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Create ResumeThe best skills to put on a CV are the skills that prove you can do the job you are applying for. That sounds obvious, but it is where most CVs go wrong. Candidates often list generic skills such as communication, teamwork and organisation without showing what those skills actually helped them deliver. Recruiters do not read a skills section and think, “Lovely, they are organised.” We look for evidence. We want to see whether your skills match the role, the level of responsibility, the tools used, the problems you have solved and the results you can realistically repeat in a new job.
For a UK CV, your skills should be specific, relevant and backed up by your work experience. A good skills section helps the recruiter understand your fit quickly. A weak one feels like decoration.
You should put a mix of job specific skills, technical skills, transferable skills and soft skills on your CV, but only where they are relevant to the role. The mistake I see constantly is candidates treating the skills section like a personality list. It becomes a little shrine to being “hard working, motivated and enthusiastic.” That may be true, but it does not help much during screening.
A recruiter is usually trying to answer a few practical questions very quickly:
Can this person do the core tasks of the job?
Have they used the tools, systems, methods or processes required?
Are they operating at the right level?
Do their previous responsibilities match the hiring manager’s expectations?
Is there enough evidence to justify an interview?
Your CV skills should make those answers easier.
For most UK job applications, the strongest CV skills fall into these groups:
The skills section is not there to impress everyone. It is there to help the right reader quickly recognise relevance.
That reader may be:
A recruiter doing the first screen
A hiring manager comparing several shortlisted candidates
An internal talent acquisition partner checking role requirements
An applicant tracking system scanning for relevant keywords
A busy manager who wants proof, not a motivational speech
This is why skills on a CV need to be both human readable and ATS friendly. The applicant tracking system may help organise or search applications, but a person still makes the judgement. I always find it slightly painful when candidates write for the ATS as if a robot is about to offer them the job. It will not. The system may help your CV appear in a search, but the recruiter still has to believe you are worth progressing.
A good skills section does three things:
Technical skills: Software, systems, platforms, machinery, coding languages, data tools, compliance knowledge or job specific methods
Role specific skills: Skills directly tied to the daily work of the job, such as stakeholder management, financial reporting, case management, sales pipeline management or campaign planning
Transferable skills: Skills that carry across roles or industries, such as problem solving, prioritisation, client communication, project coordination or people management
Soft skills: Behavioural strengths such as communication, adaptability, resilience and leadership, but only when shown through evidence
Industry knowledge: Sector specific understanding, regulations, customer types, market knowledge or operational environments
The right skills depend on the job. A project manager, support worker, software developer, sales executive and HR advisor should not have the same skills section. If they do, something has gone very wrong.
It mirrors the language of the job description naturally
It highlights the skills that are most important for that role
It gives the reader confidence that your experience backs those skills up
A weak skills section does the opposite. It lists attractive words with no context. The issue is not that the words are bad. The issue is that anyone can claim them.
Hard skills are specific, teachable skills that are usually easier to verify. These are often the most important skills to include because they help recruiters match you to the role quickly.
Hard skills might include:
Microsoft Excel
SQL
Salesforce
Xero
Sage
Power BI
Google Analytics
Python
Adobe Creative Suite
AutoCAD
Payroll processing
Financial modelling
Risk assessments
Safeguarding
Data analysis
Contract negotiation
Procurement
Budget management
CRM management
Paid social advertising
Search engine optimisation
Inventory management
Health and safety compliance
Case management
Policy development
Recruitment sourcing
Employee relations
Account management
Copywriting
Customer service systems
Project planning
Agile delivery
Stakeholder reporting
Hard skills work best when they are specific. “IT skills” is too vague for most modern CVs. Tell the reader what systems, tools or technical processes you can actually use.
Weak Example:
Good IT skills
Good Example:
Advanced Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookups, data cleaning and monthly reporting dashboards
The second version gives the recruiter something to work with. It shows the level, the tool and the context. That matters.
Soft skills are useful, but they are also where CVs become painfully generic. Almost every candidate says they have communication skills, teamwork, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure. Employers do value those things, but they rarely trust them when they are simply listed.
