Best Resume Skills to Impress Hiring Managers

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Updated 04/04/2025

The latest information released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 6.7 million new jobs for U.S. workers between 2023 and 2033. While that number represents an expected increase in jobs, the rate of growth (0.4% annually) is slower than the 1.3% annual growth measured during the previous decade (2013-2023). Still, experts expect the healthcare, social assistance and information technology industries to grow faster than others over the next decade due to factors such as an aging population, increases in chronic conditions and advances in technology.

With job growth slowing for most industries, competition within the job market will continue to be fierce. More college graduates are added to the workforce every year, making it crucial that you have a strong resume for your skills to stand out from the rest of the field.

Human resources (HR) professionals see dozens – even hundreds – of resumes per day, and many use scanning software to identify resumes that contain keywords that match the skills they’re searching for in top candidates. To attract their attention, it’s paramount to submit a resume that includes specific skills related to the job you’re pursuing.

Below, we’ll go through some of the best resume skills to impress hiring managers, and help get your resume in the right hands.

Resume skills best conveyed in the experience section

The experience section of your resume is arguably most important to the HR professional or hiring manager.

You’ll list all of your recent work experience, especially highlighting jobs or roles similar to the one you are pursuing. While it’s essential to list what you accomplished or achieved in these roles, you should also use the experience section to showcase how you achieved success in your prior or current work.

For example, if you work in sales and you brought in $200,000 to your company last quarter, add bullet points to list the skills you used to bring in the money. Consider the interpersonal communication that was needed between you and your client, colleagues and superiors. Consider the organization and prioritization skills it took to stay on top of your work, keep your client happy and boost revenue.

Hiring managers see lots of resumes for sales positions. By adding your skills and how you developed a reputation for success at previous jobs, you can separate yourself from the pack. It’s also  important to  include soft skills such as effective communication, adaptability, time management and teamwork – but don’t just list them. Make sure that they’re conveyed to the hiring manager through examples.

Skills to put on your resume

Every resume should be tailored to the job you are pursuing. For example, if you’re applying for a job in marketing, it may not be relevant to list the six months you worked in a car repair shop – unless you were able to implement a new marketing strategy that increased business for your employer.

However, you should definitely list resume skills that will matter for the industry and job you’re pursuing. Basic computer skills like Microsoft Office and Excel are assumed and should not be included. Instead, highlight your human-based skills that will put you ahead of the competition.

It’s also helpful to closely examine the job description for each position you pursue. While they may be similar to each other, you might also notice important differences in the skills they’re looking for. If you possess skills that are explicitly requested in a job description, listing them on your resume can help you stand out from other candidates.

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Resume skills examples

Below, find examples of skills to list on sample industry resumes:

Information Technology (IT) Project Manager

Agile/scrum methodologies
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Business analysis
Financial modeling & forecasting
Go-to-market launch plans
Product roadmaps
Quality Assurance (QA) testing
Requirements gathering & analysis
Risk management
Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions
Software development life cycle (SDLC)
Team leadership
Technical product research and development (R&D)
Troubleshooting & debugging
User experience/User interface (UX/UI) design

Marketing Manager

Competitive intelligence
Content creation
Market research
Public speaking skills
Project management
Social media marketing
SEO & SEM
Strategic communication
Team leadership
Web analytics

Nurse Supervisor

Budgeting
Clinical supervision
Communication with patients and visitors
Coordinating patient care
Discharge planning
Insurance coordination
Leadership
Nurse training
Organizational planning
Record keeping

Social Worker

Case management
Client advocacy
Counseling (individuals and groups)
Crisis intervention
Cultural competency
Human development
Public policy analysis
Project management
Research methods
Treatment/care planning

Special Education Teacher

Adaptability
Assistive technology
Behavior assessment
Case management
Creative planning
Crisis intervention
Curriculum mapping
Data analysis
Developing behavioral intervention plans
Effective leadership

Visit Indeed to explore sample resumes for a wide range of careers, or view examples for each of the job titles covered in this article below:

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