Hard skills versus soft skills
Hard skills are teachable capabilities such as SQL, bookkeeping, welding, patient documentation, or inventory control. Soft skills describe how you work, such as communication or judgment. Include both, but favor precise terms over broad personality claims.
How to select skills
- Read the posting and mark required tools, processes, credentials, and recurring responsibilities.
- Keep only the items you genuinely possess.
- Use the employer’s wording when it accurately matches your experience.
- Prioritize the most important six to twelve items instead of creating an exhaustive list.
Examples by area
- Business: budgeting, financial reporting, CRM systems, contract administration, Excel.
- Technology: JavaScript, SQL, cloud platforms, testing, systems administration, cybersecurity monitoring.
- Healthcare: patient care, clinical documentation, care coordination, HIPAA compliance, specific licenses.
- Trades: blueprint reading, diagnostics, preventive maintenance, safety procedures, equipment operation.
- Service: issue resolution, order processing, POS systems, scheduling, conflict resolution.
Where skills belong
Use a concise skills section for quick scanning, then prove important skills in experience bullets. A skill is more convincing when the reader can see how and where you used it.
What to avoid
- Star ratings, progress bars, or percentages that have no objective meaning.
- Keyword stuffing or repeating the same phrase unnaturally.
- Obsolete or basic skills that do not help the target role.
- Any tool, language, license, or certification you cannot discuss honestly.
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