The better approach is to include soft skills that are relevant to the role and then show them through your experience.
Useful soft skills for a CV include:
Communication
Problem solving
Leadership
Adaptability
Time management
Resilience
Organisation
Collaboration
Conflict resolution
Emotional intelligence
Decision making
Critical thinking
Attention to detail
Initiative
Commercial awareness
Relationship building
Influencing
Negotiation
Coaching
Prioritisation
The trick is not to avoid soft skills. The trick is to stop presenting them like empty claims.
Weak Example:
Excellent communication skills and strong team player
Good Example:
Confident communicating with senior stakeholders, customers and internal teams to resolve issues, clarify priorities and keep projects moving
That is still a soft skill, but now it has a setting. It tells me who you communicate with and why it matters.
When I screen CVs, I am not mentally awarding points because someone wrote “team player.” I am looking at whether they have worked cross functionally, managed competing priorities, handled difficult conversations, supported colleagues, influenced decisions or kept customers calm when something went sideways. That is where the real evidence sits.
The skills you include should match your level. One of the most common CV positioning mistakes is using skills that are either too junior or too senior for the role being targeted.
A hiring manager recruiting for a management role does not want a skills section full of basic admin tasks. A hiring manager recruiting for an entry level role may not expect strategic leadership and budget ownership. Your skills need to make sense for the level you are applying at.
If you are applying for entry level roles, apprenticeships, internships, graduate roles or your first full time job, your skills can come from education, part time work, volunteering, placements, university projects or personal projects.
Relevant entry level skills may include:
Customer service
Microsoft Office
Research
Data entry
Time management
Teamwork
Written communication
Presentation skills
Social media support
Basic Excel
Cash handling
Problem solving
Academic research
Report writing
Organisation
Working to deadlines
Attention to detail
At entry level, recruiters are not expecting a perfect work history. They are looking for signs of reliability, learning ability, communication and potential. But potential still needs evidence.
Weak Example:
Hard working and willing to learn
Good Example:
Balanced university deadlines with part time customer service work, developing time management, customer communication and problem solving skills
That gives me something real. It shows behaviour, not just intention.
At mid level, your skills should show that you can deliver independently. You should not sound like you still need constant supervision, but you also do not need to pretend you are running the entire business.
Useful mid level CV skills may include:
Project coordination
Stakeholder management
Reporting
CRM management
Process improvement
Customer relationship management
Budget tracking
Data analysis
Supplier communication
At this level, hiring managers want to know whether you can take ownership, manage your workload and solve normal problems without everything being escalated. Your skills should reflect responsibility, not just activity.
Senior level CV skills should show judgement, leadership, commercial awareness and impact. This is where many candidates undersell themselves by listing the same skills they used five years earlier.
Useful senior level CV skills may include:
Strategic planning
Leadership
Budget ownership
Change management
Commercial strategy
Senior stakeholder management
Team development
Performance management
Risk management
Process transformation
At senior level, the reader is not just asking, “Can this person do tasks?” They are asking, “Can this person make good decisions, lead others, manage risk and improve outcomes?” Your CV skills need to reflect that shift.
The job description is your best clue, but you need to read it properly. Many candidates scan a job advert, grab a few keywords and paste them into the CV. That is not tailoring. That is keyword decoration.
To choose the right skills, look for repeated themes. Employers usually reveal priorities through the language they repeat.
Pay close attention to:
Skills listed under essential criteria
Tools, systems or platforms mentioned by name
Responsibilities that appear more than once
Outcomes the role is expected to deliver
Stakeholders the person will work with
Industry regulations or compliance requirements
The level of ownership suggested by the wording
There is a difference between “supporting the team with reports” and “owning monthly board reporting.” There is a difference between “assisting with customer queries” and “managing escalated complaints.” The skill might look similar on the surface, but the level is different.
This is where candidates often get caught out. They match the keyword but not the responsibility level.
