Hard skills and soft skills
Hard skills are specific and testable: software, languages, licences, methods and certifications, such as Excel, SQL, forklift licence or IFRS. Soft skills are how you work: communication, leadership, problem-solving. Both matter, but hard skills are easier to check and are what applicant tracking systems search for.
How to choose
- Read the advert and underline every skill it names.
- Keep the ones you can honestly back up, using the advert’s exact wording.
- Add the tools and certificates that are standard in your field even if the advert forgets them.
- Leave out basics that every applicant has, such as “email” or “internet”, unless the job is entry level.
How many?
Six to twelve in a Skills section is plenty. A list of thirty looks padded and hides the ones that matter.
Prove soft skills in your bullets
Writing “leadership” in a list does little. Show it in experience instead: “Led a team of 8 nurses on night shift” or “Trained 6 new agents on the CRM system.” The reader sees the skill and the evidence together.
Common skills by field
Office: Microsoft 365, diary management, minute taking. Finance: Excel, IFRS, SAP or Pastel, reconciliations. Tech: programming languages, cloud platforms, Git. Customer-facing: languages spoken, CRM systems, complaint handling. Trades: licences, safety tickets, machinery.