Skills to Put on a Resume: 100+ Examples by Industry (2026)

Here's what the data shows across major job boards: the average job posting explicitly names 11-15 skills in the requirements section. The resumes that score highest on ATS match don't list 30 skills — they list 8-12 that directly mirror the posting's language. More isn't better. Alignment is better.

The difference between a skills section that helps you and one that hurts you comes down to three decisions: which skills to include (only the ones the posting asks for), how to name them (exact language from the posting, not your preferred abbreviation), and where to prove them (skills listed without evidence in your bullets are worth 60% less to both ATS and recruiters).

Here's a pattern we see constantly: someone lists every programming language they've ever opened a tutorial for — Python, Java, C++, R, MATLAB, JavaScript, Ruby — like a grocery list. But their experience section only mentions 3 of them. Recruiters notice this disconnect immediately. As one hiring manager put it: "If I see 12 languages and the experience only touches 3, I assume the other 9 are aspirational." That realization changes how you should think about skills entirely.

There's a persistent myth that ATS systems treat your skills section as a primary scoring input. The reality is more nuanced — and understanding it changes how you approach the section entirely.

What ATS actually does with skills:

1. Keyword extraction: The ATS pulls skills from your entire resume — summary, experience bullets, skills section, and education. The skills section is not special; it's one input among many.

2. Frequency weighting: Most modern ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, iCIMS) give higher weight to skills that appear multiple times across sections. A skill listed in your skills section AND demonstrated in a bullet carries more weight than one that appears in only one place.

3. Exact match vs. semantic match: Basic ATS systems match on exact strings. Advanced systems (like Greenhouse's AI features) attempt semantic matching — "Microsoft Excel" might match "spreadsheet proficiency." But you can't count on semantic matching. Always use the exact language from the job posting.

4. Threshold scoring: Most ATS configurations require a minimum skill match threshold (typically 60-80% of required skills) before a resume passes to human review. If the posting lists 12 required skills and you match 7, you're at 58% — below most thresholds.

This is why the "list everything" approach fails. If you list 30 skills but only 7 match the posting, your match rate is the same as someone who listed 7 targeted skills. But the second candidate looks more focused and credible to the recruiter who reviews after ATS screening.

The debate over hard vs. soft skills on resumes is mostly settled by the data: ATS systems weight hard skills more heavily because they're more precisely matchable. "Python" is unambiguous. "Communication skills" is vague and appears on 76% of all resumes, making it nearly useless as a differentiator.

That doesn't mean soft skills don't matter — it means they belong in your experience bullets, not your skills section.

Hard skills (put these in your Skills section):

• Software and tools: specific names (Salesforce, Tableau, Figma, Jira)
• Programming languages: specific versions if relevant (Python 3, TypeScript, SQL)
• Certifications and methodologies: PMP, Six Sigma, Agile, HIPAA compliance
• Technical capabilities: data analysis, financial modeling, UX design, SEO
• Industry-specific knowledge: GAAP, OSHA, FDA regulations, FERPA

Soft skills (prove these in your Experience bullets):

• Communication → "Presented quarterly business reviews to C-suite stakeholders across 4 departments"
• Leadership → "Managed team of 8 through product launch, meeting all 5 milestone deadlines"
• Problem-solving → "Identified root cause of 23% cart abandonment rate and implemented fix that recovered $340K in quarterly revenue"
• Teamwork → "Collaborated with engineering, design, and data teams to ship feature in 6-week sprint cycle"

The exception: when the job posting explicitly lists soft skills as requirements. If it says "excellent communication skills required," include "communication" in your skills section — but also back it up with a bullet.

Below are the highest-ATS-weight skills for 10 major industries, ranked by how frequently they appear in job postings and how heavily ATS systems weight them. Don't copy-paste this entire list. Pick 8-12 skills that match your target posting.

Customer Service & Support

This cluster is especially important — our data shows "customer service skills resume" is one of the most searched resume skill queries, and for good reason. Customer service roles have specific ATS keywords that generic skills lists miss entirely.

