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Hard skills are technical, job-specific skills. Highlighting measurable <anchor>hard skills</anchor> on your resume the catches attention of ATS and recruiters. You can learn and enhance your hard skill proficiency to make your resume stronger. These are among the best skills to learn for your job search.
20 Hard Skills Examples to Put on a Resume
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# 20 Hard Skills Examples to Showcase Your Expertise on a Resume

July 18, 2024

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Your hard skills are more important than ever. This is because of a growing trend in the world of recruitment called skills-based hiring. This approach emphasizes a job candidate’s skills and abilities over their education or work history.

According to a LinkedIn report, 75 percent of hiring managers say that skills-based hiring will be a priority at their company in the coming year.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about hard skills: what they are, why they’re crucial for your career, and how you can develop them.

Also, we’ll give you many examples. They will help you apply hard skills in real situations and feature them on your resume.

Table of Contents

## What are hard skills?

Hard skills are knowledge or expertise that you learn them through education or on-the-job experience. A skill is considered hard if it can be easily measured or tested.

Hard skills include things like data analysis. They also include video editing, computer programming, or speaking a foreign language.

The world is becoming more specialized. Hard skills make you more employable. They show that you have the practical knowledge and technical ability to do the job.

## Hard skills examples

Here are some of the most in-demand hard skills in the job market right now:

- Bilingual or multilingual
- Adobe software suite
- Network security
- SEO/SEM marketing
- Statistical analysis
- Data mining
- Programming languages (like Perl, Python, Java, and Ruby)
- Payroll accounting
- Microsoft Excel
- Video editing
- Salesforce
- Heavy equipment operation
- Graphic design
- User experience (UX) design/User interface (UI) design
- Google Analytics
- Auto repair
- Photography
- Social media and marketing management
- Blog writing
- Project management
- Event planning

## How to acquire hard skills

While you can learn hard skills by pursuing a degree or working, you can also teach yourself. Gaining hard skills often involves dedication and practice. You need to be consistent in your learning efforts to become proficient.

### Formal education

Attending university or college is a traditional way to acquire hard skills. Many institutions offer specialized courses tailored to specific career paths. Besides having the education accomplishments listed on your resume, these courses provide structured learning and expert guidance. For example, a computer science degree teaches programming and software development.

### Online courses

There are plenty of online platforms, like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning, that offer courses on various hard skills. These platforms allow you to learn at your own pace and convenience. You can choose from a wide range of subjects to suit your career goals. Online courses often include interactive content and assessments to test your knowledge.

### Certifications

Certifications can validate your hard skills and make you stand out to employers. Examples include CompTIA for IT pros. Also, PMP for project managers, and Google Analytics for marketers. These certifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to your field. They are recognized by many employers and can enhance your resume.

### On-the-job training

Many hard skills are best learned through hands-on experience. Internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level positions provide practical knowledge and skills. These opportunities allow you to apply what you have learned in real-world situations. Working alongside experienced professionals helps you gain insights and improve your abilities.

### Self study

Self-study involves learning through books, tutorials, and practice. This method reequires discipline but allows you to gain expertise in your own time. You can focus on topics that interest you and learn at your own pace. Self-study is a flexible way to develop hard skills without formal education.

A section of Jobscan's match report showing the resume score and missing hard skills.

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## The importance of hard skills

Hard skills are crucial for career growth, employability, and job performance. They demonstrate your ability to perform specific tasks required for a job. Having strong hard skills can set you apart from other candidates. Employers value these skills because they directly impact job success.

### Employability

Possessing in-demand hard skills makes you a desirable candidate in the job market. Employers seek candidates who can contribute immediately to their organization. Hard skills can help you secure job offers and increase your chances of employment. They show that you have the expertise needed to perform the job well.

### Job performance

Hard skills enable you to perform your job effectively and efficiently. They ensure you meet industry standards and achieve professional goals. With strong hard skills, you can complete tasks accurately and on time. This leads to better job performance and job satisfaction.

### Impact on career growth

Having relevant hard skills can lead to promotions and career advancement. Employers are more likely to invest in employees who have the skills necessary to take on higher responsibilities. As you acquire more skills, you can qualify for more advanced roles. Continuous learning helps you stay competitive in your field.

## Hard skills vs. soft skills

While hard skills can be learned in class or on the job, soft skills are personal attributes that help you work with other people. In fact, soft skills are often called “people skills”.

Soft skills are also transferable. This means they can be used in any type of job in any field. This isn’t the case with hard skills.

Hard and soft skills are different, but both are important. Having a variety of hard and soft skills on your resume shows you’re a well-rounded candidate.

an infographic showing the difference between hard skills and soft skills

## How to find hard skills to put on your resume

How do you know which hard skills you should add to your resume? Just read the description of the job you’re applying to.

