Skills for CV - Top Skills in 2025: What to Include, How to Showcase, and Examples

  |  James Innes
     

Table of Contents

 

Introduction: Why Skills Are the Heart of Your CV

When the reader – and by ‘reader’ I mean the recruiter or potential employer – looks at your CV, they want to know one thing: Can this person do the job?  They will also want to see if you are the best fit for their organisation, etc. but most of that will come later at the job interview. Their initial review will be to establish whether you have the right skills and experience necessary to do what they need – and whether you are worth their time in interviewing.

  • The role of skills in landing interviews:

    A key task for the recruiter in their primary sift of CVs for a role is to select those CVs where the key skills demonstrated within the CV precisely match those required for the role in question.  If you are a match they will consider you for interview – and if you don’t then they won’t!

  • How this guide helps you shine:

    Successfully communicating your skills is such an important part of writing an effective and interview-winning CV.  This guide will cover every aspect of how to achieve this in your CV, so that your CV maximises your chances of getting the interviews you want.

  • What to expect: Key skills, tips, and examples:

    I’ll be covering the differences between soft and hard, as well as transferable skills. Then the top skills you should be endeavouring to include, how to identify them and, critically, how to demonstrate them.

 

Understanding Skills: Hard vs Soft vs Transferable

Yes, just to make life complicated there are three different types of skills – and you need to understand the differences between them. So that’s where we’ll start to dig into this hefty topic.

Defining Hard Skills: Technical Skills and Expertise

Hard skills are, arguably, the most important when it comes to CV writing. These are the key skills which specifically enable you to do the job in question. You may have gained them through education and training materials.  You may have gained them through experience – whether paid or voluntary work. They are precise and they are measurable.

Defining Soft Skills: Interpersonal Strengths

Soft skills are very different. Soft skills are often an inherent function of one’s personality and character.  They can be developed through training, experience and coaching. But they are personal traits and characteristics. They’re a lot harder to measure than hard skills. They are who we are – and what we’re like to work with or, indeed, to work for.

Transferable Skills: Bridging the Gap

We hear a lot about transferable skills, don’t we! But what are they?! Well, they are quite simply those of your hard and soft skills which are readily applicable or ‘transferable’ to another role which differs from the one you are doing currently. A number of both your hard and soft skills should equip you well to handle something often quite different to your current line of work – and they are therefore particularly important to identify for those who are seeking a significant career change.

Why All Three Matter for Your CV

The more skills, the merrier! You evidently need to demonstrate very clearly your necessary hard skills.  You also want to give some life to your CV by communicating your soft skills. And, whether you want to change your line of work or not, it’s important to show your adaptability with transferable skills.

 

Top Hard Skills to Include on Your CV in 2025

Want your hard skills to stand out in today's ultra-saturated job market? This section is for you!

Digital Skills: From Coding to Data Analysis to AI

There is no doubt that, in this modern world, and, indeed, looking to the future, digital skills are – and will remain – very much in demand.  Obviously, they don’t apply to every line of work but more and more jobs now have a significant digital element to them. The list is longer than anyone’s arm but includes such key skills as digital marketing, data analysis, data management, cloud computing, UX design, web development, DevOps, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, full-stack software development, even GDPR.

On the subject of IT skills, ensure you get the names, spacing and capitalisation of IT packages correct, e.g. QuarkXPress, PowerPoint (this convention is known as ‘CamelCase’ or medial capitals, BiCapitalisation, CapWords and InterCaps, and originated within the IT sector, although it has now spread to other areas). If in doubt, check!

Industry-Specific Skills: Tailoring to Your Field

Ask yourself what the specific key skills are that are required in your industry, sector or line of work.  Project management? Customer service skills? CRM?  Financial reporting and analysis?  Again, the list is almost endless! You need to brainstorm this one.

Language Skills: Adding Global Appeal

Foreign languages remain highly valued. If your Spanish is limited to, “Una cerveza, por favor” then it’s not going to be worth mentioning it. But if you have sufficient grasp of a language even to be able to manage some simple initial pleasantries with someone, like commenting on the weather, then it can be a plus point on your CV. Language skills are always of interest to employers and, unless you have received a formal grading, your level should be specified as basic, intermediate/conversational or fluent.

