Skills To Put On A Resume: The Ultimate List

What skills to put on a resume?
When it comes to a new job application, companies look carefully at the skills list section of a resume. We all know that the more work abilities you possess the more chance for a good job you have.

On this page you will learn and get:

• What are the best skills for a resume? A list of them.
• Why are they important for your job application?
• Definition of each skill and examples.
• Helpful work skills list Infographic in PDF format for download.

Of course, the right skills set depends on the specification of the job position you apply. However, there is a range of abilities needed for a resume, no matter if you are applying for a job in finance, marketing, accounting, sales, teaching or another business field.

Let’s see a list of the best and most required skills for a resume.

Skills To Put On A Resume: The Ultimate List

Communication Skills

Communication skills are absolutely crucial abilities for every job position and business field.

What are communication skills?

According to BusinessDictionary.com communication skills are “The ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently.”
Effective communication abilities require being able to express your ideas and views clearly and concisely.

Why are communication skills the most important?
What and how you speak to people have a great influence on your work performance! Communication is the heart of every company. Everything you do at work requires some kind of communications.

Without effective communication, a message can turn into error with negative consequences for the company. Otherwise, good communication skills have the power to increase the business success.

The art of communication is among the most discussed topics when it comes to business achievements.

Examples of good communication skills are:

• active listening skills
• body language
• spoken and written communication skills
• presenting skills
• making a speech in front of an audience
• be confident
• be respectful
• be clear

These are among the best skills to put on a resume.

Team building skills

What are team building skills?

These are abilities to work together with people in a group, to build effective communication with them in order to achieve a particular goal.

Companies give a lot of many for team building courses, programs, and etc.

Why are team building skills so important?

The answer is simple! Because a team can achieve something much bigger and work more effectively than a group of the same individuals working on their own!

Teamwork is essential for the business growth. As an employee or manager, you have to be able to cooperate, to create and to exchange ideas with other team members.

Examples of team building skills are:

• active listening and care for others
• collaborative skills
• creative thinking
• idea exchange
• patience
• support and empathy
• giving constructive feedback
• being comfortable with disagreements
• accept responsibility
• positive attitude

Definitely, team building abilities are some of the best skills for a resume.

Leadership Skills

What are leadership skills? Are leadership skills learned or innate?

Leadership skills do not mean they are only for leaders and managers!

Moreover, they are a valuable combination of abilities with a huge role in your career. They allow you to lead, to motivate, to inspire, to create and to build respect. And YES. They can be learned!

Examples of leadership skills are:

• proactive
• inspire and motivate
• creating enthusiasm to make things happen
• organizing
• delegation task to people with the right skill set
• presenting a positive personal and company image
• analytical thinking
• goal settings
• honesty
• open-minded
• the ability to innovate
• planning
• responding flexibly to changing situations
• accepting responsibility for mistakes and wrong decisions
• learning from failure
• showing a respectful attitude to others
• persevering when things are not working out

Why are they important?
Because the combination of the abilities listed above can bring enormous success to the company!

Self-management

Self-management have the power to change dramatically almost every aspect of our life.

Self-management skills definition refers to our abilities to control our feelings, emotions, and activities. They play a decisive role in our personal and business life.

Good examples of self-management skills are:

• self-confidence (it means to like and to respect yourself and to believe in your own abilities and strengths)
• stress management
• self-motivation (self-motivation is one of the most powerful forces that drive you to do things and to achieve success in business).

Why are they important?
Because they are your power! How people manage themselves in their work always be the crucial point for the business!

Self-management skills are considered as some of the hardest to learn. They are becoming more and more important for companies so, make sure to put them in your resume and CV.

Flexibility and Adaptability Skills

They are among top 10 skills to put in a resume.

What is Adaptability?

Adaptability skills include these abilities that allow you to fit the changed circumstances in the environment. Adaptability in the workplace means to be able to change in order to be successful in new and different business situations and work assignments.

Why are flexibility and adaptability important?

Adaptability skills are some of the most valuable abilities that a person can possess because these skills allow you to survive, develop, create, learn and to achieve success.

