Technical Skills for Resume: Examples, Guide & Pro-Tips
Technical skills can help your resume look even better to a potential employer. Here’s our list of technical skills you can feature in your resume.
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What are technical skills and why are they important?
Technical skills are the abilities, knowledge and expertise that allow individuals to do specific job-related tasks. Many people associate the term “technical skills” with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and roles. However, the truth is technical skills are involved in almost any job description. Whether you work in project management, want to be a data analyst, work in customer service or your expertise lies in information technology, your duties will make use of technical skills.
When considering your resume, hiring managers and recruiters will be looking for specific technical skills and relevant work experience. This guide includes everything you need to know about resume technical skills including:
- The most in-demand tech skills to consider for your resume
- Tips on how to pinpoint and feature the right technical skills in your resume
- Tips on how to improve your technical skills
Resources for Your Next Career Move
- Resume Keywords
- Resume Structure
- Resume Summary Tips
- Reverse Chronological Format
- Salutations for Cover Letters
- Simple Resume Templates
- Skills-Based Resume Guide
- Soft Skills Overview
- Stress Management Skills
- Study Abroad Section
- Teamwork Skills
- Time Management Skills
- Traditional Resume Examples
- Transferable Skills Guide
- Two-Column Resume Tips
- Two-Page Resume Guide
- Unique Resume Templates
- Volunteer Work on Resume
- Website on Resume
- Work Experience Section
Explore our complete resume examples selection for tips and resources tailored to every career path.
75 technical skills to put on a resume
Technical skills vary by industry. The technical skills that are most relevant to your field of employment may be entirely different from those that are relevant to other fields. However, there are some technical skills that are widely applicable to many different fields of employment and roles. Here are some examples of the most relevant technical skills listed on resumes submitted to a number of different fields:
Academic
- Research methodology
- Academic writing
- Critical thinking
- Information literacy
- Presentation skills
Accounting
- Accounting software
- Tax preparation
- Payroll/accounts payable/accounts receivable
- Forecasting budgets
- GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
Administration
- Microsoft Excel
- QuickBooks
- Office equipment
- Email skills
Computer science
- Programming languages
- Data structures
- Database management
- Computer networking
- Operating systems
Creative
- Graphic design
- Web design and development
- 3D modeling and animation
- Video editing and production
- Creative coding and generative art
Data analyst
- Data Visualization
- MATLAB
- R
- Python
- SQL/NoSQL
Education
- Classroom management systems
- Microsoft Office
- Virtual presentations
- Digital media
- Subject matter expert
Engineering
- Quality control
- Robotics
- Programming
- Design
- Troubleshooting
Finance
- Spreadsheets
- Quickbooks
- Graphical
- Math
- Cash flow management
Flight attendant
- Safety procedures
- First Aid and CPR
- Security protocols
- Cabin service operations
- Customer service
Healthcare
- Medical billing
- Medical coding
- Electronic medical record software
- Sonography
- Certifications
Information technology
- Coding
- Software development
- Machine Learning
- Java, SQL, C#, Python, iOS
- Debugging
Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- HTML
- Social media platforms (Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
- Digital marketing Content Management Systems (CMS)
- Adobe Photoshop/Indesign
Project management
- Budget planning
- Risk management
- Project planning
- PM tools (JIRA, Trello, Monday.com)
- SCRUM/Agile methodology
Retail
- Point of sale (POS) systems
- Inventory management software
- Customer relationship management
- E-commerce platforms
- Visual merchandising and display
Listing technical skills in your resume: 5 tips
1. Follow the lead of the job listing
Employers are looking for specific technical skills on your professional resume. Look over the job advertisement and research the company you want to work for. Take note of those technical skills and tailor your resume to feature the best technical skills, along with other relevant hard skills and soft skills.
2. Feature your top technical skills in your skills section
Depending on whether you select a chronological resume, functional resume or combination resume template, is how you’ll organize your skills. A functional resume will present a longer and more detailed list of skills, organized into categories and with a concise explanation of each. A chronological resume will focus more on work experience with a simple list of bulleted hard skills and soft skills.
Soft and technical skills list for resume:
- HTML
- CSS
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
- Python, Ruby, C#, HTML
- Good communication skills
- Photoshop
- Time management
- Illustrator
- Adaptability
3. Show how you’ve used your technical skills in your work experience section
In addition to listing your technical skills in your skills section, you can give examples of technical skills for a resume in your work experience section. This section details your past relevant jobs with bulleted accomplishments, quantifiable metrics and major achievements to underline your proficiency.
Technical skills examples for resume work history:
- Expert knowledge of HTML and CSS required for successfully building 30 new web pages.
- Logged 100+ service requests monthly as open tickets and provided follow-up information.
- Scheduled and installed new Microsoft Office hardware and software applications for 200 employees.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 380 pieces of MAC computer equipment.