Example: Showcasing Hard Skills Effectively

Hard skills like Python are golddust for your CV, but don’t just list them. Take Sarah, our guinea-pig data analyst. Instead of “Python skills,” we would help her write: “Built Python scripts to automate data analysis, cutting processing time by 20% for a retail client.” This shows impact. Quantify results, like “streamlined workflows with Python algorithms, boosting efficiency by 15%.” Use action verbs like “developed” or “automated” to highlight expertise. With a bit of know-how, your CV can truly show off your technical skills and brilliance. If you're not sure where to start, our experts can help you crystallise these examples and convey your talents in an enticing way to employers.

Showcasing hard skills: Python coding

 

Top Soft Skills Recruiters Love

Whilst hard skills are often the most important and, therefore, the most likely to feature on a CV, if you have soft skills which you feel are particularly strong then don’t be afraid to list them too.  As I often say when it comes to CV writing: If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

One of the problems with communicating key soft skills is that some of them can sound a little too generic – and even cliché.  I wouldn’t worry about this. Don’t let it put you off including them. Just try to do so without it sounding generic and cliché!  “Works well both on own initiative and as part of a team”: I could not possibly count the number of times I have seen words to that effect…

Strong Communication Skills: Speaking and Writing with Clarity

Important in most lines of work – and critical in others. It’s a key skill at every level in an organisation, from fresh graduate up to CEO or executive. I often speak with CEOs about their work and you’d be surprised how many say it’s all about communication.

Teamwork: Collaborating for Success

Again, this is important in most lines of work – but, as I say above, is one to be very careful with, at risk of sounding cliché! Better than just listing this as a skill on your CV, try to weave evidence for it into the main body copy of the CV.  i.e. Be subtle about it, but people skills are very important. 

Problem-solving: Thinking on Your Feet

A very popular and highly requested quality – but, again, one which requires careful handling within the context of CV writing. Make sure you show examples of your strong problem solving skills. 

Example: Demonstrating Soft Skills with Impact

Showcasing soft skills transforms your CV from bland to brilliant, just like in the case of Emma, our hypothetical marketing assistant. She detailed leading a campaign presentation, securing £30,000 in client funding by articulating ideas clearly. Always anchor skills to specific outcomes, remembering again to use those verbs like “inspired” or “negotiated” for added punch.

 

Essential Transferable Skills for Any Role

Whilst there is a huge range of possible transferable skills, there are a small number of particularly popular ones which crop up again and again in job descriptions and person specifications.  I’ll highlight three below but other examples include project management, negotiation, adaptability, creativity, innovation…

Adaptability: Thriving in Change

At no time in human history have things changed as quickly as they do now!  But Homo sapiens doesn’t like change… It goes against our instincts. Little monkeys that we are, we much prefer the status quo.  This is what makes adaptability such an important skill – the ability not just to survive change, but to thrive on it. Change and transformation are the new normal.

Time Management Skills: Meeting Deadlines

When I was at school, they said that modern computing meant we’d all be working a 3-day week by the time we grew up. They were wrong! Time has become an ever more precious commodity and the ability to manage it well and to meet tight and inflexible deadlines is crucially important in many lines of work.

Leadership Skills: Inspiring and Guiding Others

This is possibly the ultimate transferable skill. Many senior executives say that the product or service their business sells often has very little relevance to their role – and we often see top CEOs work for widely varying businesses. Why? Because, ultimately, it’s all about leadership, verbal communication and team management.

Example: Highlighting Transferable Skills

A successful CV hinges on showcasing transferable skills with precision. Imagine a candidate, Tom, transitioning from retail to event planning. He didn’t just claim “time management”; he highlighted juggling peak-hour schedules, coordinating staff shifts, and streamlining stock checks, slashing restock time by 25% for a high-street shop. This showed his knack for prioritising tasks under pressure.

 

How to Identify Your Best Skills for a CV

I know what you're thinking... What if I don't have any of these skills? Well you do, you just haven't worked it out yet. Let's break down how to identify the appropriate skills for your CV.

Self-assessment: Reflecting on Your Strengths

The way to start is to have yourself a jolly good brainstorming session! Grab some sheets of paper and a biro and just have at it - remembering to try to categorise as you go: Hard, soft and transferable.

Matching Skills to Job Descriptions

Obviously, one of the very best ways to identify key skills for inclusion in your CV is by taking a long, hard look through the descriptions or person specifications of roles you are interested in applying for. This exercise could really help you to fill in some gaps that you may have overlooked.

Using Feedback to Uncover Hidden Talents

Don’t just rely on your own brain when you're trying to identify the best skills for your CV.  Enlist the help of friends, family and colleagues to help you identify the full and doubtless broad range of hard, soft and transferable skills that you have to offer to a potential employer.