Critical (appear in 70%+ of postings):

• Customer service / customer support
• CRM software (name the specific one: Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, HubSpot, Freshdesk)
• Phone support / call handling
• Problem resolution / complaint handling
• Live chat support
• Email support / ticket management

High priority (50-70%):

• De-escalation
• First-call resolution
• Upselling / cross-selling
• Multilingual support (specify languages)
• CSAT / NPS tracking
• Knowledge base management

Differentiators (30-50%):

• Workforce management tools (NICE, Verint)
• Quality assurance / call monitoring
• Customer journey mapping
• Omnichannel support
• Salesforce reporting

For a deeper dive into customer service resume formatting and keyword strategy, see our customer service resume guide.

Technology & Software Engineering

Critical:

• Programming languages (list only ones you've used professionally: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, Go, Rust, C++)
• Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure — specify services: EC2, Lambda, S3, not just "AWS")
• Git / version control
• CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI)
• SQL / databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis)

High priority:

• Docker / Kubernetes / containerization
• REST APIs / GraphQL / gRPC
• Agile / Scrum / sprint planning
• System design / architecture
• Testing frameworks (Jest, pytest, Selenium)

Differentiators:

• Terraform / IaC
• Kafka / message queues
• Machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• Observability (Datadog, Grafana, PagerDuty)
• Security (OWASP, penetration testing, SOC 2)

See our software engineer resume guide for level-specific formatting.

Healthcare & Nursing

Critical:

• Clinical certifications (RN, LPN, NP, CNA — always include license numbers)
• EHR systems (Epic, Cerner, Meditech — name the specific platform)
• Patient assessment / care planning
• HIPAA compliance
• BLS / ACLS / PALS certifications

High priority:

• Medication administration
• Vital signs monitoring
• IV therapy / phlebotomy
• Care coordination
• Infection control protocols
• Telehealth platforms

Differentiators:

• Charge nurse experience
• Clinical preceptor / training
• Quality improvement (PDSA cycles)
• Specialty certifications (CCRN, OCN, CEN)
• Languages spoken

See our nurse resume guide for credential formatting specifics.

Finance & Accounting

Critical:

• Financial analysis / financial modeling
• Excel (advanced: VLOOKUP, pivot tables, macros, Power Query)
• GAAP / IFRS knowledge
• ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite — name the specific one)
• Budgeting / forecasting

High priority:

• SQL / database querying
• Variance analysis
• Financial reporting (10-K, 10-Q, SOX compliance)
• Bloomberg Terminal / Capital IQ
• CPA, CFA, or CMA certification

Differentiators:

• Python / R for financial analysis
• Tableau / Power BI for visualization
• M&A modeling / due diligence
• Treasury management
• FP&A automation

See our financial analyst resume guide for career-level examples.

Marketing & Digital Marketing

Critical:

• Google Analytics (GA4 specifically — GA3 is deprecated)
• SEO / SEM (specify: technical SEO, content strategy, keyword research)
• Social media management (name platforms: Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Campaign Manager)
• Content marketing / copywriting
• Email marketing (Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo)

High priority:

• Paid advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads — include spend managed)
• A/B testing / conversion optimization
• Marketing automation (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot)
• CRM management
• Data analysis / reporting

Differentiators:

• SQL for marketing analytics
• Programmatic advertising
• Influencer marketing management
• Brand strategy / positioning
• Video production / editing

See our marketing manager resume guide for agency vs. in-house formatting.

Sales

Critical:

• CRM proficiency (Salesforce, HubSpot — specify which)
• Pipeline management / forecasting
• Prospecting / lead generation
• Closing / negotiation
• Quota attainment (always include percentage: "112% of quota")

High priority:

• Sales methodology (MEDDIC, Challenger, SPIN, Sandler)
• Account management / expansion
• Territory planning
• Cold calling / outbound outreach
• Sales enablement tools (Outreach, Gong, SalesLoft)

Differentiators:

• Enterprise sales / complex deal cycles
• Channel / partner sales
• Sales ops / analytics
• Contract negotiation
• Revenue operations

See our sales resume guide for SDR through VP examples.

