Special Skills for a Resume

Listing special skills on your resume can help highlight your unique abilities and set you apart from the other applicants. They could include technical expertise, interpersonal or soft skills, or anything industry specific. By showcasing the right skills, you can help hiring managers quickly see your qualifications and your fit for the role. The following will cover what special skills to put on your resume and how to list them effectively.

Types of Special Skills for a Resume

Special skills on a resume fall into several categories, and each will play a different role in showcasing your qualifications. Understanding them will help you tailor your resume for maximum impact.

Hard Skills 

Your hard skills will be technical or industry specific abilities that can be measured or quantified. This could be education, on-the-job training, or experience.  They are skills that will prove your experience in a particular field. Depending on your industry, they could include things like:

• Programming languages: Python, C++, Java, SQL, etc.
• Graphic design: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
• Financial analysis and reporting
• SEO and digital marketing
• Data analysis

Soft Skills 

Soft skills relate to how you work and interact with others. They are your interpersonal and communication abilities. They're extremely valuable across industries and are an indication of your work ethic and personality. Some examples include:

• Communication and teamwork
• Active listening
• Adaptability
• Problem solving
• Empathy
• Patience
• Emotional intelligence

Transferable Skills 

Transferable skills are skills that could apply across different jobs and industries. This makes it easier for you to adapt when it comes time to transition to a new role. Some good examples include:

• Leadership
• Delegation
• Customer service
• Relationship management
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Research skills
• Analytical skills
• Project management

Job Specific Skills 

Job specific skills are tailored to a particular profession or role. They're essential for carrying out the core tasks of the job. Some examples include:

• Medical coding in healthcare
• Legal research for attorneys
• UX/UI design for web developers
• Sales forecasting for business professionals
• CNC machining for manufacturing roles

Leadership & Management Skills 

For anyone in a managerial or senior role, leadership and management skills will be necessary when it comes to overseeing teams, projects, and business operations. These skills will show your ability to guide, mentor, and make strategic decisions. Some examples include:

• Team leadership
• Mentoring
• Conflict resolution
• Negotiation
• Budgeting
• Financial planning
• Change management
• Strategic planning and execution

Each of the above skill types plays a role in strengthening your resume. In the next section, we'll explore how to provide maximum impact with the best special skills to list on a resume.

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Best Special Skills to Include on a Resume 

As already mentioned, it's necessary to add your skills to your application. The following is a list of examples of special skills—both hard and soft—that you could add. Assuming they fit your industry and you actually have them!

Top Hard Skills

• Computer & IT skills: Programming languages like Python, Java, and C++, cloud computing, cybersecurity, database management skills like SQL and NoSQL, network administration, and hardware troubleshooting.
• Data analysis & reporting: Statistical analysis, data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI, Excel tools such as PivotTables, and VLOOKUP.
• SEO & digital marketing: Keyword research, Google Analytics, PPC advertising, content marketing, email marketing, social media strategies, and CVO (conversion rate optimization)
• Project management: Agile and Scrum methodologies, risk management, budgeting, stakeholder communication, resource allocation, Gantt charts, workflow automation tools like Trello, Asana, etc.
• Foreign languages: Your fluency in specific languages and your ability to interpret or translate.
• Technical writing: Specific types of writing such as user manuals, white papers, business reports, compliance documentation, and more.

Top Soft Skills 

• Problem-solving – Broken down, this could include critical thinking, troubleshooting, analytical reasoning, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
• Communication – Verbal and written communication, active listening, public speaking, and negotiation.
• Time management – Prioritization, deadline management, multitasking, efficiency improvement, task delegation, and goal setting.
• Adaptability – Flexibility, ability to learn new skills quickly, handling change, resilience, open-mindedness, and comfortable in fast-paced environments.
• Creativity – Innovative thinking, brainstorming, content creation, and visual storytelling.

Industry-Specific Special Skills

The following includes both hard and soft skills specific to the industry or job type.

• Customer service skills: Conflict resolution, active listening, empathy, handling difficult customers, CRM software (Salesforce, Zendesk), and call center support.
• Programming languages for IT professionals: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, SQL, Ruby, Swift, PHP, Go, R, and shell scripting.
• Sales & negotiation skills: Lead generation, cold calling, relationship building, contract negotiation, objection handling, upselling, closing techniques, and CRM software.
• Medical & healthcare skills – Patient care, electronic health records (EHR) management, HIPAA compliance, medical coding (ICD-10, CPT), triage assessment, and diagnostic procedures.

How to List Special Skills on Your Resume 

Effectively listing special skills on your resume can make a strong impression on employers. Placement, wording, and customization can all play a role in showcasing your abilities.

Let's break that down for you.

Where to Include Skills on a Resume

You should strategically place your skills throughout your resume, all with the goal of highlighting your qualifications. Of course, the skills section is the most direct way to show off your qualifications, especially your technical and job specific skills. This is the section that allows employers to quickly scan and identify your competencies.

Additionally, you should integrate your skills into your work experience section, as this helps to explain how you applied them in previous roles. Instead of simply listing a skill, be sure to give it context by describing how that skill contributed to any achievements.