Brainstorm your hard and soft skills with friends

 

How to Showcase Skills on Your CV Effectively

  • Integrating skills into your personal statement

    The so-called ‘personal statement’ at the beginning of a CV – or, as I generally call it now, the ‘introductory paragraph’ is the perfect place to first start placing some of your key skills.  Pick the top 5 and make sure they’re in there.

  • Listing skills in a dedicated section

    The popularity of a dedicated ‘key skills’ section has waxed and waned over the past quarter of a century that I have been in this line of work.  It used to be popular – and then it wasn’t.  With the advent of scanning software, however, it has become popular again and I personally will generally recommend its inclusion in most CVs.

  • Weaving skills into work experience

    Whether or not you have a separate section dedicated to your key skills, it is absolutely vital for you to weave evidence of them into your previous experience, supporting them with specific examples.

  • Using action verbs and metrics for impact

    Complementing key skills with what are known as ‘action verbs’ is a great way to add real strength to them.  Generally speaking, if you’re including a skill which is measurable then do quantify it if at all possible.

Optimising Skills for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

ATS is – and will remain – a thorny topic.  The bottom line is to write your CV well for a human first and foremost.  Then, however, you should go back over it and ask yourself how it reads to scanning software.  Break each skill down to one keyword – and make sure it’s in there.  A human can read between the lines.  A robot can’t!

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) interface

 

Tailoring Skills for Different Career Stages

If you have little – or maybe even zero – professional experience then clearly you are going to have to rely on skills you have developed during your education or career gaps. Don’t limit yourself to only academic skills, though. Try to think through the extra-curricular activities you have undertaken – and maybe some voluntary work. This should give you a good range to start choosing from.

Graduates: Focusing on Potential and Education

ATS is – and will remain – a thorny topic.  The bottom line is to write your CV well for a human first and foremost.  Then, however, you should go back over it and ask yourself how it reads to scanning software.  Break each skill down to one keyword – and make sure it’s in there.  A human can read between the lines.  A robot can’t!

Mid-career Professionals: Highlighting Experience

With a good amount of professional experience under your belt, your focus in mid-career should be on an appropriate balance of hard, soft and transferable skills, depending on your precise circumstances. Hard skills are most likely of the greatest importance but don’t neglect soft and transferable skills, if only to weave them gently into the flow of the career summary.

Senior Roles: Emphasising Leadership and Strategy

At a senior level, competition is fierce and leadership and strategy are probably the most sought-after skills and abilities. Whilst you can still have a key skills section within your CV, you should probably avoid stating leadership and strategy within it. The best places to tackle this will be in your introductory paragraph and, most of all, within your career summary, which should clearly be focused on achievements. The key skills section can instead cover more specific and less generic skills such as change management and transformation.

 

Building a Skills-Focused CV

Ready to make your CV a skills powerhouse? Follow these steps to ensure your abilities leap off the page!

Final Checklist for Skills Inclusion

  • Highlight three to five key skills tailored to the job description.
  • Balance soft, hard, and transferable skills with measurable outcomes.
  • Use action verbs and numbers for impact, avoiding vague terms.
  • Check clarity and relevance to eliminate irrelevant fluff.

Next Steps: Pairing Skills with a Strong Cover Letter

A compelling cover letter reinforces your CV’s skills when job hunting. Highlight top skills with examples, demonstrating how you will be suited for the role.

Resources to Boost Your CV Further

Use our free CV review to spot skill gaps and ask us to tell you about trending skills. We can use our 25+ years of experience to help!

Ready to land your dream job? Contact The CV Centre for expert coaching and CV writing services! Get in touch with us!

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What skills should I put on a CV?

You should include a mixture of hard, soft, transferable and RELEVANT skills on your CV. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’ve got it, flaunt it!  You need to sit down and brainstorm this one.

How many skills should I include on my CV?

I obviously can’t put a precise number on this. Ask yourself this key question, though: Does this skill really help to sell me for the opportunity for which I am applying? If it does then you should most likely include it. If you have any doubts then it’s maybe one to leave out. It’s crucial to prioritise.

Can I include skills I’m still learning?

Absolutely! Aren’t we always still learning? Listing relevant skills that you're still working on shows your growth mindset to employers!

What’s the best way to format a separate skills section?

As always with CVs, there is rarely a ‘best’ way of doing something. However, what I generally recommend is that you include a separate section for soft and hard skills, after the initial introductory paragraph of your CV, titled ‘Key Skills’ and you list them there in column format, potentially bullet-pointed.

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