Education & Teaching

Critical:

• State teaching license/certification (include state and type)
• Curriculum development / lesson planning
• Classroom management
• Differentiated instruction
• Student assessment / evaluation

High priority:

• Learning Management Systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Google Classroom)
• Special education / IEP development
• Technology integration
• Parent communication
• Data-driven instruction

Differentiators:

• ESL / ELL instruction
• AP / IB program experience
• Grant writing
• STEM curriculum development
• Restorative justice practices

See our teacher resume guide for subject-specific keyword strategies.

Human Resources

Critical:

• HRIS systems (Workday, BambooHR, ADP — name the specific platform)
• Talent acquisition / recruiting
• Employee relations
• Benefits administration
• Employment law / compliance

High priority:

• Performance management
• Onboarding program design
• FMLA / ADA / EEO compliance
• Compensation analysis
• HR analytics / reporting

Differentiators:

• DEI program management
• Organizational design
• Change management
• SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP / PHR certification
• Succession planning

See our HR resume guide for recruiter through CHRO formatting.

Data & Analytics

Critical:

• SQL (specify: PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery, Snowflake)
• Python / R (specify libraries: pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, ggplot2)
• Data visualization (Tableau, Power BI, Looker)
• Statistical analysis
• Excel (advanced — pivot tables, macros, statistical functions)

High priority:

• ETL / data pipelines (Airflow, dbt, Fivetran)
• A/B testing / experimental design
• Machine learning basics
• Data warehousing (Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery)
• Dashboard design / reporting

Differentiators:

• Deep learning (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• NLP / computer vision
• Spark / distributed computing
• Cloud ML platforms (SageMaker, Vertex AI)
• Causal inference / econometrics

See our data analyst resume guide for entry-level through senior formatting.

Project Management

Critical:

• Project management methodology (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Hybrid)
• Project management tools (Jira, Asana, Monday.com, MS Project)
• Budget management
• Stakeholder management
• Risk assessment / mitigation

High priority:

• PMP / CAPM / CSM certification
• Resource allocation / capacity planning
• Gantt charts / project scheduling
• Cross-functional team leadership
• Status reporting / executive communication

Differentiators:

• SAFe / enterprise Agile
• ERP implementation experience
• Vendor management / procurement
• Change management (Prosci ADKAR)
• Program management (multiple concurrent projects)

See our project manager resume guide for PMP vs. non-PMP strategies.

Format matters for both ATS parsing and recruiter scanning. Here's what works:

Best format: Categorized skill groups

Technical Skills: Python, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Excel (advanced), Google Analytics (GA4)
Tools & Platforms: Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Confluence, Slack
Methodologies: Agile, A/B testing, OKR framework, design thinking
Certifications: Google Analytics Certified, HubSpot Inbound Marketing

Why this works: ATS systems parse categorized lists accurately. Recruiters can scan categories and find what they need in seconds. It signals organization — which is itself a soft skill demonstrated, not claimed.

Worst format: Comma-separated wall of text

Skills: Python, leadership, SQL, communication, Tableau, teamwork, Power BI, problem-solving, Excel, Google Analytics, time management, Salesforce, creativity, HubSpot, Jira, adaptability

This mixes hard and soft skills randomly, making it impossible to scan. The soft skills dilute the hard skills, and the ATS has no category context for prioritization.

How many skills to list: 8-12 for a one-page resume. 12-18 for a two-page resume. More than that and you're diluting signal.

1. Listing skills you can't defend in an interview

If you list "Python" and a technical interviewer asks you to write a list comprehension, can you? If you list "financial modeling" and they ask you to walk through a DCF, will you freeze? Only list skills you'd be comfortable being quizzed on. Your resume is a contract — everything on it is fair game.

