Skills to Put on a CV

If you are stuck on what skills to put on a CV, start by treating the section as evidence of fit rather than a complete inventory. The strongest skills list helps an employer spot the tools, strengths, and methods that matter for this role, then find proof of them elsewhere on the page.

Start building your CV Browse CV examples

How to choose them

Build a skills section that supports the hiring decision

This guide is about selection and relevance. Use it when you are deciding what skills to put on a CV, your skills section has become a long list, or the page no longer matches the jobs you are targeting and the skills on a CV need to feel more selective.

Choose skills from the advert before you open the CV

A good skills on a CV section usually starts with the job description, not your memory. If you are unsure what skills to put on a CV, look for repeated tools, methods, responsibilities, and behaviours, then shortlist the ones you can prove through work history, projects, or training. The section should point back to the role target and work with the summary rather than sit apart from the rest of the CV, because the reader is usually checking whether the skills on a CV match the advert quickly and whether you have chosen the best skills to put on a CV.

Highlight repeated requirements, named software, and discipline-specific terms in the advert.
Keep the overlap you can evidence clearly instead of forcing every keyword into the page.
Treat desirable extras as optional unless they genuinely strengthen your fit.

Separate real strengths from filler language

Most weak skills sections fail because they mix useful specifics with empty claims. Employers can work with Excel, budgeting, React, stakeholder management, or complaint handling. They learn very little from lines like "hard-working", "motivated", or "team player" when those words stand alone, which is why the best skills to include in a CV are always tied to evidence.

Prefer concrete skills such as forecasting, SQL, scheduling, patient care, or report writing.
Use soft skills selectively and phrase them in a way the rest of the CV can support.
Remove vague traits that could appear on almost any CV without changing the hiring decision.

List skills in a format that stays easy to trust

Once you know what belongs, present the list so it helps the reader scan quickly. A short grouped section often works better than a dense block of keywords, especially when the same skills also appear in achievements or project descriptions lower down. If the CV is well structured, the reader can see the same strengths in more than one place without feeling repetition, and the answer to what skills to put on a CV becomes much easier to trust, especially when they are weighing what skills to put on a CV against the advert.

Group related skills under simple headings such as technical tools, analysis, service, or delivery.
Keep the most relevant items near the top and cut low-value duplication.
Check that important skills reappear in experience bullets, portfolio work, or qualifications.

Final check

Use this before you send the CV

Use this final pass to tighten the document before you send it. The strongest academic CVs often improve because the last review catches small issues in structure, clarity, and evidence.

Why this matters

Make the skills section earn its space

A strong skills section speeds up the first read because it points the employer towards the right evidence. Once the list is selective, the rest of the CV has a clearer job: proving those strengths through work, projects, or qualifications.

Start building your CV Browse CV examples

1 Check that the skills list reflects the role you are applying for rather than your full background.
2 Remove broad personality words that are not supported anywhere else on the page.
3 Group related skills so the section is easy to scan quickly.
4 Make sure the strongest skills are backed up in experience, projects, or education.
5 Trim repeated or low-priority items until the section feels selective again.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

These FAQs cover which skills matter most, how to balance hard and soft skills, and how to stop the section sounding generic.

How many skills should I put on a CV? Open

There is no perfect number, but the list should stay selective. Keep enough skills to show fit for the target role, then cut anything repetitive, weakly relevant, or unsupported elsewhere on the page.

Should I include soft skills on a CV? Open

Yes, if they matter for the role and the rest of the CV can back them up. Skills like stakeholder communication, prioritisation, or team leadership are more believable when they are reflected in your experience bullets.

What is the difference between hard and soft skills on a CV? Open

Hard skills are specific tools, methods, or technical capabilities such as Excel, payroll, SQL, CAD, or medication administration. Soft skills describe how you work, such as organisation, negotiation, or coaching. Most CVs need both, but not in equal weight for every role.

Can I copy skills directly from the job description? Open

You can mirror the employer language when it is accurate, but do not paste in terms you cannot support. The strongest version uses the advert to guide selection, then proves the important skills through real evidence and a better answer to what skills to put on a CV.

What usually makes a skills section look weak? Open

The common problems are over-listing, vague wording, and lack of proof. If the section reads like a keyword dump or a list of personal traits, it stops helping the employer make a decision.