Skills to Put on a Resume in 2026
The skills section does two jobs. For the recruiter searching an applicant tracking system, it is a block of matchable nouns: tools, languages, platforms, certifications. For the hiring manager skimming the page, it is a quick read of whether you speak the team's language. It does neither job when it is a list of adjectives ("communication, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork"), which is what most skills sections are. This guide covers what to include, how to group it, where soft skills actually belong, and example sections by role.
Hard Skills Go in the List
Hard skills are the nouns a recruiter can search for and an interviewer can test: software, programming languages, platforms, methodologies, certifications, languages spoken, equipment, regulations. These belong in the skills section, grouped by category so the list reads as considered.
Skills Languages: Python, SQL, JavaScript, TypeScript Frameworks: React, Node, FastAPI, Django Cloud and tools: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), Docker, Terraform, GitHub Actions Data: PostgreSQL, Redis, dbt, Tableau
Soft Skills Go in the Bullets
Communication, leadership, teamwork, adaptability and problem-solving are real and employers want them. They are not evidenced by listing them. A recruiter does not search for "team player" and a hiring manager does not believe it. Each is demonstrated by a bullet in which it was used:
- Communication: "Presented the quarterly risk review to the board for two years."
- Leadership: "Led a 12-person team through a platform migration with zero attrition."
- Problem-solving: "Diagnosed the intermittent checkout failure that had persisted for three months; root cause was a race condition in the cart service."
Delete the soft-skill list and use the space for one more tool.
How Many Skills
Enough to cover the posting's requirements you genuinely meet, typically ten to twenty items across three to five categories. Beyond that the list reads as a dump and dilutes the important terms. Include only what you could be interviewed on today; a tool from one project four years ago is not a skill.
Match the Posting's Words
Read the posting and use its terms. If it says "Google Analytics 4", write "Google Analytics 4", not "GA". If it says "project management", include the phrase, not only "PMP". Applicant tracking systems match terms and common variants, but not reliably, so the exact phrasing for the important requirements is safest. The keyword guide explains why a skill that also appears inside an experience bullet outweighs one that appears only in the list.
No Rating Bars, No Percentages
Skill bars, star ratings and "Python 90%" tell the reader nothing verifiable and parse badly. If you need to signal depth, do it with a bullet that shows the skill at scale, or with a certification.
Where to Put the Section
For most professionals: after Experience and Education, near the bottom, as a compact block. For technical roles and career changers: just under the summary, so the tools are visible in the first ten seconds. Either is fine; keep it short wherever it goes.
Examples by Role
Software engineer:
Languages: Go, Python, TypeScript · Frameworks: React, gRPC, Django · Infrastructure: AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, Datadog · Data: PostgreSQL, Kafka, Redis
Marketing manager:
Channels: paid social, paid search, SEO, email, ABM · Platforms: HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Ads, Meta Ads, GA4, Semrush · Analytics: Looker, Excel, SQL (basic)
Financial analyst:
Modelling: three-statement, DCF, scenario and sensitivity · Systems: NetSuite, Anaplan, Adaptive, SAP · Tools: Excel (Power Query, VBA), SQL, Tableau, Power BI · Standards: US GAAP
Registered nurse:
EHR: Epic, Cerner · Modalities: ventilator management, CRRT, telemetry, PCA · Certifications: BLS, ACLS, PALS, CCRN · Languages: Spanish (professional)
Project manager:
Methods: Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, hybrid · Tools: Jira, MS Project, Smartsheet, Asana, Confluence · Certifications: PMP, CSM · Domains: ERP, infrastructure, cloud migration
Teacher:
Curriculum: Eureka Math, Illustrative Mathematics, AVID · Platforms: Canvas, Google Classroom, PowerSchool, Desmos · Frameworks: MTSS, PBIS, SIOP, UDL · Certifications: Texas Math 7–12, ESL
Certifications and Languages
Certifications can live in the skills block or in their own short section; either way, name the issuing body and year. Languages spoken belong in skills with a level: native, professional, conversational. Do not list a language you could not interview in.
What to Remove
- Adjectives: motivated, detail-oriented, hard-working.
- Basics implied by the role: Microsoft Word, email, internet research.
- Obsolete tools unless the posting asks for them.
- Anything you have not used in the last few years and could not discuss.
Templates That Parse Cleanly
Harvard Resume Template: the single-column academic-standard layout and the most downloaded template on CVEdge. Set it to Letter and it is the safest US default.
Classic Resume Template: standard headings, no graphics, parses cleanly in Greenhouse, Workday, Lever and iCIMS.
Executive Resume Template: for senior candidates who need the summary and leadership scope to land before the role history.
Related Guides
Frequently asked questions
What skills should I put on my resume?
Hard skills the posting asks for and you genuinely have: software, languages, platforms, methods and certifications, grouped by category. Soft skills go into experience bullets as demonstrated results, not into the list.
How many skills should be on a resume?
Ten to twenty, in three to five categories. More than that dilutes the terms recruiters search for and reads as padding.
Should I include soft skills on a resume?
Not as a list. Show each one in a bullet: a presentation given, a team led, a problem diagnosed. Listed soft skills are neither searched for nor believed.
Where should the skills section go?
Near the bottom for most roles, directly under the summary for technical roles and career changers where the tools decide the first screen. Keep it compact either way.
Next Step
Upload your resume to the free ATS resume checker to see what an employer's system extracts from it, then fix the gaps before you apply.
