Skills to include in a Resume for Beginners & Freshers [80+ examples]

Skills (soft as well as hard) are your abilities and core competencies that help you perform a particular job. It is our core skill set that makes you eligible for a particular role.

A resume contains various sections that include a summary, experience, education, headline, contact details, and more. Out of these, your education, resume headline, summary, and experience section, work in tandem to put forth your strengths and expertise, also known as your skills.  

In this blog, you will learn about

• Where and how to use skills in your Resume?
• What skills do you need in your Resume?
• What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?
• How to create a dedicated skills section?
• Tips to create an effective skills section
• List of high demand soft skills
• List of hard skills required for most common jobs

Where and How to use skills in your Resume?

Your entire resume is built with a purpose to convey your strengths to the recruiter, with the larger objective of getting hired. Good places to convey your skills are

• Summary
• Headline
• Experience
• Dedicated skills section
• Education
• Projects

Use of skills in Summary

A summary is placed at the top. An insightful summary will definitely portray your strengths to the reader.

Using summary to display skills is a good practice, if

• You are a senior professional
• You have achievements that will corroborate the skills  mentioned in the summary
• Your job is very specific and you can easily put your strengths in a few words.

Why this works:

• Prepares the recruiter for what is to follow
• A good place to communicate both transferable and non-transferable skills

An example:

Check the full resume here

Use of skills in the experience section

When you demonstrate what you did during particular employment, you are also talking about the skills you used to demonstrate it.

It is a good idea to demonstrate your competencies in the experience section if:

• You have achievements and quantifiable information to support your abilities
• The resume does not look very worded and still have required keywords
• Adds value to the section

Check the full resume here

Use of Skills in the Education section

Apart from the traditional university education, you also mention other profile-building courses, certifications, and licensures that help you find better pursuits.

The education section is important for both entry-level and experienced professionals:

• Beginner workforce: Your education is the only way you have developed your skills, especially if you have pursued a professional degree
• Experienced Professionals: Certifications and courses show your intent and upskilling. They also highlight that you are willing to take up newer roles that require more skills than you already possess

A dedicated skills section

The requirement of this section and what it does is self-explanatory.

• It helps with ATS optimization
• Gives the reader an overview of your abilities
• Most compressive yet readable section of the Resume

Check the full resume here

What skills do you need in your Resume?

We see resumes with a lot of skills and attributes mentioned.

A lot of them are related to communication and personality type, others are specific and cannot be transferred to another job, and yet another set of skills are limited to technical knowledge.

Broadly, competencies or skills can be classified into:

• Soft Skills or Transferable Skills
• Hard Skills or Functional Skills
• Technical or Computer Skills

Soft Skills

Soft skills, also called transferable skills are characteristics that influence how you operate, both independently and together, in a workspace. Many employers, for example, value effective communication as a critical soft talent. Dependability, successful teamwork, and active listening are some of the others.

Organizations look for employees that have strong transferable skills apart from the core skill set required for the job.

• People with a strong work ethic are more productive
• Collaboration and communication facilitate smooth operations
• Positive approach and initiative-taking mindset support growth

Hard Skills

Hard skills are abilities that enable you to carry out specific activities. You acquire and develop hard skills through formal education, apprenticeships or internships, certification programs, and on-the-job training

Technical Skills

Knowing how to use a computer is required, but your level of knowledge is also critical.

Are you capable of programming a computer, performing back-end technical labor, or being certified in a variety of programs that businesses desire and want their staff to understand?

What is the difference between Soft Skills and Hard Skills?

Soft skills are required to establish a happy and effective work environment, whereas hard skills are required to properly accomplish technical tasks in a job.

The primary distinction between hard and soft skills is how they are acquired and applied in the workplace.

Education or specialized training are frequently used to acquire hard skills. They include skills such as how to operate a specific machine, software, or tool.

Soft skills are typically thought of as personality attributes that you have spent your entire life honing. They come in handy when you're trying to organize your time, communicate with others, or face a difficult circumstance for the first time.

To put it another way, hard skills are your technical expertise, and soft skills are your general working practices

How to create a dedicated skills section?

Businesses frequently seek candidates who have demonstrated soft and hard talents.

Some employers may prefer candidates with a stronger set of soft skills over candidates with a strong set of hard talents, as soft skills can be more difficult to develop.

Do the following steps to create a strong skillset

Step1: Know your strengths

The first step is to identify the skills you already have. While doing this, focus on your hard skills only.

For instance, a history professor will have strong knowledge of the subject. They will also have abilities in handling students, research, lecture delivery among other skills.

Step 2: Check job requirements

An ideal skill section is that which not only represents the candidate but also those what the recruiter is seeking.

Look at your target job description and see what keywords are mentioned in the resume

Focus more on hard or job-related skills. Do not miss the soft skills too if they are the topmost priority in your job profile.

Step 3: Create a Skills Section

Use the above two steps to create a skills section.

Tips to create an effective skills section

With the above steps, you can create a stellar skills section. The below tips will make our resume stand apart in a crowded market:

Do not use more than 8-10 skills:

You will find a lot of keywords in your target job’s description.