However, the summary section at the top of your resume is arguably the most important place to highlight your best skills. This gives recruiters an immediate understanding of your abilities and strengths and hopefully keeps them reading.

Finally, if you have any relevant certifications or special training, make sure you include these in the education section of your resume, as this will help reinforce your expertise.

How to Make Your Skills Stand Out 

You've got the skills, but how do you make them stand out? Make sure you focus on presentation. Use action words instead of passive words, meaning you want to say things like "developed", "implemented", or "optimized." Using action words makes your skills sound more impactful.

If you have any, you should also incorporate any metrics that will strengthen your claims. An example of this would be saying, "developed a digital marketing strategy that increased website traffic by 40%," instead of saying something completely generic like "experienced in digital marketing." Providing examples of how you applied your skills in a real-world scenario adds punch and makes the statement more compelling. Another example could be something like specifying how you led a team or improved workflow efficiency instead of simply listing you have project management experience.

Small details like these can often differentiate your resume from a sea of generic applications.

Customizing Your Skills for Each Job Application

Every job posting will require different skills, so tailoring your resume to each can definitely increase the chances of your resume getting noticed—and maybe increase your chances of getting an interview.

Take the time to carefully review each job description and identify any specific skills an employer is looking for. Obviously, those are the skills you want to highlight! Incorporate them into your resume where appropriate—check out the Where to Include section above—making sure they align with your experience. Prioritize the most important skills in your opening summary, the skills section, and again in your work experience section. You can also modify the descriptions of past employment to better match the position you're applying for.

Taking the time to customize will show hiring managers that you have the right qualifications for their needs, ultimately making your resume stronger and more targeted.

Special Skills Examples for Different Job Types 

For this section of special skills for resume examples, let's take a bit of a deeper dive into the what, why, and how to add them. We'll look at five specific industries to do so.

Customer Service Resume Skills 

Any type of role in a customer service environment requires a mix of good communication, problem solving, patience—all necessary if you want to ensure positive customer interactions and relationships.

Strong interpersonal skills will help you remain professional when handling difficult situations and resolving complaints. They'll help you build brand loyalty too. Employers are looking for candidates who can keep their cool, who can remain calm when under pressure, communicate effectively, and use their technology to manage customer relationships.

Skills & Their Application:

• Communication & active listening: The ability to clearly understand customer needs and provide solutions.
• Conflict resolution & patience: Allows you to handle complaints professionally and de-escalate tense situations.
• Technical proficiency: Comfortable with CRM software such as Salesforce or Zendesk and also chat support tools.
• Multitasking & efficiency: The ability to manage multiple customer interactions across different channels.

How to Showcase on a Resume:

Now that we've listed some good special skills for your resume, let's go over the best way to present them.

Instead of saying you have strong communication skills, offer up some solid examples. Say things like "Resolved an average of 50+ customer inquiries daily while maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating." Or perhaps something like "Trained a team of 10 new hires on CRM software, which reduced response time by 20%." Of course, you're only going to say something like this if it's true. These are just illustrations, so use your own stats.

IT & Tech Resume Skills

Not surprisingly, technology professionals need both technical expertise and problem-solving skills to maintain and develop digital properties. The demand for specialized skills is high, so it's important that your resume highlights your expertise in any relevant programming languages, systems administration, or cybersecurity.

Skills & Their Application:

• Programming & development: Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript are used for various applications.
• Cybersecurity & data protection: Penetration testing, encryption, and firewalls.
• Cloud computing & network administration: AWS, Azure, and IT infrastructure in general.
• Technical troubleshooting & problem-solving: The ability to identify and resolve both hardware and software issues.

How to Showcase on a Resume:

Rather than simply stating that you're knowledgeable in programming, you should say something like "Developed a Python-based automation tool that reduced manual processing time by 40%." Or perhaps "Implemented security protocols that that decreased cybersecurity risks by 30%."

Marketing Resume Skills 

It's a marketer's job to combine creativity and analytical thinking, with the goal of developing and executing campaigns that deliver business growth. Digital marketing, content strategies, and data-driven decision-making skills are all important.

Skills & Their Application:

• SEO & digital marketing: Keyword optimization, PPC, and social media strategies.
• Data analysis & reporting: Google Analytics, A/B split testing, and campaign performance tracking.
• Content creation & branding: Copywriting, visual storytelling, and brand messaging.
• Customer engagement & market research: Consumer behavior analysis, and personalized marketing.

How to Showcase on a Resume:

Instead of writing something generic like SEO knowledge, consider using something that can demonstrate some impact. "Optimized website content, increasing organic traffic by 60% within six months." Or "Launched a social media campaign that boosted engagement by 45%."

Healthcare Resume Skills

Healthcare professionals need both technical medical skills and the interpersonal ability to provide quality patient care. And as the industry continues to change, they also need to be adaptable.

 Skills & Their Application:

• Patient care & medical procedures: Wound care, triage, vital sign monitoring, and much more.
• Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) & compliance: HIPAA regulations and data entry.
• Diagnostics & laboratory skills: Medical imaging and specimen handling.
• Communication & empathy: Clear patient instructions and emotional intelligence.

