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.

To see whether your skills are actually findable, the free ATS resume checker lists the ones it could extract from your file.

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Read next

• What is an ATS and how does it read your CV?
• How to write a CV, step by step (2026)
• CV with no experience - how to write your first CV

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