Top 260+ skills to put on a resume (+ how to identify them)

Introduction

When applying for a job, you make the first impression not during the first interview, but when the employer reads your resume. Way before you reach their office, your resume reaches their table first. That's why you should never underestimate the power of a well-crafted resume.

Your resume must stand out from the crowd. It should be concise yet comprehensive; compelling enough for the employer to call you for an interview. It should tell them your story -- who and what you are; your credentials and achievements; your past and present.

Aside from personal and professional information, there's one thing you must highlight on your resume: your skills. Include the hard and soft skill sets you've learned over the years. Your list of relevant skills will give the employer an idea of how your qualifications can contribute to their company's success.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll know how to assess and identify soft and hard skills. You'll learn how to highlight them on your resume -- in ways that will impress your prospective employer and hook their interest.

• Why highlighting the right skills is important
• Getting started: adding key skills to your resume
• Identifying your skills
• Hard skills vs soft skills
• Identifying the key skills required for the job you're applying for
• Skills to put on your resume
• How to highlight your skills on your resume
• Additional tips for showcasing your skills
• How to demonstrate your skills in your cover letter and interview
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Summary
• FAQs

Why highlighting the right skills is important

One essential reminder: always read the job description and list of requirements carefully. It will tell you the skills the company needs, and they're the skills you need to highlight on your resume.

Every company has a different set of requirements and scope of work for each open role. Be sure to customise your resume and your highlighted skills for each application, even if it's for a company in the same industry. If you can show on your resume that your key skills match their needs, you'll have a higher chance of making a good first impression. And you may get invited to your first interview!

The role of skills in the modern Malaysian workplace

In today's fast-paced employment landscape, skills have become increasingly important in the modern workplace. It presents the employability and expertise of a jobseeker in a nutshell. When hiring managers receive an application, one of the first things they look at is the applicant's skill set. Does it fit the current requirements and future demands of the role? What skills does the applicant lack? Following this, how much training will address the skill gap?

In addition, training and reskilling experts have found that 91% of Malaysian employees are interested in upskilling and reskilling to retain and improve their employability in today's digital world. Most of them have also taken the initiative to acquire new skills and update existing ones using online learning tools and resources. By including the new skills they have attained through reskilling and upskilling, Malaysian job seekers are able to communicate why they are an excellent fit for today's digital-driven roles.

Thinking of getting some extra training? Or learning a new skill? Make sure your application includes the skills you have acquired. Also include educational certifications, if any.

Getting started: adding key skills to your resume

Making sure the right and most relevant skills appear on your resume can be a daunting task, especially if you're a fresh graduate. Likewise, if you're switching careers or applying for a more senior role, you'll have to ensure that your list of skills matches the requirements of your prospective employer. This will help convince them that you're the best person for the job.

Below are some quick guidelines to help you get started. First, you must identify your skills. Then, you classify them into hard skills and soft skills. Finally, you'll also need to identify the skills required for the job you're applying for, so you know which ones to highlight in your resume.

Identifying your skills

Take the following steps to identify the skills to add to your resume.

1. Contemplate your strengths

Think about the times other people asked for your help. Usually, these opportunities affirm your talents and skills.

Example: You are a fresh graduate looking for a job in marketing. In college, a friend asked you to promote her small business. You single-handedly set up her Facebook page, created promotional materials, and responded to inquiries. With your help, the business earned revenue. After this, other friends asked you to lead digital marketing campaigns.

2. Evaluate your skills

Think about the skills that allowed you to perform your best. How do these skills show that you're a competent employee and the best candidate for the role you're applying for?

Example: What digital marketing skills do you specialise in? You've probably honed your skill in market research, data analysis, and content creation skills. At this stage, list as many as you can think of.

3. Reflect on your work experience

Identify the skills that boosted your work performance in your previous roles. What skills helped you achieve those things (e.g. time management, conflict resolution skills)?

Example: Be specific about the results of your work experience. For instance, you increased website traffic by 50% through social media campaigns. How did you achieve this? Show off your transferable skills. You may have utilised communication skills, creative thinking, and collaboration.

