What to put in the skills section of a resume
The skills section is a quick index: it lets a recruiter confirm in three seconds that you use the tools and methods the job needs. Done well it supports search and speeds up reading. Done badly it is a pile of buzzwords. This guide covers what belongs there, how to group it and what to cut.
- List skills the vacancy asks for and you can discuss; cut the rest.
- Group by type and put the most relevant group first.
- Skip skill bars, stars and percentages; use plain words and honest levels.
- Prove the important skills in your bullets, not only in this list.
What the skills section is for
It has two jobs. First, it is a scan target for people: a recruiter glances at it to confirm tools and methods. Second, it is a clean place for terms that search tools look for. It is not the place to prove you are good at something. Proof lives in the bullets under your jobs, where a skill appears next to a result.
A practical rule: every important skill should appear at least once in context (in a bullet) and once in the list.
Hard skills, soft skills and tools
| Type | What it is | Examples | How to show it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard skills | Teachable, testable abilities | financial modelling, SQL, SEO audits, welding, accounting under IFRS | List and prove in bullets |
| Tools and technology | Software, platforms, systems | Salesforce, Figma, Jira, SAP, Google Ads, Python | List with level if useful |
| Languages | Spoken or written | English C1, Italian B2, Ukrainian native | Use CEFR levels |
| Soft skills | Behaviours that are hard to measure | stakeholder management, mentoring, negotiation | Show in bullets, list sparingly |
Lists of soft skills (communication, teamwork, hard-working) carry almost no weight on their own. Show them: mentored 4 juniors, two promoted within a year says more than leadership.
How to choose what to list
- Open the vacancy and mark every tool, method and skill it names.
- Match each to your experience. Keep those you have used and can discuss in an interview.
- Add two or three extras that are common in the field and give context (for example Excel for analysts).
- Cut anything outdated or irrelevant (old software, generic office skills for senior roles).
- Aim for 8 to 15 items for most people, grouped.
If you list a tool, expect a question about it. Do not list skills you cannot talk about for two minutes.
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How to group and order
Group by type and lead with the group that matches the vacancy most:
Skills: communication, Excel, teamwork, Python, SQL, leadership, Tableau, time management
Analytics: SQL, Python (pandas), Tableau, A/B testing
Tools: Excel, Google Sheets, Jira
Languages: English C1, Italian B2
Within a group, put the vacancy's own terms first and use the same spelling (Google Analytics, not GA, unless you include both once).
Showing level without skill bars
Bars and star ratings are subjective and unreadable to a parser. Replace them with words that mean something: advanced, working knowledge, years of use, or evidence ("Python, 4 years, production ETL"). For languages, use CEFR levels (A1 to C2).
Examples by role
| Role | Skills section |
|---|---|
| Data analyst | Analytics: SQL, Python (pandas), A/B testing, forecasting. BI: Tableau, Looker. Tools: Excel, dbt, Git. |
| Marketing manager | Channels: Google Ads, Meta Ads, email, SEO. Analytics: GA4, Looker Studio, attribution. Tools: HubSpot, Webflow, Canva. |
| Accountant | Standards: IFRS, local GAAP, VAT. Systems: SAP, 1C, Excel (pivot, lookups). Processes: month-end close, reconciliation, audit support. |
| Customer support | Tools: Zendesk, Intercom, Slack, Jira. Skills: escalation handling, knowledge-base writing, QA. Languages: English C1, Spanish B2. |
| Operations manager | Planning: capacity, scheduling, KPIs. Tools: SAP, Excel, Power BI. Methods: Lean, 5S, process mapping. |
How to choose which skills to list
Start from the vacancy, not from your own long list. Pull out the tools and methods it names, keep those you can use confidently, then add two or three adjacent skills that strengthen your case. Cut anything you could not discuss for five minutes in an interview. Ten to fifteen well-chosen skills beat forty generic ones, because a long list makes the strongest skills harder to notice.
Grouping templates by role
| Role | Suggested groups |
|---|---|
| Data analyst | Query and BI (SQL, Looker, Tableau); Programming (Python, pandas); Methods (A/B testing, forecasting) |
| Marketer | Channels (Google Ads, Meta, email); Analytics (GA4); CRM (HubSpot); Content (SEO, copy) |
| Project manager | Methods (Agile, Scrum); Tools (Jira, Notion); Stakeholder and risk management |
| Developer | Languages; Frameworks; Data; Cloud and DevOps |
Showing proficiency honestly
Skill bars and star ratings are unreliable and unreadable to parsers. If level matters, use words: advanced, working knowledge, familiar. Better still, prove level in experience bullets: a line that shows what you built with the tool says more than any rating. For languages use the CEFR scale (A1 to C2) or clear terms such as native and fluent.
Hard skills, soft skills and certifications
- Hard skills go in the skills section and in bullets.
- Soft skills are best shown through results, such as mentoring three juniors, rather than listed as adjectives.
- Certifications deserve their own short section with issuer and year.
- Outdated tools can be dropped unless the vacancy asks for them.
See also where to put keywords.
What to leave out
- Skill bars, percentages and stars.
- Obvious basics: Microsoft Word, internet, email, for most roles.
- Generic soft skills without proof (team player, fast learner).
- Tools you used once years ago.
- Anything you could not discuss in an interview.
For the placement of terms across the whole page see where to put keywords on a resume. JobAny checks which skills the vacancy names that your resume does not show, so you can decide honestly what to add. See resume analysis.
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Frequently asked questions
How many skills should I list?
Eight to fifteen, grouped, is plenty for most roles.
Should I include soft skills?
Sparingly. Show them in bullets with results and list at most a few that the vacancy stresses.
Should the skills section go at the top or bottom?
Bottom by default after experience; near the top if you are changing field and want relevant skills seen early.
Do I list skills I am still learning?
Only if you label them honestly (for example 'learning: dbt') and can discuss them.
Should I put years next to each skill?
It helps for core tools (Python, 4 years) if accurate. Skip it for a long list.
Are certificates part of skills?
List them in a separate Certificates section, or as one line in Skills if few.
How many skills should I list?
Ten to fifteen relevant ones.
Should I list soft skills?
Show them in bullets; list only the few that the vacancy emphasises.
Should I rate my skills?
Avoid ratings; prove with results.
Where does the skills section go?
After experience for most; before it for early-career or technical roles.
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