How to Write Skills In Resume & Common Mistakes to Avoid

Your skills form the foundation of resume selection. An employer hires a candidate based on skills, qualifications, and experience. As skills are a crucial part of the document, a job applicant should ensure to list them precisely. It could include technical and non-technical skills relevant to the job. The resume should contain keywords from the job description, whether written in the skills, education, or other sections of the resume. Many employers use the application tracking system to shortlist resumes. In this blog, we will guide you through how to write skills in a resume. We will also explore how to identify relevant skills for the job you are applying for, common mistakes to avoid, and examples of well-crafted resumes.

How to Write Skills In Resume: Useful Tips

Learn how to present skills in your resume effectively. The skills section should reflect what expertise you can offer and how your abilities match the job requirements. Here are key steps to help you understand how to put skills in a resume professionally:

1. Categorize Your Skills: Arrange your skills into hard and soft skills. Hard skills are your technical abilities, and soft skills are your interpersonal and personal traits. This makes it easier for recruiters to scan your resume and identify the skills relevant to the job. 
2. Match Skills with Job Requirements: Carefully review the job description and identify the key skills and qualifications the employer seeks. Then, tailor your skills section to highlight those specific skills. This shows you have taken the time to understand the job requirements and possess the necessary skills. 
3. Use Action Verbs: When describing your skills, use strong action verbs to showcase how you have applied them in previous roles. Some examples of action verbs include ‘Developed,’ ‘Managed,’ ‘Implemented,’ ‘Led,’ and ‘Improved.’ 
4. Provide Examples of How You Applied Skills: Include genuine instances of how you used your skills in your prior jobs. Remember to mention measurable accomplishments or successful projects you completed in past roles. 
5. Focus On Transferable Skills: When changing careers, highlight skills applicable across different industries. These show your adaptability and ability to learn and contribute in a new environment.
6. Highlight Technical Skills for Relevant Roles: If you are applying for a technical role, mention the hard skills. List the specific software, programming languages, tools, and technologies you are skilled in. Tailor your technical skills to match the requirements of the job description. Also, include certifications and completed projects to demonstrate your expertise.
7. Include Soft Skills: Soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management, are important to succeed in any role. These skills prove your ability to work with others, adapt to new situations, and manage your time efficiently. Highlight your soft skills and share how you applied them in previous jobs.
8. Prioritize Key Skills at the Top: Place the most important and relevant skills at the top of your skills section. This ensures recruiters see those skills first and are more likely to notice them. 
9. Highlight Your Ability To Learn: Employers value candidates willing to learn and develop new skills. Highlight your ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies or situations. Mention efforts to develop new skills, such as taking courses, attending workshops, or pursuing self-study.
10. Don’t Mention Too Many Skills: Mention the most important skills that influence your job application. Listing too many skills in a resume leads to a disorganized and unfocused document. Choose expertise directly related to the position you applied for.

Types of Skills to Include in a Resume

It is important to strike a balance between showcasing your technical skills and interpersonal abilities. Employers look for candidates who can execute the job duties and adapt to the company’s professional environment. The section below provides information on how to write skills in a resume.

1. Soft Skills 

Soft skills are personal qualities and interpersonal characteristics that enable you to collaborate with others professionally. Soft skills reveal your personality, attitude, and cultural fit for a business. Therefore, the soft skill category is critical for employers to better understand you. These skills are often transferable across industries and roles, making them highly valuable to employers. 

Here are some of the essential soft skills to mention in a resume:  

• Communication: The ability to convey ideas clearly, whether written or verbal.
• Teamwork: Collaborating effectively with colleagues to achieve common goals.
• Problem-Solving: Thinking critically to find solutions to challenges.
• Adaptability: Adjusting to new situations or changes in the workplace.
• Time Management: Prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines efficiently.
• Leadership: The ability to guide, inspire, and encourage people to achieve common goals. 

2. Hard Skills 

Hard skills are the technical and teachable abilities specific to a particular job or industry. You can acquire technical skills through formal education, training, or work experience. Hard skills are easier to measure and are listed as requirements in job descriptions. For instance, if you apply for web development jobs, list the skills like proficiency in programming languages, frameworks, design patterns, debugging, etc. 