4. Review your skill list

Be as honest as possible when self-evaluating your skills. Potential employers will review your resume with objectivity, and they will be able to detect any lack of authenticity in your application. You will also need to prove or convince them of your skills and competencies during the interview, so it pays to be truthful. Also, remember to remove irrelevant skills from your resume.

Example: Instead of flaunting your substandard skills in Google Analytics, highlight your ability to create promotional materials.

Hard skills vs soft skills

After you have a first draft of your skills, categorise your skills into technical and transferable skills.

Hard skills

Technical skills are also called hard skills. They're the technical knowledge that you have gained through training and education. These hard skills may be specific to your job or industry. They include the technical skills you need to do specific tasks.

Examples are skills in using certain tools, machines, software, or computer programmes. They are the primary requirements of the role you are applying for.

Soft skills

Transferable skills, or soft skills, are non-technical skills. They are personal qualities that enable you to interact and work well with others. These traits include skills in communication, problem-solving, and leadership among others. Soft skills are applicable across all job positions and industries.

Employers value strong soft skills. They may assess your fit for the role, based on these skills. This is true in all situations, especially if you've no experience in the role you applied for.

Identifying the key skills required for the job you're applying for

You must closely examine job listings to determine the key skills required by the role you wish to apply to. This part is primarily easy since employers and hiring managers use – and look for – keywords related to the position. These include job titles, action words, results, software, online platforms, and skills.

The key job skills are usually a combination of technical skills, soft skills, and proficiency in software or platforms. They're considered to be the primary requirements of a role. They're also often placed under the job qualifications section or are described as “required” or “essential.”

Take a look at this example of a sample job ad for a Full Stack Developer:

Job summary:

• Web system and mobile web app development
• Deliver high-quality programming projects promptly
• Implement web applications to meet client expectations with good quality
• Follow high standard of system development procedures and methodologies
• Perform routine system testing, deployment, and maintenance
• Able to work on clients' projects in different industries, ranging from FMCG, public utility to financial sectors

Requirements:

• Solid experience in web development is preferred
• High level of proficiency in written and spoken Cantonese and English
• Hands-on experience with PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and MySQL
• Familiarity with HTML5 and CSS3 is an advantage
• Working knowledge of Social Network Platform API (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Sina, etc.) is a plus
• Self-motivated team player who is passionate about web development
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Quality-oriented, responsible, and initiative-driven
• A fast learner and able to work independently

Notice how the requirements section shows a mix of hard and soft skills that are expected from job seekers. These are all essential for accomplishing the duties and responsibilities outlined in the job summary section.

Skills to put on your resume

Hard skills

Hard skills or technical skills are particular and crucial to your industry and the role you want to take on. You primarily use these to complete your tasks correctly. You gain these from your education, work experience, additional training, or upskilling or reskilling.

Examples of hard skills

Below are some examples of hard skills that are required for a variety of roles in different industries. Due to the growing digital competition in the Malaysian workforce, it can be important to have skills that might have been considered beyond the scope of your role in previous decades. For example, marketers of today must be versed in various computer skills.

Soft skills

Soft skills are non-technical skills such as social, problem-solving, and time management skills. According to Yolanda Lau, Co-Founder and Chief Talent Officer at FlexTeam and Chief Experience Officer at Liquid, soft skills are essential to the future of work. This, she noted, is because machines cannot replicate these soft skills in the increasingly automated world.

You continuously gain and improve your soft skills throughout your life, from your education and work background to the myriad of life experiences that shape you as a person.

In addition, soft skills also allow you to form and foster positive interpersonal relationships, whether with the team or organisation you belong to or the customers and clients you interact with. This is why several soft skills are sometimes called “people skills.”

As with hard skills, soft skills are useful in the workplace since they allow you to become not only a decisive, responsible, and independent worker, but also a mindful, considerate, and supportive team player. Knowing when to work independently and when to collaborate is a great indicator of a well-rounded employee – something employers value and actively look for.

Examples of soft skills

Below are some examples of soft skills required for various roles across different industries and fields.

How to highlight your skills on your resume

As you craft your resume, know that highlighting your skills can help you advance in the hiring process. It will also help you stand out from other job seekers. Here below, you'll learn how to write your skills and where to place them on your resume. And you'll know how to quantify your skills and achievements. By highlighting your skills, you'll have a higher chance of landing an interview and convincing the employer that you're the best fit for the role.

