How Many Skills to List on a Resume and Which Matter Most

The skills you list on your resume play a major role in how you’re seen—by applicant tracking systems (ATS) and the hiring teams reviewing your application. Your Skills section is one of the first places they look to quickly assess whether you’re a strong match for the role. 

But how many skills for a resume are enough? Which types matter most? And where should you list them to have the greatest impact?

This guide breaks it all down. Let’s dive in!

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Why your Skills section is so important

The Skills section is a clear snapshot of what you do well and the value you can bring to a potential employer. And for many recruiters and ATS systems, it’s the first place they look when evaluating candidates.

“In my field [...], we look at the Skills section first to see if they’ve used various programs and software we’ll need them to use,” one manager shared online. “It gives you a very good idea of who can hit the ground running and who will need substantial training to start.”

And for experienced professionals, this section matters even more. If it comes off as vague, outdated, or copy-pasted from an old job description, it can really dull your shine. Instead, your Skills section should signal that you have what it takes to step into this role and start adding value immediately.

The good news? You can choose what to emphasize. A strong Skills section doesn’t just show you’re qualified—it connects the dots between your experience and what you’re aiming for.

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How many skills to list on your resume 

There’s no universal correct number of skills to list on your resume. It largely depends on your experience level and the role you’re targeting. 

That said, here’s a good rule of thumb by career stage:

But remember: Quality always beats quantity. Don’t feel pressured to hit a certain number by cutting key skills or adding irrelevant ones. What matters most is relevance to the role you’re after. 

If you have only seven highly relevant skills for the job, list seven. Each skill should support your fit for the position and reinforce what you bring to the table. (More on this in a bit!)

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Hard skills vs. soft skills: What’s the right mix on a resume? 

When deciding which skills to list on your resume, it’s not just about quantity but also type. Hard and soft skills both matter, but they serve different purposes and should show up in different ways.

Hard skills

Hard skills are technical capabilities: tools, platforms, and processes you can prove and measure. Think skills like SQL, HubSpot, Adobe Creative Suite, project management, graphic design, or email marketing. 

These are the skills that are matched against the job description, get picked up by ATS, and help recruiters quickly assess your fit. Therefore, your Skills section should include hard skills only.

With that in mind, prioritize your hard skills wisely. If a role emphasizes data analysis and search engine optimization (SEO), those should appear at the top of your list of skills, not buried beneath general (but still relevant) tools like Google Docs or HTML. Always lead with the skills most relevant to the role.  

Soft skills 

Soft skills—such as critical thinking, leadership, adaptability, analytical thinking, or emotional intelligence—are best left out of your Skills section. Hiring managers want to see these skills in context, so instead of listing them directly, describe how you’ve demonstrated them in real work scenarios.

Two great places to do this are in your Work Experience and Professional Summary sections. 

For example:
Led a cross-functional team of 12 through a high-stakes product launch, adapting timelines and priorities in response to shifting market conditions.

That signals that you have interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and analytical skills—without naming any of these directly.

Because you’re not listing soft skills in a dedicated Skills section, there’s no limit to the amount that you can include. Still, it’s best to weave in 3–4 throughout your resume. Highlight them through specific examples, and you’ll show that you’ve developed those skills at a high level.

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How to choose the right skills for your resume 

Here’s how to choose the right skills, based on what the role actually needs and what you bring to the table.

1. Start with the job description

For each role you apply to, read the job description closely and look for patterns. What skills, tools, responsibilities, or areas of expertise appear several times? These are your clues to what the role prioritizes.

For example, if the job description has repeated mentions of stakeholder management, Agile methodologies, or data visualization, you’ll want to mirror those in your Skills section. But don’t stretch—include only what you’re actually confident doing.

You can do this manually or use Teal’s Resume Job Description Match tool, which scans the description and pulls out the key skills for you.

2. Identify your core strengths

Next, look at your track record—especially the skills and capabilities you’ve demonstrated that align with what the job is asking for. 

What do people come to you for? What have you consistently been recognized or promoted for? 

If you’re not sure, ask a trusted manager, mentor, or peer how they’d describe your strengths. A short conversation can quickly surface the things you’re great at but might take for granted. That’s often where your most valuable skills live!

3. Research your target role and industry

The same job can entail different responsibilities and require different skills depending on the company or your level of experience. That’s why it’s a good idea to go beyond a single job listing at a single company.

Search job listings across various businesses, and scan LinkedIn profiles of people in similar positions to the ones you’re targeting. You can also check career-focused sites like O*NET Online or the Bureau of Labor Statistics for a broader picture of what’s standard in your target role or industry. 

Doing all this helps you ensure you aren’t leaving out important skills in your resume or including capabilities that most employers consider a given at your level.

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Examples of top resume skills by industry

We analyzed over 129,000 live job descriptions to identify the most requested hard skills by industry. These are the skills employers are actively hiring for in 2025, not generic assumptions. Use them as a reference, (but always tailor your resume to the specific job description).

