Best Technical Skills to Put on a Resume

Technical skills depend heavily on your profession.

Technology

• Python
• JavaScript
• Java
• PHP
• SQL
• HTML
• CSS
• Git
• Cloud platforms
• Database management

Digital Marketing

• SEO
• Google Analytics
• Google Ads
• Email marketing
• Content management
• Keyword research
• Conversion optimization

Design

• Adobe Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Figma
• UX research
• Prototyping
• UI design

Finance and Accounting

• Financial analysis
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Bookkeeping
• Excel
• Financial reporting

Administration

• Microsoft Office
• Excel
• Calendar management
• Data entry
• Document management
• CRM systems

Technical skills should be as specific as reasonably possible.

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Skills to Put on a Resume With No Experience

If you’re applying for your first job, don’t assume you have nothing to offer.

Skills can come from:

• Education
• University projects
• Volunteer work
• Personal projects
• Internships
• Clubs
• Freelancing
• Courses

For example, a graduate might include:

• Microsoft Excel
• Research
• Presentation
• Data analysis
• Written communication
• Teamwork
• Project coordination

Then demonstrate those skills through academic or personal projects where possible.

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Skills to Put on a Resume for a Career Change

Career changers should focus heavily on transferable skills.

Suppose you’re moving from teaching into corporate training.

Transferable skills may include:

• Presentation
• Curriculum development
• Coaching
• Communication
• Performance evaluation
• Facilitation

Moving from retail into sales?

Consider:

• Customer communication
• Product knowledge
• Relationship building
• Sales
• Conflict resolution
• Upselling

Your previous job title may be different, but many abilities can remain valuable.

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Skills to Put on a Resume for Remote Jobs

Remote positions may value evidence of:

• Written communication
• Time management
• Independent work
• Digital collaboration
• Organization
• Video conferencing
• Project-management tools
• Documentation

Don’t simply write:

Remote work

Show evidence.

For example:

Coordinated projects across a fully remote five-person team using Slack, Zoom, and project-management software.

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Resume Skills Examples by Job

Customer Service Representative

• Customer service
• CRM
• Conflict resolution
• Written communication
• Customer retention
• Problem-solving
• Account management

Project Manager

• Project planning
• Budget management
• Risk management
• Stakeholder communication
• Team leadership
• Agile
• Reporting

Digital Marketer

• SEO
• Google Analytics
• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Keyword research
• Social media
• Campaign optimization

Software Developer

• JavaScript
• Python
• Git
• SQL
• API integration
• Testing
• Debugging
• Problem-solving

Administrative Assistant

• Microsoft Office
• Calendar management
• Scheduling
• Data entry
• Document management
• Written communication
• Organization

Sales Representative

• Lead generation
• CRM
• Negotiation
• Prospecting
• Relationship management
• Sales presentations
• Closing

Accountant

• Financial reporting
• Excel
• Bookkeeping
• Budgeting
• Reconciliation
• Financial analysis
• Accounting software

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How to Write a Resume Skills Section

A simple format is usually enough.

Example 1: Simple Skills Section

Skills

• Project Management
• Microsoft Excel
• Data Analysis
• Budget Management
• Client Communication
• Reporting
• Team Leadership

Example 2: Grouped Skills

Technical Skills: Excel, SQL, Power BI, Google Analytics

Project Management: Planning, Risk Management, Agile, Stakeholder Communication

Professional Skills: Reporting, Presentation, Team Leadership

Grouping can make a longer technical list easier to scan.

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Should You Include Skill Levels?

Sometimes.

Proficiency labels can be useful for:

• Languages
• Programming languages
• Specialized software
• Technical tools

For example:

Spanish — Professional working proficiency

Excel — Advanced

However, avoid meaningless visual ratings such as:

Leadership ●●●●○

What does four circles of leadership actually mean?

When possible, provide evidence instead.

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Resume Skills and ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems are frequently misunderstood.

You shouldn’t write your resume for software at the expense of human readability.

Instead:

1. Read the job description.
2. Identify relevant terminology.
3. Include those terms where accurate.
4. Use standard section headings.
5. Keep formatting understandable.
6. Write naturally.

The goal is alignment—not keyword stuffing.

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Don’t Stuff Your Resume With Keywords

This:

SEO, SEO marketing, SEO strategy, SEO optimization, SEO content, SEO keyword research…

doesn’t make you appear more qualified.

Instead:

SEO: Keyword research, on-page optimization, technical audits, content optimization, Google Search Console

Then demonstrate results in your experience.

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Skills You Should Avoid Putting on Your Resume

Some skills add very little value because they’re too vague, outdated, irrelevant, or expected.

Be cautious with:

Basic Computer Skills

For many office positions, basic computer use is assumed.

Internet

Usually unnecessary.

Email

Unless email marketing or administration is specifically relevant.

Hard Worker

That’s a claim rather than a specific competency.

Nice

Not a professional skill.

Everything You Have Ever Learned

A resume isn’t an inventory.

Keep it relevant.

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Never Lie About Skills

Suppose the vacancy requires advanced Excel.

You have only opened Excel a few times.

Don’t write:

Advanced Excel

You may be tested during the hiring process.

False claims can damage your credibility.

A missing skill can sometimes be learned.

Lost trust is much harder to repair.

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Should You Put AI Skills on Your Resume in 2026?

If AI tools are genuinely relevant to your profession and you can demonstrate practical ability, they can be worth including.

But avoid simply writing:

AI

That’s too broad.

Be specific about what you actually do.

