How to Write Areas of Expertise on a Resume (+ Examples)

Showing off your areas of expertise on a resume can make all the difference in landing your next job. Simply listing your skills isn’t enough. To get an employer’s attention, you need to prove your expertise and knowledge along with results achieved in both your Work Experience and Skills sections.

This article covers types of expertise to put on your resume, examples of how to demonstrate expertise on a resume and tips for proving your knowledge and abilities.

Struggling to land interviews with your resume? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder for free.

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Understanding areas of expertise on a resume

In general, areas of expertise refer to the specific skills and knowledge you possess in a particular field. When it comes to resumes, areas of expertise are the knowledge and experience you highlight that make you a perfect fit for certain jobs. While your resume might not have a specific “areas of expertise” section, you can still weave in your skills and knowledge throughout.

Think of your resume as a sales document. Instead of trying to show you can help with any skill, job title, and industry, you want to tailor your resume and the exact skills and expertise you show off to a specific job posting. You might have plenty of other skills, but you don’t need to include them on every resume.

Teal’s Matching Mode makes it easy to tailor your resume. After saving a job to your job tracker, simply head to the Resume Builder, click on Matching Mode, choose the job you just saved, and automatically get a list of recommended key skills to add to your resume.

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With high competition in the job market, a generic resume gets lost in the pile. But if you can show exactly why you’re the perfect fit for a role, you’ll attract more interview invites. It helps to craft the narrative around your expertise early as you can expect questions about your skills and experience during interviews.

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Types of expertise to highlight on a resume

Identifying your areas of expertise can be a challenge. People often downplay their natural strengths and struggle to identify what job-related skills and qualities are most useful.

You might even have more than one area of expertise, but you should prioritize showing hard and soft skills in your resume that are highly relevant to a specific job. Focus on what truly sets you apart and what aligns with the jobs you're targeting.

Here’s what to do if you’re overqualified for a job.

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Hard skills

Hard skills are the technical capabilities and specific knowledge you possess that can be learned or acquired through education, training, or experience. They're measurable and quantifiable skills employers actively seek when filling positions.

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Here are some common hard skill types across different fields:

• Technical skills: Data analysis, video editing, machine learning, programming
• Business skills: Accounting, project management skills, business development
• Industry-specific skills: Digital marketing, healthcare, law, supply chain management

To showcase hard skills on your resume, list them in a Skills section along with weaving them into your Resume Summary and Work Experience sections. If you have a degree related to your profession, your Education section can reinforce your knowledge. Use strong action verbs to write bullet points with quantifiable results whenever possible.

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Example

Increased website traffic by 20% through search engine optimization.

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Soft skills

Soft skills are the character traits, communication abilities, and interpersonal skills that contribute to your success in the workplace. Unlike hard skills, which are technical and teachable, soft skills are more about personality and how you interact with others. They are important for building strong relationships, navigating complex situations, and adapting to new challenges.

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Here are examples of soft skills relevant to most industries:

• Communication: Written and verbal communication skills, as well as active listening and the ability to clearly express your ideas.
• Teamwork: The ability to collaborate effectively with others, share ideas, and work toward a common goal.
• Problem-solving: Being able to analyze situations, identify problems, and develop creative solutions is a valuable asset in any role.
• Leadership: Inspiring and motivating others, taking initiative, and delegating tasks effectively.

Instead of listing soft skills on your resume, use action verbs in your Work Experience section to share situations where you used your soft skills effectively. Soft skills can also be appropriate in a Resume Summary to describe you as a person. 

Show, don't tell, by describing situations where your communication skills shone through, your leadership inspired others, or your strong work ethic got results for your employer.

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Example

Led a cross-functional team of 5 developers with effective communication, task delegation, and Agile project management methodologies.

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Transferable skills

Transferable skills are abilities you can apply across different jobs and industries. They're not tied to a specific technical expertise but rather focus on the core strengths you develop through experience, education, and personal growth. There is a lot of overlap between soft skills and transferable skills.

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These are some examples of transferable skills:

• Critical thinking: The ability to think critically, analyze information objectively, and make sound decisions is essential for strong decision-making in any field. This can also include analytical skills.
• Time management: Effective time management skills allow you to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and stay organized.
• Adaptability and flexibility: The ability to adapt to change, learn new things, and be comfortable in a changing environment is becoming increasingly important across all professions.
• Project management: The ability to organize tasks, manage resources, and meet deadlines is valuable in any role, even if it's not your primary responsibility.

