Skills to put on a CV or resume (with examples)
Updated
The best skills to put on a CV are the ones the job advert asks for and that you can prove. Mix hard skills (specific, testable abilities such as Excel, forklift operation or Python) with a few soft skills (how you work, such as communication or problem-solving), and show them in action in your experience section rather than only listing them. This guide gives examples by job type and a quick method for choosing yours.
Hard skills vs soft skills
| Hard skills | Soft skills | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Learned, measurable abilities | Personal and interpersonal qualities |
| Examples | Excel, bookkeeping, SQL, CAD, food hygiene, a driving licence category | Communication, teamwork, time management, leadership, adaptability |
| How to prove them | Certificates, tools used, results | Situations and outcomes in your experience bullets |
How to choose the right skills in 10 minutes
- Copy the job advert into a document and highlight every skill or tool it mentions.
- Mark the ones you genuinely have and can talk about in an interview.
- Put the top 6–10 in your skills section, using the advert's exact wording.
- Show the 2–3 most important ones again in your work experience with a result.
Examples by job type
| Job type | Hard skills | Soft skills |
|---|---|---|
| Retail / customer service | Till and cash handling, stock control, CRM systems | Patience, conflict resolution, clear communication |
| Office / administration | Microsoft 365, diary management, minute-taking, data entry accuracy | Organisation, discretion, prioritisation |
| Hospitality | Food hygiene certificate, allergen awareness, barista skills | Working under pressure, teamwork |
| Healthcare | Clinical observations, medication administration, record keeping | Empathy, attention to detail |
| IT / software | Programming languages, version control (Git), cloud platforms, testing | Problem-solving, collaboration, learning quickly |
| Trades / logistics | Licences and tickets (e.g. forklift), health and safety, reading drawings | Reliability, safety awareness |
| Marketing | SEO, Google Analytics, content writing, social media tools | Creativity, data-driven thinking |
Where skills go on your CV
- A short skills section after your personal statement or after experience (both are fine).
- Group related items: "Software: Excel (pivot tables), Sage 50, Power BI".
- Languages with a level (CEFR A1–C2 or fluent / conversational).
- Proof in your experience bullets: "Used Power BI to build a weekly sales dashboard for 12 stores".
Skills to leave off
- Basic skills every applicant has for that job ("email", "internet").
- Rating bars or percentages ("Excel 80%") — they are vague and some ATS cannot read them.
- Skills you would not be comfortable being tested on.
Next steps
Need wording for the soft skills? See words to describe yourself. To make sure software can read your skills section, follow the ATS-friendly CV checklist, then build your CV in the CV builder.