CV Skills Section: What to Include and How to Format It

Why the Skills Section Matters

Your skills section does two jobs simultaneously. First, it provides ATS software with a concentrated list of keywords to scan and match against the job description. Most ATS platforms have a dedicated skills parser that specifically targets this section. Second, it gives human recruiters a quick visual reference for your core competencies in the first 6 seconds they spend on your CV.

But a poorly constructed skills section — a random list of 30 generic terms, or a list that doesn't match the role — can do real harm. It signals to a recruiter that you either didn't tailor your CV for this role, or that you lack clarity about what you actually bring to the table. The goal is a concise, relevant, and well-formatted list that supports your experience section rather than replacing it.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Understanding the difference is essential to building a good skills section:

The rule: Hard skills belong in your skills section. Soft skills are far more credible when they're shown through evidence in your work experience ("Led a team of 12 engineers..." proves leadership better than just listing "leadership"). If you must include a soft skill, make sure your experience section backs it up with a concrete example.

What NOT to Include in Your Skills Section

• Basic software that is assumed for any office role (Word, Excel at a basic level, Outlook)
• Vague attributes that apply to every candidate ("motivated", "results-driven", "detail-oriented")
• Technologies you learned once in a course 8 years ago and haven't used since
• Skills that aren't relevant to the target role — they dilute the signal of your actual relevant skills

How to Format the Skills Section

There are three main formatting options. Choose the one that suits your role type:

Option A: Categorised List (Best for technical roles)

Categorised lists are ideal for software engineers, data scientists, analysts, and other technical roles where you have skills across multiple distinct domains. They help ATS parse your skills accurately and give recruiters a structured overview at a glance.

Option B: Simple Bullet or Comma-Separated List (Most roles)

A clean comma-separated list works well for marketing, HR, sales, finance, and generalist roles. It's compact, easy to scan, and works well with ATS parsers.

Option C: Skill Bars / Ratings — Avoid

Visual skill bars ("Python ████░░") look appealing in heavily designed templates but are meaningless to employers (who rates themselves 3/5 at Python?), provide no useful information, and often cause ATS parsing failures. Skip them.

Role-Specific Skills Examples

Should You Include Proficiency Levels?

For spoken languages, proficiency levels are expected and useful: Native, Fluent, Professional Working Proficiency, or Conversational. Use one of these standard terms rather than made-up labels.

For technical tools, proficiency labels are optional. If you include them, be specific and honest: "Figma (expert, 5+ years)" is credible. Generic star ratings or progress bars add nothing and should be avoided.

When in doubt, demonstrate proficiency through your experience bullets rather than a label. "Built and maintained 3 Tableau dashboards used by the C-suite weekly" communicates more than "Tableau (advanced)".

Where to Put the Skills Section

For most professionals with several years of experience, the skills section sits after your work experience. Your career history is your main selling point; skills support it.

For students, recent graduates, or career changers where your skills are your strongest asset, you can place a focused skills section after your education section and before or alongside a projects section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many skills should I list?

8–15 skills is the optimal range for most roles. Fewer than 8 and you're not giving ATS and recruiters enough keywords to work with. More than 15–20 and the list becomes noise — it suggests you've pasted in every skill you've ever heard of rather than curating a focused, relevant selection.

Should soft skills be on a CV?

Only if they're demonstrated elsewhere in the CV with concrete evidence. "Leadership" listed in your skills section means nothing unless your experience section shows you actually led people or projects. If you can back up a soft skill with examples, include it; if you can't, skip it — recruiters are deeply sceptical of unsubstantiated soft skill claims.

Do I need a separate technical skills section?

Yes, for technical roles. A dedicated technical skills section (separate from a general skills or "About Me" section) helps ATS parsers correctly identify and score your technical competencies. It's also expected by technical recruiters and hiring managers — seeing a clear list of languages, tools, and platforms lets them qualify you quickly.

Should I tailor my skills section for each application?

Yes — even minor adjustments to terminology can make a significant difference in ATS scoring. If one job description says "stakeholder management" and another says "stakeholder engagement", adjust accordingly. Spending 5 minutes tailoring your skills section to match the language of each specific JD can meaningfully increase your interview rate.

Related Guides

Also see: CV examples by role • Free ATS checker • All CV guides