There is a famous saying in the recruiting world: "Hard skills get you the interview but soft skills get you the job". When building a resume, one of the aspects candidates struggle with the most is properly structuring the skills section.

What are "Hard skills"?

Hard skills are specific, technical abilities that you can learn, measure and prove. They are typically acquired through education, courses or work experience. They demonstrate that you can physically or mentally perform the job.

Examples: Programming languages (Python, Java), foreign languages (English, German), tools (Adobe Photoshop, Google Analytics, Excel), SEO expertise, accounting, copywriting.

How to list them on a resume: You can list these skills directly in a "Technical Skills" section and indicate your proficiency level next to them (e.g., advanced, intermediate).

What are "Soft skills"?

Soft skills are social habits related to your personality, how you adapt to a work environment and how you communicate with people. They are difficult to prove with a certificate but they are highly valuable to HR professionals.

Examples: Communication skills, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, emotional intelligence, adaptability, etc.

How to list them on a resume: Simply listing soft skills as "Leadership, teamwork, stress tolerance" is not convincing. You must prove them by embedding them within the sentences of your work experience section.

How to create the balance? (A Practical Approach)

Understand your industry's requirements: For a backend developer, the split might be 80% hard / 20% soft; for Human Resources or Customer Service roles, a 50/50 split or even a soft skill dominance might be appropriate.

"Borrow" from the job posting: Highlight the keywords (both technical and interpersonal) in the job description and mirror your own skills to match the posting.

Turn your "soft" skills into a story: Instead of writing "Leadership" write: "Led a 5-person design team (leadership) to ensure the successful delivery of the project within a tight deadline (time management)".

Conclusion: A successful resume is the perfect harmony between the power of hard skills and the character of soft skills. When building your resume on our platform, you can divide the "Skills" section into two distinct parts and present both to employers in the most ideal way.