Finding a job begins with your resume. A stellar resume is you on paper: your skills, your work history, your aptitude. In reality, it is the first meeting you have with your recruiter, even when you are not there. A stellar resume will have a good mix of skills added in there to actually catch the eye of the hiring manager. The hard skills, in particular, are the pivotal focus of any resume. Remember, recruiters spend only about 6 seconds on a resume. So, you must make sure you add the right hard skills for resume according to the job requirement.
What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are the skill sets that set you apart from other individuals. These skills can be leveraged practically and are developed through formal education, training, or practice. Simply put, these are the skills that tell the recruiter you are knowledgeable and skilled enough for the job. Hard skills for resume can include skills pertaining to the use of specific tools, platforms, or programs or even practical experience with processes and tasks that underline your job role.
For example, a marketer may be expected to know the basic concepts of SEO, PPC, search engines, algorithms, and so forth. Similarly, a financial analyst may be expected to know the basics of data visualization, data analysis, and Microsoft Excel. The article includes hard skills for resume examples for your ease.
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Top 19 Hard Skills to Put in Your Resume
Not all hard skills out there are relevant to you, but knowing the top skills in your specific domain is a good way to start populating your resume. Here are examples of hard skills for resume to help you get started:
Technical Skills
Technical skills can vary widely depending on the industry or job you are applying for. These are the skills you gain by performing physical or digital tasks. Some of the most popular technical skills you can include in your resume include:
- Programming languages: Python, Java, Ruby, JavaScript, C, C++, and C#
- Data Analysis
- Software Proficiency
- Technical Writing
It can even include productivity software applications such as Google Suite, Trello, Slack, and Zapier.
Computer Skills
In nearly all positions, you are expected to have at least a basic understanding of computer technology. Others may require proficiency in most computer operations. Top computer skills you can add to your resume include:
- Emails
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets
- Digital calendars
- Video conferencing
- Operating systems (Windows/Linux)
These are even more important for fresh students, whose self-studied computer skills are vital if they hope to get a job – even without relevant experience. Some computer-based hard skills examples for students resume include spreadsheets, presentation software, social media, email communication, word processing, etc.
Analytical Skills
Analyzing consumer and business performance data is one of the best ways to remain competitive. This makes analytical hard skills in demand. Here are the common analytical hard skills to put on a resume:
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Data summarizing
- Data visualization and reporting
- Data mining
- Data Engineering
- Data diagnostics
Marketing Skills
Marketing hard skills for resume are those skills that can convince people to purchase a company’s products or services. Marketers are considered pivotal for any organization that wishes to bring in maximum revenue, especially in dynamic marketplaces. Here are the top hard skills for marketing resume you should add to your resume when applying for a marketing-specific role:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Email marketing (including tools such as Hootsuite, MailChimp)
- Campaign management
- Google Analytics
- Content management systems (CMS)
- Keyword Research
- Marketing tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush
Accounting Skills
Accounting skills are needed for those who seek a career in finance. These are skills that will allow you to accurately manage financial data, including its collection, analysis, and reporting. The top hard skills for accounting resume include:
- Quickbooks
- Data Entry
- Spreadsheets/Excel
- SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing)
Alongside these, you should have a good understanding of budgeting, accounts payables and receivables, forming payrolls, tax forms, invoice management, financial reporting, and regulatory filings.
Social Media Skills
Social media-focused roles are on the rise with the booming social media industry. More and more people are joining in which means businesses are leveraging these platforms to connect with their clientele. They now seek individuals who are well versed in managing their social media platforms to strengthen brand image and direct customers to the sales funnel. Top social media hard skills for your resume include:
- Social Media Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media Advertising
- Content Calendar Creation
- Social Media Marketing Strategy
- Graphic design
- Content Writing
- Image/Video/Audio Editing
- Social media application tools such as Hootsuite, MailChimp
Customer Service Skills
Customer service representatives are often the face of the company itself, the first line of communication between the client and the business. It is more of an entry-level position but is also one of the best ways to break into the industry. Note that recruiters for a customer service position may focus more on your soft skills, such as communication, emotional intelligence, spoken language, etc, but this does not mean your hard skills will be overlooked. Instead, hard skills for customer service resume can give you the competitive edge you need. These include:
- Computing skills
- Data Entry
- Writing Skills (For Chat and Email)
- Data Analysis
- Language Skills
- CRM software (Hubspot, Salesforce, Pipedrive)
- Database management
- Spreadsheets
Project Management Skills
Most organizations will break down their bigger tasks into more management projects with specific goals and deadlines. The project manager is then assigned to ensure that the project runs according to the roadmap provided. Again, this role relies heavily on a mix of hard and soft skills, such as communication and team management. The top hard skills you should focus on include:
- Project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Lean)
- Project management software
- Project planning and scheduling (including tools such as Microsoft Project, Primavera)
- Project reporting
- Risk management
- Resource management
- Contract management
- Project budgeting
Web Development Skills
Mobile and web development careers are proliferating at high speeds, with hundreds of new applications and websites being introduced almost every day. Here are the examples of hard skills you can add to your resume if you are an aspiring web developer or mobile developer:
- Programming (C#, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Python, PHP)
