150+ Superior Technical Skills for a Resume [+ Definitions & Examples]

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What are technical skills? Many people may know technical skills as hard skills. They are skills acquired in specialized education or experience on the job. Technical skills for a resume or CV are important for every sector in the industry. For instance, a software engineer needs the technical knowledge and skill of C++ and unit testing. Waiters or bartenders need the technical skill of a point-of-sale (POS) system. 

In this article, we will show you everything you need to know about technical skills on a resume and provide you with a list of 150+ technical skills to list on your resume.

What Are Technical Skills for a Resume?

Technical skills to put on resumes and CVs refer to specific domains of knowledge and competence required to complete complex tasks, actions, and processes of the job. Technical skills allow individuals to perform practical tasks in the domains of science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and arts. 

Technical Skills vs. Soft Skills 

Despite the importance of having technical qualifications in resumes, soft skills are equally meaningful to an organization or business. Soft skills are interpersonal skills to help you communicate and work with others effectively. Examples of soft skills include communication, leadership, teamwork, and flexibility. Soft skills can be transferable skills because these skills can be used in various job positions. 

You may think that it is more difficult to add technical skills to resumes and CVs. After all, technical skills take time to acquire. Yet, soft skills can be challenging to learn for some people. For example, not everyone can become a leader, and leadership skills are frequently sought out by employers and recruiters.

Why Are Technical Skills Important for a Resume?

Including technical skills on your resume or CV is extremely critical when applying for a job position. By highlighting your technical abilities, you are effectively showcasing your potential to recruiters and employers, indicating that you possess the necessary skills to fulfill the requirements of the job. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you showcase your technical proficiency on your resume or CV in order to maximize your chances of being selected as a successful candidate.

150+ Best Technical Skills for a Resume/CV

In the section below, you can find 150+ best technical skills lists for resumes and CVs.

  1. Software Development (Coding & Programming)
  2. Data Analysis
  3. Business Analysis
  4. Project Management
  5. Graphic Design
  6. Marketing & Social Media
  7. Writing
  8. Sales 
  9. Healthcare & Medicine
  10. Nursing
  11. Accounting
  12. Teaching & Education
  13. Management
  14. Engineering
  15. Productivity Software 

1. Software Development (Coding & Programming)

Check out some software development, coding & programming related technical skills.

  • JavaScript
  • CSS
  • HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
  • Python
  • C++
  • Ruby
  • Mean
  • Abstraction
  • Inheritance 
  • Polymorphism

📚 Further reading:  How to List Computer Skills on Your Resume [+Examples]

2. Data Analysis

If you need some technical skills related to data analysis to put in your resume, refer to the list below.

  • Structured Query Language (SQL)
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Python 
  • Machine Learning
  • Presentation skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Data cleaning
  • Statistical knowledge 
  • Data visualisation

3. Business Analysis

Here are some business analysis technical skills for your resume.

  • Business process models
  • Structured Query Language (SQL)
  • Microsoft Office
  • Research 
  • Financial planning
  • Budgeting 
  • Forecasting
  • Variance analysis  
  • Reporting 
  • Planning and monitoring 

4. Project Management

Need some project management skills for your resume? Check out the list below.

  • Risk management 
  • Planning 
  • Forecasting 
  • Budgeting 
  • Agile
  • Waterfall
  • Wrike
  • PMP Certification 
  • Kanban
  • Financial modeling 

5. Graphic Design

Here are some graphic design technical skills to put in your resume.

  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Sketch 
  • Prototyping 
  • Typography 
  • Design principles 
  • Ideation 
  • Branding 
  • Portfolio Management 

6. Marketing & Social Media

If you work in marketing and social media, make sure to include these marketing technical skills in your resume.

  • Content curation
  • Project management 
  • Community management 
  • Ad campaigns 
  • Editing 
  • Blogging
  • Branding 
  • Social media publishing 
  • Sentence structure 
  • Social media marketing 

7. Writing

Writing is a highly important skill in marketing, business, administration or other creative fields. Check out some of these writing technical skills.