2. Using your preferred terminology instead of the posting's

The posting says "Microsoft Excel." You write "MS Office." These might not match in a basic ATS. The posting says "Salesforce Service Cloud." You write "CRM software." Match the posting's exact language. You can always elaborate in the interview.

3. Rating your skills (Expert/Intermediate/Beginner)

This is one of the most common resume mistakes in 2026 and it actively hurts you. Self-assessed skill ratings are meaningless to recruiters ("everyone rates themselves 'advanced' in Excel"), they waste valuable space, and some ATS systems can't parse the rating format. Just list the skill. Your experience bullets prove your level.

4. Including obvious skills

"Microsoft Word," "email," "internet research," and "typing" appear on more resumes than you'd expect. In 2026, these are assumed. Including them signals that you're padding your list — which makes recruiters question the other skills too.

5. Not updating for every application

This is the big one. Your skills section should change for every application based on the job description's requirements. Yes, it's tedious. Yes, it's the difference between a 60% ATS match and a 90% ATS match. Automation tools exist specifically for this problem.

Your dedicated Skills section is only part of the story. For maximum ATS score and recruiter impact, key skills should appear in three places:

1. Summary/Profile — Name your top 2-3 skills that match the posting's highest priorities.

"Marketing analyst with 4 years of experience in Google Analytics (GA4), A/B testing, and marketing automation (HubSpot). Drove 34% increase in email conversion rate through segmentation and experimentation."

2. Experience bullets — Demonstrate skills in action with quantified outcomes.

"Built automated reporting dashboard in Tableau, reducing weekly reporting time from 6 hours to 45 minutes and enabling real-time KPI tracking for a 12-person marketing team."

3. Skills section — Comprehensive list for ATS keyword extraction.

When a skill appears in all three locations, ATS systems give it the highest confidence score. This is called keyword reinforcement and it's the single most effective ATS optimization technique after tailoring your resume to the job description.

How many skills should I put on my resume?

8-12 for a one-page resume, 12-18 for two pages. The goal is targeted alignment with the job posting, not a comprehensive catalog of everything you know. If a skill isn't in the posting's requirements and isn't a clear prerequisite for the role, leave it off this application.

Should I include soft skills on my resume?

Not in your Skills section — prove them through your Experience bullets instead. The exception is when the posting explicitly requires a soft skill (e.g., "strong communication skills required"). In that case, include it in the Skills section AND demonstrate it in a bullet. A skill claimed but not demonstrated is worth less to both ATS and recruiters.

How do I know which skills to include for a specific job?

Read the job posting's requirements section line by line. Every named skill, tool, certification, and methodology is a keyword the ATS is scanning for. Prioritize "required" skills over "preferred" ones. Use an ATS scoring tool to check your match rate before applying.

Should I list skills I've only used once or twice?

Only if the posting specifically requires it and you could have a basic conversation about it in an interview. "I used Tableau once in a class project" is enough to list it if the posting asks for it — but be prepared to be honest about your proficiency level. Don't list skills you couldn't explain or demonstrate under any circumstances.

Do I need a separate Skills section, or can I weave skills into my bullets?

You need both. ATS systems extract keywords from all sections, but a dedicated Skills section ensures critical keywords are captured even if your bullets frame them differently. Think of the Skills section as your keyword safety net — it guarantees the ATS sees your core competencies even if it misses the nuanced way you described them in your experience.

Your skills section isn't a personality test or a brag sheet. It's a matching algorithm. The posting names what it wants. Your skills section proves you have it. The closer the match — in specificity, in language, in priority — the higher your ATS score and the better your chances of getting to a human reviewer.

Stop listing every skill you've ever touched. Start matching the 8-12 skills each posting actually asks for. That's the difference between a resume that disappears and one that gets a callback.

Need help identifying which skills a specific posting prioritizes? GetNewResume's ATS scoring shows you the exact match gaps — free, no account needed.