You’re on the job hunt and thinking about what are the most important technical skills to list on your resume. It’s a great question to ask. When recruiters are searching for the perfect candidates to fill job roles, they want people they can hire to start and hit the ground running.
Technical skills are behind that. They are the learned skills people possess that can do the work and get the job done.
In this article, you’ll learn about critical technical skills to list on your resume. We’ll talk about:
- What are technical skills
- Why should you list technical skills on your resume
- List of technical skills
- Where to include technical skills on your resume
- Where to get resume help
- Common questions you might have
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What Are Technical Skills?
Technical skills are the learned skills and abilities you possess. They are related to on-the-job tasks you can perform that are often technical or scientific like software proficiency and programming languages.
Employers that are hiring are looking for candidates with the perfect mix of these technical skills for the job and soft skills.
Why Should I Include Technical Skills On My Resume?
For recruiters, it’s important to know if you have these technical skills to determine if you can start work immediately or require additional training.
It’s important to include technical skills on your resume for this reason.
You want to highlight your abilities and knowledge, showing the employer that you’re the right person for the job. Your resume is the place for that.
List Of Technical Skills
Here is a list of technical skills you can consider including on your resume, from each of these categories. Remember to add the relevant technical skills that apply to you.
Business Analysis
For positions related to collecting, organizing, and interpreting data, data analysis skills are crucial. Here are some examples of business analysis technical skills to list on your resume:
- Algorithms
- Calculating
- Data mining
- Database design
- Database management
- Documentation
- Mining
- Modification
- Data modeling
- Data analytics
- Ruby
- Python
- C#
- Apache Groovy
- Microsoft Access
Data Management
This is about managing data to support your organization’s objectives. Data Management covers technical skills like:
- Amazon Web Services
- Cloudera
- Commvault
- Ataccama
- Oracle Product Hub
- DataStax
- Google BigQuery
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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Coding and Programming
For IT industries, people that know coding and programming languages are highly desired. If you are someone with coding experience, these technical skills are going to be some of the best you’ll want to have on your resume.
- Coding
- Computing
- Debugging
- Design
- Development
- Hardware
- HTML
- Infrastructure
- Languages
- Mobile development
- Cloud computing
- Backend development
- Network architecture
- Network security
- Restoration
- Storage
- Testing
- Troubleshooting
- Usability
Social Media Management and Digital Marketing
This category is dedicated to applicants that are knowledgeable and skilled in the social media and digital marketing world. If you work in content marketing in industries like marketing, web development, PR, or a related field, then these technical skills are useful to have:
- SEO/SEM
- Google Analytics
- Web analytics
- Automated marketing software
- Blogging
- CMS (content management system)
- A/B Testing
- Email Marketing
- CRO/CRM
Productivity Software
Productivity software can used by employees that work in an office setting, operations, or an admin-related role. Tools and technical skills in this category include:
- Microsoft Office
- Google Drive
- Evernote
- Trello
- Slack
- Prezi
- CRM
- Spreadsheets
- Presentation-building
Project Management
Demonstrating strong project management abilities indicates to employers your capacity to effectively lead a team. Certain technical skills sought after by employers when recruiting managers include:
- Technical reporting
- Data management
- Agile project management methodologies
- Budgeting and resource allocation
- Issue tracking and resolution
- Quality assurance and control
- Risk assessment and management
Healthcare
Whether you work as a nurse or as a medical coder, here are some technical skills that may be applicable to you if you work in healthcare:
- Medical software
- Telemedicine
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) management
- Health information exchange (HIE) systems
- Health data analytics and reporting
- Medical imaging technology (e.g., PACS, DICOM)
- Clinical decision support systems
- Health informatics and information management
- Regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, HITECH)
- Telehealth technology and remote patient monitoring
- Health IT security and privacy measures
- Healthcare workflow optimization
Education
Technology is rapidly changing in the education field. Here are some technical skills you may want to include if you work in education:
- Smart whiteboards
- Blackboard Learn
- Learning management systems (e.g., Moodle, Canvas)
- Educational technology integration
- Student information systems (SIS)
- Online assessment and grading platforms
- Virtual classroom tools and platforms
- Educational data mining and analytics
- Gamification and interactive learning tools
- Mobile learning applications
- Adaptive learning systems
- Digital content creation and curriculum design
Finance
If you are updating your resume in the finance industry, here are some technical skills to consider adding to your resume:
- Accounting software
- Risk assessment
- Financial modeling and forecasting
- Algorithmic trading and quantitative analysis
- Regulatory compliance software and systems
- Financial data analysis and visualization tools
- Treasury management systems
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for finance
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency technology
- High-frequency trading platforms
- Financial reporting and auditing software
- Portfolio management and investment analysis tools
You don’t need to necessarily have technical skills from each of these categories. It’ll depend on the kind of job you’re applying to and what industry you work in so don’t feel pressured to acquire all the skills, as many of them may not apply to you.
Where To Include Technical Skills On Your Resume
Your technical skills should be listed in the skills section of your resume.
When looking at your resume, it should start with your name and contact details, followed by your professional summary and job title. Just below your summary should be the skills section of your resume where you detail your technical skills and soft skills.
If your technical skills are extensive, consider listing them in bulleted form on your resume, as well.
Where To Get Resume Help
To get resume help, consider turning to a professional service. The best resume writing services will get you noticed and make sure your resume gets in the hands of a hiring manager.
Some of the top resume writing services to check out are:
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top 5 technical skills needed to get a job?
The top 5 technical skills needed to get a job will depend on the kind of job you’re applying to. For example, if you’re applying to an IT role, then the top 5 technical skills to highlight should be related to coding and programming as well as data analysis and project management, depending on the scope of the job.
What are examples of technical competencies?
Technical competence means you’ve mastered a specific skill central to a job industry, like having technical competence in computing and HTML for an IT position.
How do you describe technical skills in the interview?
Describe your technical skills in an interview by starting with broad skills then moving onto the more complex, specific skills. Feel free to include examples as you’re describing your skills.
How do you answer technical skills?
When asked about technical skills in the interview, keep these tips in mind:
- Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question
- Take your time answering the question
- Work through your technical skills one at a time
- Provide examples to illustrate your skills
The Bottom Line
Remember, when it comes to technical skills to list on your resume, include all your skills. Make your resume shine by sharing all your technical competencies, skills and abilities you’re mastered.
Be prepared for questions about your technical skills to come up in the interview. Rehearsing your answers can help make you feel more prepared and give you confidence when the interview happens. Be ready to provide examples of how you used your skills in past jobs or projects.
Now that your resume highlights your technical skills, you can find your next amazing job. Start searching today on ZipRecruiter.