  • Research 
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Organization 
  • Editing 
  • HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
  • WordPress
  • Copywriting
  • Email writing 
  • Storytelling
  • Grant writing  

8. Sales 

Not sure what technical skills to put in your sales position resume? Check out the list below.

  • Product knowledge 
  • Business software
  • Business communication 
  • Client engagement 
  • Sales presentation / demos 
  • Social selling 
  • Research 
  • Data analysis 
  • Sales pitch development 
  • Business acumen 

9. Healthcare & Medicine

If you work in the healthcare & medicine field, the following technical skills are a must-have.

  • Computer technology 
  • Data analysis 
  • Certifications and licences
  • Project management 
  • Cloud computing 
  • Pharmacy
  • CPR + first aid
  • Business administration 
  • Medical administration 
  • Inventory

10. Nursing

You can include some of these technical skills for a nursing resume.

  • Urgent care 
  • Emergency care
  • Patient safety 
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
  • Telemetry
  • Computer skills
  • EHR proficiency
  • Care plan administration 
  • Vital signs 
  • Administering medication 

11. Accounting 

Here are some accounting technical skills for your resume, if you work in accounting.

  • Standards of accounting 
  • Software proficiency 
  • Microsoft Office 
  • QuickBooks
  • Peachtree
  • SAP software
  • Grain Plains
  • Financial statements interpretation 
  • Financial reports 
  • Financial planning 

12. Teaching & Education

If you work in the education field, consider including these technical skills in your resume.

  • Word processing skills
  • Spreadsheets skills
  • Database skills
  • Electronic presentation 
  • Web navigation 
  • EMail management skills
  • Digital Cameras
  • Videoconferencing 
  • Scanner knowledge 
  • Computer security knowledge 

13. Management

Management skills are crucial in every job role. Including these management technical skills can highly improve your resume strength and help you land the dream job.

  • Business development 
  • Logistics
  • Hiring 
  • Budgeting 
  • Human resource knowledge 
  • Finance 
  • Office management 
  • Accounting 
  • Enterprise systems 
  • Quickbooks

14. Engineering

Engineering is a field that requires specific technical skills. Refer to the list below for some of the technical skills for an engineering resume.

  • Computer science 
  • Industry skills 
  • Structural analysis 
  • Data modelling 
  • Machining 
  • Assembling 
  • Joining components 
  • System design and analysis 
  • Advanced physics 
  • Nanotechnology 

15. Productivity Software

With the advancement of technology, many workplaces are utilizing various productivity softwares to help smoothen work flows and improve collaboration between workers. Some of them include:

  • Operating systems (MacOS or Windows)
  • Office suites (Microsoft Office, G Suite) 
  • Presentation software (Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote)
  • Spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheets)
  • Communication tools (Slack, Skype, Workspace)
  • Accounting software (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero) 
  • Social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) 
  • Word processor 
  • Database
  • Salesforce

Cake is the best resume builder that provides you with hundreds of free resume templates and examples that help showcase the best you. Create your resume online now and landing your dream job will be a piece of cake!

How to List Technical Skills on a Resume/CV

Now that you have learned the different categories of technical skills for resumes and CVs, it is time to learn how to demonstrate a list of technical skills for resumes and CVs.

There are many different ways of listing technical skills on a resume: 

1. Incorporate your technical skills into a resume summary statement. 

You can add relevant technical skills into a resume summary statement. A resume summary provides an immediate introduction to the recruiters. They will be able to understand the competencies and knowledge quickly. Add your technical skills in your resume summary statement if you want recruiters to notice you right away.

Check out the below business analyst technical skills in resume summary statement example:

"Business analyst with six years of experience in business development in the financial technology sector. Achieved 30% of inventory purchases after improving operation systems for X company. Increased 40% of the new client database by client development and cold calls."