For job seekers making a career change or pivot, demonstrating transferable skills on your resume is key. First, identify these skills across your professional and personal experiences. Then, tailor your resume to each job, highlighting the transferable skills that directly address the employer's needs through your Skills and Work Experience sections.

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Example

A teacher pivoting into project management could write this bullet point on a resume: 

Developed and implemented a comprehensive curriculum for a new technology program, outlining learning objectives, creating engaging lesson plans, and establishing assessment methods.

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Pro tip: Teal’s Resume Builder makes it easy to tailor your resume by using Matching Mode and AI to tell you exactly what keywords to add to optimize your resume for a specific job posting.

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Don't limit yourself to work experience. Relevant volunteer work or extracurriculars can also help prove your expertise.

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Experience

Besides skills, a large part of your resume will be dedicated to your experience. This experience may come in the form of professional work experience, projects (especially technical ones), or even volunteer work.

In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that it takes ten thousand hours to become a world-class expert in a field after he observed how many years of effort the top musicians, performers, athletes, and engineers had completed.

While you might not be trying to be the next Tiger Woods or Yo-Yo Ma, each job you’ve had within your chosen field has likely contributed to advancing your skills meaningfully. Whether your past jobs were all related to your ideal role or not, try to position your accomplishments in a way that creates a cohesive narrative for a hiring manager.

For example, someone could be a professional designer with a love of design and art going back to childhood. They gained experience through school projects, jobs in related fields like marketing and web design, and learning about UI/UX design. All their past jobs and thousands of hours of experience accumulated to eventually give them expertise in the field of design.

They’re now seeking a new job as a UX Designer, so they should speak to their history in the field in their resume summary or cover letter. They can use Teal’s AI writing features to help them craft the narrative in a compelling way throughout their job search materials.

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How to list areas of expertise on a resume

Rather than creating a separate “Areas of Expertise” section, it’s best to weave your skills and experience throughout your resume.

Focus on results and strong action verbs. Did you manage a project or spearhead a new undertaking? Quantify your achievements whenever possible, and highlight relevant transferable skills. Of course, you can also list technical and hard skills in your Skills Section.

To build a resume that shows off your achievements and areas of expertise, use Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder. Here’s how:

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Step 1

Navigate to the Resume Builder and click on New Resume. You can use the Professional Summary, Work Experience, Education, and Skills sections to demonstrate your achievements and expertise.

If you want to further back up your expertise, you can also add Certifications, Awards and Scholarships, Projects, Volunteering and Leadership, Publications, and Interests if appropriate.

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Step 2

Whenever possible, try to add metrics and quantifiable achievements, especially in your experience bullet points. If you’re getting stuck, use AI achievements to automatically generate a sample bullet point. Be sure to personalize the information so it’s relevant to your experience.

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Example

“Implemented a new customer service program that increased monthly retention by 35%.”

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Step 3

To tailor your resume to each job, go to Matching Mode and attach a job description to this resume. Teal will automatically provide a list of skills and keywords to optimize your resume. Aim for an 60-75% percent Match Score.

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Step 4

Teal offers a variety of pre-formatted resume templates designed to be ATS-friendly, which you can choose from in the Design section. You can also change the styling (fonts, colors, etc) to further personalize your resume.

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Step 5

As you’re creating resumes, you may find that certain skills are more relevant to jobs than others, particularly if you’re applying to different types of roles. You can use Teal's Resume Skills Management feature to easily add and toggle skills as needed.

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Area of expertise template

Your resume is your chance to pitch yourself to recruiters and hiring managers, so be sure to show your expertise throughout, from your Resume Summary, Work Experience, Education, and Skills section.

Here's a breakdown of the best sections to showcase your expertise, along with a template to get you started.

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Resume summary

This is your elevator pitch, so use it wisely. You can write a few sentences summarizing your work experience as it relates to the job you’re targeting.

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Template

[Personal Adjective] [Your Field] Professional with [X years] of experience in [Specific Areas of Expertise]. Proven ability to [Key Skill 1] and [Key Skill 2], resulting in [Quantifiable Achievement].

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Work experience

Focus on achievements that demonstrate your expertise. You can use Teal’s AI-powered Matching Mode to automatically determine what keywords to incorporate throughout your experience section as you tailor your resume to a specific job.

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Template

[Strong verb] [action taken] [results] [add metrics if available]

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Example

Implemented a new social media marketing strategy utilizing targeted ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, resulting in a 20% increase in lead generation in 6 months.

