How to write the skills section of your resume
The skills section is where ATS software and recruiters check quickly whether you fit. Keep it honest, specific and matched to the job.
List skills you can talk about
Only add a skill if you could answer a question about it in an interview. A short, true list beats a long list with things you touched once.
Hard skills and soft skills
Hard skills are tools and abilities you can name, such as Excel, SQL, Tally, AutoCAD or digital marketing. Soft skills such as communication are better shown through results in your experience bullets than listed in a row.
Match the job post
Read the job description and mirror its wording where it is true for you.
- If the post says “MS Excel (pivot tables)”, list that, not only “computer skills”.
- Use the full name and the short form once, such as “Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)”.
- Put the most relevant skills first.
Format
A simple comma-separated list under the heading Skills is the safest for ATS. Group long lists, for example Tools, Languages and Methods. Avoid skill bars, stars and percentages: they mean nothing to a recruiter and often confuse software.
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Keep reading
- How to make your resume ATS-friendlyWhat applicant tracking systems do, how they read your resume and how to avoid common formatting mistakes.
- How to write a resume that gets shortlistedA step-by-step guide for Indian job seekers: what to include, what to leave out and how to order it.
- Action verbs for your resume, by type of workStrong verbs to start your resume bullets with, grouped by what you did, and how to use them well.