Top Resume Skills Employers Want to See in 2026 was originally published on Forage.
According to NACE’s Job Outlook 2025 survey, nearly 90% of employers look for problem-solving skills on student resumes, while almost 80% look for teamwork skills.
Your resume is where you show employers what you can do, from your work experience and education to internships, certifications, and skills. But deciding which skills to include can be tricky. Should you focus on technical skills? Soft skills? The ones listed in the job description?
First, test your knowledge with our quiz. Then, we’ll break down the essential job skills employers are looking for and how to highlight them on your resume.
Essential Job Skills For a Resume Quiz
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1. True or false: You should only include skills you’ve used in the last year on your resume.
True
False
2. What’s the best strategy for choosing what skills to include in a specific job application?
a. list every skill you have
b. highlight your most recently learned skills
c. match your skills to what the job description requires
3. Where should you put your skills on your resume?
a. your professional summary
b. your experience descriptions
c. a skills section
d. all of the above
4. Which of the following is an example of a valuable soft skill in most jobs?
a. Microsoft Excel
b. team collaboration
c. graphic design
d. email writing
5. When listing a soft skill on your resume, it’s best to…
a. use common terms like “effective communicator” or “dedicated worker”
b. provide specific examples to demonstrate each skill
c. omit soft skills and only list hard skills
6. When listing a technical skill on your resume, it’s best to…
a. only use jargon specific to your industry
b. keep it general without including the tools or technologies you used
c. include relevant keywords from the job description
7. How often should you update your resume’s skills section?
a. once every quarter
b. once a year
c. when you acquire a new skill
d. when you’re actively job searching
8. True or false: You should customize the skills on your resume based on the industry and job you’re applying for.
true
false
9. What’s the best strategy for describing skills on your resume?
a. use generic terms to appeal to a broad audience
b. provide specific examples of when you used each skill
c. focus on technical jargon only and omit soft skills
10. True or false: Including a “skills” section on your resume is optional.
true
false
Δ
What Are The Best Job Skills for a Resume?
Now that you’ve taken the quiz and know the best practices for including job skills on a resume, which should you include?
Soft Skills
No matter what industry you’re applying to, include your soft skills. These interpersonal skills help employers understand how you communicate, collaborate, and work with others.
“Soft skills remain crucial for students despite the increasing emphasis on technical expertise in the job market,” says Candace Amos, career coach. “Rather than simply listing these as bullet points, students should vividly illustrate how they’ve applied these skills.”
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Amos also warns against listing every soft skill on your resume.
“Certain soft skills, like having a positive attitude and being a team player, are considered implicit and may make a jobseeker appear inexperienced,” she says. “Instead of listing these as skills, students should concentrate on showcasing tangible examples.”
Soft Skills Examples
So, what soft skills can you include on your resume? A few examples include:
- Active listening
- Adaptability
- Analytical skills
- Attention to detail
- Collaboration
- Conflict resolution
- Creative thinking
- Critical thinking
- Decision-making
- Leadership
- Logical thinking
- Presentation skills
- Problem-solving
- Public speaking
- Time management
- Verbal communication
👉 Find more in-demand skills here
Hard Skills
Hard skills are measurable skills you can learn, such as technical, computer, writing, or business skills.
When deciding which hard skills to include, start with the job description. Focus on the skills and tools the employer is looking for, then match them to the ones you actually have. Never include a skill you can’t confidently discuss or demonstrate.
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It’s essential to focus on hard skills that show your value, especially skills that might be harder to attain.
“Avoid adding general skills that everyone should have,” says Logan Nguyen, co-founder and CMO who oversees recruitment for NCHC. “Instead, mention specific skills that will make you stand out from other applicants.”
AI and automation skills are becoming increasingly valuable. “In-demand hard skills include AI prompt engineering, automation strategy, and data analysis,” Amos says. “Students should showcase proficiency in tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, Zapier, and Google Analytics on their resumes.”
>>MORE: Learn how to create an online portfolio.
Hard Skills Examples
What other hard skills can you include on your resume? A few examples include:
- Accounting
- Artificial intelligence
- Auditing
- Calculating business metrics, like profit margins
- Coding and programming, such as JavaScript or Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Project management
- Research
- Structured Query Language (SQL or Sequel)
- User experience (UX) design
- Writing
👉 Check out more skills here
Top Resume Skills Employers Want to See: The Bottom Line
The most critical job skills for a resume are a mix of what the employer is looking for and what skills you have. To determine what skills to include on your resume, look at the job description first, then compare that to the skills you already have.
Once you’ve determined the right skills, how you include them is crucial. Don’t just throw everything under a skills section and call it a day. Instead, illustrate the impact you’ve had while using these skills: a soft skill like attention to detail to reduce errors by 50% in social media copy or a hard skill like data analysis to inform marketing strategies and increase reach by 20%.
Your skills — both hard and soft skills — are a great way to show an employer who you are, what kind of work you do, and how you work with others. Don’t hide them! Use them to your advantage.
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