Here are some of the essential hard skills to mention in a resume:

• Programming Languages: Proficiency in coding languages like Python, Java, or SQL to develop software and applications.
• Data Analysis: The ability to collect, process, and interpret data using tools like Excel, Tableau, or Power BI.
• Graphic Design: Expertise in creating visual content using Adobe Creative Suite or Canva.
• Project Management: Skills in organizing and managing projects, often supported by certifications like Agile or Scrum.
• Foreign Languages: Fluency in Spanish/French/Mandarin.

Pro Tip: Most companies demand specific technical skills that should be mentioned in your resume. List the technical skills for a resume to significantly increase your chances of getting shortlisted.

How to Identify the Right Skills for Your Resume

Identifying the right skills to include on your resume is a major step in crafting effective job applications. Your ability to match qualifications with advertised positions will make your job application more acceptable to employers. Here are the necessary strategies for identifying and choosing appropriate skills and how to write skills in a resume: 

1. Review the Job Description: The first step involves thoroughly reading the job description to identify the skills requirement. Carefully read and highlight the key skills, qualifications, and experience. Pay attention to the specific job requirements and list the skills essential for success in the role. Use these keywords throughout your resume to demonstrate you meet the employer’s needs.
2. Analyze Your Previous Experiences: Review the important attributes from all previous employment, including internships or major projects. List the skills you have applied and enhanced during your work experience. Identify the skills you used to achieve positive outcomes in those situations. Document these skills and examples to use in your resume.
3. Ask For Feedback: Reach out to mentors, colleagues, supervisors, or career counsellors. Ask them to review your resume and provide input. They can help you identify skills you have overlooked or suggest better ways to showcase them. Be open to constructive criticism and use the feedback to improve your resume.
4. Focus on Transferable Skills: Transferable skills can be applied across different industries and roles. These skills are highly valuable because they show your adaptability and versatility. Identify the transferable skills you possess, such as leadership quality, problem-solving strategies, and business communication skills. Highlight them on your resume, providing examples of their uses in different contexts.
5. Stay Current with Industry Trends: Research the latest trends and technologies to identify high-demand skills. Read industry publications, attend conferences, and network with professionals in your field to identify and learn about these skills. Update your resume regularly to show your latest skills and knowledge.

Pro Tip: If you are a fresher, you should be able to demonstrate specific skills required by most employers. You can check out our blog on skills in resumes for freshers for more information about these skills. 

Different Formats to Mention Skills

When deciding how to showcase your skills on your resume, choosing a format that highlights your strengths and aligns with your career journey is important. Depending on your work experience, qualifications, and the job you are applying for, there are several effective ways to mention skills. Here are some formats you can use to write skills in a resume:

1. Functional Resume Format

This is best for people with limited professional experience or those changing careers or industries. This format focuses on your skills rather than your work history. It allows you to showcase key skills directly relevant to the job. For this format, you should group your skills into categories, providing examples of how you have used them in real life. 

For example:

Skills – Project Management: Managed multiple projects, ensuring it was delivered on-time delivery and within budget. Led a team of five to streamline operations and reduce project timelines by 15%. – Customer Service: Improved customer satisfaction by 20% through implementing a new feedback system. Trained 30+ team members on effective communication and conflict resolution. – Data Analysis: Used Excel and Tableau to analyze sales data, identifying trends that increased revenue by 10%.

2. Separate Skills Section Format

A separate skill section is best for experienced professionals who want to highlight the skills they have acquired over time. In this format, you create a dedicated section for key skills, often placed near the top or bottom of your resume. You list skills relevant to the job, especially those mentioned in the job description. 

For example:

Skills – Social Media Management: Skilled in using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for brand awareness. – SEO: Advanced knowledge of SEO best practices and keyword optimization. – Data Analysis: Proficient in using Google Analytics and Microsoft Excel to track performance metrics.

3. Integrated into Professional Experience

Writing skills directly into your professional experience is most effective. Instead of listing them separately or in categories, you integrate them into your job history. It reflects examples of how you applied each skill in a practical setting. This helps provide context to your skills, showcasing what you know and also how you have used those skills to achieve success in past roles. For instance, instead of simply listing ‘leadership’ or ‘time management’ as skills, you can show how you led a team through a project or efficiently managed multiple deadlines. 

For example: 

Professional ExperienceMarketing Manager, ABC Company – Led a team to execute digital marketing campaigns, increasing traffic by 30% within 6 months (Project Management, Marketing Campaigns). – Conducted detailed market research and analysis, optimizing SEO strategies that improved website rankings (SEO, Data Analysis). – Managed social media accounts, increasing engagement by 25% in under three months (Social Media Management).