For example, if a job description says:
Manage key client relationships
Lead quarterly business reviews
Identify growth opportunities across existing accounts
A weak CV might say:
A stronger CV might say:
That is a much better match because it reflects the actual job, not just the broad category.
You can put skills in several places on a UK CV. The best approach is usually to include a focused skills section near the top and then reinforce those skills in your work experience.
The skills section gives the quick match. The work experience gives the proof.
A skills section near the top is useful because recruiters often scan quickly before deciding whether to read in detail. This section should usually sit below your professional profile and above your work experience.
Keep it focused. A strong CV skills section usually contains around 8 to 14 carefully selected skills. If you list 35 skills, the important ones get buried. More is not always stronger. Sometimes it just looks like you copied the job advert and hoped nobody would notice.
A good skills section might look like this:
Key Skills
Stakeholder management
Project coordination
Budget tracking
Advanced Excel reporting
Supplier management
Process improvement
Risk and issue tracking
Cross functional communication
Your work experience should prove the skills you listed. This is where recruiters check whether the skills are real.
Weak Example:
Skills section says project management, but work experience only says “helped with admin tasks.”
Good Example:
Skills section says project coordination, and work experience shows that you managed timelines, tracked actions, updated stakeholders and supported delivery across multiple departments.
The second version creates trust. The first creates doubt.
You can also mention two or three core skills in your profile, but do not overload it. The profile should summarise your positioning, not become a keyword cupboard.
Good Example:
Commercially focused account manager with experience in B2B client retention, CRM management, pipeline forecasting and senior stakeholder communication.
This works because it gives a quick, relevant summary of the candidate’s skill base.
Some skills weaken a CV because they are too basic, too vague or too obvious. This does not mean you lack the skill. It means the skill may not be worth using valuable CV space.
Skills to avoid or rethink include:
Hard working
Reliable
Punctual
Honest
Friendly
Motivated
Enthusiastic
Works well alone or in a team
Good communication skills
Computer literate
People person
Fast learner
Detail oriented
Some of these qualities matter, of course. I am not suggesting employers want unreliable people who hate communication. But these phrases have become so overused that they rarely add value on their own.
“Punctual” is a good example. In most professional roles, punctuality is assumed. If you need to use CV space to say you arrive on time, the recruiter may quietly wonder why that is your strongest selling point. Harsh, but true.
Instead of writing “fast learner,” show what you learned quickly.
Weak Example:
Fast learner
Good Example:
Quickly learned Salesforce reporting processes and became the first point of contact for weekly pipeline data checks within three months
That is much more persuasive.
Recruiters do not judge skills in isolation. We judge them against the role, the evidence and the overall career story.
A skill is more convincing when it appears in three places:
The skills section
The work experience
The achievements or outcomes
For example, if you list “data analysis” as a skill, I will look for signs that you have actually analysed data. Did you produce reports? Use Excel, SQL, Power BI or another tool? Identify trends? Influence decisions? Improve performance? Save time? Reduce errors?
If there is no evidence, the skill becomes weak.
Recruiters also look for recency. A skill you used heavily eight years ago but have not touched since may be less convincing than a skill you used last month. This matters especially with software, digital tools, compliance, technical platforms and fast moving industries.
Another thing recruiters notice is skill inflation. This happens when candidates describe themselves as advanced in everything. Advanced Excel, advanced stakeholder management, advanced leadership, advanced strategy, advanced everything. It starts to sound less credible, not more.
Use skill levels carefully. If you say “advanced Excel,” be ready for someone to expect pivot tables, lookups, complex formulas, data cleaning and reporting. If you only know how to format a spreadsheet and make the cells look tidy, call it working knowledge. There is no shame in being accurate. There is risk in overselling.
Job adverts often use polished language. Real hiring conversations are usually more practical.
When an employer says they want “excellent communication skills,” they may actually mean:
Can this person explain things clearly to customers?
Can they write professional emails without creating confusion?
Can they handle difficult conversations?
Can they update stakeholders without being chased?
Can they adapt their communication style to different people?
When an employer says they want “strong organisational skills,” they may mean:
Can this person manage competing priorities?
