Your skills can be highlighted in a dedicated skills section, described within your work experience, or subtly implied in your professional summary. These skills help form the foundation of your accomplishments, and as you advance in your career, learning new skills becomes essential. After all, highly-skilled professionals aren’t built overnight!
Once you list a skill on your CV, it’s best to back it up with evidence. Skills are the strengths, talents, traits, and wisdom you've acquired through education and work experience. Ultimately, these skills are your badges of honour, but it's the achievements they support that truly matters. We recommend thoroughly reading over the job description to see if there are any specific skills employers are looking for. If you possess any of the skills listed in the job description, be sure to include these in your CV!
In this guide, we’ll cover how to effectively showcase your CV skills and go over the following:
If you’re ready to create a job-winning CV, let’s get started!
You might be wondering: should every skill be included on your CV?
The answer to this is that ultimately, it’s essential to keep your CV readable. By choosing to omit less relevant skills, you make room for more relevant, appropriate and impressive skills. Additionally, you can also share more skills, achievements or talents you possess in an interview, so avoid the temptation of including an excessive amount of skills.
Since you can't predict exactly what employers are looking for, reading the job description can be very helpful. Most of the time, less is more when it comes to effective CV writing. Make sure you're remembered for what truly matters.
Consider listing how your special skills have contributed to your achievements. This can help you articulate your worth to potential employers. Your CV skills act as your job search currency because they signal to employers whether you actually possess the capabilities to excel in a role. If you can provide examples of your special skills in action, they become the ultimate objective measure of your competence. Any skill that empowers you to perform your job better than others can be considered a special talent, and mastering these skills adds significant value to your employer over time.
Hard skills encompass the practical, industry-specific tools and knowledge required for a job. These skills are usually quantifiable and are typically acquired through education, on-the-job experience, or training. Hard skills can often be assessed and may even be verified during the hiring process. Degrees of proficiency in hard skills can vary. Including hard skills is important, as many Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) algorithms and systems will look for specific hard skills according to the requirements of employers.
Soft skills typically involve aspects of your personality, work style, or effectiveness. These skills can be challenging to measure or quantify. Soft skills are especially important for leadership roles or positions that involve interaction with customers. When two candidates possess similar backgrounds and professional qualities, soft skills can often be the decisive factor in the hiring decision.
After hiring managers verify your hard skills to ensure you can complete the job tasks, they turn to your soft skills to assess if you can excel in those tasks. In many modern workplaces and creative startups, soft skills can give you an edge over someone with hard skills. Soft skills carry great weight in certain situations.
Profession-specific examples of hard and soft skills
Describing your skills on your CV involves more than just listing them in the skills section. Rare skills may require further explanation, and certain skills may need to be reiterated. So, how do you ensure that your top skills are prominently featured on your CV?
One of the surefire ways to bore a hiring manager is by including the same CV skills as every other candidate. If the hiring manager repeatedly encounters the phrase "communication skills," they'll likely categorise you with average candidates. If you want to stand out, you need to critically assess whether your skills are genuinely exceptional.
When you have multiple opportunities to showcase your skills, it's tempting to believe that repetition will drive your message home. However, it's not the case. Even if you use different terminology to describe the same skill, remember that your CV space is precious. To appear as a well-rounded professional, aim to highlight as many distinct skills as possible in the skills section, employment history, and summary.
In the table below, you'll find the three places to list your skills. Various ways can be used to describe your skill set to a potential employer. If there are skills you want to emphasise, make sure they are either listed or described in your summary or skills section. While a potential employer might not read every detail of your work experience, you can't afford to let critical skills get lost in the general work history. Position them at the top of your CV in the summary or specific skills section to ensure they are prominently displayed, even if they lack context.
Three places to list your CV skills
Sometimes it can be challenging to convey your proficiency level accurately in a CV. For instance, if your Microsoft Excel skills are basic, you might hesitate to include them on your CV.
One solution is to include a skills section with a graphical representation of skill levels, using bars, stars, or another visual element. Fortunately, at CVapp.ie, we make it easy with our customisable, professional design templates. We’ll help you display your skills with dazzling designs and expert-approved visual elements. Check it out for yourself by accessing our CV Builder!
Below, you'll find a list of common job functions along with the top ten skills for each:
Education:
Administrative:
Medical:
Accounting & Finance:
Business & Management:
Hospitality & Catering:
Sales:
Real Estate:
Retail:
Engineering:
H2: Top ten skills for 10 common professions
| teacher | customer service | registered nurse | accountant | internship | student | cna | university student | high school student | administrative assistant |
| Ability to Work in a Team | Customer Service | Patient Advocacy | Leadership | Teamwork Skills | Strong Organisational Skills | Communication Skills | Ability to Work in a Team | Strong Organisational Skills | Administrative Support Skills |
| Communication Skills | Ability to Work in a Team | Teamwork Skills | Interpersonal Skills | Motivated Attitude | Excellent Customer Service Skills | Ability to Work in a Team | Customer Service | Excellent Customer Service Skills | Scheduling Skills |
| Excellent Communication Skills | Communication Skills | Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills | Management | Ability to Work in a Team | Communication Skills | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Communication Skills | Advanced Computer System Skills | Microsoft Office |
| Adaptability | Fast Learner | Knowledgable in Medical Terminology and Procedures | Recruiting | Honesty and Integrity | Ability to Work in a Team | Customer Service | Fast Learner | Communication Skills | Customer Service |
| Classroom Management | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Trauma and ER Experience | Communication Skills | Fast Learner | Advanced Computer System Skills | Adaptability | Adaptability | Ability to Work in a Team | Editing and Proofreading Skills |
| Effective Time Management | Computer Skills | Effective Time Management | Microsoft Office | Communication Skills | Fast Learner | Fast Learner | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Fast Learner | Inventory Control Skills |
| Fast Learner | Ability to Multitask | Ability to Work in a Team | Microsoft Excel | Interpersonal Communication Skills | Customer Service | Ability to Multitask | Communication | Leadership Skills | Event Planning |
| Ability to Work Under Pressure | Adaptability | Ability to Work in a Team | Effective Time Management | Adaptability | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Communication | Microsoft Office | Adaptability | Dictation Skills |
| Computer Skills | Effective Time Management | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Ability to Work in a Team | Microsoft Office | Adaptability | Effective Time Management | Leadership | Friendly and Outgoing Attitude | Communication Skills |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Microsoft Office | Communication Skills | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Ability to Work Under Pressure | Effective Time Management | Leadership Skills | Computer Skills | Multitasking Skills | Effective Time Management |
Take it from us: when you read too many CVs for the same job, they all start to look a little similar. Every hiring manager wants to find an exceptional candidate with all the necessary skills. Use this guide, and the following tips, to help your CV stand out from the crowd!