How to List Technical Skills in Resumes

How to List Technical Skills in Resumes How to List Technical Skills in Resumes: 10 Examples Technical skills are hard skills that are often mathematical, scientific, or computer-centric. Highlighting these is critical to landing interviews with employers looking for tech-savvy candidates. Build My Resume Now When listing technical skills in a resume, it’s important to know where to list them, how to order them, and what details to include. Table of Contents: What are Technical Skills? Technical Skills List Examples How to Showcase Them on Your Resume 1. What Are Technical Skills? Technical skills can be defined as technology-based hard skills, which includes (but is not limited to) computer skills and abilities associated with computing. Like hard skills, they represent the knowledge required to accomplish specific tasks or use certain tools. Mastering these skills usually requires on-the-job experience, education, or training that may be extensive. When you put technical skills on your resume, sometimes a simple list is enough. But depending on the nature of the skill, you may need to offer details on the extent of your abilities or the breadth of your experience. Tip Worried other applicants have the same technical abilities as you? Check out our soft skills list and examples for ideas on how to stand out. 2. List of Technical Skills for Resumes (by Industry) Technical skills make you a valuable commodity for potential employers and must be properly highlighted to demonstrate your value. Depending on your niche, the technical abilities and knowledge employees are seeking will vary. When considering which abilities to choose for resume building, remember that relevance is key. More than just assembling a technical skills list, you want to organize them in the way that optimizes your appeal to employers. Check out our technical skills examples for some popular careers below: 1. Management Technical skills for managers may involve company or industry-specific methods or processes. Some abilities employers may seek in management candidates include the following: Technical writing Computer literacy in specific programs and apps Information technology Data management and analytics Project management 2. Business Analysis For business analysts, depending on your industry you may need some of the following technical skills: Programming languages (list them) Information technology Data analytics Data modeling BI tools and applications Tip Not sure what the difference between technical and soft skills is? Learn more from our article on hard skills vs soft skills. 3. Accounting For accountants, desirable accounting technical skills can vary based on your career level. Depending on whether you work in the small to mid-sized niche, government or corporate accounting, they could include: Accounting tools (SAP, Oracle, etc.) ERP systems Cost and trend analysis GAAP and FASB knowledge Auditing 4. Project Management Your project management skills can demonstrate to potential employers that you’re a capable candidate who they should hire. Some of the abilities employers may prefer are: Scrum and Agile proficiency Technical reporting Work scheduling software Information technology Data analytics 5. Engineering Engineering is a diverse field, so the technical skills you’ll need will vary depending on your particular expertise. Some desirable abilities for all niches include the following: Computer science fundamentals Data modeling System design Statistics and probability Technical reporting Tip Dont forget that, in addition to these basics, youll also need to showcase the knowledge and abilities specific to your engineering field. 6. Marketing Marketing covers a broad array of activities, all with the goal of attracting customers and increasing a company’s sales. Marketing tends to more heavily emphasize soft skills, but there are some technical abilities that can set you apart from other candidates in the eyes of potential employers: Website design Content development Digital advertising Mobile marketing Social marketing 7. Nursing As a diverse career, nurses can specialize in trauma, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics, neonatal, and a host of other paths. The roster of technical skills for nurses includes the following: Advanced lifesaving training (ACLS) Diabetic care and wound monitoring Phlebotomy Dialysis Traction management 8. Information Technology (IT) Almost all hard skills in the information technology field are, in fact, technical skills. They are also often the most important part of an IT resume. Here are some more specific skillsets that are most in demand today: Front-end development Backend development Mobile development Cloud computing Network structure and security Tip For more specific details, check out the examples in our hard skills list. 9. Graphic Design Expected technical skills for graphic designers will depend on your skill level and where you are in your career, but some abilities employers may be looking for on your resume are as follows: Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe CS, and InDesign HTML UI/UX Print design and typography Branding 10. Teachers Aside from the skills you need to instruct your students in your area of expertise, there’s an increasing interest in  digital technical skills on teacher resumes including: Blogging and Wiki creation Creating PLNs Blackboard Web design and digital portfolio creation Video content development 3. Three Tips for Showcasing Your Technical Skills The job-specific nature of technical skills means that if you have them, they are often the most important part of your resume. Abilities that are most relevant to your target position should always be front and center where theyre quickly scannable. Expertly emphasizing your technical skills can get you onto the shortlist for the position you want. Abilities that are most relevant to your target position should always be front and center. Here are three tips for showcasing these key skills on your resume: 1. Create a dedicated Technical Skills section If theyre heavily emphasized in the job description, then your Technical Skills section should be at the top of your resume, just below your introduction, and above your professional experience. A bulleted list will make it scannable. If you have an extensive roster of technical skills, you may want to set the bullets as categoriesâ€"then, list details. For example, for an accountant, you might list them this way: Accounting applications: Peachtree, QuickBooks, FreshBooks Payroll applications: Paychex, Sage HRMS, ADP, Ascentis ERP: SAP R/3, PeopleSoft, Oracle Financials BI applications: Crystal Reports, Domo, InsightSquared, IBM Cognos Core competencies: Corporate, cost and tax accounting, GAAP, risk management Click the image below to see an  example of a resume with a hefty technical skills section: 2. Prove it in your professional experience bullets In addition to a dedicated Technical Skills section at the top of your resume, you should prove your abilities through your work experience.   By creating bullet points that target your professional accomplishments, you can show how you effectively used your technical skills to benefit your previous or current employer. For instance, if you’re an accountant, you could mention how you used ERP and accounting applications to achieve the accomplishments listed in your work experience. This will reinforce how and when you utilized your technical skills  and show you have proven abilities with them. In addition to a dedicated Technical Skills section at the top of your resume, you should prove your abilities through your work experience. 3. Use a robust resume introduction Another great way to put your technical skills front and center is to highlight them with a summary of qualifications. A qualifications summary is essentially a mini-expansion of your Professional Experience section where you showcase your most important qualifications. Since its a type of resume introduction, it will be the first thing the hiring manager lays their eyes onâ€"making it perfect for candidates who want to immediately emphasize their proven abilities with technical skills most important to their target position. Click on the images below to see examples of resumes that use qualifications summaries to showcase their technical abilities and knowledge: Conclusion Flaunting your technical skills is one way to supercharge your resume and rise to the top of a digital deluge. By featuring them prominently at the top of your resume, you’ll make it easier for potential employers to quickly determine if you’re the candidate they need. If you haven’t revamped your application lately, now is the perfect time to enhance the skills section of your resume  and conquer the competition.