Below are electrical engineer technical skills in resume summary statement example:

"Ambitious and detail-oriented electrical engineer with five years of experience in modeling, designing, and testing various electrical systems. Acquired Series 6 and Series 66 licenses. Maintained all electrical systems in case of arising problems."

2. Incorporate your technical skills into the work experience section. 

Incorporating your technical skills into the work experience section is another straightforward method to showcase your technical skills for resumes and CVs. An advantage of this is to let recruiters know what you have accomplished in the past.

Below are electronics engineer technical skills in work experience section:

WORK EXPERIENCE

ATTA Tech | 2015 - 2017

  • Designed and built electrical systems for 10+ clients. 
  • Tested 5 new electronics products and pieces of equipment.  

Here's an example of listing project manager technical skills on a resume work experience section:

WORK EXPERIENCE

HOH Company | 2015 - 2017

  • Managed and led a team of 6 software engineers using Scrum and successfully improved company revenue by 15%.
  • Delivered B2B SaaS product with careful financial and budget planning for 20+ clients. 

3. Create an independent category under the skills section.  

A dedicated technical skills section allows you to showcase strong technical skills examples for resumes and CVs. Make sure to use a bullet list so readers can process the technical skills  more smoothly. Examples are listed in the below:

Example of technical skills for marketing resume:

SKILLS

  • Communication: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Screaming Frog, Netpeak Spider 
  • Social Media Marketing: HTML, HubSpot, Content writing 
  • Storytelling: WordPress, Wix 

Example of technical skills for teacher resume:

SKILLS

  • Computer skills: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, web navigation, databases 
  • Teaching skills: material planning, mathematics, English language, program planning

Tips on Writing Technical Skills in a Resume/CV

💡 Match your technical skills with the job description.

Showcasing technical skills that fit the job description can get you noticed by the recruiters quickly. Read through the job descriptions carefully before applying for the job.

💡 Use numbers or quantifiable results to highlight your technical skills.

Using numbers, percentages, and dollars can prove your previous work experience. Quantifying your technical skills for resumes and CVs can also highlight your competency. 

💡 Add proofs to support the technical skills listed (i.e. certifications).

Technical skills in resumes can be more advanced when adding other supporting evidence such as certifications and licenses. Many technical skills can only be acquired through specific training and education (e.g., engineers, teachers). 

💡 Complement your technical skills with soft skills.

As mentioned in the article earlier, soft skills are as important as technical skills. Complementing your technical skills with soft skills can show the recruiters that you’re the full package.

💡 Show your technical skills during a job interview.

Many companies test technical skills during job interviews. For example, during a data analyst job interview round, they may ask you to perform data analysis to demonstrate your technical skill. The reason is that technical skills can be challenging and time-consuming to acquire, and sometimes employers need to be sure.

📕 Further reading:  Most Common Job Interview Questions and Answer Samples

🔑  Key Takeaways:

  • Technical skills for resumes are skills needed for various jobs. Every job sector demands specific technical skills, and thus recruiters alway look for necessary technical skills in candidates’ resumes and CVs. 
  • There is a misconception that technical skills outweigh non-technical skills in resumes and CVs. Contrary to popular belief, soft skills take a longer time to acquire compared to technical skills. Take this for example, a data analyst can become proficient in Python and R within three years, but may not have the needed skills to lead a team. 
  • Knowing where to place your technical skills for resumes and CVs can help you stand out from the rest. For example, if you place technical skills in the resume summary, recruiters can have a better first impression of you. If you place technical skills in a separate technical skills section, it is easier to showcase various technical skills you obtained. 
  • In addition to technical skills in resumes and CVs, many companies seek candidates to prove their technical skills during interview rounds. In this case, show your technical skills in confidence as you would on your resumes and CVs.

--- Originally written by Diana Shih ---

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