The 29 Essential Skills to Include on Your Resume

Of course, the skills you need to prioritize on your resume will depend on the function of your role, the industry in which you're working, and the company's mission. 

However, there are skills, both hard skills and soft skills, that are pretty much non-negotiable. As such, any job applicant looking for a new job should keep these skills in mind when revamping their resume in anticipation of their next job search. 

It's all about keeping your resume brief while communicating the most pertinent information. Here are the skills to consider to ensure that your resume leaves a lasting impression—an impression of excellence. 

Table of Contents

Peruse this list for the right skills to highlight in your resume, infuse them into your resume, and get your email inbox ready for those hiring managers and recruiters!

We split the best skills into two categories: soft skills (aka people skills) and hard skills. Let's explore what each set of skills entails. 

The Difference Between Hard Skills + Soft Skills

Hard Skills

Hard skills are usually gained through work experience, education, training, or getting certified in a specific field. On the other hand, soft skills are more about life experience, and you can develop them both in and outside of work.

Now, let's talk about how you use these skills. Hard skills are directly applied to your job tasks. They're the technical abilities and knowledge you've acquired and can implement.

Soft Skills

Soft skills, on the other hand, come into play indirectly and often complement your hard skills.

Think of them as those personal qualities and attributes that make you effective in the workplace. For instance, you might be a project manager who excels at communication or an operations associate with exceptional leadership qualities.

So, it's like this: hard skills are the specific abilities you've learned for your job, while soft skills are those personal qualities that make you shine and work well with others. They go hand in hand and contribute to your overall success in the professional world.

Top Soft Skills for Your Resume 

Soft skills are hard-to-define, innate skills that some people just "have," but others can grow and cultivate from within. Consider your interpersonal skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, etc.!

1. Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is an increasingly important soft skill in the workplace because some of the most toxic work environments don't prioritize it.

Here's an example. An employee named Tina dropped the ball on an important email. Once she realized she had done so, she immediately apologized to the client and received a proverbial "slap on the wrist" for doing so.

Problem solved, right? Not necessarily. Many workplaces solve small problems when they bubble up to the surface and cannot be ignored any longer.

Real problem-solving is getting to the root of things. It’s seeing the problems before they occur. In Tina’s case, maybe the real problem was inefficient communication between Tina and her boss. Maybe it was that Tina is responsible for too many job functions. 

Real problem-solving is creative and investigative. Real problem-solvers are dedicated to finding real, meaningful solutions that coincidentally stop other problems from happening, too. 

2. Critical Thinking Skills

Like problem-solving, critical thinking is often creative and forward-thinking. Those with advanced critical thinking skills will slow down to pay attention to what's happening instead of speedily heading to the next thing. They are thoughtful, mindful, and they are awake. 

In fact, critical thinkers are often also great problem-solvers. 

3. Flexibility

Flexibility describes an employee who can roll with the punches and remain unflappable in the face of stress. Flexibility is a highly-desired skill set—especially in the startup space, where things can change quickly. 

Be cognizant of job descriptions that use the word "flexible" as a required skill. Being "flexible" does not mean being available 24/7. It doesn't mean you will allow for mistreatment or that it's acceptable to work to the point of burnout. 

4. Communication Skills

Communication soft skills vary—and they're mostly about using your listening skills at first. 

Communication is listening, learning, gathering knowledge, and relaying it. Communication is being thoughtful with your words and actions (because non-verbal communication is also communication). 

Communication is in being organized, concise, and clear. Communication is extremely important, especially when it comes to remote work. It's knowing what can be an email, when to get on a video call, and what needs to be addressed in a meeting. 

Communication requires respect, adaptability, and an open mind. 

In short, communication is key on every level of a business—on every level of a career. In fact, according to ZipRecruiter, 91 percent of employers consider the ability to communicate effectively more important than a candidate's undergraduate major. 