Depending on your profession, that might involve:

• AI-assisted data analysis
• AI-supported research workflows
• Prompt development
• Workflow automation
• AI-assisted content processes
• Specific AI platforms

Most importantly, connect the tool to a business outcome.

For example:

Developed an AI-assisted research workflow that reduced initial research preparation time.

Don’t claim expertise based solely on occasional tool usage.

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Common Resume Skills Mistakes

1. Listing Too Many Skills

More isn’t automatically better.

2. Using the Same Skills for Every Application

Priorities change between jobs.

3. Listing Skills Without Evidence

Support important abilities through experience.

4. Including Irrelevant Skills

Your resume has limited space.

5. Being Too Vague

Use specific terminology.

6. Lying About Proficiency

Employers may test you.

7. Forgetting Transferable Skills

This is especially problematic for career changers.

8. Keyword Stuffing

Write for humans as well as systems.

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A 10-Minute Resume Skills Audit

Use this before your next application.

Minutes 1–2: Read the Vacancy

Identify the main skills.

Minutes 3–4: Compare Your Skills

Mark the requirements you genuinely meet.

Minutes 5–6: Update the Skills Section

Prioritize the strongest matches.

Minutes 7–8: Add Evidence

Check whether your work experience demonstrates those skills.

Minute 9: Remove Irrelevant Skills

Delete anything that distracts from your positioning.

Minute 10: Proofread

Check terminology and accuracy.

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Resume Skills Checklist

Before submitting your resume, ask:

Relevance

✅ Are my skills relevant to this position?

✅ Have I prioritized the most important ones?

Accuracy

✅ Can I genuinely perform every skill listed?

✅ Are my proficiency levels accurate?

Evidence

✅ Does my experience demonstrate my strongest skills?

✅ Have I included results where possible?

Keywords

✅ Am I using appropriate terminology from the vacancy?

✅ Have I avoided keyword stuffing?

Presentation

✅ Is the section easy to scan?

✅ Are technical skills clearly named?

If you can answer yes to these questions, your skills section is probably doing its job.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Skills to Put on a Resume

1. What are the best skills to put on a resume?

The best skills are those that match the position and accurately represent your abilities. They can include technical skills such as Excel, SQL, SEO, or programming and workplace skills such as communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

2. How many skills should I put on my resume?

There is no universal number, but a focused selection of approximately six to ten highly relevant skills is often sufficient for a dedicated skills section. Technical professions may require more.

3. Should I include soft skills on my resume?

Yes, when they’re relevant. However, soft skills become more credible when you demonstrate them through achievements and work experience.

4. What are hard skills on a resume?

Hard skills are technical or specialized abilities such as programming, accounting, data analysis, SEO, graphic design, or software proficiency.

5. What are soft skills on a resume?

Soft skills describe how you work and interact with others. Examples include communication, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, and critical thinking.

6. Where should I put skills on my resume?

You can include a dedicated skills section and reinforce important abilities in your professional summary, work experience, and projects.

7. Should I copy skills from the job description?

Only use skills from the job description when you genuinely possess them. Matching accurate terminology can improve relevance, but copying qualifications you don’t have is misleading.

8. Should I list Microsoft Office on my resume?

Include it when it’s relevant to the position, particularly if the employer specifically requests particular applications. Being specific—such as Excel or PowerPoint—is often more useful than simply saying Microsoft Office.

9. What skills should I put on a resume with no experience?

Consider skills developed through education, projects, volunteering, internships, freelancing, and extracurricular activities. Focus on those relevant to the target position.

10. What skills should career changers put on a resume?

Career changers should emphasize transferable skills from previous experience as well as new technical abilities relevant to the target profession.

11. Should I put communication skills on my resume?

You can, particularly when communication is important to the role. Strengthen the claim by demonstrating communication through presentations, client management, team leadership, or similar achievements.

12. Should I include AI skills on my resume?

Include AI-related abilities when they’re relevant to your target role and you can explain how you’ve used them practically. Avoid using “AI” as a vague standalone skill.

13. Should I include skill proficiency levels?

They can be useful for languages and certain technical abilities. Make sure the levels are meaningful and accurate.

14. Can resume skills help with ATS?

Relevant skill terminology can help an ATS and recruiters identify alignment with a job description. However, avoid keyword stuffing and never add skills you don’t possess.

15. What is the biggest mistake when listing resume skills?

One of the biggest mistakes is creating a generic list of popular skills without considering the target position or demonstrating evidence that you actually possess them.

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Final Thoughts

Choosing the best skills to put on a resume isn’t about finding a magical list of words that guarantees an interview.

It’s about relevance.

Start with the position you’re targeting.

Read the job description carefully and identify the technical abilities, tools, workplace skills, and knowledge the employer considers important.

Then compare those requirements with what you can genuinely do.

The overlap is where your strongest resume skills are found.

Prioritize those skills.

Name them specifically.

And whenever possible, prove them.

Don’t simply tell an employer that you’re a strong leader. Show where you led a team.

Don’t simply claim you’re good at problem-solving. Describe a problem you solved and the result.

Don’t simply write “data analysis.” Show how you used data to improve a decision, process, campaign, or business outcome.

Your skills section is valuable, but it shouldn’t work alone.

Your professional summary should reinforce your specialization. Your work experience should demonstrate your capabilities. Your projects should provide additional evidence, particularly if you’re early in your career or changing professions.

And your skills should change in priority depending on the opportunity.

You may have 30 legitimate professional skills.

That doesn’t mean all 30 belong on every resume.

The strongest resume is selective.

It tells the employer:

These are the abilities I have that matter for the job you’re trying to fill—and here’s the evidence that I can use them effectively.