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Education

In this section, you can highlight relevant coursework, projects, or certifications that demonstrate your expertise. You can also create separate sections for projects and certifications.

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Template:

University name, Degree (You should typically leave off the year unless you are a recent graduate)

(Optional) Relevant coursework, clubs, activities, GPA

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Skills

Don't just list every single skill you have–tailor them to the specific job.

Template

Technical skills: Python, JavaScript, Rust, Git, AWS, Google Cloud, MySQL, MariaDB

Industry-specific skills: Project planning, Jira, Confluence, Agile methodology

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Examples of areas of expertise on a resume

Need to see an example of expertise on a resume? Here are some samples to inspire you.

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UX Designer

Resume summary

Passionate UX designer with 7+ years of experience crafting user-centric experiences for web applications. Proven ability to translate user research into intuitive interfaces that drive results, including a 15% increase in user retention for a recent SaaS company.

Work experience

UX Designer at ABC Company (July 2021 - Present)

- Led the user experience redesign of the company's e-commerce platform, resulting in a 20% reduction in cart abandonment rates.

- Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams to ensure a cohesive user experience from product discovery to purchase.

- Used design thinking methodologies to identify user needs and pain points, translating them into effective UI solutions, like improved product filtering and a simplified checkout process.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Boston University

Relevant Coursework: Design Foundations, Typography, Introduction to Web Design

Skills

Adobe Photoshop, Figma, Adobe XD, user research, wireframing, A/B testing

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Project Manager

Resume summary

PMP-certified project manager with five years of experience leading diverse teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget. Passionate about process improvement and ensuring smooth project execution.

Work experience

Project Manager at ABC Company (March 2019 - Present)

- Managed the development and successful launch of a new customer relationship management software using Agile methodologies.

- Led a cross-functional team of 10 developers, designers, and marketing specialists to complete the launch on time and within the allocated budget.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, University of Washington

Skills

Project management, Asana, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Agile methodology, Gantt charts, Excel

Whatever your specialty, be sure to validate your expertise in every part of your resume so you can show why you’re the ideal candidate for the job.

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Tips for listing areas of expertise on a resume

Crafting a resume that paints a true picture of your expertise goes beyond listing skills. Many applicants make the mistake of writing bullet points that focus more on general responsibilities than accomplishments, which won't grab the attention of employers.

Here are three key tips to emphasize your expertise in your resume:

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Tip 1: Focus on results, not just skills

Resumes overflowing with lists of generic skills like "problem-solving" or "communication" are a dime a dozen. Instead, show off your expertise by demonstrating how you've applied those skills to achieve real-world results. Use strong action verbs and quantifiable achievements.

For example, instead of "Proficient in marketing," say: "Developed and implemented a social media campaign that increased brand engagement by 20% within 3 months." This quantifiable achievement paints a clear picture of your expertise and impact.

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Tip 2: Tailor your experience to each job

A one-size-fits-all resume won't cut it in a competitive job market. Take the time to understand the specific skills and experience the employer is seeking. Identify the areas of expertise most relevant to job descriptions and highlight them prominently in your resume.

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For instance, if you're applying for a project management role, emphasize your expertise in leading teams, resource allocation, time management, and any project management software you know. This targeted approach demonstrates your understanding of the job requirements and positions you as the ideal candidate.

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Tip 3: Expertise goes beyond work experience

Especially for professionals who are looking to make a career change or pivot, don't limit yourself only to traditional work experience. Think outside the box. Did you volunteer for an initiative at a charity that honed your leadership skills? Did you organize a successful school event that demonstrates your communication and problem-solving abilities?

You can pull relevant skills and achievements from a variety of experiences, including volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or even side hustles. This demonstrates your flexibility and ability to apply your expertise in various settings and across multiple industries.

By following these tips, you'll create a resume that best spotlights your areas of expertise, making you a standout candidate in a competitive job market.

Plus, reflecting on your work expertise will help when you’re asked about your qualifications in an interview.

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There's no one area for listing expertise on your resume

By highlighting your top areas of expertise on your resume, you can set yourself apart in the job market, show the impact you've made in past workplaces, and add credibility to your professional experience through quantifiable achievements. Just remember to weave your expertise throughout rather than limiting expertise to one section.

But tailoring your resume for every job application is time-consuming. That’s why, with Teal’s AI Resume Builder, you can simplify the process, use Matching Mode to get the exact keywords and skills you should be adding to your resume, and save hours in your job search.

Ready to ditch the generic resume and show off your expertise? Sign up for Teal today and start building a better resume.

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