How to Showcase on a Resume:

Instead of saying medical knowledge, consider showing its application by using something like "Managed patient caseloads of 30+ daily, ensuring accurate administration of medication." Or "Trained nursing staff on updated EHR protocols, reducing errors by 25%."

Administration and Office Skills Resume

Administrative professionals play an important part in an organization's efficiency, requiring skills in office management, communication, and technical tools.

Skills & Their Application:

• Organization & scheduling: Calendar management, travel arrangements, and meeting coordination.
• Data entry & document management: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and database management.
• Customer service & communication: Professional correspondence and client relations.
• Problem-solving & time management: Efficiently handling multiple tasks at once.

How to Showcase on a Resume:

Rather than stating you're good at multitasking, use a different approach and share some measurable achievements.  Consider statements like "Coordinated office operations, reducing administrative errors by 30%." Or "Implemented a digital filing system, improving document retrieval efficiency by 50%."

By tailoring your resume to the skills your industry demands and demonstrating your real-world application, you can clearly communicate to a hiring manager that you have the expertise that can bring value to their organization.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Listing Skills

When you're listing your special skills on a resume, you need to be a little strategic. Without realizing it, many job hunters make the mistake of being too generic—maybe with their one-size-fits-all resume. But there are other issues, like adding irrelevant skills, too few or too many, or failing to back up your claims with examples of how you applied your skills. Any of these can weaken your resume.

To stand out in the crowd, focus on what's relevant, specific, and any proven skills that will align with the job you're applying for.

Let's dig a bit deeper into each of these common mistakes.

Using Generic or Overused Skills 

One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing out their resume is being too vague when listing their skills, even their special skills! Terms like hardworking, team player, and good communicator are far too broad and don’t provide a hiring manager with measurable proof or even a clear picture of your abilities.

So instead of saying you have strong communication skills, be specific about how you applied them in your previous roles. For example, you could say you "delivered weekly presentations to executives, improving stakeholder alignment on projects." Or "Managed customer complaints, achieving a 95% satisfaction rate."

Every time you provide context and application, you make your skills more credible and impactful.

Listing Irrelevant Skills

Another common mistake is listing skills—or special skills—that have nothing to do with the job. While it might be tempting to showcase a broad range of talents, listing unrelated abilities can do more harm than good. It makes it seem as though you weren't even paying attention to the job requirements, and no one wants to hire people who don't pay attention.

This is a bit extreme, but it would be like listing a skill of basic carpentry skills when you're applying for a marketing position. It's completely irrelevant.

Before listing a skill, ask yourself:

• Is this a skill that would help me perform the job better?
• Would an employer find this relevant to the position? If the answer is no, it's best to leave that skill out.

Adding Too Many or Too Few Skills 

It can be tricky to find the right balance when adding special skills to your resume. Including too many can lead to overwhelm for the hiring manager and simply dilute the message you're trying to convey. On the other hand, listing too few skills can make you appear underqualified.

A good rule of thumb is to include six to ten highly relevant skills in your skills section and then integrate others into your experience descriptions. Prioritize quality over quantity by focusing on:

• The most in-demand skills for your industry.
• Skills listed in the job description.
• Technical and specialized abilities that set you apart. By keeping your list concise and relevant, you increase your chances of making a strong impression.

Failing to Prove Your Skills with Examples:

Simply listing a skill isn’t enough. Employers want quantifiable proof. If you claim to have project management expertise, you need to back that up by showing how you applied it.

Strong resumes use examples like "Led a cross-functional team to complete a product launch, increasing revenue by 20%." Or "Streamlined office processes, reducing administrative workload by 30%."

Make sure you add:

• Metrics
• Achievements
• Any specific task that demonstrates your competency

By avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on relevant, specific, and well-supported skills you can create a resume that showcases your expertise and increases your chances of landing a job, maybe even your dream job!

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Conclusion 

We've highlighted a lot of important things throughout this article. Let's showcase them here.

Final Tips for Choosing the Right Skills 

Selecting the right special skills for your resume is going to take some careful consideration. Start by analyzing the job description and identifying the skills that best match your experience. Prioritize any skills that are relevant to the role and that you can back up with real-world experience. Use a mix of hard, soft, and industry specific skills as this will provide a well-rounded profile of your abilities.

Avoid generic terms and go for specific, measurable abilities that will set you apart from other candidates. By tailoring your resume to each job description, you're in a better position to remain competitive.

How to Keep Your Resume Updates with New Skills 

In line with the above, staying competitive in the job market will require you to regularly update your resume with new skills. As you gain experience, complete certifications, or learn new technologies, revise your resume to reflect these changes. Keep track of achievements in your current role and add any relevant skills that demonstrate your professional growth.

Consider revisiting your resume every few months to make sure it still aligns with industry trends and job expectations. When you're proactive about updating your skills, you'll be able to act on new opportunities with more confidence.

And of course, you can always opt for a resume writing service to do all the work for you!