5. Teamwork 

Ultimately, it takes a team to fix a large problem in the workplace. Whether the problem is organizational or personal, implementing a long-term solution will likely take more than one person. This is where teamwork comes into play.

A good problem-solver at work will also be a team player. Great teamwork requires just about every other element we have listed above. Good teamwork absolutely requires an open mind and apt listening skills. To work as a part of a team, you must be able to communicate effectively and follow directions.

In addition, a great team member can motivate others without being overbearing or domineering. She will be adept at both giving and receiving feedback throughout any process. She will also know when to praise and to point out forward areas of progress.

6. Organization Skills 

If you’ve ever worked with someone who is truly organized, you’ve lived the dream. Maybe you even felt a little jealous. The most organized folks never drop the ball.

Organizational skills are especially important when collaborating remotely. Your best organizer is a pro at scheduling, delegating, planning, prioritizing, and communicating. 

Organization skills will be crucial to highlight in a project manager resume. 

These kinds of skills may help with delegation, budgeting, people management, and calendar management. 

7. Creativity 

Creativity is another essential soft skill that comes into play more often than anyone realizes. Typically associated with creative roles (i.e., writing, design, performance arts), creativity can (and should!) be used whenever possible. 

Because many problems in the workplace can be nebulous, they call for creative solutions. Warning: creative solutions should not be mistaken for easy solutions.

Creative thinking is the ability to find a completely innovative way forward. Creative people bring unique perspectives, alternative solutions, and productive new directions to departments and companies.

8. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is more important than ever. 

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand both your emotions and the emotions of others around you. 

Those with high emotional intelligence can manage their emotions, communicate effectively with others, manage challenges, and empathize with those around them. 

Show emotional intelligence throughout your resume and your work. If you still feel unclear about how to show emotional intelligence on your resume, here are some ideas.  

Related Emotional Intelligence Skills:

9. Attention to Detail 

Everyone likes to write that they are detail-oriented in their resume, but what does that actually mean? 

Some recruiters and hiring managers have admitted that they are turned off when they see “attention to detail” in a resume, right next to a typo. When explaining your attention to detail, include examples of times when your sharp eye saved the day. 

10. Responsibility 

Responsibility, honesty, and transparency are all important elements of a great employee, but they can be difficult to pinpoint in an interview process. 

Responsibility means that you complete your tasks, you own your mistakes, and you learn and grow from your experiences every day. 

To show responsibility on your resume, you might include details about how you started as an entry-level employee at an organization and how you were increasingly entrusted with responsibilities.  

11. Time Management 

You could bundle this up with organizational soft skills, but here's why we don't. Some of the most organized people in the world spend a heck of a lot of time organizing. 

We need them. We do! However, someone who is great with time management can get the job done proficiently—all without missing a beat or wasting a moment. 

According to thousands of job postings from ZipRecruiter, time management skills are one of the most common qualifications requested in various industries, including nursing, executive assistants, and warehouse jobs.

Related Time Management Skills:

15. Self-Awareness

Have you ever worked with someone who seemingly had no idea of how rude they were? Have you ever had a boss who didn't seem to grasp that they were giving you too much work while complaining about having nothing to do? 

Self-awareness is a crucial skill in life and at work, so why do so many people seem to lack general self-awareness? 

Improve your self-awareness by keeping journals, asking yourself questions, asking questions of your coworkers, and actively listening to what's happening around you. Really listening and learning will light up endless opportunities for learning and growth in your career and in your personal life. 

16. Virtual Presence Etiquette

According to Adobe, virtual presence etiquette is a skill in high demand for various lucrative roles—from DEI professionals to digital marketers. 

As the world is leaning more toward remote work and virtual collaboration, it's crucial to master your digital etiquette. Much like you would maintain eye contact and use body language and mirroring in a meeting, it's important to translate these communications to your online meetings. 

Some tips to help elevate your virtual presence, per HBR, include:

17. Stress Management

How you manage stress and anxiety at work is also a skill set. Before diving into this skill set, let's acknowledge that no job should lead you to feel immediately stressed or burned out. Keep an eye on red flag interview questions around managing stressful situations—and decide if a constantly stressful work environment can work for you. 