You already have a broad skill set.

But,

Recruiters prefer experts more than generalists.

Be sure of the exact area you want to work, filter your competencies, and put the most relevant and high-demand ones in your resume. Overcrowding will confuse the reader as well the ATS.  

Maintain Balance:

It is a good idea to maintain a balance between transferable and non-transferable skills.

If you are writing 10 skills, write 6-7 job skills and 3-4 soft skills or interpersonal abilities.

Different sections for Technical Skills:

If yours is a non-technical profile, do not write about the software or computer knowledge in the skills section. It takes the space that you could judiciously use for talking about the more important abilities and competencies.

Write about your computer knowledge in a summary in a single sentence.

For IT people and engineers, whose work is based on the usage of multiple programs, a different technical skills section is a must.

List of High Demand Soft Skills

The list of soft skills that can be mentioned in your resume is endless. Here are some of the most in-demand skills.  

Critical thinking

One of the most valuable talents you can contribute to any workplace is critical thinking (and everyday life). It entails deducing the root cause of a problem and developing a set of viable solutions using logic and reason.

Communication

It is one of the most underrated and most highly demanded skills in today’s day and age. No organization can sustain itself if there is no communication mechanism.

Communication not only means the ability to speak clearly and fluently, it entails being able to convey your thoughts to your team members, seniors, and customers alike. Some important aspects of communication include:

• Friendliness
• Confidence
• Responsive
• Presentation
• Listening skills
• Mutual Respect
• Cohesion and Clarity

These skills have become more important in today’s day and age of remote work, where the only way to establish a connection is through online communication.

Telemarketer resume skill set with communication skills

Check the full resume here

Time Management

This skill is expected from all employees without saying. It is a prerequisite for growth in the professional space.

In today’s dynamic work culture, one cannot stay in the race for longer with poor time management.

Not being able to complete the assigned tasks on time leads to unrest in both personal and professional space.

Following traits differentiate people with good time management skills:

• Deadline driven
• Dependable
• Efficiency
• Planning
• Scheduling

A Branch Banking Professional’s resume summary talking about time management skills.

Check Full Resume here

Leadership

Employers value effective leadership skills regardless of the position you're applying for.

Leadership is the ability to manage, train, delegate, and develop successful teams or individuals.

Knowing how to efficiently transfer responsibilities to promote the company's performance is a sign of leadership ability. It's not as simple as telling them what to do.

Although leadership is a skill that develops over time, some highly sought after qualities of a leader include

• Strategic thinking
• Being goal-oriented
• Delegation
• Problem Solving
• Planning and Roadmapping
• Decision making
• Relationship Building
• Cultural intelligence
• Authenticity
• Empathy
• Measured risk-taking

A customer Service Resume demonstrating leadership abilities

Check the full resume here

Teamwork

Simply put, teamwork is the ability to function collaboratively.

Even individual contributors need to work with other departments at some point in their careers. For a firm to run properly, you must work well with your managers and coworkers. All successful projects are built on strong teamwork.

A team player will frequently show:

• Cooperation
• Conflict resolution
• Adaptability
• Flexibility
• Optimism
• Planning
• Communication
• Open-Mindedness
• Patience
• Inclusivity

The skillset of a fundraiser resume demonstrating teamwork abilities

  Check the full resume here

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving entails dealing with the unexpected with professionalism and determining the best course of action.

Companies want to hire individuals who can manage challenging situations with patience and a strategy, whether it's a minor annoyance or a catastrophic event.

Recruiters don't want employees who will crumble under pressure or disregard problems; instead, they want people who will solve them.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Stress Management
• Persistence
• Promptness
• Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Presence of mind

Check the full resume here

Creativity

In the workplace, creativity entails using your unique perspective to produce your best work.

Creative thinking breeds improvement and innovation. Given that this is the path most businesses aim to go, it's no surprise that creativity is a marketable skill for job seekers. While you may not consider yourself to be naturally creative, it is a talent that we all possess.

Creativity comes in the following form:

• Spontaneity
• Experimentation
• Imagination
• Observation
• Storytelling
• Out of the box thinking
• Problem Solving

A News Presenter’s Resume summary demonstrating creativity

Check the full resume here

Integrity

Integrity in the job entails following employee ethics, exercising sound judgment, and being dependable at all times.

Integrity is another of those soft skills that may be applied outside of the workplace. On the surface, an employee with integrity appears to be trustworthy. Integrity, on the other hand, is more than that.

The following are some examples of workplace integrity:

• Commitment
• Timely communication
• Professionalism
• Honesty
• Transparency

List of  Hard skills for common jobs

HR Skills

Almost all organizations across all industries have an HR department. Human Resource Professionals manage the hiring, training, onboarding of employees. They are also responsible for resolving employee conflicts if any, processing salaries, and creating a healthy workplace environment

Here are the top skills you can mention in your CV if you are an HR Professional or aspiring to be one:

• Recruitment
• Compensation & Benefits Planning
• Training and Development
• Interviewing
• Talent Acquisition
• Job Posting
• Job Description Writing
• People Management
• Attrition Control
• Exit Interviews
• Employee Engagement
• Conflict Resolution
• Onboarding and orientation

Check HR resumes here

Sales Skills

Simply put, sales is the process of selling goods or services with a view to generate income. In the private sector, all organizations hire sales professionals to ensure maximum and continuous revenue.

