Picking the best skills for your CV is an important step in the job search process. Having a skills section on your CV makes it easy for employers to pick up on your strengths at a glance. 

Follow our guide to choosing the right skills to put on your CV.

  • Interpersonal
  • Listening
  • Leadership
  • Organisation
  • Problem-solving
  • Customer service
  • Administration
  • Computer skills
  • Management

What skills should you list on your CV?

The skills you put on your CV will vary from job to job depending on what the employer is looking for. You should highlight both hard and soft skills that relate to the job you’re applying to, always ensuring you provide examples of how you’ve used these skills in the workplace.

What are hard and soft skills?

Hard skills are tangible skills such as knowledge of a particular software or computer skills. Soft skills are more personality based and could include organisation, listening or leadership skills.

9 best skills to include on your CV

Interpersonal

All employers like to hire people with strong interpersonal skills. This is important in any job, whether you’re working with the public, or you just need to communicate with your team members.

Listening

Believe it or not, being an active listener is a real skill. Listening is important to be able to carry out work and projects correctly, to be able to understand a customer’s needs, and to be able to follow direction from your manager.

Leadership

Leadership is an admirable soft skill to have. Any time you show initiative, take the lead in a group task, or help to motivate other team members, you’re actually demonstrating strong leadership ability – and employers love to see this!

Organisation

Being organised is a key skill for any role. Employers want to hire people who are able to plan, prioritise tasks, and manage heavy workloads. This is a winning skill for your CV!

Problem-solving

Every business has its problems. So it only makes sense that hiring managers would love problem-solvers! Share an example of a time when you used your initiative to solve a workplace problem to wow the hiring manager.

Customer service

If you’re applying for a role that involves interacting with the public, customer service is an excellent skill to put on your CV. Employers want to know you can deliver first-class service and have experience dealing with complaints.

Administration

Most jobs contain some degree of administration. Whether it’s ticking off checklists, filing important documents, or dealing with confidential data, employers like to know your admin tasks won’t fall by the wayside.

Computer skills

Unless you’re applying for a job in manual labour, computer skills will likely be an essential part of your role. If you’ve got experience using different types of software, or you’re a master touch-typer, include this skill in your CV.

Management

Management is a very attractive quality to put on your CV. It shows employers you have the ability to take on more Senior roles. Whether you’ve managed a team for a day or for a year, be sure to write about it in your CV.

Where should you write your skills on your CV?

There are two places you could write your skills on your CV. The first is in a designated ‘Key skills’ section towards the top of your CV. List 3-5 of your most relevant skills with an example of how you used each one. The second place is in your past work history. Your key skills should be incorporated into the description of each job.

Applying for jobs? Take the time to nail your CV and write a killer cover letter to make sure you land that dream job!