Stress management as a skill is closer to prioritization, delegation, and time management. Your stress management skills will come into play during busy seasons at work, and in times when the workload is heavier than usual. Stress management is knowing when to ask for more support and when to divide and prioritize your tasks so that they can all be completed without working 24/7. 

Top Hard Skills for Your Resume 

Hard skills are the skills that need to be learned and mastered for a specific job. Hard skills can include anything from how to use Adobe Photoshop to how to use HTML to develop code. Consider your technical skills and skills you obtained via specific training.

1. Computer Software and Application Knowledge

Certain jobs will require very specific software knowledge—including programming, coding languages, and other developer tools.

Other jobs might require proficiency in design software, editing software, project management software, and the list goes on. 

When detailing your software and application knowledge, refer to the job description and relay the software and software suites you have used. If applicable, you can even include a proficiency level for each program. 

2. Design + Design Thinking

Design thinking is a term that describes the set of cognitive, strategic, and practical processes used to develop design concepts from their inception. 

Design thinking is crucial in graphic design and web design roles. However, it can be extremely useful in a startup environment, in marketing, branding, engineering, and advertising, too. 

Related Design-Thinking Skills:

3. Data Analysis

Data analysis is a high-earning skill because it dovetails creative thinking and mathematical prowess into one killer skill set.

For those who never identified as strictly left-brained or right-brained, data analysis combines soft skills like critical thinking and communication with hard skills like algebra and machine learning. 

Related Data Analysis + Data Management Skills:

4. Negotiation

Negotiation can be viewed as a soft skill or a hard skill. In this circumstance, we’re talking about the hard skill part of negotiation skills. This is the sort of negotiation used in sales, to broker a large deal, or to establish partnerships. 

Negotiation skills can absolutely be learned. We have a crash course that details some popular forms of negotiation used in business settings. 

Related Negotiation Skills:

5. Mathematics

Math skills are required in a variety of roles—especially within finance, business, engineering, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and technology. 

Some math skills include mathematical reasoning, number facility, deductive reasoning, and information ordering. If a job explicitly requires mathematical knowledge, it must be included in your resume. 

Related Mathematics Skills:

6. Project Management

Project management skills include all that aid in the ability to manage task flows and complete assignments.

Even when you’re not seeking a project management role, project management is a great skill set for a manager or for someone working alongside multiple individuals.

Those with project management skills, aside from being impeccably organized, often have a unique set of people skills that allows them to identify and delegate work for a positive and expedient outcome. 

Related Project Management Skills:

This article from ZipRecruiter details ten additional project management skills seen in thousands of job listings for lucrative PM positions. The skills include: 

7. Marketing

Marketing describes the selling and promoting of products and services. 

There are many marketing subdivisions, especially regarding search engine optimization (SEO), digital marketing, social media marketing, and paid advertising. 

When including marketing skills in your resumes, especially for a marketing role, be sure to use specificity in your area of expertise—whether it’s print marketing, digital marketing, marketing for hospitality brands, or marketing to a certain demographic or customer base. 

8. Administrative Skills

Virtually every job has some administrative aspect to it, even if it isn’t explicitly an administrative role. 

Administrative skills involve all of your day-to-day work—including organizing, planning, managing a calendar, making priority-based lists, writing emails, and maintaining up-to-date records. Other ways to demonstrate administrative skills include mentioning proficiency in software like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Google's Office Suite. 

Related Administrative Skills:

For even more administrative keywords and skills, check out this article from ZipRecruiter. 

9. Writing Skills

Writing is an extension of communication. As such, it’s an important skill in the increasingly-remote workplace. Even if you’re not looking for a writing job, writing is still important in client-facing roles, when creating presentations, and in everyday correspondence. 

Writing skills, grammar, and clear communication are crucial to every role. 