Sales Professionals possess the following skills

• Product Demonstrations
• Channel sales
• Revenue Generation
• Customer Acquisition & Retention
• Lead Qualification
• Upselling and Cross-Selling
• Relationship Building
• Key Account Management
• Lead Prospecting
• Customer Needs Analysis
• Contract Negotiation
• Client Nurturing
• Optimizing Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
• Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
• Reducing Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
• Closing Sales & Signing Contracts
• Client Relationship Management
• Research & Analysis

Check Sales Resumes Here

Marketing Skills

Marketing is the process of intentionally stimulating demand for and purchases of goods and services.

For a long time, marketing has been a growing business, and the internet has effectively turned the entire industry upside down and flooded it with marketing employment.

High demand marketing skills include:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing
• Google Analytics
• AdWords, Facebook paid ads
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Marketing Research
• Email and Marketing Automation
• PPC
• Social Media Integration
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Website Management
• Market Analysis
• Market Penetration
• Competitor Analysis
• Data-driven Marketing
• Campaign Management
• Content Creation
• Storytelling
• Omnichannel Communication

Check marketing resumes here

Accounting Skills

Accounting — the process of recording, assessing, and communicating financial transactions — helps individuals and organizations understand their financial health.

Accounting and math-related skills are required in a wide range of jobs. You'll need to know basic math and have some accounting hard skills on your resume whether you're in an office tallying up paychecks or out on the road making sales and offering discounts.

• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Auditing
• General Ledger Preparation
• Monthly Closing
• Reconciliations
• Annual Closing
• Payroll Processing
• Billing and Invoicing
• Payments Processing
• Banking Operations
• Financial Statement Preparation
• Excel (Advanced) Ability
• Data analysis and Modeling

Check Accounting Resumes here

Customer Service Skills

Good customer service typically means providing timely, attentive, upbeat service to a customer, and making sure their needs are met in a manner that reflects positively on the company or business.

Customer Service is one of those domains where soft skills overlap hard skills. If you are a beginner, you would require strong communication and perseverance. Knowledge of a CRM is an added benefit.

The following are some skills required for a customer service role:

• Customer Retention
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Ensuring Customer Satisfaction
• Attention to Detail
• Sales Channel Development
• Active Listening Skills
• Customer Experience Enhancement
• Building Customer Loyalty
• Positive Attitude
• Bilingual Customer Support
• Escalation Management
• Complaint Resolution
• Communication
• Patience
• Problem-Solving
• Product Knowledge
• Cross-Selling / Up-Selling
• Service-Based Selling / Telesales

Check Customer Service Resumes here

Administration Skills

Administration includes a set of daily activities required to run an organization or facility. Separate admin departments are only set up in big organizations where there is a clear demarcation of roles and departments

As a successful admin professional, you are expected to have some of the following skills.

• Office Coordination
• Greeting and Welcoming Visitors
• Correspondence Handling
• Equipment Maintenance
• Recordkeeping
• Vendor Coordination
• Event Coordination
• Ordering Office Supplies
• Calendar Management
• Meeting Planning
• Travel Arrangements
• Email Management
• Database Management
• Data Entry
• Expense reports Preparation

Check Administration Resumes here

Teaching Skills

Teachers or educators are employed in government and private sectors alike with a clear focus on imparting knowledge to and personality development of students.

Some common abilities of teachers include:

• Classroom Management
• Instruction Design
• Instruction Delivery
• Attendance Management
• Student Development
• Test Grading
• Conducting Examination
• Subject Matter Expertise

Check Teaching Resumes here

The following are some of the most in-demand hard skills across industries:

Technical Skills

Like hard skills, these are a specific set of skills required for a particular job. They are industry-specific and require training and education. Professionals with these skills perform a specific task, are highly in demand and are offered better compensation.

Engineering and the sciences are examples of technical hard skills. These positions usually require highly specialized expertise, and employees will need training in some of the following areas:

• Blockchain
• Cloud Computing
• HTML, CSS, Javascript, and other coding languages
• Artificial intelligence
• Python Programming
• CAD
• Prototyping
• STEM skills
• CRM platforms

A lot of technical skills and jobs require capabilities in analytics and data management.

Knowing how to effectively and appropriately interpret data is more vital than ever before, and professionals with these talents are in high demand. If you have the following hard skills, make sure to highlight them:

• Analytics
• Data Mining
• Data Engineering
• Database Management
• Data Presentation
• Analytical Reasoning
• Research
• Diagnostics

The list is endless, however, these are some examples to give you an insight.

To conclude, an ideal resume should talk about both soft skills and hard skills.

• Follow your industry trends
• Do not overcrowd the skills and competencies
• Focus on your strength areas

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