TL;DR: Your skills section should hold 8–15 skills that match the job description, not everything you’ve ever touched. Lead with hard skills (tools and methods), add a few soft skills you can prove in your bullets, and in 2026 include the AI tools you genuinely use at work.
A skills section looks like the easiest part of a resume. In practice, it’s where many resumes go wrong in one of two ways: a list of 40 tools (so nothing stands out), or vague words like “hardworking” and “team player” that recruiters ignore.
This guide gives you 150+ skills grouped by role, and a simple method to choose the right ones for each application.
How to choose skills for your resume
- Start from the job description. List every tool, method and skill it mentions.
- Keep only what’s true. You should be able to talk about each one for two minutes in an interview.
- Use the job’s exact words. “Power BI”, not “BI tools”. “Google Ads”, not “online advertising”.
- Prove the important ones inside your experience bullets, not just in the list.
- Stop at about 15. Group them so they’re easy to scan.
Hard skills vs soft skills
- Hard skills are teachable and testable: SQL, Tally, AutoCAD, React, financial modelling, SEO.
- Soft skills are how you work: communication, leadership, problem solving.
Recruiters search for hard skills. Soft skills only count when your bullets show them: “Led a team of 6” proves leadership far better than the word “leadership”.
AI skills for 2026
Across almost every role, employers now ask how you use AI tools in your work. Mention the ones you genuinely use, with context:
- Prompting and using ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini for research, drafting and analysis
- Microsoft Copilot in Excel, Word and Teams
- GitHub Copilot or Cursor for coding
- AI image and video tools (Canva AI, Midjourney, Runway) for marketing roles
- Automating workflows with Zapier, Make or Power Automate
- Evaluating and fact-checking AI output
A line like “Used ChatGPT and Excel Copilot to cut monthly report preparation from 2 days to 4 hours” is far stronger than “AI tools” in a list.
Skills by role
Software engineering
Java, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, C++, React, Angular, Node.js, Spring Boot, Django, REST APIs, GraphQL, microservices, SQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Kafka, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, CI/CD, Git, unit testing, system design, data structures and algorithms.
See the software engineer resume example.
Data and analytics
SQL, Python (pandas, NumPy), R, Excel (pivot tables, Power Query), Power BI, Tableau, Looker, BigQuery, Snowflake, dbt, statistics, A/B testing, cohort analysis, data cleaning, data visualisation, forecasting, machine learning basics, Airflow, storytelling with data.
See the data analyst resume example and data scientist resume example.
Product management
Product discovery, user research, roadmapping, prioritisation (RICE, MoSCoW), PRDs, wireframing (Figma), A/B testing, product analytics (Mixpanel, Amplitude), SQL basics, go-to-market, stakeholder management, Agile/Scrum, Jira.
See the product manager resume example.
Sales and business development
B2B sales, inside sales, lead generation, cold calling, negotiation, key account management, pipeline management, CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, LeadSquared), sales forecasting, channel and dealer management, territory planning, presentation skills.
See the sales manager resume example.
Marketing
SEO, SEM, Google Ads, Meta Ads, content marketing, copywriting, social media management, email marketing, marketing automation, Google Analytics 4, performance marketing, influencer marketing, brand management, Canva, Figma, landing page optimisation.
See the digital marketing manager resume example and content writer resume example.
Finance and accounting
Tally Prime, GST filing, TDS, accounts payable and receivable, bank reconciliation, financial reporting, MIS reports, budgeting, financial modelling, Excel (advanced), SAP FICO, Zoho Books, auditing, Ind AS, IFRS basics, cost accounting.
See the accountant resume example.
HR and recruitment
Talent acquisition, sourcing (LinkedIn Recruiter, Naukri RMS), screening, onboarding, HRMS (Darwinbox, Keka, SAP SuccessFactors), payroll, compliance (PF, ESI), employee engagement, performance management, HR analytics.
See the HR executive resume example.
Operations and customer support
Process improvement, SOP writing, vendor management, inventory management, supply chain basics, MS Excel, ERP (SAP, Oracle), customer service, ticketing (Freshdesk, Zendesk), SLA management, escalation handling, quality audits.
See the customer support executive resume example.
Design
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, UI design, UX research, wireframing, prototyping, design systems, typography, motion design, accessibility.
See the graphic designer resume example.
Teaching and healthcare
Lesson planning, classroom management, curriculum design, ed-tech tools (Google Classroom), assessment design; patient care, clinical documentation, EMR systems, infection control, BLS/ACLS certification.
See the teacher resume example and nurse resume example.
Soft skills recruiters value (and how to prove them)
| Soft skill | Prove it with a bullet like… |
|---|---|
| Communication | “Presented monthly insights to the CXO team” |
| Leadership | “Led a team of 6 to launch the app in 8 weeks” |
| Problem solving | “Found the root cause of a 12% drop in conversions” |
| Ownership | “Took over a stalled project and shipped it in 3 weeks” |
| Collaboration | “Worked with sales, tech and finance to launch a new plan” |
| Adaptability | “Moved the team to a new CRM with zero downtime” |
Skills to stop putting on your resume
- Microsoft Word and email (assumed for nearly every office job)
- “Hardworking”, “honest”, “team player” with no proof
- Typing speed, unless the job asks for it
- Outdated tools nobody uses any more (unless the job is about them)
- Skill bars and star ratings: they mean nothing to recruiters and an ATS can’t read them
Add skills the easy way
When you paste a job description into GoResume’s Tailor tab, it shows which skills from the job you already list and which are missing, so you can add the true ones in seconds.
Build your resume free on GoResume →
FAQ
How many skills should I put on my resume?
8–15 relevant skills is a good range. Group them by type.
Should I rate my skills with stars or percentages?
No. Ratings are subjective and ATSs can’t read graphics. Prove skills in your bullets instead.
Where should the skills section go?
After your summary for career switchers and technical roles; after experience for most others.
Should I list soft skills?
A few, only if your experience bullets back them up.