Will they miss deadlines?
Can they keep accurate records?
Can they handle pressure without dropping important details?
Will the manager need to constantly remind them?
When an employer says they want “commercial awareness,” they may mean:
Does this person understand how the business makes money?
Can they make decisions with cost, risk and customer impact in mind?
Do they understand targets, margins, retention or growth?
Can they connect their work to business outcomes?
This is why vague skills do not work well. You need to translate them into the reality of the role.
The best skills for your CV depend on the job you are targeting. Use these examples as a starting point, not a copy and paste list. The strongest CVs are tailored.
Diary management
Inbox management
Data entry
Document control
Meeting coordination
Travel booking
Minute taking
Microsoft Office
CRM updates
Supplier communication
Record keeping
Process administration
Confidential information handling
Customer enquiries
Scheduling
For admin roles, accuracy matters more than candidates realise. Hiring managers often worry about whether someone will create more work by making careless mistakes. If your CV can show organisation, accuracy and calm follow through, it will do more than a generic “excellent admin skills” line.
Customer communication
Complaint handling
Live chat support
Call handling
CRM systems
Query resolution
Escalation management
Product knowledge
Empathy
De escalation
Customer service CVs should show more than being nice to people. Employers want to see whether you can solve problems, stay calm with difficult customers and protect the business relationship.
Lead generation
Cold calling
Account management
Pipeline management
CRM management
Negotiation
Closing
Prospecting
Client presentations
Objection handling
Sales CVs need measurable evidence where possible. If you list sales skills but avoid targets, revenue, conversion rates or pipeline size, the recruiter may wonder why.
Campaign planning
Content marketing
Email marketing
SEO
Paid social
Google Analytics
Social media management
Copywriting
Brand positioning
CRM segmentation
Marketing hiring managers care about creativity, but they also care about outcomes. A CV that only says “creative campaigns” is weaker than one showing audience growth, leads, engagement, conversion or brand impact.
Financial reporting
Month end close
Reconciliations
Accounts payable
Accounts receivable
Payroll
VAT returns
Budget tracking
Forecasting
Variance analysis
Finance CVs need precision. If you are vague in a finance CV, it works against you. Hiring managers want to know which processes, systems and reporting responsibilities you have handled.
Employee relations
Recruitment coordination
Candidate sourcing
Interview scheduling
Onboarding
HR administration
Policy updates
ATS management
Payroll coordination
Training coordination
For HR and recruitment roles, people skills matter, but process matters too. A strong CV shows that you can handle sensitive information, manage stakeholders and keep things moving without turning the process into a small administrative crime scene.
Technical support
Troubleshooting
Python
JavaScript
SQL
Cloud platforms
Cybersecurity awareness
Network administration
Service desk support
Software development
Technology CVs should be specific. List tools, languages, frameworks, platforms and project context. “Tech savvy” is not enough. It sounds like something someone writes when they know where the WiFi settings are.
Project planning
Risk management
Issue tracking
Stakeholder management
Budget tracking
Resource coordination
Agile delivery
Waterfall methodology
RAID logs
Reporting
Project management skills need evidence of delivery. Employers want to know what size of project you handled, who was involved, what changed and what you were accountable for.
For most UK CVs, aim for 8 to 14 strong skills in a dedicated skills section. You can include more skills naturally throughout your work experience, but the top skills section should stay focused.
Too few skills can make your CV look thin. Too many can make it look unfocused.
A good rule is this: if a skill does not help prove your fit for the job, remove it.
Your skills section should not be a storage unit for every ability you have ever collected. It should be a shortlist of the most relevant reasons to interview you.
For technical roles, you may need a slightly longer technical skills section, especially if tools, programming languages, platforms or certifications matter. In that case, group skills by category so the reader can scan them easily.
Example:
Technical Skills
Languages: Python, SQL, JavaScript
Data Tools: Power BI, Excel, Tableau
Platforms: Azure, AWS, GitHub
Methods: Agile, Scrum, API testing
This is much easier to read than one long line of disconnected keywords.