Marketing

Marketing professionals need both creativity and technical skills. In 2025, employers are hiring for marketers who know how to drive measurable growth across channels.

Top skills by frequency:

• SEO: 61.2%
  
• Google Ads / Paid Search: 48.6%
  
• Google Analytics (GA4): 52.3%
  
• Social media tools (Sprout, Hootsuite): 42.9%
  
• Email marketing platforms: 36.7%
  
• CRM platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce): 44.1%
  
• A/B testing platforms: 28.9%
  

Software Development

Employers expect fluency in programming languages, frameworks, and cloud environments—plus the ability to work in iterative, Agile settings.

Top skills by frequency:

• JavaScript, Python, or TypeScript: 77.5%
  
• React, Angular, or Vue: 58.2%
  
• Git / version control systems: 64.3%
  
• CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI): 41.8%
  
• AWS, Azure, or GCP: 54.7%
  
• RESTful APIs: 49.9%
  
• Agile / Scrum methodology: 46.1%
  

Data

Strong data skills help teams make smarter decisions and build better products. In 2025, employers want analysts who can clean, model, and visualize.

Top skills by frequency:

• SQL: 72.4%
  
• Tableau or Power BI: 53.6%
  
• A/B testing: 38.2%
  
• Python (Pandas, NumPy): 46.9%
  
• Regression / statistical modeling: 33.4%
  
• Data cleaning tools (OpenRefine, etc.): 18.7%
  

Finance

Advanced Excel alone won’t cut it—employers want to see how you analyze data, manage budgets, and support strategic planning.

Top skills by frequency:

• Financial modeling: 59.5%
  
• Forecasting and budgeting: 63.2%
  
• ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle): 46.3%
  
• Excel (advanced functions): 71.6%
  
• GAAP / compliance knowledge: 37.5%
  
• Scenario planning tools: 22.9%

Operations

Operations roles are all about keeping things running efficiently—whether that’s supply chains, logistics, or internal systems.

Top skills by frequency:

• Process improvement (Lean, Six Sigma): 51.8%
  
• Project management tools (Asana, Jira, Trello): 42.2%
  
• Supply chain systems: 38.7%
  
• ERP platforms: 45.4%
  
• Vendor / resource planning: 33.9%
  
• SOP documentation: 27.5%
  

Human Resources (HR)

Today’s HR professionals blend people skills with systems expertise. In 2025, fluency in tech tools is just as critical as relationship management.

Top skills by frequency across 4,796 JDs:

• HRIS platforms (Workday, ADP, BambooHR): 58.9%
  
• Performance management systems: 41.5%
  
• DEI strategy and reporting: 33.1%
  
• Employee onboarding workflows: 49.7%
  
• Labor law / compliance knowledge: 37.8%
  
• Conflict resolution training: 29.6%

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Where to put skills on your resume (and how to format them)

Your resume format affects where—and how—you list your skills:

• In a reverse-chronological resume (the most common format), list your skills after your work experience. This keeps the focus on your career history while still highlighting key qualifications.
• In a skills-based or functional resume, skills go first. This format can work if you're shifting careers or have gaps in your experience and want to showcase transferable skills, but it's less common.
• A combination resume blends both: Highlight your skills at the top, then back them up with work experience. This approach is especially effective for mid-career professionals applying to roles that require a broad mix of tools and expertise.

As for formatting, your Skills section should make it effortless for an employer to say, “Yep, they have exactly what we need.”

✅ Group similar skills (e.g., tools, frameworks, platforms).

✅ Use a clean, readable layout—ideally in columns or short lists—and avoid long paragraphs or cluttered blocks.

✅ Keep naming consistent (e.g., stick with either “Google Workspace” or “G Suite,” not both).

💡 Pro Tip: No matter what resume format you use, Teal’s Resume Builder helps you organize your Skills section clearly and strategically, so it’s easy for hiring managers and ATS tools to quickly see your strengths.

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Mistakes to avoid when listing skills 

Avoiding these missteps can make your Skills section stronger and more focused:

❌ Including old tools or tech you haven’t used recently. This can make your experience look out of date. Stick to what you actually use day to day.

❌ Using self-assessed skills ratings, such as “Excel: ★★★★☆.” These are subjective, and most hiring teams skip over them. Let your experience speak for itself!

❌ Listing skills you’re still learning without clarifying that they’re in progress. That can set the wrong expectations. It’s fine to include them—just be clear by adding “(In progress)” next to the relevant skills.

❌ Adding anything you wouldn’t feel confident discussing during an interview. If you can’t explain it in detail, it’s best left off.

❌ Including skills you want to move away from. That’s how you end up doing more of the work you’re trying to leave behind! Instead, focus on the skills that match where you’re headed.

❌ Using vague buzzwords like “go-getter” or “team player.” These qualities don’t add much on their own. Show them through your experience instead.