What skills to put on your CV (hard and soft)
The skills section is a fast signal for both the recruiter and the ATS. The key is choosing the skills that actually matter for this role - and presenting them credibly.
Hard vs soft skills
Hard skills are measurable: tools, languages, software (Excel, Python, English C1). Soft skills are how you work: communication, teamwork, organisation. A good CV shows both.
How to choose
- Read the ad and list the skills it asks for.
- Mark the ones you genuinely have - those go in.
- Keep the list tight; 8-12 relevant skills beat a wall of thirty.
Show proof
Bare keywords don't convince anyone. Soft skills work best inside your experience: instead of "communicative", write "presented weekly results to clients". For hard skills, add a level ("Excel - advanced") or a certificate.
Watch out for
Listing skills you don't have - it unravels fast in an interview. Better to show fewer, honestly.
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Comments (3)
How many skills is too many? My list is at 25...
Way too many - pick the 8-12 most relevant to the posting. A long list buries the ones that matter.
Skill bars and star ratings look nice but ATS can't read them - plain text saved my parsing.
Good point about proving soft skills in the experience section instead of just listing them.