Main image of article Technical Skills to List on Your Resume (with Examples)

Listing technical skills on your resume can be difficult. It can also be hard to convey just how proficient you are in a discipline or with a programming language, especially given the relative lack of space on a resume. On the other hand, listing everything you know is also a mistake.

Is there a happy medium? Fortunately, the answer is “yes.” We spoke to several experts to find out why technical skills are important to list on your resume, which you should list, and the best ways to communicate your expertise. 

What are technical skills?

Technical skills are those which help you get your job done, day by day. For example, if you’re a software developer, your technical skills might include Python development, QA, and so on. If you’re a project manager, understanding the software that allows you to track projects falls into the same ‘technical’ bucket.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are the interpersonal skills that allow you to effectively operate as part of a team or company. Effective communication, empathy, and teamwork are all soft skills.

While you can learn technical skills via formal education, proficiency is only gained with real-world, on-the-job experience. When you’re writing your resume, it’s important to not only list your technical skills; you must use your experience section to break down (briefly) how you used those skills to help your previous workplaces achieve their tactical and strategic goals.

Why technical skills are important

Simply put: if you’re applying for a tech job, you need technical skills. Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes: they are looking for a back-end developer with experience in AWS and a long history with Linux. They’re not going to hire anyone who doesn’t know those things.

“When it comes to listing technical skills on a resume, I believe specificity and context are key,” Ritesh Raj, COO and CPO of CuddlyNest, tells Dice. “Instead of merely stating ‘Python,’ you could say ‘leveraged Python to develop a hotel recommendation algorithm that increased bookings by 20 percent.’ This not only showcases your technical skill but also the impact you made using it. It’s also important to tailor your technical skills to the job you’re applying for. If the job description emphasizes data analysis, highlight your experience with SQL or a similar tool.”

If you’re at a loss over which technical skills to include on a resume, consult the original job posting and note the skills listed there. Which ones do you know? Make sure those are listed on your resume. Many companies rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan your resume for certain keywords, which often include the skills from the original job posting; if you don’t include a generous selection, chances are good that the ATS will reject your resume.

One obvious point that also bears repeating: don’t ever list a skill you don’t know on your resume. Your lack of knowledge will come up during the job interview, especially if you’re subjected to technical questions and/or testing.

Examples of technical skills

Kateryna Popova, recruitment strategist for Testlio, breaks down the four categories of technical skills that many tech professionals need to include on their resumes:

●      Programming languages

●      Database management

●      Operating systems

●      Network configuration and security knowledge.

“Skills in cloud computing—like AWS or Azure, cybersecurity, AI, machine learning, and mobile development are highly sought after, too,” Popova adds. “These skills reflect the evolving tech industry and its future direction.”

Aleksa Krstic, CTO of Localizely, would add web development and version control to the above list, although the needs for those skills obviously vary from job to job.

While tech jobs are too varied to create a “definitive” list of tech skills, here are many that pop up frequently in job postings. Knowledge of the most popular programming languages and cloud platforms will obviously take you far, as well as skills such as containerization.

“Technical skills should be listed in a dedicated section, usually near the top of the resume, where they're easily noticeable,” Popova tells Dice. “This section should be labeled 'Technical Skills' or 'Core Competencies.' I recommend categorizing them into sub-sections if you have a broad range of skills. Separate your programming languages, software proficiency, and hardware expertise into different clusters for clarity.”

Krystic advises using bullet-points when listing technical skills so recruiters can scan them easily for pertinent information, and tailoring skills listed to the job you’re applying for: “Carefully review the job description and identify key technical skills required for the role you're applying for. Highlight those relevant skills prominently in your resume.”

How to keep technical skills up-to-date

Constantly updating your skills is critical; programming languages and tools evolve constantly, and you need to master the latest changes. If certifications become available that fit your use of a platform, such as AWS or Salesforce, you should consider obtaining those certifications; while certifications aren’t essential for many jobs, they can help you stand out in a crowded field of applicants.

Learning new skills is critical, too. For example, cybersecurity is an increasingly critical component of many companies’ operations, which means that, even if you’re not a cybersecurity professional, learning how to keep systems safe from external and internal attack is essential.

“This year, data privacy and security have proven to be crucial technical skills because of the increasing prevalence of cyber threats,” Raj adds. “In the digital age, data breaches and cyberattacks are unfortunately common, and they can have devastating consequences. This is why having a strong understanding of data privacy regulations and security protocols is so important. It’s not just about protecting our company’s data but also safeguarding the sensitive information of our customers.”

Krstic also notes: “As A.I. continues to transform various industries, tech professionals with skills in machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing will be in high demand.”

Conclusion

Listing technical skills on a resume is a great way to highlight how you’re a good fit for the job. When hiring managers and recruiters see that your skillset matches their needs, you’re far more likely to earn an interview.

There will be technical interviews, too, and that’s where you get to showcase your soft skills like problem-solving. Once hiring managers see that your technical and soft skills are aligned with their needs and the company culture, a job offer is almost sure to follow.