Hard skills belong in the list; soft skills belong in bullets
Hard skills are specific and checkable: Excel pivot tables, SQL, forklift certification, Zendesk, Kotlin, payroll in Dayforce, WHMIS. These are what recruiters search for, so they belong in your skills section.
Soft skills like communication, leadership or problem-solving are important, but listing them does not prove them. Show them in your experience bullets instead: "Trained five seasonal associates" demonstrates leadership far better than the word itself.
How to choose which skills to list
- Collect the tools, methods and certifications from three to five postings for your target role.
- Keep only the ones you have actually used, and could answer an interview question about.
- Put the ones that appear most often in postings first.
- Remove anything that everyone is assumed to have for that role (for example "email" or "Microsoft Word" for an office role, unless the posting names it).
- Check that each important skill also appears in at least one experience or project bullet.
Group skills so they scan in seconds
Grouped skills are easier to read and help an ATS parse them. Use short labels that make sense for your field.
| Role | Example groups |
|---|---|
| Software engineer | Languages · Frontend · Backend and data · Delivery |
| Android developer | Android · Architecture · Quality and release · APIs |
| Data analyst | Analysis · Reporting · Methods |
| Administrative assistant | Office systems · Operations · Communication |
| Customer service | Service · Tools · Languages |
| Trades / warehouse | Equipment · Safety certifications · Systems |
Office systems: Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Excel, Teams), SharePoint, DocuSign
Operations: Calendar management, meeting coordination, records management, purchase orders
Communication: Customer service, vendor follow-up, minute taking
Should you show skill levels?
Avoid bars, stars and percentages. They cannot be parsed and "80% Python" means nothing to a reader. If proficiency matters, use words sparingly and honestly:
- Advanced: Excel (Power Query, pivot tables, XLOOKUP)
- Working knowledge: Tableau
- Languages: English (fluent), French (intermediate, CLB 7)
Connect every key skill to evidence
Skills: Power BI, SQL, leadership
Built a Power BI sales dashboard in SQL and DAX that replaced six weekly reports; presented results monthly to the operations director.
Skills: customer service, conflict resolution
Handled escalated calls for the Spanish-speaking queue, resolving most on first contact and documenting outcomes for follow-up teams.
Common skills-section mistakes
- Listing tools you used once in a course years ago.
- Mixing tools and traits in one line ("Excel, teamwork, SAP, punctual").
- Using a different name than the posting ("MS Dynamics" vs "Dynamics 365"). Use the employer's term when accurate.
- Putting the skills section above your experience when your experience is your strongest selling point.
- Outdated tools that suggest your skills haven't been used recently.
Let Tunquest organize your skills
- Upload your resume to the free builder. Tunquest pulls the tools and skills already in your document into labelled groups.
- Remove anything you would not want to be asked about in an interview.
- With an account, compare your skills against a saved job to see which of the posting's requirements are missing or buried.
With a free account, Tunquest finds up to 3 matching jobs a day in Canada and tailors your resume to each one. You review everything before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Where should the skills section go?
Usually after the summary for technical roles, or after experience when your work history is the stronger signal. Both are fine for an ATS.
Should I list soft skills at all?
One or two can go in your summary if they matter to the role. Prove the rest in your bullets.
Can I list skills I'm still learning?
Yes, if you label them honestly ("learning", "coursework") and can explain what you've done with them.