70 Best Work Skills to Put on Your Resume for 2024
- Featured in:
An exceptional job application features strong work skills that show your ability to perform the role and what you can bring to the team. Secure your next interview with our list of top work skills employers seek and advice on including them in your job application.
Want a stronger resume? Try our resume templates. Simply edit and download. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click using our Resume Builder.
Or view our sample resumes made with our professional templates.
What Are Work Skills?
Work skills are the abilities and expertise you possess to execute a job. Every job requires a set of skills related to personal attributes, known as soft skills, and other job-focused skills are called hard skills. A well-written resume should display a mixture of both to ensure you have all the necessary talents to excel in the workplace.
Soft work skills vs hard work skills
There are two main types of skills: soft and hard skills.
Soft skills refer to personality traits that allow you to collaborate with coworkers and perform various tasks. These skills define how you interact with the team and your approach to work. Most soft skills are transferable, so they apply to many industries. Hiring managers want to know your soft skills to determine your fit for the team. For example:
- Active listening
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Conflict management
- Time management
Hard skills are measurable skills required to execute specific job duties. Most hard skills are acquired through job training or academic experience. Employers must know you have the necessary abilities to perform the job effectively. For example:
- Management
- Marketing
- Language skills
- Technical skills
- Presentation
Top Work Skills Employers Look For
While there are endless skills you can include in a job application, these 20 work skills examples are the most sought-after.
Hard work skills
1. Management skills: Essential to uphold company processes and ensure a collaborative work environment. Related skills include:
- People management
- Time management
- Delegation
2. Presentation skills: Help share complex concepts effectively to ensure everyone understands. Related skills include:
- Data breakdown
- Public speaking
- Adaptability
3. Language: Technical writing and communication skills critical to executing various industry tasks. Related skills include:
- Translating
- Editing
- Storytelling
4. Marketing skills: Allows workers to track trends and develop product or service marketing strategies. Related skills include:
- Data analysis
- Trend tracking
- Market research
5. Business skills: Vital to growing and maintaining a company. Related skills include:
- Budgeting
- Negotiation
- Financial planning
6. Technical skills: Specialized hard skills developed through experience in STEM. Related skills include:
- HTML
- Network architecture
- Coding
7. Cloud computing: Important in the contemporary digital world to expand hardware limitations. Related skills include:
- Cipher
- Cloud security
- Linux certification
8. Sales: Allow employees to sell a product or service to drive business. Related skills include:
- Closing skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Product knowledge
9. Visual media skills: Essential in the entertainment and advertising industry to creatively convey an attention-grabbing story. Related skills include:
- Animation
- Videography
- Lighting setup
10. UX design: Critical to creating seamless user experiences in digital spaces. Related skills include:
- Wireframing
- Coding
- UX writing
Soft work skills
11. Communication: Allows employees to collaborate and share ideas effectively. Related skills include:
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Verbal and written communication
12. Computer skills: Essential to perform most job duties across industries. Related skills include:
- MS Office
- Social media
13. Leadership: Ability to guide and influence coworkers to perform to the best of their abilities. Related skills include:
- Goal-setting
- Delegation
- Decision-making
14. Interpersonal skills: Help establish solid relationships in the workplace that encourage a productive environment. Related skills include:
- Conflict management
- Teamwork
- Empathy
15. Analytical thinking: Critical to making sound judgments and creating creative solutions to daily problems. Related skills include:
- Observation
- Attention to detail
- Research
16. Organization: Help maintain a neat workspace and promote reliability. Related skills include:
- Strategic planning
- Multitasking
- Prioritization
17. Creativity: Infuses any project with innovation and promotes invention across industries. Related skills include:
- Imagination
- Open-mindedness
- Brainstorming
18. Decision-making: Important to close business deals and reach company goals. Related skills include:
- Intuition
- Critical thinking
- Business forecasting
19. Work ethic skills: Essential to build a productive and trustworthy team. Related skills include:
- Honesty
- Discipline
- Integrity
20. Teamwork skills: Critical to fostering a collaborative workplace across industries. Related skills include:
- Collective attitude
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
Why Are Work Skills Important?
Adding work skills to your job application is vital to show the employer the extent of your abilities. Correctly spotlighting them in your resume helps you pass applicant tracking systems (ATS), while showcasing them in your cover letter and interview can convince the hiring manager you’re the ideal candidate for the role.
How to Highlight Work Skills
Knowing how, when and where to showcase your work-related skills is vital to convince employers you’re the perfect candidate. Fortunately, applying for a job gives you plenty of opportunities to show them all you can offer.
Include them in your resume
A resume has three main places for you to include skills:
- Resume summary or objective statement: At the top of your resume, they provide an excellent opportunity to sell yourself by spotlighting your best skills and most significant accomplishments.
- Work skills list: This bulleted section allows you to list six to eight hard and soft skills.
- Work experience section: Your list of accomplishments is a great way to pepper skills that match keywords in the job description.
Share them on your cover letter
A cover letter allows you to expand on your resume and illustrate how your professional story prepared you for the role. Impress the hiring manager by discussing your expertise with specific examples of accomplishments and how your work skills helped you achieve them. Here’s a fragment of a cover letter as an example:
“As the lead product designer at LuminaTech Innovations, I spearheaded a comprehensive strategy that significantly enhanced company profitability over two years. By identifying and addressing inefficiencies in production processes through cross-functional collaboration and strategic partnerships with suppliers, we achieved a remarkable 34% increase in revenue. Our innovative approach reduced production costs without compromising product quality and garnered accolades for excellence from customers and industry peers. This transformative journey highlighted the critical role of design in driving business success through creative problem-solving and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Showcase work skills in your interview
Most interviews include behavioral interview questions designed to evaluate your capacity to manage various work situations by implementing critical skills. The STAR method offers a functional structure to help you answer the question while highlighting good work skills:
(Situation) My team and I had to manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines at my previous job. (Task) I was assigned to lead the design phase of two projects while overseeing the finalization of another project’s prototype. (Action) To manage this effectively, I first scoped out the requirements and deadlines for each task. Then, I prioritized them based on their importance and urgency, focusing on completing the tasks with the closest deadlines first. I dedicated specific blocks to each project and set milestones to track progress. Finally, I delegated some responsibilities to my team members where possible, ensuring that all tasks were completed on time and to the required standard. (Results) We met all deadlines and delivered high-quality designs and prototypes that received positive feedback from clients and stakeholders, enhancing the company’s reputation and fostering stronger client relationships.
PRO TIP
Matching your resume and cover letter gives your job application a seamless and professional look. Our Cover Letter Builder features templates to fit your resume.
Key Takeaways
We covered work skills and how to spotlight them during your job application process. Let’s wrap it up with some key points:
- Work skills are the talents you have to perform various job duties. There are two main types: soft work skills and hard work skills.
- Soft work skills refer to social skills and personality traits that foster a collaborative environment and help projects run smoothly.
- Hard work skills are specific to a particular position or industry and require training to develop.
- You can showcase your skills in your resume, cover letter and job interview.
- Tailor the work skills for your resume using the job description and add them throughout the different resume sections.
- In your cover letter and interview, share work stories illustrating how your skills helped you achieve a goal.