Where to place your skills in your resume

Career objective or resume summary

You can mention your key skills in the career objective or your resume summary. Think of it as an attention-grabbing introduction to your professional background and career goals. This will give the hiring manager an idea of your qualifications and how you fit the position you're applying for.

Work experience

Your resume's work experience section is another good spot for showcasing your key skills, especially your soft skills. You can incorporate them into the descriptions of your duties and responsibilities in your previous employment.

Skills and competencies

Have a dedicated skills or competencies section where you can let your technical skills shine. Place all the software, programmes, and online platforms you know how to use. Ensure they are relevant to the position you're applying for, and categorise them according to your proficiency level.

How to write your skills section

Your career objective can be a short paragraph, but your work experience and skills should be in bullet points. This will make it easier for hiring managers to skim through your work and evaluate your application faster.

Quantifying your skills and achievements is also a great way to show your skill level, especially for technical skills.

Career overview

Use years of experience in your career overview to indicate your proficiency level in general.

Example: Senior Software Developer with 5 years of experience in website and software architecture and design, specialising in e-commerce development.

Work experience

In your work experience section, incorporate numbers to make your specific competencies measurable. You can also use percentages to quantify the achievements you obtained due to your skills.

Examples:

• Developed a system that increased project completion rate by 60%
• Managed a team of 10 account managers for 2 years
• Conducted e-commerce platform updates which increased annual sales target by RM 10,000

Pro tip: Use numerals instead of words (e.g. 5 instead of “five”) wherever applicable.

Examples of well-written skills sections

A well-written skills section makes your key skills specific, straightforward, and readily visible to hiring managers. Check out this sample list for a Senior Web Developer:

 Hard skills

• Proficient in web development languages (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL)
• Expert in responsive web design
• Knowledgeable in cloud platforms (AWS EC2, RDS, Code Commit)
• Knowledgeable in Social Network Platform API

Soft skills 

• Self-motivated team player
• Fast learner with initiative for innovation
• Adaptable problem solver
• Strategic thinker

Then, use the tips above to quantify your skills for polished career overview and work experience sections.

You can find plenty of resume tips here on JobStreet, but if you want a specific example, check out our tips for writing a transferable skills-based resume. You can also check out our free resume templates.

Additional tips for showcasing your skills

Use keywords

When evaluating job applications, employers and hiring managers look for strong keywords in resumes. They tend to skim through a resume with specific keywords in mind that give them an idea about the employment background, core competencies, and key skills of a jobseeker. It would help to study the keywords in a job posting and how to use them in your resume.

Use action words

Incorporate power words and action verbs that indicate how you performed specific tasks and responsibilities and any achievements or recognition you received. These are effective in emphasising your skills and how you used them to perform well in your current or previous roles.

Use visual aids

Visual aids will reinforce the skills and milestones you gained throughout your career. You can experiment with infographics, bolding or colour-coding your skills to draw attention to the contents of your resume. Ensure you look at other examples of resumes to draw inspiration. Make sure your resume is not distractingly different when experimenting with things like colour and infographics.

How to demonstrate your skills in your cover letter and interview

How to mention your skills in your cover letter

Apart from your resume, your cover letter should also contain your hard and soft skills. Again, take note of the keywords used in the job description and use them as a guide when writing your cover letter. Use action words and verbs to indicate how you were able to use your key skills in your previous employment or projects.

How to answer skills-based questions in an interview

Once your cover letter and resume catch the attention of hiring managers and you get invited for an interview, it's time to make those key skills shine even brighter. You will be asked skills-based questions, so be prepared to answer honestly.

For example, if you need more confidence in your web design skills, you can tell them why. You may still be learning the ropes of the software and online platforms for the past year or so. Or, you could still be in the process of upskilling or retraining. Be bold and let them know what skills you lack or need to be proficient in, but also express openness to learning or improving them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Whether you're writing a resume for the first time or refreshing an existing one, it's important to remember some common mistakes to avoid. Generic skills that are expected of everyone and irrelevant to the role should be omitted. Lying about your competencies or exaggerating your skills should be avoided.

Neglecting to mention key skills is also a major lapse, so cross-check your resume and cover letter with the job description. Finally, unless the role involves them, don't use jargon or technical terms that may be misunderstood.

