What Are Good Skills To Put On A Resume? Discover the Top Picks!

NextJobPro

December 12, 2023

What Are Good Skills To Put On A Resume? Discover the Top Picks!

In the last article, I explained how to get your resume noticed by employers, and while I was explaining all the strategies you should use that will guarantee an interview invite, I explained the importance of mentioning good skills in your resume. This is a time to dive deeper into the subject and explain what good skills to put on a resume.

This article is structured as follows:

  • You will learn what are good skills that you can put on your resume
  • You will know by examples about these skills
  • You will also remember what to include all the time in your resume
  • Then, you will learn why it is essential to mention these skills if you want to make your resume ATS Compliant – never miss this.

Let's now explore more what are typically good skills that are most often repeated almost all the time and in all the industries.

What Precisely Are Good Skills to Put On Your Resume?

There are two types of skills: Hard Skills and Soft Skills. Let's find the difference and then move on to what you need for your resume.

Hard skills refer to the knowledge and abilities that you need to perform your day-to-day job duties efficiently and effectively, such as knowledge of AutoCAD, Python, Primavera, etc. On the other hand, soft skills are the personal characteristics that make employees successful at work, such as people skills, empathy, team management, etc.

As you can see, hard skills combine technical and non-technical expertise in your field. Going forward in the article, I will use the term technical or non-technical skills more often, which essentially refers to hard skills.

In different industry sectors and types of organizations, requirements for technical skills differ. Therefore, it is imperative that you include technical skills in your resume that are relevant to your field, and you should know what skills will make the most impact if you mention them in your resume.

Here is the catch where most job applicants fail and get stuck. Almost all the time, the required technical skills are already mentioned in the job description. In this case, using ATS tools such as NextJobPro to scan job descriptions and use the suggested skills in your resume is much easier. Incorporating these skills in your resume tells employers you are the best match for their needs.

Hard skills are learned on the job through structured training and are critical for your success in your professional career.

It is essential to remember that every job requires different skills. Some might focus on improving machine learning, others may create schematics, and others might use worksheets to organize and monitor their finances. Regardless of the situation, how you showcase or advertise those technical skills will get you noticed and considered for an interview, where you will also defend those very same skills.

Sometimes, all you need to get noticed is a concise list of technical skills. It may, however, be necessary for you to expand on your skills and expertise or expand the scope of your experience based on the nature of the skill.

Hard Skills Examples

As I said, hard skill requirements vary from industry to industry. However, some skills are universal and apply to almost every industry. Here is the list of such skills that you should learn in 2024.

Microsoft Office

It is an application suite that enables users to perform specific tasks (such as creating and editing documents) on a computer. Several applications are included in the suite, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and OneNote.

Email Writing and Management

In this case, you will need aptitudes for creating meaningful correspondence electronically with professional and personal connections via well-crafted and organized mail filters, folders, and mail merge.

Google Drive

The service lets users save or store documents online and access them through any of their devices and any stored documents, sheets, forms, or slides.

Professional Writing and Editing

Writing in any form includes Search Engine Optimization, journalism, technical writing, and ghostwriting.

Spreadsheets

One of the most basic technical skills everyone should have is using spreadsheets because it is required in almost every field. You can use Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice to perform comparative evaluations, generate pivot charts, use macros, and create database links, among other things.

Social Media Expertise

Social media is one of the most effective revenue-generating channels in the online world. Social media skills are highly sought, such as using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to create engaging posts, giveaway events, and customer interaction strategies.

Quickbooks

A good understanding of billing systems, expenditure monitoring, payable accounts, review and reports, billing, staff timesheets, and cash flow analysis is also required.

Graphics and Design

A design firm can benefit greatly from extensive knowledge of Adobe programs, CorelDraw, Acrobat, and FreeHand.

Web Development

Among these are skills such as HTML, CSS, Javascript, WordPress, and Content Management Systems (CMS).

Enterprise Systems

As part of this, you will have to sort and process bills, manage auto payments, manage customer relationships, and manage business processes.

Research

When seeking a research-related position, it is vital to highlight one's skills in reference verification, intellectual property rights, connectivity, collaboration, community involvement, SEO, and Google search.

Programming

Among them are Python, C++, and Javascript (the 3 top tech skills according to industry data).