Related Writing Skills:

10. Foreign Language

Being bilingual or multilingual can open a candidate up to a myriad of positions that require a deep knowledge of more than one language. 

In fact, if you do speak, understand, or write in several languages, you should always include that ability in your resume. It might open an opportunity you never considered or edge you out over another closely-competing candidate for a job position. 

Related Foreign Language Skills:

 

11. Customer Service Skills 

Why didn't we list this under soft skills? Have you dealt with an angry customer before? Customer service skills vary from industry to industry. As such, this skill set needs to have nuanced differences. 

For example, a customer support agent for JetBlue, working through a huge blizzard on December 23rd, is going to call for a much different approach than a customer service agent for a retail clothing company. 

These specific skills include active listening, patience, flexible problem-solving, and, quite frankly, de-escalation techniques. 

Related Customer Service Skills:

12. Leadership Skills

While some folks seem to be born leaders, most effective leaders are molded through observation, trial, and error. Your best leaders have suffered terrible managers. As a result, they took their experiences to ensure that their employees would never endure bad leadership. 

Leadership is an umbrella skill, with many skills to be mastered within its protection. Great leaders are expert communicators who delegate tasks so that every team member works to their own strengths. 

Related Leadership Skills: 

We also love this blog article from ZipRecruiter on the top skills that make a good leader. 

How to Add Your Skills to Your Resume 

If you've identified your best skills, then it's time to add them to your resume. Instead of listing your skills in a box on the right margin, make sure to work them in, according to the context of your experience. 

Here are a few ways to add your skills to your resume—without having to add a lifeless list of skills that just hangs out in some free real estate on the side of your resume. 

1. Always Start at the Job Description 

You might not want to hear it, but it's true. It's always best to tailor your resume to the job you're applying to. This doesn't mean rewriting your resume every time you apply for a new job. 

Lucky for you, most job ads provide a look into the talents and top skills you should be prioritizing in your resume. 

Refer to the job description for a cheat sheet of the types of skills they're looking for in job applicants. Highlight those keywords and infuse them into your resume. 

Aside from impressing the human who reads your resume, this will also get some robot attention. That's correct, by echoing some of the keywords listed in the job description, you are also allowing your resume to be positively flagged by applicant tracking systems.

This is especially advantageous when applying to a position at a larger company—and thus, competing with many applicants! 

2. Insert Key Skills Within Your Experience Section 

When listing previous experience, consider adding relevant skills to your work experience section. This is a great way to lend life to your skills—without adding a resume skills section. 

For example, if you were a Customer Success Agent at a software company, you might list it like this:

3. Make a "Living List" of Skills 

Unlike a bulleted skills section of your resume that is detached from everything else, try a living list of skills.

A living list of skills provides a line of context that relates to your work experience, tech skills, or achievements. 

If you have the room in your resume, list your best skills with an accompanying line that describes the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Here's an example of how they differ. 

Basic List: 

Living List: 

This expansion of the skills list shows a recruiter or a hiring manager the why or the how in addition to the what. Whenever you can use real-life examples to fill in the blanks on a resume, do it.

It shows how resourceful you are (which, incidentally, is one of our favorite soft skills).

4. Introduce Your Skills in a Resume Summary or Resume Headline

There are fierce debates on what to include and what to leave out of a resume. Here at Career Contessa, we love anything that can serve as a shortcut while providing context—especially regarding your resume. 

Here's the deal. You have one page (or one and a half pages) to communicate your qualifications, experience, and proficiency. At best, this is going to take a little editing to pull off without leaving huge gaps about who you are as an employee. 

That is exactly why we love a resume headline, a resume objective, or a resume summary. It's like a sneak preview of what's to come. Consider including some of your key skills in the headline or summary, which often appears at the top of your resume, just underneath your name and contact information. 

Show your value, clarity, and your unique selling point. 

Here are a few examples of resume headlines that show and tell what skills a recruiter can expect from you: 

Looking for some resume templates to get started? Get started on your resume right now!