Summary

To recap, continuing to update and optimise your skills on your resume is crucial to your career, whether you're a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional. This helps ensure that your resume communicates all your professional capabilities. Your skills give employers and hiring managers an idea if you're an excellent fit for the role you're applying for, in ways that job titles and education may not. Remember, it's your skills that can show how you accomplish job responsibilities and tasks.

Highlight your key skills on your resume and cover letter. They should be a combination of different types of skills. It's important to include both technical skills and soft skills. Use the job listing as your guide on the best keywords to write in your resume.

Tailor your resume and cover letter to each application, as each company may have specific requirements for the open position. Be honest about the skills you put on your resume, and never exaggerate them! During the interview, be sure to talk about them confidently and truthfully. Be ready to demonstrate your knowledge of your skills and relate your experience or accomplishments.

Get ready to polish your resume, showcase your top skills, and #SEEKBetter jobs today, starting with creating or updating your JobStreet profile! Download the JobStreet app for iOS or Android to search for jobs, send applications, and track updates on the go. Lastly, check out the Career Advice page as well for more tips on job searching, self-improvement, and career advancement!

FAQs

1. What skills should I put on my resume?
   ⁠Your resume should have a combination of key skills – hard and soft skills – that are specific and relevant to the role you are applying for.
   ⁠If you're applying for a Senior Software Developer position that indicates a leadership capacity, include soft skills such as delegation, goal-setting, and mentoring.
2. How do I know which skills to include?
   ⁠Closely examine the job description in the ad or posting of the role you want to apply for. What skills or competencies is the employer looking for? Pay attention to keywords that may also point to job titles, experience levels, and results.
3. Should I include skills that are not relevant to the job?
   ⁠When evaluating applications, employers and hiring managers focus on skills that are directly related to the job. It's best not to include skills that are not relevant in your resume or cover letter. 
   ⁠
   ⁠Applying for a job as a data scientist? You don't have to mention your skills in baking or driving. Instead, include skills such as problem-solving, statistical knowledge, and data analysis.
4. How should I format my skills section?
   ⁠To make it easier for hiring managers to find your key skills, make sure that you list them in bullet form. You can also experiment with visual aids like infographics if they can effectively and accurately communicate your proficiency. Again, remember to use strong keywords!
5. Can I list skills that I don't have much experience in?
   ⁠Yes, you can! But be sure to honestly and accurately indicate your level. During the interview, hiring managers will also ask you about your skills and competencies. So, it's best that you mention skills that you can talk about with confidence.
6. Can I list skills that I learned on my own?
   ⁠Definitely! An increasing number of Malaysian workers are upskilling and reskilling on their own. They're updating their resumes with new and improved skills from their self-training. Employers and managers value initiative and willingness to learn; you'll likely impress them with your proactiveness to reskill or upskill.
7. How many skills should I include on my resume?
   ⁠While there is no exact number of skills to have on your resume, a good rule of thumb is to stick to the key skills required in the job description.
   ⁠
   ⁠If the job description requires three key skills (e.g. social media marketing, content creation, and data analytics), your resume should include those three — and, preferably, more.
8. How do I demonstrate my skills in an interview?
   ⁠During an interview, you will likely be asked many skills-based questions. Be prepared to answer as truthfully and positively as possible. You can mention situations where you successfully used these skills and competencies. Emphasise how these skills led to your career accomplishments and milestones. If you get asked about the skills you lack or aren't proficient in during the interview, don't be afraid to say why, but also express openness to learn or improve.
9. Should I mention the same skills in my cover letter as in my resume?
   ⁠Yes! The cover letter is one of the first things that hiring managers look for in the application as an initial evaluation of an applicant. So, please take it as your first chance to impress and get a foot in the door. Having the same skill set in your cover letter and resume will create the impression of consistency.  
10. How do I quantify my skills?
    ⁠Quantifying your skills and accomplishments is a great way to establish your competency and fit for the role you're applying for. Use years of experience when describing your previous employment, or indicate the duration of your past projects. Use percentages to quantify the achievements you accomplished due to your skills. Finally, wherever applicable, use numerals instead of words (e.g. 5 instead of “five”).