How to Write a Resume Skills Section in 2025

Updated January 2025 · 6 min read

The skills section is one of the most important parts of your resume for passing ATS filters. Done right, it gets you past the bots and signals to recruiters exactly what you bring. Here is how to do it correctly.

Hard skills vs soft skills — what to include

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities — programming languages, tools, certifications, software. These are what ATS systems scan for and what recruiters verify. Always include them.

Soft skills like "communication", "leadership", and "teamwork" are vague and unverifiable in a skills list. Every candidate claims them. Instead of listing them, demonstrate them through your work experience bullet points — "Led a cross-functional team of 8 to deliver a product launch 2 weeks ahead of schedule."

How to choose which skills to list

1. Read the job description carefully and highlight every skill mentioned
2. Cross-reference with your actual skills — only list what you can genuinely discuss in an interview
3. Use the exact wording from the job posting for ATS matching
4. Aim for 8–15 skills — too few looks thin, too many looks padded

How to format the skills section

There are two common formats:

• Simple list — skills separated by commas or listed as individual items. Best for ATS compatibility and most roles.
• Grouped by category — e.g. "Frontend: React, TypeScript, CSS" and "Backend: Node.js, PostgreSQL". Better for technical roles with many skills across different areas.

Avoid rating your skills with stars or bars (e.g. ████░ Advanced). These look unprofessional, mean nothing to recruiters, and confuse ATS parsers.

Skills section examples by role

Where to put the skills section

For most professionals, place the skills section after your work experience. Your experience is more important and should come first. The exception is if you are a recent graduate or career changer — in that case, leading with skills can compensate for limited experience.

Should you include proficiency levels?

Only if they add genuine value. "Python (Advanced)" is acceptable. Avoid visual rating systems. If you include levels, be honest — claiming "Expert" in something you only used briefly will surface in an interview.