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Table of contents

Soft vs hard skills: What’s the difference?
Hard vs soft skills list [30+ examples]
How to list soft and hard skills on a resume
More skills guides
Soft vs hard skills — key takeaways

To make your resume stand out, you need to know which skills to highlight. There are two essential types of skills: soft skills and hard skills.

Ready to dive in and discover the difference between these skills? Keep reading!

Here’s what you’ll find on this page:

The definition of hard skills.
15 hard skills to add to your resume.
The definition of soft skills.
15 soft skills to add to your resume.
How to include hard and soft skills on a resume.

Are you updating your resume with new skills? Consider using a AI resume builder. These tools make creating your resume easy and offer many examples of hard and soft skills that you can effortlessly add with just a click.

Soft vs hard skills: What’s the difference?

Let’s cut to the chase — what’s the difference between soft skills and hard skills?

One definition is that soft skills are your intangible assets, while hard skills are more technical and measurable.

Soft skills are personal traits and abilities that influence how you interact with others and approach your work. These include communication, teamwork and problem-solving, which are crucial for building relationships and adapting to various situations.

Meanwhile, hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge sets that you can measure or quantify. These include skills like computer programming, data analysis and proficiency in foreign languages, which are essential for performing specific job tasks.

Next, we’ll jump into some examples of hard and soft skills.

Hard vs soft skills list [30+ examples]

You want your resume to include a balanced mix of both hard and soft skills. Understanding and showcasing both types of skills will make you a stronger, more well-rounded candidate.

Here are some examples of each skill set to help inspire you.

Hard skills

The required hard skills will change from job to job. For some, it might be a technical skill, like proficiency with a particular computer software. For others, it might be a deep knowledge of AP Style or customer service training.

There are thousands of examples of hard skills to choose from in the resume writing process. Make sure they are aligned with the role you’re pursuing.

Here are a few examples:

A/B testing
Analytics
Bookkeeping
Copywriting
Customer management software
Data analysis
Editing
Electrical work
Excel
HTML
Microsoft Word
Physical therapy
Plumbing
Point-of-sale (POS) systems
PowerPoint
SEO/SEM
Web development
WordPress

Soft skills

Just like with hard skills, there are thousands of options when it comes to adding soft skills to your resume. Read the job ad to see if any are specifically called out, and use those if you possess them. Then, think about your most valuable interpersonal skills and add those, too. Or, if you need more inspiration, review our resume examples for sought-after soft skills.

Here are some examples to get you thinking:

Adaptability
Collaboration
Communication
Conflict resolution
Creativity
Critical thinking
Customer service skills
Dependability
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Leadership
Negotiation
Open-mindedness
Organizational skills
Patience
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Time management

How to list soft and hard skills on a resume

Your entire resume should be full of skills, both hard and soft.

You have a skills section, of course, but they can also be folded into your professional summary or resume objective and into your work experience section.

Below, we show you how to include skills throughout your resume so your skill sets are well represented.

Step 1

Read the job description closely

First things first — read the job ad.

The job ad contains keywords, which are specific terms and phrases that employers use to describe the skills and qualifications they are looking for in a candidate.

These keywords are crucial because applicant tracking systems (ATS) use them to filter and rank resumes. Including these keywords in your resume increases the chances of it passing through the ATS and reaching a human recruiter.

Here’s an example of a job description with all of the skills in bold:

Job Description:

We are seeking a senior sales representative with strong communication skills and a proven track record in sales. The ideal candidate will have experience with CRM software and data analysis. You will be responsible for developing sales strategies, building client relationships and meeting sales targets.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field
Minimum of 5 years in sales
Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
Excellent negotiation and problem-solving abilities
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

When you review a job ad, take a pen— or the bold function — and underline or highlight the skills likely to be keywords. Add the relevant ones to your resume.

Next, we’ll show you how to update your resume.

Step 2

Create a skills section

Your skills section is another excellent way to highlight your most relevant skills.

When writing the skills section of your resume, be sure to include those hard skills that are most relevant to your role. When mentioning technical skills, like Google Analytics, it’s wise only to include those skills in which you are highly proficient.

Finally, use bullet points to make the section easier to scan.

Step 3

Add skills throughout the rest of your resume

The skills section is an important element of any resume, but that isn’t the only way to incorporate hard and soft skills into your resume.

Your professional summary near the top of your resume is the perfect place to highlight your top four of five skills.

Summaries should be between two to five sentences and highlight your most relevant and impressive skills and accomplishments. If you are listing an accomplishment, highlight which skills you used to achieve success. For example, “Used strong Google Analytics skills to identify content opportunities that resulted in 15% growth in revenue.”

Also, your work experience section provides an opportunity to show potential employers not only which hard and soft skills you possess but how you put them to work in specific roles.

Ultimately, your resume shouldn’t pit your skills against each other—hard and soft skills should work together in harmony to showcase your strengths.

Pro Tip

Use strong action words to describe your achievements and skills. Words like “developed,” “implemented,” “led” and “improved” can make your resume more dynamic and impactful.

If you aren’t sure which skills to include on your resume, our AI Resume Builder will recommend the right hard and soft skills for the role you seek.

More skills guides

Looking for more help with your skills? Check out our library of skills guides:

Soft vs hard skills — key takeaways

Hard skills are measurable and teachable

Hard skills can be learned through education, training and certifications. These skills are quantifiable and often tested in professional settings.
Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioral

Soft skills relate to how you interact with others and handle various situations. They are often more challenging to measure but are crucial for effective collaboration.
A strong resume includes a mix of both

A well-rounded resume showcases a balance of hard and soft skills. This combination demonstrates that you have the technical expertise needed for the job.
Always tailor your skills to match the job description

Customize your resume for each job application by aligning your skills with the specific requirements of the job description.

Was this information about Hard Skills Vs Soft Skills helpful? Let us know!

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Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years’ experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers. He holds an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.