- Frameworks (NodeJS, ReactJS, Django)
- Databases (MySQL, SQL Server)
- Cloud Infrastructure (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)
- Tools (Unix, Git, Selenium)
Graphic Design Skills
Being a successful graphic designer means leveraging your creative abilities as best as you can. This includes brainstorming design concepts, using design software, choosing proper fonts/colors/layouts, and meeting client requests. The top hard skills you will need for a stellar graphic design resume include:
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects)
- Figma
- UX/UI Design
- Design principles
- Branding
- Typography
- Computer skills
- Color Theory
Healthcare Tech Skills
Healthcare hard skills are crucial for any aspiring medical student or nursing student, including medical assistants. The hard skills for nursing resume often include:
- Basic working of Electronic health records (EHR) systems
- Vital signs monitoring
- Patient care techniques
Similarly, the hard skills for medical assistant resume you may want to mention include the following:
- Medical coding
- Patient management software
- Billing
- Computer Literacy
- Administrative Skills
- Laboratory procedures
Writing Skills
Nearly every business out there needs a writer who works behind the scenes to craft unique, engaging, and captivating content. In order to remain competitive in your field, you should explore different writing skills to add to your resume. These include:
- Article/Blog Writing
- Copywriting
- Website Content Writing
- Proposal Writing
- Resume Writing
- Creative Writing
- Video Script Writing
- Email Writing
Presentation Skills
Throughout your career, regardless of the industry you join, you will be expected to carry out presentations every now and then. Presenting is an art with a mix of good vocal skills and communication skills. Besides these, the hard skills you can add to your resume include:
- Slideshow preparation
- Research
- Data analysis
- Data reporting
- Tools (PowerPoint)
- Graphic Design (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite)
Language Skills
Some specific roles, such as nannies, customer support, or retail positions, may require that you be proficient in a language. This is also why language proficiency is one of the hard skills for nanny resume. You can add proficiency in your mother tongue alongside other languages you have expertise in. For credibility, you should also add a certification to show that you have professionally studied the said language. Even typing or working in foreign languages, as is with IT and MS Office, can be a skill set in its own right.
Database Management Skills
A database manager is a professional specifically hired to manage, develop, and maintain a company’s data storage methods and databases. They also ensure that the company data remains secure. Here are top database management-related hard skills you can’t miss on your resume:
- Database Design
- Data Modeling
- Data security
- Data Storage and Retrieval
- Tools (SQL Server, MySQL)
- CRM/Automation Systems
- Data analysis
- Data reporting
- Data warehousing and ETL processes
Video Editing Skills
Those who are passionate about video capturing and editing may find video content-related roles to be a good career choice. Content developers, film editors, animators, videographers, social media managers, and multimedia designers are nearly all required to have at least some proficiency in video editing. The basic hard skills you should add to your resume include:
- Video Editing Software (Adobe Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve, Adobe After Effects)
- Audio Editing
- Computer literacy
- Color grading
Machine Learning Skills
The machine learning industry is considered to be a flowing gold rush, with a bright future for anyone who develops the necessary hard skills for the task. Here are the top machine-learning hard skills examples for resume:
- Programming Languages (Python, R)
- TensorFlow
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
- Apache Kafka
- Natural Language Processing (NLP)
- Database engineering
- Machine Learning metrics and algorithms
- Math and statistics
- Data analysis
- Robotics and machine learning
- Cognitive science
- Neural network architecture
Education Skills
Education is also changing with the times. Teachers are required to be technically savvy if they hope to engage students with changing technologies. Some of the hard skills for teachers resume include:
- Education technology
- Lesson planning
- Subject matter expertise
- Presentation skills
- Instructional document creation
- Language skills
Retail Skills
Retailers are always on the lookout for skilled individuals who can provide excellent customer support and help in handling customer sales, complaint resolution, and feedback generation. The must-have hard skills for retail resume include:
- Customer Service
- Money Handling/basic math skills
- Inventory management (Stocking and organizing)
- Scheduling
- CRM software familiarity
- Data entry skills
- Writing Skills for better communication
Are Hard Skills Alone Sufficient?
Certainly not! Hard skills are the meat of your resume; they are the actual skills that recruiters will first seek out. But that’s not all they are looking for. Recruiters will also love to see your soft skills. Soft skills are interpersonal skills and traits that are not specific to any career, such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability. For every 3 hard skills you list, add 1 soft skill to make your resume stand out.
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How to Add Hard Skills to Your Resume?
Three major sections of your resume should be populated with hard skills:
- Add a select list of hard skills for resume to a dedicated skills section, usually in a bullet point format for legibility.
- Add them to your professional summary at the top of the page, only focusing on the one to three top hard skills relevant to the job.
- Add them to your work history, indicating not only the skill but how you leveraged it. For example, adding optimized website content for SEO to increase organic search traffic by 45%’ is far more practical than simply listing ‘SEO’ in your work history.
When adding skills to your resume, you should always ensure they are relevant to the job you are seeking.
For instance, if you are applying for a Marketing Managerial role, you must have a mix of Marketing and Management skills. However, you should add a healthy mix of marketing-specific roles rather than focusing solely on your team-building or management skills. Hiring managers for such roles are far more likely to seek individuals who have expertise in the field itself, not just managing others.
Keep In Mind!
Your resume is a reflection of your past work experience and your ability. It shows why you are the best fit for the role. Adding relevant and good hard skills for resume can help you significantly. It will connect you to the job where you can truly shine! We hope our hard skills resume examples will help you make the difference.