The Skills Section Rule

Your “Skills” section should only contain hard, measurable skills (e.g., Python, SEO, Financial Modeling, AutoCAD). Soft skills (e.g., Leadership, Communication, Teamwork) should never be listed in a bulleted skills section; they must be demonstrated within the bullet points of your work experience.

If I see one more CV with a skills section that reads:

  • Good communicator
  • Hardworking
  • Punctual

…I am going to lose my mind.

Hard Skills Get You the Interview

Hard skills are technical abilities you can test. If you say you know Adobe Premiere Pro, I can give you a video to edit and test you.

When ATS software scans your CV, it is looking for hard skills. It’s looking for “SQL”, “B2B Sales”, or “Agile Methodology”. Put these in a dedicated “Skills” section at the top of your CV.

Soft Skills Get You the Job (But Show, Don’t Tell)

Soft skills are behavioral. You can’t just claim you have “Leadership” skills. You have to prove it.

Instead of writing “Leadership” in your skills list, go to your work experience section and write:

  • “Led a team of 4 interns to deliver the Q3 marketing campaign under budget.”

That proves leadership. Anyone can type “punctual” on a Word document. It means nothing until you demonstrate it through your achievements.