ACROBAT | 7-MINUTE READ
7 best skills to put on a resume.
Learn the top resume skills employers look for in any industry.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but hiring managers judge candidates by their resumes. Writing a resume at any career stage can seem daunting, but it’s especially confusing if you’re a student or a job seeker with limited work experience.
Fortunately, plenty of employers prioritize skills just as much as experience. Knowing which skills to highlight on your resume could make you stand out. Skills show what you bring to the table, whether they’re hard skills (technical abilities) or soft skills (personal attributes). Employers look for a mix of both, ensuring candidates can do the job and fit the company culture.
While a lot goes into learning how to write a resume, highlighting the right skills will make you stand out for all the right reasons. In this guide, we’ll share the seven best skills to put on a resume that are valuable in any industry, even if you’re a student with no experience. We’ll also share how tools like Acrobat can take your resume from good to exceptional.
1. Problem-solving.
No matter which industry you want to work in, problems will need to be solved. Problem-solving is one of the most sought-after skills by employers because it demonstrates your ability to analyze challenges, think critically, and develop practical solutions.
Positions in IT and tech need people with problem-solving skills, which come in handy with debugging thousands of lines of code and troubleshooting software issues. Healthcare workers also solve problems every day, which makes a tremendous difference in the lives of their patients.
Including problem-solving on your resume — along with real-world examples of how you’ve applied it — will set you apart from other candidates, proving your ability to think critically and deliver results. Showcase examples of problem-solving from your past experiences, including school, clubs, or extracurricular activities. A statement like, “Solved softball club attrition by introducing a new outreach program, which increased membership by 25%,” shows how you effectively solved a problem.
2. Critical thinking.
Critical thinking is a good skill to include on a resume because it shows discernment. Critical thinking involves analyzing information, evaluating different perspectives, and making informed decisions. Hiring managers want critical thinkers who won’t just take information at face value but probe and think beyond the surface.
Critical thinking is a must-have in industries like finance and accounting, where you must synthesize financial data and make conclusions. It’s also a must in high-profile legal positions, where you have to make sound decisions grounded in case law and legal precedents.
3. Digital literacy.
Digital literacy is one of the best skills for resume writing because so much of the modern workforce relies on digital tools. Hiring managers want to know that you know your way around not only a desktop computer but also common smartphone apps, word processors, and other tools.
In today’s tech-driven world, employers expect candidates to have a baseline understanding of software, online communication, and digital security, regardless of industry. That means being proficient with Zoom, Slack, and email platforms like Outlook or Gmail. If you’re in marketing, for example, you’ll also need to understand industry-specific software like Google Analytics or campaign management tools.
The great thing about digital literacy is that it shows you have the skills to learn new digital platforms. Few professionals go into their careers with firsthand knowledge of employers’ tech stack of choice. What matters is that you know how to learn about digital tools, which will serve you well no matter how technology changes in the future.
4. Data analysis and research.
Data analysis and research skills help you gather, interpret, and use data to make informed decisions. Whether you’re analyzing trends, evaluating performance metrics, or conducting market research, this skill set is crucial in data-driven decision-making, which is a huge need for employers right now.
Data analysis is a hard skill that’s a must for finance, science and research, engineering, and academia. You can get a degree or certification just in data analysis, although knowledge of data processing tools is helpful, too. Get familiar with tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, as well as common file formats like PDF that simplify data exchange.
5. Creativity.
Creativity is one of the most valuable professional skills. It’s a must-have for careers in graphic design, art, marketing, product development, and entrepreneurship, but workers in engineering and technology also need creativity to think outside the box.
Creativity is a good skill to put on a resume that holds true regardless of your career aspirations. Employers value creativity because it drives new ideas, unique solutions, and fresh perspectives in any industry. Whether you’re brainstorming marketing campaigns, designing products, or developing new business strategies, creativity helps you stand out.
Include examples of your creativity on your resume. A few portfolio pieces of your best creative work can certainly make a positive impact.
6. Communication.
If you’re composing a resume with no work experience, communication is, hands down, one of the best skills for getting noticed by hiring managers.
Strong communication skills are essential in every industry and job role. Whether you’re writing emails, giving presentations, collaborating with teams, or interacting with customers, expressing ideas clearly and effectively is key. Employers look for candidates who can communicate confidently in both written and verbal formats while also being good listeners.
Communication is non-negotiable in careers like advertising and marketing, but it’s also essential for social work, education, and management. Whether you have dreams of managing your own business or want to build a career at an established company, the better you can express yourself, the more successful you’ll be.
Hiring managers think of communication as a soft skill, but it feeds into your digital literacy skills, too. For example, knowing when to send a Slack message versus an email ties into your ability to communicate with others. Understanding your coworkers’ communication preferences, like marking up documents in a PDF, also shows that you know how to collaborate with others.
7. Project management.
Project management is one of the best hard skills to put on a resume. Demonstrating this skill shows you know how to plan, organize, and execute a project on budget and on time. Employers need project managers to keep their projects running smoothly and offer guidance to their teams, but keeping a project on track is far from easy.
Even if you don’t have formal project management experience, demonstrating your ability to manage time, coordinate tasks, and meet deadlines is a huge plus. This skill is great for anyone interested in a business career, which requires overseeing everything from product launches to strategic planning. It’s also great for event planning, which requires effortlessly juggling logistics and small details on short timelines.
Project management is a great skill to put on a resume because it’s also easy to prove. There are many project management certifications out there that you can earn to show you can take a project from start to finish. Don’t be afraid to add certifications to your resume, especially when they’re for hard skills like project management.
Get more interviews with a professional resume.
A well-crafted resume is your ticket to landing more interviews. Still, how you present your resume matters as much as what’s on it. Hiring managers and recruiters receive hundreds of applications, so making sure your resume is polished, easy to read, and properly formatted can help you stand out.
One of the best ways to ensure your resume looks professional is by saving it as a PDF with Acrobat. While you may start out in a Word document, convert Word to PDF to preserve its formatting, regardless of the device or platform the recruiter uses to view it. You can always use the Acrobat PDF editor to add text, sticky notes, and more. If you need to submit multiple documents, combine your resume, cover letter, and portfolio into a single, polished PDF for seamless application.
Before sending out your next job application, take a moment to convert your resume to PDF with Acrobat. It’s a simple step that ensures your document looks professional, increases your chances of making a great first impression, and helps you get more interviews. Discover all you can do with Acrobat.
Frequently asked questions.
What should I include in my resume?
Your resume should include the following sections:
- Contact information
- Professional summary
- Work experience
- Education background
- Relevant skills
- Certifications, licenses, awards, and volunteer experience if applicable
Do I need to include references on my resume?
How should I format my resume?
Can my resume be more than one page?
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