Do you know the difference between resume soft skills and hard skills or how hiring managers rank them? Each skill type illustrates your value to prospective employers. Hard skills to put on a resume are those you have learned, while soft skills are more personality-based.
You should include soft and hard skills for resume, cover letter, and other application documents. Hiring managers look for keywords when scanning through dozens of resumes. Learn more about hard and soft skills and tips on putting them in your application paperwork.
What are Hard Skills for Resumes?
It is easier to recognize examples of hard skills for resumes since those often require training, and you can easily verify. Hard skills are technical abilities and knowledge, such as what you learn in a classroom or workplace. Your hard skills come from:
- A degree.
- An industry-specific certification.
- Hands-on experience.
- A training program.
- On-site job training.
Degrees, certificates, and licensing verify you have proficiency in something. Work experience can also back up hard skill claims. Recruiters will likely ask you about your skills in more detail before or during an interview.
Some hard skills to put on a resume are applications, software, hardware, and other technical or mechanical functions. Employers prefer employees who have experience using their systems, so they can hit the ground running.
The hard skills you should include on your resume will depend on the job position. Consider the following examples of hard skills for resumes based on the field.
- Retail – Proficiency with point of sale (POS) systems, product knowledge, and multiple languages
- Coding – Proficiency with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL.
- Marketing – Knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), popular social media platforms, Hootsuite, and other marketing tools
Hard skills can range from forklift operations to information technology (IT) skills. But they alone do not guarantee an interview. Employers want well-rounded workers, and personality and social skills can impact the decision to hire you or another candidate.
What are Soft Skills for Resumes?
You could have the top 20 hard skills and still not get the interview if the hiring manager does not think you would be a good fit for the team. Employers and managers want a cohesive group, and a staff member with a poor attitude or inability to manage time can bring the office down collectively.
The soft skills to put on resumes are features of your personality that relate to the position. Your character traits, communication, and how well you work with others. Personality skills examples that most recruiters look for include the following:
- Dependability
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Self-motivated
- Effective communication
However, the best list of soft skills for resumes will depend on the position. Patience is a great attribute for a school teacher but not for a stockbroker. Persuasion is perfect for sales but not a top trait needed in coding.
Soft skills can increase your perceived value if you do not have many hard skills. Some managers may prefer someone without bad habits from other jobs and a willingness to learn new practices.
Popular soft skills examples for resumes include the following:
- Social – leadership, teamwork, open-mindedness, collaboration, and empathy
- Thinking – problem-solving, creativity, and organized
- Communication – active listening, verbal and written skills
- Ability – multi-tasking, adaptability, flexibility with change, and motivation
- Personality – dependable, patience, persuasive, and friendly
From clear communication to teamwork skills, resumes give hiring managers a better idea of who you are and your work ethic. You should include your soft skills in your cover letter, as it can be the reason recruiters look at your resume.
How to Include Hard and Soft Skills
You do not need to include personality skills examples you think employers want but consider who you are that could benefit the team or company. The skills you list should be ones you actually do and are part of your personality.
The hard skills to put on a resume are the ones you read on the job advertisement. Employers list the hard and soft skills they are looking for in an applicant within the listing. Consider the following example:
Administrative Assistant wanted for a small dental office. High school degree required, but college experience preferred. Responsibilities include greeting visitors, phone and email exchanges with management and clients, and daily office management.
The employer listed the education requirements and preferences. You should mention it in your cover letter if you are in college since you have yet to obtain the degree. Be sure to include any training or certification relevant to the administrative assistant role.
The advertisement also lists the daily tasks, and you can draw the soft and hard skills needed for those. For example, employers would want someone:
- Friendly to greet visitors.
- With strong verbal and written communication skills to answer phones and exchange email correspondence.
- Who is organized, responsible, and a problem-solver to oversee daily office management.
- Who is proficient with related software and able to do the job, like Microsoft Office and experience in the industry.
You can weave hard and soft skills into your resume without listing them. For instance, you can write, “Supervised all employees working during shift” to show leadership or “Coded in HTML and CSS for more than 15 years.”
Evaluate what skills the company is looking for and reflect on your past for related work experiences. You might be surprised to realize you have more skills than you thought.
Highlighting Your Skills From Words to Actions
Your resume soft skills should match who shows up for the interview. For instance, you should not act timidly in person if you listed ‘personable’ and ‘outgoing’ on your resume. You may have got an interview because of your resume, but your hard and soft skills can get you the job.
Tips for putting your soft skills to work:
- Time management – show up on time for the interview
- Honest – be truthful about your past experiences
- Active listening – maintain eye contact while the interviewer is speaking
- Communication – have clear, concise responses
- Motivation – ask follow-up questions about the job
You may need to show diplomas, certifications, licenses, or other credentials to verify your hard skills. You may also prove some of your hard skills, like application proficiency, by asking technical questions or completing a short test.
Tips for authenticating hard skills:
- Define your abilities and experiences with metrics.
- Provide a portfolio or examples of your work.
- Pass skills tests as needed.
- Ask the interviewer questions that highlight your knowledge.
Stories about past work experiences can illustrate both hard and soft skills. A work-related story should start with a problem, then describe how you approach it, and conclude with the results. Your interview responses should relate to the position, company, and your skills.