Pro Tip: You can gain specific skill sets required for your preferred job role by enrolling in a certification course. To look for course options, you can consider Internshala Trainings, which offers various courses across different domains.

Examples of Skills in a Resume on the Basis of Profession

A CV should showcase skills that are easy to understand and relevant to the job you are applying for. Hiring managers are more interested when hard and soft skills are presented in an ordered manner. You can highlight your qualifications by offering effective examples of talents in your resume. Here are some examples to show how to write skills in a resume using different writing formats:

Example 1: Project Management Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a project management position:

• Agile
• Waterfall
• Microsoft Project
• Asana
• Trello
• Leadership Abilities

Example 2: Data Analysis Position

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a data analysis position:

• Python
• Excel
• R
• SQL

Example 3: Digital Marketing Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a digital marketing position:

• Digital Marketing
• Google Analytics
• SEO  

Example 4: Software Development Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a software developer position:

• JavaScript
• React
• Node.js
• Agile Methodologies
• Git
• Jenkins

Example 5: Graphics Designer Position

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a graphic designer position:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Photoshop
• InDesign
• Typography
• Colour Theory
• Visual Storytelling
• Collaborative Skills
• Time Management Abilities

Example 6: Sales Management

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a sales management position:

• Strategic Account Management
• Salesforce
• HubSpot CRM
• Collaborative Abilities

Example 7: Financial Analysis Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a financial analysis position:

• Financial Modeling
• Cash Flow
• Budgeting
• SAP
• QuickBooks
• Excel

Example 8: Human Resource Management Position

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a human resource management position:

• Talent Acquisition & Recruitment
• Employee Engagement & Retention
• HRIS
• Workday
• BambooHR

Example 9: Healthcare Administration Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a healthcare administration position:

• NABH knowledge
• Budget Planning
• Cost Reduction Strategies
• Resource Allocation 
• Workforce Management
• Employee Engagement
• Patient Satisfaction

Example 10: Supply Chain Management Job

Here is how you can draft your skills section in a resume for a supply chain management position:

• SAP
• Oracle
• Risk Assessment
• Supplier Evaluation

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Skills in a Resume

The skills section of your resume is critical for showcasing your value to potential employers. A poorly written skills section can reduce your chances of landing an interview. To learn how to write skills in a resume that highlights your strengths effectively, avoid the following common mistakes:

1. Overloading with Irrelevant Skills: Don’t clutter your resume with skills unrelated to the job you are applying for. Focus on the skills to demonstrate your ability to succeed in the specific role.
2. Listing Outdated or Unnecessary Skills: Avoid showcasing talents that no longer meet current industry standards since it makes the document appear outdated. Review your skills section regularly and remove any irrelevant skills.
3. Not Matching Skills to the Job Requirements: Failing to tailor your skills section to match the job requirements is a major mistake. Recruiters hire candidates with the specific skills and qualifications mentioned in the job description. Carefully review the job requirements and ensure the skills section aligns with those requirements. Use keywords from the job description to optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS). 
4. Overuse of Vague or Generic Tone: Using a general tone when describing your skills can make your resume sound generic and unconvincing. Avoid making general statements about your skills without providing specific examples. Instead, use action verbs and quantifiable achievements to demonstrate how you have applied your skills in previous roles. 
5. Focusing on Job Roles Instead of Accomplishments: Mention your key accomplishments and the value your skills brought to your former role or employers. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments to demonstrate the impact of your skills. For example, instead of saying, ‘I managed social media accounts,’ say, ‘I managed social media accounts, increasing followers by 30% and engagement by 25% in six months.’
6. Including Too Much Information: While it is important to showcase your skills, avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information. Keep your resume concise and focused on the skills that are most relevant to the job. Use bullet points to make your skills section easy to read and scan. Aim for a balance between providing enough information to demonstrate your skills without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details.

Conclusion

Understanding how to write skills in a resume is necessary for an effective job application. By organizing your skills into clear categories and aligning them with job requirements, you can effectively showcase your value to potential employers. Avoid common mistakes like listing irrelevant or outdated skills, and focus on highlighting the qualifications that make you a strong candidate. With these strategies, you will be well-positioned to impress hiring managers and land your desired job. If you want to understand how to showcase your educational achievements, check out our blog on how to write educational qualifications in a resume.

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