You have to be open to changes without fear but with positive thinking and desire to learn.

Good examples of flexibility and adaptability skills are:

• keeping calm in the face of difficulties
• positive thinking and optimism
• be open to new ideas and changes
• having alternative options in case plans go wrong
• thinking quickly in response to sudden changes
• defining changing priorities

Time management and organization skills

In our busy lives, these abilities are extremely needed to be good on the job and to create a successful career.

What are time management and organization abilities?

The definition refers to the way you plan and manage your daily activities and tasks (business and personal). Every one of us wants to have time for everything but this is impossible. We need to prioritize and to make choices.

Time management and organization skills are valuable abilities that companies wants to see in a resume.

Why are they important for your resume and CV?

Because they allow you to be more effective and productive at work. The Time is limited! Companies are searching for people who can organize their time and tasks. Nobody wants to hire people who will bring a mess to the company.

Examples and useful tips here are:

• prioritize your goals
• create a schedule
• use different optimization tools
• make lists
• take regular breaks
• share problems with other team members
• create habits
• avoid distractions to your work
• break large tasks into smaller tasks
• balance work and leisure

Analytical Skills

Definition
Analytical skills are the ability to collect, gather, visualize and analyze information in details. They include also the ability to see a problem or situation from different points of view.

They are crucial for business fields such as finance, business development, project management, marketing management, medicine, engineering, and any other type of business where you have to think.

Why is analytical thinking among the most important skills to put on a resume?

Because the quality of our work depends on the quality of our logical and analytical thinking and they are the basis for decision-making and problem-solving. If we are with poor analytical skills, it leads to wrong decisions!

When it comes to analytical skills, there are many examples that can be given. Here are some of the most important of them:

• the ability to collect the right information
• numeracy skills
• strategic thinking skills
• attention to detail skills
• technical skills
• logical reasoning
• the ability to make different types of analysis such as SWAT Analysis

Analytical skills are a necessary prerequisite for decision-making and problem-solving. They are among the best skills to put on a resume.

Decision-Making Skills

What are decision-making skills?

Decision-making skills are the abilities that we possess and use to select a choice from available options.

We always try to make good and effective decisions and we use all our knowledge and skills to pass the decision-making process in the right way.

Examples of decision-making skills and tools are:

• the ability to gather and select information
• finding possible options and solutions
• selecting the best options
• making the final decision
• implement your decision
• the ability to evaluate your plan

Why are they important?

Making decisions that produce successful results for your organization have two very important results. First, it brings success and opportunities for the company. Second, you look effective and makes you promotable for leadership and career grow.

Decision-making is vital for every area of the business world. If you are in a low-level job position, you have to make a lot of decisions in a single work day. Some of them are quick decisions, others take more time.

Some career paths, like sales and marketing management, business development, finance and psychology are among those that often require a large amount of decision making.

Definitely, we can say that decision-making abilities are among the most important skills to put on a resume.

Problem – Solving Skills

What are problem-solving skills?

These are these abilities that allow us to work effectively through details of a problem to reach a solution.Every single day we have to deal with a wide range of problems. Some of them are simple but others are a big issue.

Why are problem-solving skills are some of the most important?

Problems are the center of your work, no matter what exactly your job involves.
When it comes to business level, effective problem-solving skills can make a business to growth and can make a huge difference to your career!

Therefore, problem-solving abilities are very valuable skills to put in a resume!

Of course, it is impossible to make the right decisions anytime we have problems. However, there is a wide range of tools and steps we can learn to make things easier.

Some of them are:

• the ability to identify a problem
• structuring the problem
• evaluation of information or situations
• breaking problems into components
• looking for possible solutions
• considering various ways of approaching
• estimation of the solutions
• making a decision
• implementing the decision
• monitoring and feedback

If you have experience in solving of complex problems, put it on your resume. This would be a great advantage for you.

Hard Skills List

What exactly hard skills mean?

These are teachable abilities that can be defined and measured much more than soft skills. Hard abilities are easy to quantify. Soft abilities are personal-driven and subjective skills.

