CV skills

Best Skills to Put on a CV

The skills section should help recruiters match your profile to the job. The best skills are relevant, truthful, and supported by your experience or education.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific abilities such as Excel, bookkeeping, JavaScript, payroll, CRM software, data entry, graphic design, social media scheduling, or foreign languages. These are often searched in applicant tracking systems.

Soft Skills

Soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, leadership, organization, and attention to detail. They are stronger when your work experience shows examples.

Match the Role

Do not use the same skills list for every application. A finance role may need reporting and accuracy, while a hospitality role may need customer service and conflict resolution.

Avoid Overloading the List

Six to twelve strong skills usually work better than a long list of everything you have ever tried. Prioritize the skills that matter most for the position.

Group Skills When Useful

For technical or senior roles, grouping can help: software, languages, operations, communication, management, or industry knowledge. Keep the labels simple.

Be Ready to Explain

Anything listed on your CV can come up in an interview. If you include a tool or method, make sure you can describe how you used it.