Troubleshooting

It is an agent or officer's responsibility to be able to appraise and have strong analytical skills, as well as to conduct evaluations, solve conflicts, reason, work collaboratively, and be able to communicate effectively.

Project Management

These skills include the ability to manage projects, set priorities, negotiate, divide labor, plan and prepare, manage portfolios, and other similar activities.

Video Creation

It is a valuable technical skill to create, write, edit, compress, and upload videos, whether for the animation or motion picture industry.

Presentation

Speaking fluently, creating slideshows, and using PowerPoint as an illustration tool are necessary.

What Technical Skills Should You Include In Your Resume?

As with weapons or explosives, technical skills can be compared to weapons; the more you have in your arsenal, the better, and one extra skill can give you a competitive edge.

In your resume, you should highlight the technical skills that are relevant to the field you work in. However, depending on your field of operation and industry, recruiters and employers will require various technical skills.

On your resume, make sure you include these technical skills:

Data Management

There will be a shortage of applicants with data management skills as more businesses move online.

Cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Commvault, Ataccama, Oracle Product Hub, DataStax, Google BigQuery, and HPE are among the most important technical data management skills you should have on your resume.

Business Analysis

The decision-making process of a large organization requires the assistance of experienced business experts. Due to this, business analysis is one of today's most sought-after technical skills.

Business analyst resume skills typically include Amazon AWS, Microsoft Access, Oracle JDBC, Transact-SQL, Eclipse IDE, Apache Groovy, C#, Python, Ruby, Data analytics, and Data modeling.

Accounting

You need different skills if you work in small or medium businesses, for the government, or as a chartered accountant.

No matter your accounting position, the following skills are most commonly required: QuickBooks, Sage 50 Accounting, Intrax ProcedureNet, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, ERP systems, cost and trend analysis, GAAP knowledge, and FASB knowledge.

Project Management

A project management skill shows employers that you are a competent candidate who can manage a group and divide tasks among members.

A project manager must have technical reporting proficiency, scheduling software skills, information technology knowledge, and database management skills.

Engineering

Because engineering is a broad field, your technical skills will vary according to your area of expertise. All engineers should possess basic computer science, CAD software, statistical modeling, system design, calculus, technical reporting, MathWorks MATLAB, Visual Basic, and Trimble SketchUp Pro skills.

Reasons Why Mentioning Technical Skills Are Essential For An ATS-Compliant Resume

A common way for big businesses to manage their applicant pipeline is through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). This system parses your resume right after you send your application. You must format your resume correctly, ensuring employers' ATS software parses it correctly. If ATS software can parse your resume correctly, we call your resume ATS Compliant. ATS Compliant resumes include relevant keywords, professional skills, and work experience that match the job description.

The best way to find the right keywords and skills that will pass the ATS and guarantee an interview invite is to use the NextJobPro ATS scan tool. It is a free tool that you can add to your arsenal.

Continuously Improving Your Skill Set

Now, let's shift gears slightly and talk about growth. It's not just about having a set of skills; it's also about constantly improving them to stay competitive in today's job market. This is where high-income skills come into play.

High-income skills are those abilities that can significantly increase your earning potential. They're often in demand across various industries and can give you an edge when looking for new opportunities or aiming for promotions within your current role.

We have something special for you if you're curious about which high-income skills could boost your career prospects. This fantastic resource I found at WeBridgeImprovement lists some of the best high-income skills to develop.

By exploring these top-tier skill sets, you'll be better equipped to decide which ones align with your career goals and interests. Adding these sought-after capabilities to your resume will undoubtedly catch employers' attention!

Remember, investing time in learning and mastering these lucrative skills enhances your resume and opens doors to exciting career opportunities that might have been out of reach before.

In Summary

If you want your application for the new job to be answered, you must ensure your resume reflects that you are the best candidate for the job. Remember, the hiring manager hasn't met you yet, and your resume should speak loudly and clearly. The best way to do so is by tailoring your resume with the skills from the job description. This helps you pass the ATS and human review as well.

In the article, you get a comprehensive list of technical skills that are most common in almost all industries. When you know what good skills to put on a resume and how to get them from the job description using the NextJobPro ATS tool, it is your time to shine and get your dream job.