Some of the best examples of hard skills are a degree or certificate, foreign language knowledge, programming, mathematics, and etc.

• a degree or certificate
• foreign language knowledge
• programming
• mathematics

As the hard skills are much more evaluated, it is easier for the companies to compare job candidates according to their hard knowledge and abilities.

Some business industries require more hard skills than other. Examples: finance and technical managers, business development, restaurant management, physicists, biologists and other science.

When you applying for a job, put all certificates that you possess (and that are related to the job position).

Certificates are the proof for your hard skills!

Computer skills list

Every one of us clearly knows that computer skills are a must for every type of job position that related to work at an office.

Many jobs require “basic computer competence”, but what does it mean?

These are basic skills that we use to work with the most common and famous software programs. IT and computer skills are an important part of every good resume, job application, CV or cover letter.

Here we will list some the main computer skills needed:

• Windows (XP, NT, 0SX, 2000 and etc.)
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• PowerPoint
• Outlook Express and /or other e-mail programs
• Windows Share Folders and / or other managing files programs

If you need certification and developing your IT and computer skills, here are two highly respected certification organizations:

• ICDL (International Computer Driving License) is the international standard in end-user computer skills. It is a certification in the practical use of computers and computer applications.
• ECDL Foundation is the certifying authority of the leading international computer skills certification programme – ECDL / ICDL.

If you have other IT and computer skills list them on your resume.

Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills are used in a wide range of business situations such as interview and job description; selling products and getting deals; marketing and purchasing activities.

What exactly are negotiation skills mean?
To negotiate means to use a combination of personal, communication and listening skills!
Negotiations are everywhere in the business world and working lives.

Examples of negotiation skills:

• active listening skills
• be professional and control your emotions
• be patient and respect the other side
• persuasive skills
• tactfully changing the views of other people
• carefully listening to the need of the other side
• using positive attitude
• reaching an agreement acceptable to the both sides
• knowing when and how to compromise
• using appropriate body language
• argue politely but with logic
• keeping calm using assertive attitude

Why are negotiation and persuasion skills important to learn?
Because they mean you are able to convince others do what you want. They give you the inestimable power to influence! Skilled negotiators are among the most successful people with a huge career and/ or business growth.

It ranks negotiation abilities among best skills to put on a resume.

Creativity and innovation

Creativity is a vital ability needed for company’s and business growth.

What is creativity?
To create means to be able to find and implement new ideas, solutions and innovations. It means to give the company a range of competitive advantages.

Creativity is among the top skills to put on a resume. It has increasing meaning and value for the business.

If you are a creative person list on your job application different examples from your experience. Make the company see you as a someone who can bring new opportunities and innovations.

To be more creative:

• think positively
• be open to new ideas
• don’t be afraid of changes
• make your best to learn new things
• take the initiative
• be familiar with the tendencies and news in your professional area

Why is creativity the most important ability you possess?
Because you are able to create your own personal, business, and career path in the most effective way. Creativity is the force that can bring a business to unimaginable levels of success and opportunities!
An idea can create a magic!

Stress Management

Almost any type of job description has a sentence similar to that “… the ability to work under pressure.” This ability requires strong stress management skills.

Companies are searching for people who can deal with a wide range of problems and situation under pressure.

Why is stress management so important!
Believe or not, poor stress management can kill your career, business, and personal life. To be able to manage your own pressure and stress is among the best mastery a person can possess.

There many ways to make your life more enjoyable. Learn and use them!

Willingness to learn

Do you have a passion to learn new things and to develop your skills? If you do, put this on your resume, because willingness to learn is a valuable quality you possess!

The business world is rapidly changing. Especially now, in out high-tech ages. To succeed, you have to learn constantly, because if you don’t your competitors definitely do!

Why is the willingness to learn is among the important skills to put on a resume?
Companies want to hire people who are well educated and have a passion to learn. Because only in that way, the company can develop and grow.

To summarize skills to put on a resume, see the following Infographic.

Download the Infographic in PDF for Free.

Skills To Put On A Resume: The Ultimate List

Communication Skills

Communication skills are absolutely crucial abilities for every job position and business field.