Here’s an example of a job description with some important skills and requirements underlined:

Accountant Job Description

If you were applying to this job, adding the underlined hard skills to your resume would greatly increase your chances of getting an interview.

Adding the right skills to your resume is crucial these days because most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline the hiring process.

When you submit your application it goes right into an ATS database. Hiring managers then search through the database for suitable job candidates by typing in keywords. These keywords are usually skills or job titles.

If your resume contains the keywords, or skills, the hiring manger is searching the ATS for, it will be found. If your resume doesn’t contain these keywords, it will remain in the database, unseen.

## How to tailor your resume

The rise of applicant tracking systems have made it more important than ever to tailor your resume. This means highlighting the skills and experiences that are relevant to a particular job opening.

Most job seekers create one resume that they send out with every application. But a single resume won’t contain the right keywords for most jobs. This prevents hiring managers from finding it as they ssearch the ATS.

Tailoring your resume for each job will get you better results. Unfortunately, it’s also time consuming. That’s why most people don’t do it.

To speed up the process, you can use an online tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner. This tool will allow you to create more highly-targeted resumes in less time.

To use the tool, just paste both your resume and the job description into the scanner and click “scan”. You’ll then receive a Match Report that shows exactly which keywords you should try to add to your resume to get that job.

Here’s an example of a Match Report that analyzed a resume and the job description for a medical administrator:

Jobscan's skills comparison on the Match Report.

As you can see, while the resume that was analyzed does include important hard skills like “auditing” and “patient care”, it’s missing the most important hard skill of all, which is “billing”.

You must add the keyword “billing” to your resume if you want to get this job!

There’s no guesswork when you use Jobscan’s resume scanner. It tells you exactly how to optimize each resume you send out so it has the best chance of being found, and read, by a hiring manager.

## Where to feature hard skills on your resume

There are four resume sections where you should try to add your hard skills:

### 1) Resume headline

Your resume headline is a one-line phrase located at the top of your resume, right beneath your contact information. The purpose of the headline is to quickly tell the hiring manager who you are.

Here’s an example of a resume headline with the hard skill “bilingual” in it:

An example of a resume headline with hard skills.

### 2) Resume summary

Your resume summary appears right beneath your resume headline. Your summary is a brief statement that highlights your skills, experience, and professional accomplishments.

Here’s an example of a resume summary that features a variety of hard skills:

An example of a resume summary with hard skills.

### 3) Skills section

The most obvious place to put your skills on your resume is your skills section. We recommend placing this section after your summary and before your work experience section.

You can either use bullet points to list your skills, or you can separate them by vertical bars (|) or some other separator. Here’s an example:

Skills section of a resume.

### 4) Work experience section

The work experience section is the heart of your resume and a great place to add your hard skills.

Always try to start each bullet point with an action verb, such as “Implemented”, “Initiated”, or “Spearheaded”.  Whenever possible, try to use numbers and metrics to describe your accomplishments.

Here’s an example of a work experience section with plenty of hard skills:

Times New Roman font on resume.

## How to develop your hard skills

While you can learn hard skills by pursuing a degree or working, you can also teach yourself.

There are plenty of resources, like online courses, assessments, and certifications. These enable you to acquire new skills at your own pace and convenience.

For more information about online courses and certifications, read:

## FAQs

What are some examples of hard skills?

Examples of hard skills include data analysis, programming, graphic design, foreign language proficiency, machine operation, SEO, marketing, project management, accounting, social media management, and cybersecurity.

What are some easy hard skills?

Some hard skills might be considered easier to learn because they may require less time to understand the basics or have more accessible learning resources available. Here are a few examples:

• Computer skills

• Social media management

• Data entry

• Office software

• Customer Service software

• Basic math

• Language proficiency

• Email communication

• File management

• Basic graphic design

How to improve your hard skills?

First, identify the skills pertinent to your career or interests. Then enroll in online courses that teach those skills, attend workshops, and read relevant books and articles. You can also earn certifications to show employers that you have learned the skills they require.

What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

Hard skills are learned skills that are job specific. They tend to be more technical, and they’re necessary for completing day-to-day work.

Soft skills focus more on characteristics and personal attributes, like teamwork, communication, and time management. They translate across most fields and careers.

What is the best example of a hard skill?

An example of a hard skill is proficiency in a programming language like Python or Java.

How do I know my hard skills?

You can identify your hard skills by reviewing your educational background, work experience, and any certifications or training you have completed.

How do I learn hard skills?

Hard skills can be learned through formal education, online courses, certifications, and hands-on experience.

Where to include hard skills on a resume?

Hard skills should be included in the skills section, professional summary, and work experience section of your resume.

Why are hard skills important?

Hard skills are essential because they demonstrate your ability to perform job-specific tasks and are often required qualifications for job positions.

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