What Skills to Put on a Resumé (2026)

Short answer: Put the skills the job posting asks for that you really have, starting with the most important. List hard skills by name, like software, tools, licences and languages. Don't just list soft skills like "teamwork". Prove them in your bullet points instead. Most resumés need one short skills section near the bottom, or near the top if your skills are your strongest selling point.

Which skills to put on your resumé

The best skills to list are the ones the employer asked for. Alberta’s alis career site says your resumé should include “your work-specific skills, focusing on the ones that relate to the position you’re applying for” (alis).

So start with the posting, not a list of skills from the internet:

Copy the job posting into a document.
Highlight every skill, tool, licence and requirement.
Tick off the ones you really have.
Put those on your resumé, in the same words the posting uses.

Mount Royal University’s career services says to “use the same keywords from the job posting in your resume, where possible,” but warns against “overstuffing” (Mount Royal University). Using the posting’s words also helps when software screens your resumé first.

Hard skills vs soft skills

Hard skills are things you can learn, test and name. They belong in your skills section.

Software: Excel, QuickBooks, Salesforce, AutoCAD, Python
Tools and equipment: forklift, POS systems, IV pumps
Licences and certificates: G licence, First Aid and CPR, Smart Serve, WHMIS
Languages: English (fluent), Punjabi (native), French (intermediate)

Soft skills are how you work with people and get things done: communication, teamwork, problem solving, leadership. They matter, but writing the word alone proves nothing. alis advises showing how you made a difference instead of rating yourself (alis, Functional resumé outline).

Turn soft skills into proof in your bullets (fictional samples):

Instead of “Strong communication skills”: Explained billing changes to 40+ customers a day by phone and email, with no escalations in my last 6 months.
Instead of “Leadership”: Led a team of 4 on weekend shifts, and trained 2 new staff on opening and closing.

Where the skills section goes

For most people, a short skills section goes after your work experience and education. Employers want to see where you used your skills first.

Move it near the top, just under your summary, if:

The job is technical and asks for specific tools or software
You’re changing careers and your skills are more relevant than your job titles
You’re a student with more skills than work history

How to format it

Keep it short and easy to scan. Group skills under simple labels:

Skills Software: Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), QuickBooks Online, Google Workspace Certifications: First Aid and CPR (2025), WHMIS Languages: English (fluent), Tagalog (native)

A few tips:

Be specific. “Excel (pivot tables)” says more than “computer skills.”
Don’t rate yourself with stars or bars. They don’t tell an employer much, and screening software often can’t read graphics. Mount Royal says not to “use images or graphics to illustrate your skills.”
Skip the obvious. Email and web browsing don’t need to be listed for most jobs.
Keep it true. Only list skills you’d be comfortable using on day one, or explaining in an interview.

How many skills to list

There’s no magic number. Six to twelve well-chosen hard skills is plenty for most jobs. If your list is longer, cut the ones the posting doesn’t mention.

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-29.

Government of Alberta, alis. Resumé checklists. https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/resumes-and-references/resume-checklists/
Government of Alberta, alis. Functional resumé outline. https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/resumes-and-references/functional-resume-outline/
Mount Royal University, Career Services. Resumés and applicant tracking systems (tip sheet). https://www.mtroyal.ca/EmploymentCareers/CareerServices/_pdfs/TS_Resumes_Applicant-Tracking-Systems.pdf