What are communication skills?
According to BusinessDictionary.com communication skills are “The ability to convey information to another effectively and efficiently.”
Effective communication abilities require being able to express your ideas and views clearly and concisely.

Why are communication skills the most important?
What and how you speak to people have a great influence on your work performance! Communication is the heart of every company. Everything you do at work requires some kind of communications.

Without effective communication, a message can turn into error with negative consequences for the company. Otherwise, good communication skills have the power to increase the business success.

The art of communication is among the most discussed topics when it comes to business achievements.

Examples of good communication skills are:

• active listening skills
• body language
• spoken and written communication skills
• presenting skills
• making a speech in front of an audience
• be confident
• be respectful
• be clear

These are among the best skills to put on a resume.

Team building skills

What are team building skills?
These are abilities to work together with people in a group, to build effective communication with them in order to achieve a particular goal.

Companies give a lot of many for team building courses, programs, and etc.

Why are team building skills so important?
The answer is simple! Because a team can achieve something much bigger and work more effectively than a group of the same individuals working on their own!

Teamwork is essential for the business growth. As an employee or manager, you have to be able to cooperate, to create and to exchange ideas with other team members.

Examples of team building skills are:

• active listening and care for others
• collaborative skills
• creative thinking
• idea exchange
• patience
• support and empathy
• giving constructive feedback
• being comfortable with disagreements
• accept responsibility
• positive attitude

Definitely, team building abilities are some of the best skills for a resume.

Leadership Skills

What are leadership skills? Are leadership skills learned or innate?

Leadership skills do not mean they are only for leaders and managers!

Moreover, they are a valuable combination of abilities with a huge role in your career. They allow you to lead, to motivate, to inspire, to create and to build respect. And YES. They can be learned!

Examples of leadership skills are:

• proactive
• inspire and motivate
• creating enthusiasm to make things happen
• organizing
• delegation task to people with the right skill set
• presenting a positive personal and company image
• analytical thinking
• goal settings
• honesty
• open-minded
• the ability to innovate
• planning
• responding flexibly to changing situations
• accepting responsibility for mistakes and wrong decisions
• learning from failure
• showing a respectful attitude to others
• persevering when things are not working out

Why are they important?
Because the combination of the abilities listed above can bring enormous success to the company!

Self-management

Self-management have the power to change dramatically almost every aspect of our life.

Self-management skills definition refers to our abilities to control our feelings, emotions, and activities. They play a decisive role in our personal and business life.

Good examples of self-management skills are:

• self-confidence (it means to like and to respect yourself and to believe in your own abilities and strengths)
• stress management
• self-motivation (self-motivation is one of the most powerful forces that drive you to do things and to achieve success in business).

Why are they important?
Because they are your power! How people manage themselves in their work always be the crucial point for the business!

Self-management skills are considered as some of the hardest to learn. They are becoming more and more important for companies so, make sure to put them in your resume and CV.

Flexibility and Adaptability Skills

They are among top 10 skills to put in a resume.

What is Adaptability?
Adaptability skills include these abilities that allow you to fit the changed circumstances in the environment. Adaptability in the workplace means to be able to change in order to be successful in new and different business situations and work assignments.

Why are flexibility and adaptability important?
Adaptability skills are some of the most valuable abilities that a person can possess because these skills allow you to survive, develop, create, learn and to achieve success.

You have to be open to changes without fear but with positive thinking and desire to learn.

Good examples of flexibility and adaptability skills are:

• keeping calm in the face of difficulties
• positive thinking and optimism
• be open to new ideas and changes
• having alternative options in case plans go wrong
• thinking quickly in response to sudden changes
• defining changing priorities

Time management and organization skills

In our busy lives, these abilities are extremely needed to be good on the job and to create a successful career.

What are time management and organization abilities?
The definition refers to the way you plan and manage your daily activities and tasks (business and personal). Every one of us wants to have time for everything but this is impossible. We need to prioritize and to make choices.

Time management and organization skills are valuable abilities that companies wants to see in a resume.