4. Feature a top technical skill in your summary
A summary statement or objective contains two to three sentences showcasing your background and top achievements that relate to your technical skills and soft skills.
Example of technical skills on a resume professional summary:
Detail-oriented programmer highly experienced with code writing, software computing and a flair for quick creation of innovative solutions. Looking to use extensive knowledge of engineering and intricate programming skills to help boost data management efficiency. Expert certification in Java, Ruby, Python and C#.Net.
5. Create a separate technical skills section
If you have additional technical abilities that don’t fit into any of the previous sections, you can create a section in your resume titled “Technical Skills” to feature them there.
Resume technical skills list:
- Python
- Java
- C++
- SQL
- React
- Flask
- EC2
- MySQL
For more tips on presenting your skills, check our Skills for resume article.
Build my resumeTips on improving your technical skills
The best part of technical skills is that they can always be learned and improved upon. Here are a few ways to improve your technical skills and help climb the ladder of success:
Find in-person training and certification classes
If you prefer in-classroom training with an instructor present, you can find certification classes at your local community college or other professional learning institute. A key advantage of learning in a group setting and experienced leader is that you get immediate feedback and personal attention.
Here are some examples of major certifications:
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) – Certification for anyone looking for work in the graphic design industry.
- American Red Cross – Health care, Education and other fields can get certified for life-saving skills from expert Red Cross instructors.
- Certified Scrum Master® (CSM) Certification – Training to become a certified ScrumMaster.
Look into online courses and tutorials
There are unlimited training resources online that can help in any job role and industry. Whether you’re interested in learning or improving SEO (search engine optimization), programming, content editing, management skills or other areas, you can join an online course to learn or improve your skill set.
Online training/courses include:
- Udemy – Online learning and teaching marketplace with 200,000+ courses
- Linkedin Learning – Learn in-demand skills with 16,000+ online courses
- Coursera – Access to 7,000+ world-class courses, projects and certificate programs
- YouTube tutorials and technical videos
Take advantage of opportunities to learn and use technical skills on the job
There is no better experience than real-world experience. Make your every day on the job a learning, training and development experience. Use your daily work tasks as a way to learn certain technical skills and improve on the ones you do have.
If you are looking to learn additional technical skills to expand your current job position or be considered for career advancement, speak with your supervisor or ask a colleague to train you. The more technical skills you learn, the more transferable skills you will have for future job searches.
Build my resumeFAQ: Technical skills
Have questions? We’re here to help.
What are examples of technical skills?
Technical skills encompass a wide range of abilities related to specific tools, software and methodologies that are job-specific. Here are some relevant technical skills examples for resumes:
1. Programming and software development:
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, etc.
- Web development skills including HTML/CSS, JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React, Angular) and server-side frameworks (e.g., Node.js, Django)
- Mobile app development using platforms like iOS (Swift) or Android (Java/Kotlin)
2. Data analysis and data science:
- Proficiency in data manipulation and analysis using tools like SQL, Pandas, NumPy and R
- Data visualization skills with tools like Matplotlib, Seaborn or Tableau
- Machine learning techniques and libraries such as TensorFlow, scikit-learn or PyTorch
3. Information technology (IT) and networking:
- Network administration skills including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP and routing protocols
- System administration skills for operating systems like Linux, Windows Server or Unix
- Cybersecurity skills such as penetration testing, intrusion detection and security auditing
- Cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
4. Digital marketing and analytics:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques for optimizing website visibility and rankings
- Proficiency in digital advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads or LinkedIn Ads
- Web analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics for tracking website traffic and user behavior
- Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal for website management
How do I list my technical skills?
You have different options for listing technical skills on a resume:
- Create a dedicated section for your technical skills, in addition to your skills sections.
- Feature your top technical skills on your resume summary.
- Include them among your hard skills and soft skills in your skills section.
- Give examples of how you’ve used your technical skills in your work history section.
What are important technical skills?
Important technical skills are industry specific, from digital-related skills to physical work responsibilities. As per Forbes, “So, if you’re a nurse, your technical skills will include inserting IVs, reading patient charts and all the other tasks wrapped up in delivering patient care.
If you’re a truck driver, your technical skills revolve around being able to safely drive a huge truck and deliver cargo where it’s needed. And so on and so on, whether you’re a plumber, hair stylist, accountant, lawyer…” It’s always a good idea to refer to technical skills examples in a job-specific resume example to see what other industry professionals are saying on their resumes.
What are the most important technical skills for a resume?
The most important technical resume skills depend on the specific relevant skills required for the job. If you work in a physically demanding job like auto repair, plumbing, electrical or painting, you’d consider your skills from on-the-job training as most important. If you work in a computer-related environment like IT, web development, engineering, data entry and graphic design, you would be featuring computer program names and technical knowledge as your technical skills.
Remember, only list technical skills that you are proficient in performing because, at some point in your job search, you will be asked to back up those skills.
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