Are you struggling to include hard skills on your resume? You’re not alone. Many job seekers find it difficult to know which skills to include and how to best showcase them.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to format hard skills on your resume, and provide some tips for acquiring new ones. We’ll also explore how you can make the most of your existing skill set to help you stand out from the competition.
What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are specific, measurable, and often technical skills that are required to perform a certain job.
They are usually quantifiable, and employers often look for them when reviewing resumes. In short, it’s your hard skills that will usually get you the interview.
For example, copywriting is a hard skill. It’s something that you learn through schooling or training and practice through repetition and upskilling.
Communication is a soft skill and, by contrast, is not learned through schooling or coursework. Although it could be argued that you do get better at communication through repetition, it’s a skill that you practice throughout your life and one that has many nuances that, frankly, many people never truly master.
The differences between hard and soft skills are many, and both are important to have in your professional career and on your resume. If hard skills get you the interview, some say it’s soft skills that help you land the job.
How to Format Hard Skills on Your Resume
There are several ways to format hard skills on your resume, such as including them in a separate section, incorporating them into your resume summary, or placing them throughout your resume.
If you separate your skills into their own section, be sure that you highlight your top skills and real-world examples of how you’ve used them. Don’t waste this valuable real estate by listing common skills like MS Word. Show off your best skills and why the hiring manager should care about them.
One way to do this is to create a sidebar on the left side of your document. Create sections within the sidebar for information including personal info, skills, software, etc. Within the Skills section, use bullets to list your hard skills.
For Example:
- CRM Management
- Copywriting
- SEO Research
- Content Marketing
Bullet points and keywords make your resume more scannable by applicant tracking software (ATS).
When a job posting lists specific skills as a requirement, as long as you possess those skills, make sure they are listed on your resume.
Otherwise, the ATS may overlook your application altogether. Ultimately, choosing the right format will depend on your experience and industry, as well as the job for which you’re applying.
Hard Skills to Include on Your Resume
Some common hard skills to include on your resume include your technical proficiencies, software or programming languages you are fluent in, foreign language skills, and any special certifications or licenses that may be relevant to the job.
Again, tailor your skill set to your application – the effort is worth it.
For instance, if the job description said something like this:
UX Writer
Responsibilities:
- Write and edit in-product content that helps people navigate, learn, and understand how to use our client’s product offerings
- Provide a content-first perspective throughout the product cycle for a variety of product experiences, from established product space to new to world explorations
- Manage multiple projects with variable scopes and deadlines, from needs assessment to delivery
Experience/ Skills Needed:
- Excellent writing and editing skills; can write short, useful, helpful, and engaging text without sacrificing grammar and quality
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Excellent project management and organizational skills
- Working as a UX writer (or similar role) for 8 or more years
- Working with user research, analyzing customer feedback, and using data to improve product experiences
- Learning new subject matters quickly, implementing feedback, giving constructive feedback, and positively contributing to a collaborative environment
You would want to be sure to highlight these skills (assuming, of course, you had all of them):
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Hard Skills Example:
- UX Copy/Content writing
- Project management
- Editing
- Organization
- Research and Data Analysis
Soft Skills Example:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Stakeholder Management
- Giving and Taking Constructive Feedback
- Lifelong Learner
- Growth Mindset
- Time Management
- Prioritization
When considering how to format your resume according to the type of skill, here are some examples of how you might list your hard skills based on your skill set.
List of Technical Skills for Resume:
- Javascript/CSS/HTML
- Blockchain
- Python
List of Marketing Skills for Resume:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- SEMRush/Ahrefs/BuzzSumo
- WordPress
- Mailchimp/ConstantContact/ConvertKit
List of Design Skills for Resume:
- User Experience (UX) Design
- User Interface (UI) Design
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, etc)
List of Mobile and Web Development Skills For Resume:
- Android Development
- iOS App Development
- Swift, Java, C#, Objective-C
To begin, take a thorough account of your experience, create a master list of your hard skills, and include your top 5 when you apply for a job.
Hard Skills Roundup + Some Soft Skills to Consider
A comprehensive list of hard skills would be long indeed and would include far more than we have room for in this article. However, we have rounded up a list of over 100 for you to look through for ideas for your resume.