Why are they important for your resume and CV?
Because they allow you to be more effective and productive at work. The Time is limited! Companies are searching for people who can organize their time and tasks. Nobody wants to hire people who will bring a mess to the company.

Examples and useful tips here are:

• prioritize your goals
• create a schedule
• use different optimization tools
• make lists
• take regular breaks
• share problems with other team members
• create habits
• avoid distractions to your work
• break large tasks into smaller tasks
• balance work and leisure

Analytical Skills

Definition
Analytical skills are the ability to collect, gather, visualize and analyze information in details. They include also the ability to see a problem or situation from different points of view.

They are crucial for business fields such as finance, business development, project management, marketing management, medicine, engineering, and any other type of business where you have to think.

Why is analytical thinking among the most important skills to put on a resume?
Because the quality of our work depends on the quality of our logical and analytical thinking and they are the basis for decision-making and problem-solving. If we are with poor analytical skills, it leads to wrong decisions!

When it comes to analytical skills, there are many examples that can be given. Here are some of the most important of them:

• the ability to collect the right information
• numeracy skills
• strategic thinking skills
• attention to detail skills
• technical skills
• logical reasoning
• the ability to make different types of analysis such as SWAT Analysis

Analytical skills are a necessary prerequisite for decision-making and problem-solving. They are among the best skills to put on a resume.

Decision-Making Skills

What are decision-making skills?
Decision-making skills are the abilities that we possess and use to select a choice from available options.

We always try to make good and effective decisions and we use all our knowledge and skills to pass the decision-making process in the right way.

Examples of decision-making skills and tools are:

• the ability to gather and select information
• finding possible options and solutions
• selecting the best options
• making the final decision
• implement your decision
• the ability to evaluate your plan

Why are they important?
Making decisions that produce successful results for your organization have two very important results. First, it brings success and opportunities for the company. Second, you look effective and makes you promotable for leadership and career grow.

Decision-making is vital for every area of the business world. If you are in a low-level job position, you have to make a lot of decisions in a single work day. Some of them are quick decisions, others take more time.

Some career paths, like sales and marketing management, business development, finance and psychology are among those that often require a large amount of decision making.

Definitely, we can say that decision-making abilities are among the most important skills to put on a resume.

Problem – Solving Skills

What are problem-solving skills?
These are these abilities that allow us to work effectively through details of a problem to reach a solution.Every single day we have to deal with a wide range of problems. Some of them are simple but others are a big issue.

Why are problem-solving skills are some of the most important?
Problems are the center of your work, no matter what exactly your job involves.
When it comes to business level, effective problem-solving skills can make a business to growth and can make a huge difference to your career!

Therefore, problem-solving abilities are very valuable skills to put in a resume!

Of course, it is impossible to make the right decisions anytime we have problems. However, there is a wide range of tools and steps we can learn to make things easier.

Some of them are:

• the ability to identify a problem
• structuring the problem
• evaluation of information or situations
• breaking problems into components
• looking for possible solutions
• considering various ways of approaching
• estimation of the solutions
• making a decision
• implementing the decision
• monitoring and feedback

If you have experience in solving of complex problems, put it on your resume. This would be a great advantage for you.

Hard Skills List

What exactly hard skills mean?
These are teachable abilities that can be defined and measured much more than soft skills. Hard abilities are easy to quantify. Soft abilities are personal-driven and subjective skills.

Some of the best examples of hard skills are a degree or certificate, foreign language knowledge, programming, mathematics, and etc.

• a degree or certificate
• foreign language knowledge
• programming
• mathematics

As the hard skills are much more evaluated, it is easier for the companies to compare job candidates according to their hard knowledge and abilities.

Some business industries require more hard skills than other. Examples: finance and technical managers, business development, restaurant management, physicists, biologists and other science.

When you applying for a job, put all certificates that you possess (and that are related to the job position).

Certificates are the proof for your hard skills!

Computer skills list

Every one of us clearly knows that computer skills are a must for every type of job position that related to work at an office.