An ATS friendly skills section uses clear, standard wording that matches the role without keyword stuffing. The goal is to help your CV be found and understood.
To make your skills ATS friendly:
Use the same common terms found in the job description where accurate
Write full tool names rather than unclear abbreviations
Avoid graphics, icons or skill bars
Do not hide keywords in white text or strange formatting
Use simple headings such as Key Skills or Technical Skills
Keep skills in normal text, not images or tables that may parse badly
Use realistic variations where needed, such as “customer service” and “customer support” if both fit naturally
Skill bars are one of my least favourite CV trends. A little bar saying you are 80 percent good at leadership tells me absolutely nothing. Eighty percent compared with what? A team leader? A CEO? A golden retriever with excellent stakeholder management? Use words and evidence instead.
ATS friendly does not mean ugly. It means readable, searchable and sensible.
Most CV skills mistakes come from trying to sound impressive rather than trying to be useful.
If your skills section says “leadership,” but your work experience shows no leadership, mentoring, supervision, decision making or ownership, the claim feels weak.
Using relevant language is smart. Copying the job advert line by line is not. Recruiters can spot it. It makes the CV feel manufactured rather than tailored.
A long skills list often signals a lack of strategy. The reader should not have to work out which skills matter most.
If you are applying for senior roles, do not lead with basic Microsoft Word or email skills unless there is a specific reason. Use the space to show higher value capability.
Do not call yourself advanced unless you can defend it. Interviews have a funny way of exposing inflated claims.
Some candidates tailor their CV to the job title rather than the job description. Two roles with the same title can require very different skills. Always read the detail.
When choosing skills for your CV, use this practical filter:
Relevance: Does this skill clearly relate to the job I am applying for?
Evidence: Can I prove this skill through my work experience, achievements or training?
Level: Does this skill match the seniority of the role?
Specificity: Is the skill clear enough for a recruiter to understand quickly?
Value: Does this skill help show why I should be interviewed?
If a skill passes all five, it probably belongs on your CV. If it fails two or more, it may be filler.
The best CVs are not the ones with the most skills. They are the ones where the skills, experience and achievements all tell the same story.
That story should be simple: I understand the work, I have done relevant things before, and I can bring useful capability to this role.
Before you send your CV, check your skills section against the role you want.
Ask yourself:
Have I included the most important skills from the job description?
Have I removed generic skills that do not add value?
Have I included specific tools, systems or technical knowledge where relevant?
Can my work experience prove the skills I have listed?
Does my skills section match the seniority of the job?
Have I avoided skill bars, vague claims and overused phrases?
Would a recruiter understand my fit within a quick scan?
Have I tailored the skills for this specific role rather than using the same CV for everything?
This is the part candidates often resist because tailoring takes effort. But hiring is comparative. You are not being judged in isolation. Your CV is being compared with other people who may have made their relevance easier to see.
That does not mean you need to rewrite your entire CV for every job. It does mean your skills section should reflect the role in front of you.
Written by Simar Malhi, a recruiter and headhunter with international recruitment experience. I write about CVs, job applications, hiring decisions, and the reality behind recruitment processes. My goal is to help candidates understand more honestly how employers, recruiters, and hiring managers actually select candidates.
Team collaboration
Account management
Sales pipeline management
Campaign delivery
Case handling
Compliance checks
Scheduling
Training support
Operational problem solving
Quality assurance
Forecasting
Business partnering
Negotiation
Programme delivery
Workforce planning
Board level reporting
Vendor management
Operational leadership
Decision making
Governance
Order processing
Refunds and returns
Service recovery
Customer retention
SLA management
Revenue growth
Territory management
Forecasting
Relationship building
B2B sales
Marketing automation
Lead generation
Conversion tracking
Market research
Performance reporting
Sage
Xero
QuickBooks
Excel modelling
Audit support
Compliance checks
Stakeholder management
Workforce planning
Screening
Offer management
API integration
Data migration
System testing
Jira
Agile methodology
Governance
Change control
Supplier management
Timeline management
Workshop facilitation