Hard Skills to Include on Your Resume:
- Data analytics
- Network administration
- Software development
- Systems administration
- Drafting
- Operating systems
- Quality assurance
- ERP systems
- Information security
- 3D Printing
- Drone
- Cybersecurity
- Blockchain
- Big Data
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Robotics
- Bitcoin
- Application programming interface (API)
- Software revision control systems
- Development and web architecture frameworks
- iOS and Android app development
- Graphic user interfaces (GUI)
- JavaScript
- Scheduling
- Filing documents
- Typing and typing speed (words per minute)
- Google Suite
- Zoom
- Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access)
- HTML/CSS
- WordPress
- Hootsuite, Buffer, etc.
- Asana
- Notion
- Social media management/marketing
- Pivot tables
- Content management systems (CMS)
- Researching and reporting
- Translation
- Copywriting
- Bilingual. trilingual, etc
- Various forms of digital communication
- Editing
- Transcription
- ERP knowledge
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Hyperion
- Digital marketing
- MailChimp/Constant Contact/Convert Kit (Email Marketing)
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Web analytics (Google analytics, etc.)
- User Interface (UI) design
- Graphic design
- Branding
- Marketing plan development
- Copywriting
- CRO
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- Project management
- ISP
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- Web scraping
- A/B testing
- Accounts payable
- Accounts receivable
- Forecasting
- Bookkeeping
- Expense reports
- Financial projections
- Budgeting
- Investment management
- QuickBooks
- Accounting
- Opportunity analysis
- Relationship building
- Product development
- Account management
- Competitor research
- Sales pipelining
- Contract negotiations
- Marketing research
- Customer success
- Client management
- Fashion design
- Trend research
- Studio arts
- Creative direction
- Blogging
- Photography
- Gallery management
- Artistic relationships
- Interior design
- Cataloging
- Typography
- User experience (UX) design
- Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)
- Photo editing
- Partnership agreements
- Change management
- Product road mapping
- Contract management
- Process improvement
- Business planning
- Risk assessments
- Best practice development
- Cost management
- Data visualization
- Data engineering
- Database management
- Data mining
Soft Skills to Include on Your Resume:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Growth mindset
- Lifelong learner
- Critical thinking
- Big picture/global thinker
- Listening
- Networking
- Professionalism
- Taking constructive criticism
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Attention to detail
- Overcoming challenges
- Decision making
- Work ethic
- Stress management
- Self-motivation
Resume Skills for a Fresh College Graduate’s Resume
As a fresh college graduate, your list of hard skills may not be as comprehensive as someone who’s been in a career for several years. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a selection of skills to showcase.
You should still take an inventory of your skills and create a master list. Since you’re new to the professional world, you may want to go ahead and include skills like MS Suite, Google Suite, and Zoom if they’re in your toolbox just to confirm that you have that experience.
Once you have your master list, choose the top 5 skills most relevant to your application. If applicable, list them on your resume along with achievements associated with them.
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Resume Skills Example:
WordPress – developed 2 websites from the ground up, including HTML customization.
Doing this demonstrates that you not only possess the skill but used it effectively on a project.
(We have a more in-depth guide to soft skills on resumes for new graduates here.)
How to Get More Hard Skills for Your Resume
There are many ways to acquire new hard skills beyond college, such as taking online courses through platforms like Coursera or edX, attending in-person workshops and training sessions, or pursuing mentorship opportunities with experienced professionals in your field.
Additionally, you can try to gain experience through volunteering or pursuing side projects that will allow you to develop new skills and build your resume.
There are also many free online courses available through websites such as SEMRush Academy and LinkedIn Learning. These offer certificates when complete which can be linked to your resume and your LinkedIn profile.
Ultimately, the key is to be proactive about seeking out opportunities for professional development that align with your goals and interests. With the right attitude and effort, there is no limit to what you can achieve in terms of acquiring new hard skills!
Write Your Best Resume Ever
Whether you’re looking for a new job in a competitive industry or just want to make sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance of success when applying for positions, it’s crucial that you include hard skills on your resume.
With the right format and the right skills, you can give yourself a competitive advantage and stand out to potential employers. Give it a try. You got this!
Further Reading:
Resume Writing Tips For New Grads
Top 13 Resume Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
8 Design Ideas to Make Your Resume Pop
Resume Tips: Top 12 Tips For Making Your Resume Stand Out