Many jobs require “basic computer competence”, but what does it mean?
These are basic skills that we use to work with the most common and famous software programs. IT and computer skills are an important part of every good resume, job application, CV or cover letter.

Here we will list some the main computer skills needed:

• Windows (XP, NT, 0SX, 2000 and etc.)
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• PowerPoint
• Outlook Express and /or other e-mail programs
• Windows Share Folders and / or other managing files programs

If you need certification and developing your IT and computer skills, here are two highly respected certification organizations:

• ICDL (International Computer Driving License) is the international standard in end-user computer skills. It is a certification in the practical use of computers and computer applications.
• ECDL Foundation is the certifying authority of the leading international computer skills certification programme – ECDL / ICDL.

If you have other IT and computer skills list them on your resume.

Negotiation Skills

Negotiation skills are used in a wide range of business situations such as interview and job description; selling products and getting deals; marketing and purchasing activities.

What exactly are negotiation skills mean?
To negotiate means to use a combination of personal, communication and listening skills!
Negotiations are everywhere in the business world and working lives.

Examples of negotiation skills:

• active listening skills
• be professional and control your emotions
• be patient and respect the other side
• persuasive skills
• tactfully changing the views of other people
• carefully listening to the need of the other side
• using positive attitude
• reaching an agreement acceptable to the both sides
• knowing when and how to compromise
• using appropriate body language
• argue politely but with logic
• keeping calm using assertive attitude

Why are negotiation and persuasion skills important to learn?
Because they mean you are able to convince others do what you want. They give you the inestimable power to influence! Skilled negotiators are among the most successful people with a huge career and/ or business growth.

It ranks negotiation abilities among best skills to put on a resume.

Creativity and innovation

Creativity is a vital ability needed for company’s and business growth.

What is creativity?
To create means to be able to find and implement new ideas, solutions and innovations. It means to give the company a range of competitive advantages.

Creativity is among the top skills to put on a resume. It has increasing meaning and value for the business.

If you are a creative person list on your job application different examples from your experience. Make the company see you as a someone who can bring new opportunities and innovations.

To be more creative:

• think positively
• be open to new ideas
• don’t be afraid of changes
• make your best to learn new things
• take the initiative
• be familiar with the tendencies and news in your professional area

Why is creativity the most important ability you possess?
Because you are able to create your own personal, business, and career path in the most effective way. Creativity is the force that can bring a business to unimaginable levels of success and opportunities!
An idea can create a magic!

Stress Management

Almost any type of job description has a sentence similar to that “… the ability to work under pressure.” This ability requires strong stress management skills.

Companies are searching for people who can deal with a wide range of problems and situation under pressure.

Why is stress management so important!
Believe or not, poor stress management can kill your career, business, and personal life. To be able to manage your own pressure and stress is among the best mastery a person can possess.

There many ways to make your life more enjoyable. Learn and use them!

Willingness to learn

Do you have a passion to learn new things and to develop your skills? If you do, put this on your resume, because willingness to learn is a valuable quality you possess!

The business world is rapidly changing. Especially now, in out high-tech ages. To succeed, you have to learn constantly, because if you don’t your competitors definitely do!

Why is the willingness to learn is among the important skills to put on a resume?
Companies want to hire people who are well educated and have a passion to learn. Because only in that way, the company can develop and grow.

To summarize skills to put on a resume, see the following Infographic.

Download the Infographic in PDF for Free.

Related Articles:

• Network Diagram Software & Mapping Tools
• Task Management Software: Best List
• Time Clock Software: Best List
• Best Flowchart Software: Top Data Visualization Solutions
• Free Business Email Accounts: Best List
• Examples Of Good Communication Skills
• Examples Of Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Skills List For Effective Leaders
• Team Building Skills For Effective Teamwork
• Decision Making Skills: List, Tools & Definition
• Work Skills List
• Self-Management Skills: List, Definition, Tips & Techniques
• Business Requirements Example
• Attention To Detail: Effects On The Employee And Employer!
• Numeracy Skills: List, Definition & Examples
• Technical Skills List, Definition & Examples
• Computer Skills List
• Professional Skills List
• 21 Types Of Websites That Make Money