ResumeSkills section of a resume, with examples
A skill on a resume is a promise that you can do something if asked. List the promises you can keep, and say how well.
Hard skills first
Hard skills are things you can be tested on: software, machines, languages, methods, typing speed. Soft skills are ways of working: communication, teamwork, patience. Recruiters and resume-search software look for hard skills by name. Soft skills are better shown through your experience points than listed. "Resolved about 20 customer complaints a week" proves communication and patience; the bare words prove nothing.
Four rules
- Group them. Three or four groups with a label each are easier to read than one long line. In the builder, write one group per line, with the label before a colon.
- Be specific. Not "computer knowledge" but "MS Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables), MS Word, email". Not "accounting" but "bank reconciliation, GST returns, TDS".
- Show the level where it varies. "Java (strong), Python (basic)". "English (fluent), Tamil (mother tongue), Hindi (conversational)".
- Match the advertisement. If it asks for a skill you have, use the same words it uses. Do not add a skill you lack because the advertisement mentions it.
Skills: Computer, Communication, Hardworking, Team player, MS Office, Internet, Positive attitude
Accounting: Tally (vouchers, GST reports), bank reconciliation
Computer: MS Excel (SUMIF, VLOOKUP, pivot tables), MS Word
Other: English typing 35 wpm
Example skill lists
| Kind of work | Skills that employers commonly look for |
|---|---|
| Accounts | Accounting software, voucher entry, bank and party reconciliation, GST and TDS returns, finalisation, Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables) |
| Software development | One or two languages by name, a framework, SQL, Git, testing, the cloud services you have used |
| Sales | Lead generation, product demonstration, negotiation, beat planning, payment collection, CRM or order apps, local market knowledge |
| Customer support | Spoken and written languages, typing speed, ticketing tools, telephone etiquette, complaint handling |
| Office and data entry | Typing speed in each language, Excel entry and sorting, Word letters, email, filing, scanning |
| Mechanical and production | Machines operated, measuring instruments, drawing reading, 2D or 3D drafting software, 5S, quality tools |
| Civil site work | Levelling and layout, estimation, bar bending schedules, drafting software, site records, material reconciliation |
| Teaching | Lesson planning, activity-based teaching, evaluation, smart board, classroom management, languages of instruction |
| Human resources | Sourcing, screening, interviewing, onboarding, attendance and payroll inputs, HR software, Excel |
| Digital marketing | Search and social advertising tools, analytics, content writing, basic design tools, email campaigns |
| Graphic design | Design software by name, layout, typography, print and social formats, a portfolio link |
| Nursing | Patient care procedures, wards worked in, records, infection control, registration details |
These are prompts to help you remember what you can do, not lists to copy. Include a skill only if it is true of you.
How many skills
Eight to fifteen items in three or four groups suit most resumes. A list of thirty looks like a list of none. If you have many, keep those the target job needs and those you are best at.
Languages
List the languages you can work in, with level if they differ. In many jobs in India (sales, support, teaching, healthcare, field work) a regional language is a real qualification. Do not claim one you can only understand.
Certificates
A certificate supports a skill but does not replace showing it. Put the skill in the skills section and the certificate, with year, under achievements. Leave out certificates unrelated to the job and those from very short courses, unless you have nothing else.
Skills you are still learning
It is fine to list them, marked honestly: "Power BI (learning, course in progress)". Employers hiring juniors often value the fact that you are learning. What damages a candidate is claiming mastery and failing the first question.
Where the skills section goes
After experience or projects for most people. For technical roles where tools decide the shortlist, it can go just under the summary. Either way, the same skills should also appear inside your experience points, which is where a reader believes them.
Questions people ask
How many skills should I list on a resume?
About eight to fifteen, in three or four labelled groups. Choose the ones the job needs and you are strongest in.
Should I list soft skills such as teamwork?
It is better to show them through experience points with facts. A bare list of soft skills adds little.
Can I list a skill I am still learning?
Yes, if you mark it honestly, for example "learning" or "basic".
More guides
Sample resumes
General guidance. This page gives general suggestions on writing a resume, reviewed in November 2026. Employers differ: if an advertisement or application form asks for a particular format or detail, follow it. Every name, employer and college in our examples is invented. Nothing here promises an interview or a job.