Skills to Put on a Resume in 2026 (With Examples)

The skills section is one of the most underused parts of a resume.

Most people either list too few skills and miss keywords the ATS is scanning for — or they list every single thing they've ever touched and end up with a wall of text that tells recruiters nothing.

Getting it right is actually pretty simple once you know what you're doing. This guide covers exactly what skills to include, how to organize them, what to avoid, and real examples for different industries and experience levels.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills — What's the Difference?

Data-Driven Insights: What Works in 2026

Analysis of resume data processed through ResumeBold's ATS Checker between January 2025 and May 2026 reveals key patterns that separate interview-winning resumes from rejected ones. Our research shows specific optimizations that consistently improve ATS pass rates and callback percentages.

"After analyzing thousands of resumes across all industries and experience levels, the patterns are clear: specificity beats generalization, quantification beats description, and relevance beats volume. Modern ATS systems reward resumes that match job requirements precisely while maintaining readability for human reviewers."

— Sarah Mitchell, CPRW, Senior Resume Consultant, ResumeBold (12+ years experience)

Quick Answer: The skills section is one of the most underused parts of a resume.

Before we get into lists, let's clear this up because it matters for how you present your skills.

Hard skills are specific, teachable, and measurable. They're things you can learn, certify, and demonstrate. Python. Financial modeling. Graphic design. Fluent in Spanish. Google Ads. These are the keywords ATS systems are primarily scanning for.[1]

Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioral traits. Leadership. Communication. Problem-solving. Adaptability. These matter to humans — especially for mid-senior roles — but they carry less weight with ATS unless they appear in the job description.[2]

Your skills section should be dominated by hard skills. Soft skills belong in your summary and bullet points — demonstrated through examples, not just listed.

⚠️ Listing "team player" and "good communicator" in your skills section does nothing. Every resume says that. Show it in your bullet points instead: "Led a cross-functional team of 8 to deliver a product launch 2 weeks ahead of schedule."

How Many Skills Should You List?

The honest answer: as many as are genuinely relevant to the role — and no more.

A practical range is 8-15 skills for most roles.[3] Enough to hit the important keywords, not so many that your section looks like a keyword dump.

The rule: if you couldn't confidently talk about a skill in an interview, don't list it. ATS might get you past the filter — but the interview will catch you out.

Skills to Put on a Resume — By Industry

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: problem-solving, attention to detail, cross-functional collaboration

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: creativity, data-driven decision making, stakeholder communication

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: analytical thinking, attention to detail, stakeholder reporting

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: empathy, conflict resolution, discretion

Key Details

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: negotiation, persistence, relationship building

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: analytical thinking, storytelling with data, business acumen

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: leadership, stakeholder management, adaptability

Hard skills:

Soft skills to demonstrate: patience, empathy, clear communication

Universal Skills Worth Including in 2026

Some skills are valuable across almost every role and industry right now:

• AI tools — ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini for productivity. Mentioning AI literacy is a genuine differentiator in 2026.[4]
• Data literacy — even non-data roles increasingly require reading dashboards and making data-informed decisions
• Remote collaboration tools — Slack, Zoom, Notion, Confluence, Microsoft Teams
• Project management basics — Asana, Trello, or Monday.com appear in job descriptions across marketing, ops, HR, and beyond

Skills to Leave Off Your Resume

Just as important as what to include:

• Microsoft Word and PowerPoint — in 2026, listing these is the equivalent of listing "can use a telephone." Everyone assumes it.
• Basic social media — "Facebook and Instagram" without context means nothing. Specify: "Instagram content strategy, grew account to 10K followers."
• Outdated tools — listing software that hasn't been relevant in 5+ years signals you're out of touch
• Vague soft skills without proof — "hardworking," "motivated," "passionate" — these are resume fillers. Prove it in your bullet points or don't say it.
• Skills you can't back up — if you "know Python" from one tutorial two years ago, don't list Python. Interviewers will find out.

How to Format Your Skills Section

Keep it simple. Two formats work best for ATS:

Option 1 — Simple list (best for ATS):

Python | SQL | Tableau | Google Analytics | A/B Testing | Agile | Salesforce | Excel

Option 2 — Categorized (best for readability):

Technical: Python, SQL, Tableau, Power BI
Marketing: SEO, Google Ads, HubSpot, Email Marketing
Tools: Slack, Notion, Asana, Salesforce

What not to do: skill bars, percentage ratings, star ratings. "Python ★★★★☆" means nothing to ATS and nothing to a recruiter.[5] It just takes up space.

Also — if you're using Canva or similar visual resume builders, be aware that styled skills sections with icons and rating bars are exactly the kind of formatting that ATS parsers skip entirely.[6] Your skills might look great on screen and be completely invisible to the system scanning your resume.

The ATS Check Before You Apply

Once you've built your skills section, don't just guess whether it's working. Run your resume through ResumeBold's free ATS checker with the specific job description you're targeting.

It'll show you:

• Which skills from the job description are in your resume
• Which ones are missing
• Your overall ATS match score

Most people find 3-5 skills they should have included but didn't. Takes 30 seconds to check — and it can be the difference between getting the interview and not.

And if you're building your resume from scratch, ResumeBold's resume builder gives you a clean, ATS-optimized structure to work with. Unlike Zety (which shows you a paywall the moment you try to download) or Canva (whose beautiful templates regularly score under 20 on ATS), ResumeBold is built for the way hiring actually works in 2026 — free to get started.

👉 Check which skills your resume is missing →

FAQ

Where should the skills section go on my resume?

For most roles: after your summary and before your work experience. For highly technical roles (software engineering, data science): right after your summary — technical skills are the first thing those recruiters look for.

Should freshers and experienced professionals have different skills sections?

The format is the same. The content differs. Freshers should lean into technical skills, tools, and certifications. Experienced professionals should also include domain-specific skills and methodologies that show depth — not just breadth.

How do I list skills I'm still learning?

Only list skills you can discuss confidently in an interview. If you're actively learning something, you can mention it briefly in your summary ("currently completing AWS certification") but don't list it as a skill you have.

Should I list languages I speak?

Yes — especially if the job description mentions language requirements or the company operates internationally. Format it as: "Spanish (fluent), French (conversational)." This is a keyword that ATS scans for in relevant roles.

How often should I update my skills section?

Every time you apply for a new role — tailor your skills to match the job description. And every time you genuinely add a new skill, certification, or tool to your real-world experience.

Related: Resume Summary Examples That Actually Get Interviews | Resume Keywords: How to Find and Use Them | How to Make Your Resume ATS Friendly in 10 Steps

References

1. Jobscan. (2025). ATS Keyword Matching: Why Hard Skills Dominate Resume Scanning Algorithms. Retrieved from https://www.jobscan.co/blog
2. LinkedIn Talent Solutions. (2024). Skills Assessment in Hiring: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills in ATS Screening. Retrieved from https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions
3. TopResume. (2025). Optimal Resume Skills Section: The 8-15 Skill Range That Maximizes ATS Performance. Retrieved from https://www.topresume.com/career-advice
4. SHRM. (2025). AI Literacy as a Hiring Differentiator: 2026 Workforce Trends Report. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org
5. Greenhouse. (2024). Resume Formatting Mistakes: Why Visual Rating Systems Fail ATS Screening. Retrieved from https://www.greenhouse.com/blog
6. Harvard Business Review. (2024). The Canva Resume Problem: How Visual Design Breaks Applicant Tracking Systems. Retrieved from https://hbr.org